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Director Tenzin Yeshi and D.O.P. Tenzin Gurmey Talk Midnight Momo — “The Tibetan American experience felt unavoidable”

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Tibetan American indie filmmaker Tenzin Yeshi makes his feature debut as director, writer, and star with Midnight Momo, a one-location time-loop tragicomedy, set in a Tibetan restaurant in New York’s Jackson Heights.

The film recently had its North American premiere at VIFF 2026, where Tenzin and director of photography Tenzin Gurmey sat down with Nick Lay to discuss the Tibetan American experience, making a film for $4,000, and shooting long takes wild on the streets of Queens.

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Fatherland (VIFF 2026)

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Intellectually Rich, Emotionally Devastating.

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Once Upon A Time In Harlem (VIFF 2026)

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History never felt so alive.

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Director Matthew Rankin Talks Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney — “I have an unhealthy relationship with power”

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Winnipeg’s finest export Matthew Rankin (Universal Language) returns to skewer the Canadian political class with Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney, a mind-bending documentary collage of lost Canadiana, centred on the former Prime Minister.

As the film plays at VIFF 2026, Matthew spoke to Nick Lay about the power of television in politics, wading through thousands of hours of archival footage, and the dying art of satire.

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ILT’s Top 10 Films of 2025!

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The lengths people will go to for the ones they love versus the lengths they will go to for themselves will always equate to pure CINEMA.

Relive a soul-stirring year with ILT’s top 10 films of 2025…Follow ILT on twitter @iltfilm
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Wannabe Cute, In Reality Puzzling — Rental Family (VIFF 2025)

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Not without its charm, but still a big miss.

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An Appealing Journey To The Bottom Of The Glass — Blue Moon (VIFF 2025)

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If you’re after some moody Linklater, pour a stiff drink and get in front of Blue Moon.

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“The way my grandma looked at it was shocking to me” — Akashi Director Mayumi Yoshida On The Generational Dilemma Of Love

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Actor-turned-writer-director Mayumi Yoshida (The Man in the High Castle) wants to know what love is in Akashi, her gorgeous feature debut shot in Tokyo.

As the film plays at VIFF 2025, Mayumi spoke to ILT about taking a script from the stage to the big screen, shooting in black and white on freezing Tokyo nights, and exploring why generation after generation struggles with the idea of love.

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“It’s certainly not a sports movie” — The Track Director Ryan Sidhoo On Coming-Of-Age At 120KM Per Hour

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When Vancouver filmmaker Ryan Sidhoo first travelled to the Bosnian city of Sarajevo, little did he know that he would return with a truly inspiring coming-of-age documentary, shot through the eyes of the country’s young luge team.

As the film plays at VIFF 2025, Ryan spoke to ILT about finding hope in generational trauma, discovering the beauty of Bosnian culture, and being told to get off a luge track that was not quite as abandoned as it seemed.

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ILT’s Top 10 Films of 2024!

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Inward facing and outright wild, 2024 was a hell of a ride for cinema.

Look back on it with ILT’s top 10 films of the year…Follow ILT on twitter @iltfilm
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