Children and youth representation in TIFF films

As the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is in full swing, let’s take a moment to consider its offerings featuring children and youth in pivotal roles.

In our latest blog post, The Helix Foundation has assembled a list of youth-centered films playing at the festival. These diverse selections differ greatly in terms of subject matter, language and country of origin. Surely, at least one of these eight films is of interest to you!

1. A Girl Unknown

   Cao Ruofan and Li Gengxi (Bi Gan’s Resurrection) portray a girl passed through three different families and identities under China’s one-child policy. Visually refined, this affecting coming-of-age drama explores resilience and self-determination.

2. Ah Girl

   Winner of the Youth Jury Award at the 55th International Film Festival Rotterdam. A bittersweet yet heartwarming story of a young girl figuring out what it means to become an adult.

3. Ashes

   A powerful and deeply humane portrait of the immigrant experience through the eyes of a young woman forced to rebuild her life in a new country. Diego Luna’s film delivers a nuanced exploration of family, identity, belonging, and displacement.

4. Flies

   When a woman rents a room to a father with a hospitalized relative, she forms an unexpected bond with his son. Fernando Eimbcke’s tender story about care, connection, and quiet transformation.

5. Girl Group

   Following a downward spiral, a pop star finds a sense of purpose by assembling young future stars to form a group of their own. Rebel Wilson directs, writes and stars.

6. Iron Boy

   Winner of the Special Jury Prize at Cannes last spring. The story of a boy in need of a back brace who seeks the courage to stand alone. Features hand-painted animation by Pixar animator Louis Clichy.

7. The Smell of Apples

   A sheltered 11 year-old South African boy comes to realize the horrors of the apartheid system. John Trengove’s third feature film.

8. Trick

   A successful illustrator travels to Naples to look after his four year-old grandson while his daughter is away. Beginning as a simple babysitting job, the child’s boundless imagination starts to become unsettling. Trapped in an apartment together, he is forced to confront the fear of aging and loss of creativity.