Hi, this is Daniel Garber at the Movies for culturalmining.com and CIUT 89.5 FM.

If you believe the trades, the lucrative 14-24 year old movie market only really want to see action movies preferably based on either a plastic toy or video game, or else set somewhere in the superhero Universe. The bog studios bet big bucks on this prediction. But is it true? Aren’t there any movies without middle- aged men in tights that interest today’s youth?

Apparently there are. The Next Wave film festival, presented at the TIFF Lightbox, offers exactly that: a selection of innovative international features and shorts, aimed at 14-24 year olds, programmed by youth, for youth and about youth. The films and events are curated by a diverse posse of teenagers who apparently really know their stuff. Curators include cinephiles, movie geeks and future filmmakers, aged 14-18.

I spoke with programmers Neha Hallim, Roni Harel Haber, and Taf Mangwiro, in person at TIFF.

Instagram: @Nehahallim,  @roni.haber @tafmangwiro

Letterboxd: @Nehahallim,  @r0nii,  @tafmangwiro

Next Wave runs from April 10-13, 2025.

Go to tiff.net/tiff-next-wave-2025 for details.