The European Union Film Festival (EUFF) returns to Toronto from November 12 to 26, 2026 with screenings at the Spadina Theatre. located within the premises of Alliance Française de Toronto. This is one of the best fall festivals in the city, with a curated selection of 28 acclaimed films from 28 countries, and best of all, attendance is free!

28 Films, a Window Into Europe

At a time when Canada and the European Union are deepening their relationship, the Festival offers a cultural meeting point. Through cinema, audiences are invited to experience the diversity of European cultures while discovering how much we share: our families, our hopes, our challenges, our histories and our willingness to connect. From family and friendship to identity and belonging, from stories of resilience to women challenging power structures, from emancipation through sports and the arts to historical memory, this year’s lineup spans a rich variety of themes, genres and styles, while showcasing deeply relatable and universal stories.

From Ireland to Cyprus: Stories that Connect Us

The Festival opens with Blue Road: The Edna O’Brien Story from Ireland, a portrait of the extraordinary life and legacy of writer Edna O’Brien, partly narrated by Oscar-winning actress Jessie Buckley. The closing film, Hold Onto Me from Cyprus, follows 11-year-old Iris as she attempts to reconnect with her estranged father. The film is Cyprus’s first-ever official submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film and recently won the World Cinema Dramatic Audience Award at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. 

Among the other highlights of this year’s selection are:

  • Julie Keeps Quiet (Belgium) — an acclaimed drama about silence and abuse in elite sport, winner of the SACD Award at Cannes Critics’ Week and Belgium’s submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Alongside Invincibles (Czech Republic) and Escape Net (Latvia), it explores power, identity and resilience through sport.
  • Chopin, A Sonata in Paris (Poland) — a biopic of the composer navigating art, love, political upheaval and chronic illness in 1830s Paris. Stereo Girls (France) also puts music at its heart, telling the story of two inseparable friends composing synth-pop in the 1990s.
  • Spiked (Luxembourg) — an inventive animated adventure about a sheltered hedgehog and an exhausted rabbit whose chance encounter sets them off on an unexpected storybook quest. The film was selected for the official programme of the 21st Busan International Kids and Youth Film Festival (BIKY).
  • Family Time (Finland) — a darkly funny portrait of family tensions and generational patterns. In a very different genre, Castillo (Malta) explores family bonds and buried secrets. Both were their respective countries’ submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. 
  • Traces (Ukraine) — a powerful documentary about Ukrainian women survivors of sexual violence during Russia’s war of aggression, winner of the Panorama Audience Award at the 2026 Berlinale and Ukraine’s submission for this year’s Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. 

The full selection showcases the breadth of European cinema, taking audiences on a journey from therapy sessions in Sweden and artistic pursuits in Austria to a sci-fi exploration of AI in Romania, encounters with clowns in Estonia, a chaotic reception in Greece and a community’s fight to protect a small Italian island.

The festival runs from November 12 to 26, 2026 with general admission free on a first-come, first-served basis, and a limited number of tickets available for advance purchase. Most of the programme will also be accessible online from December 1 to 20, 2026.

All screenings take place at Spadina Theatre (24 Spadina Rd) located within the premises of Alliance Française de Toronto

The full schedule, trailers and showtimes are available at euffto.com.

Add a taste of Greece to your festival experience at the EUFF Café, featuring specialties from Tzatziki. From savoury bites packed with Mediterranean flavours to traditional sweet treats, the café is the perfect place to grab a bite and recharge between screenings. Stop by nightly from 7:30pm to 8:30pm!

 

About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist with a focus on travel, lifestyle, entertainment and hospitality. He has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He enjoys discovering delicious eats, tasting spirited treats, and being mesmerized by musical beats.