Several films emerged as major highlights, particularly Fjord, Elsinore, On Behalf of My Son, Soumsoum, A Good Little Soldier, Minotaur, Coward, and Bitter Christmas. The festival’s audience awards also intersected closely with my coverage: La Bola Negra received the People’s Choice Award, while Elsinore won the International People’s Choice Award, with Possible Love and The Assassin(s) recognized as runners-up. The success of two films centred on gay lives and histories was particularly meaningful, reflecting the openness of Toronto audiences to queer stories told through very different cinematic and historical perspectives.