SPILL LIVE REVIEW: TORONTO INTERNATIONAL MUSIC VIDEO FESTIVAL @ THE REC ROOM & PARADISE THEATRE, TORONTO

TORONTO INTERNATIONAL MUSIC VIDEO FESTIVAL

@ THE REC ROOM & PARADISE THEATRE, TORONTO

NOVEMBER 7-9, 2025

Toronto International Music Video Festival came back with a bang this year for its third annual run. The festival has been breaking down barriers in the music video world with free educational panels, mixers for industry leaders and emerging filmmakers, and showcases featuring some of the best music videos created worldwide.

Day one was a fitting introduction to the festivities with an art gallery and concert hosted at The Rec Room Roundhouse. The concert was a diverse mix of genres, with something for everyone. QUIETLOVE opened the show, warming up the audience with his silky-sounding R&B. Melo Griffith followed that up with his signature mix of lyrical party rap, and memyself&vi ended the show with a set of dark alternative pop tracks. With everyone warmed up after the concert, it was tough not to look forward to the rest of the festival.

SCOUT STOLPMANN & FESTIVAL DIRECTOR MAC DOWNEY (PHOTO CREDIT: SAL SEVERINO)

Day two got off to a great start at the Paradise Theatre as everyone cozied up for the Micro-budget Music Video Showcase and the Building From the Ground Up Roundtable featuring Toronto filmmakers Fatty Soprano, Jalal Kazemi, Lil ManPurse, and That Good Graphic. This was a great conversation about their starts in the DIY micro-budget music video scene and the path that led them to creating videos that are now watched around the world.

Following this was a screening of the documentary It’s All Gonna Break, which follows the legendary indie band Broken Social Scene from their humble beginnings. It was a treat to watch such intimate footage of the band and for a younger generation to learn about what the Toronto music scene was like in the late ’90s and early 2000s. It’s crazy to think about how different it is now. After the screening, the director of the film Stephen Chung stuck around for a Q&A session with the audience. Following this was the Canadian Music Video Showcase and the International Music Video Showcase, both of which were absolute eye candy.

Day 3 kicked off with Through The Eyes, an immersive panel with Jordan Lee & Govi talking about the relationship between musician and creative and how collaborations grow and evolve. After that were the Nominated Video Showcases, which were super satisfying to watch. With videos from all over the world, it was wild to see so many diverse sounds and talent packed into a day. The festival culminated with the much-anticipated award show, and it’s worth noting that there were 17 categories to win awards in. While most film festivals have a single award slotted for music videos, TIMVF really kills it in bringing a well-deserved shine to the beloved art form.

2025 Festival Photos

Festival Links

Festival Photo Credits: Cory Barter