A fter recently debuting at the South by Southwest Film Festival, Inuk director Nyla Innuksuk’s Arctic-set sci-fi thriller Slash/Back is set to make its Canadian premiere at the TIFF Next Wave Film Festival.

The organization behind the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) says Slash/Back (Good Question Media), about Nunavut teens facing an alien invasion, will open the 11th instalment of the youth-oriented Next Wave running April 22 to 24.

The festival offers free official selection films for anyone under 25 as well as talks and special events to celebrate the next generation of film and filmmakers. This year’s TIFF Next Wave Committee (pictured) who curated the festival’s core lineup under the guidance of TIFF staff comprises 12 film-enthusiast students who range from ages 15 to 18.

The TIFF Next Wave Committee members hail from specialized arts institutions, along with public and private schools, across the Greater Toronto Area. They are: Sia Mehta, Saharla Ugas, Julia Yoo, Charles Liu, Honora Murphy, Norah Daudi, Lina Zhang, Naiya Forrester, Ellie Tripp, Dev Desai, Michelle Kofia, and David Rhomberg-Stevenson.

This year’s cohort follows in the footsteps of several Next Wave Committee alumni now making waves in the screen industry, including actor Iman Vellani (2018), who will play the title role in Marvel’s upcoming TV series Ms. Marvel, and Emma Seligman (2013), whose debut feature, Shiva Baby, made its world premiere at TIFF in 2020.

The Next Wave Committee also supports the planning and programming of year-round TIFF Next Wave events, and decides on a selection of Next Wave-approved films at TIFF in September.

The complete programming lineup and TIFF Next Wave Festival details will be announced on March 30.

“Amongst lockdowns and school closures, and the enduring uncertainty in the world, this year’s Next Wave Committee shows what can be accomplished when a group of brilliant young people channel their energy and creativity toward a shared passion,” said Ikoro Huggins-Warner, senior coordinator of youth impact at TIFF.

“It’s been an inspiration to see the committee members learn and grow as film programmers. After two years of digital events, we’re thrilled to be bringing the festival back in-person to celebrate film together as a community and showcase an incredibly diverse lineup of youth stories from around the world. I can’t think of a better way to kick off the festival than with Slash/Back, a resonant story of friendship, survival, and apocalyptic ass-kicking.”

TIFF and Hot Docs have also announced a partnership to welcome youth audiences back to the cinema.

TIFF is offering an Under-25 Free Pass, which includes free tickets to hundreds of screenings of TIFF Cinematheque films and discounted year-round tickets at TIFF Bell Lightbox, and Hot Docs has created a free Bronze Membership for under-25s.