Faith

DramaFantasy

★ Shortlisted by Jdubs

Programme: Special Presentations
Year: 2026
Runtime: 109 min
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English
Premiere: World Premiere

Gina, a hard-working and devoted single mother, meets a quietly enigmatic stranger, Michael. The presence of someone who appears to care for her brings a new and exciting dynamic to her life, despite the fact she knows nothing about him or what his intentions towards her really are. Is he a friend, a potential lover or something more sinister?

From the TIFF programme

The spark of romance offers a hard-working single mother (Erin Doherty, The Crown) the chance to imagine a different future. But after tragedy strikes, she discovers that the man she may be falling for (James McAvoy) is hiding a truth she couldn’t have imagined.

Saturday, September 19: This screening will be presented with open captions.

For single mother Gina (Erin Doherty, The Crown), every day is a balancing act. Raising her young son Jamie (Smylie Bradwell) while working shifts at a local factory, she does everything she can to build a comfortable home from modest means. When Gina meets the enigmatic and charming Michael (James McAvoy, California Schemin’, TIFF ’25) — a volunteer at the local food bank — his easy companionship offers the possibility of something she has long denied herself: the chance to envision a brighter future.

Then, in an instant, everything changes. With remarkable rigour, writer-director Paul Andrew Williams (Song for Marion, TIFF ’12) explores both the unimaginable weight of grief and the fragile hope that can survive even our darkest moments. Known for his powerful portraits of ordinary lives under extraordinary pressure, Williams brings a new tenderness to Faith, blending grounded realism with subtle touches that expand the emotional world of the film. Doherty delivers a staggering performance, palpably capturing love, despair, and resilience while McAvoy commands a character whose true motivations remain elusive.

Heartbreaking yet filled with grace, Faith is a moving reflection on the fragile threads that keep us connected to life when everything else seems lost. Williams reminds us that hope rarely arrives all at once. Sometimes it begins with a simple kindness and with the possibility that there may be more connecting us than we can fully understand.

JASON RYLE

Content advisory: mature themes