With summer right around the corner, Toronto’s free outdoor screenings are coming back with a lineup of classics and modern-day hits to keep you entertained. The Toronto Outdoor Picture Show (TOPS) is returning to city parks, with a catered programme following the theme When We Were Young.

From June to August, expect coming-of-age cinema to hit the city’s open-air screens. With films like Clueless and Challengers on the bill, the focus is on projects that explore the joys, pressures, and thrills of growing up. 

“I’ve always been captivated by coming-of-age stories and their ability to capture those pivotal moments that shape who we become,” says Toronto-based filmmaker Kelly Fyffe-Marshall. She has been selected as the festival’s 2025 Spotlight Filmmaker. Her debut feature When Morning Comes, a deeply personal film inspired by her move to Canada as a child, is part of this year’s curated selection. 

Photo by Jose Malillin

TOPS’ second spotlight programme will present Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) stories. Seven shorts and a feature made by Canadian women filmmakers of the SWANA diaspora will be included in the lineup. Each of these projects is expected to challenge stereotypes and uplift the SWANA community by depicting their nuanced growing-up journeys.

Celebrating its 15-year anniversary, the festival will officially kick off on June 12 with six consecutive evenings at Fort York, presenting titles like Romeo + Juliet and The Wizard of Oz. Those who arrive at the park grounds early will get to participate in pre-programing activities, which include vintage lawn games, chalk art painting, a celebratory photo booth, a costume contest, and more.

In July, the festival will expand to Christie Pits Park and Corktown Common. Audiences planning to sit down for screenings at these locations will get the opportunity to watch films like the timeless buddy comedy Dazed and Confused and Past Lives, A24’s beloved tear-jerker by Canadian director Celine Song.

Photo by Jessica Tsang

TOPS is a charitable organization that provides outdoor entertainment across the city, with programming that livens up Toronto’s summer nights. Cinephiles in attendance get to enjoy a communal experience, watching their favourite films while literally touching grass. In 2024 alone, the festival reached over 26,000 residents and tourists, marking a 9 per cent increase in comparison to previous editions.

As a non-for-profit event series, any donations made by attendees will help to support programs that serve the community at large. TOPS also invites audience members who make charitable contributions to vote for the festival’s closing night film. 

For a complete schedule of events for the Toronto Outdoor Picture Show, visit the organization’s website.