‘The Savage’ to premiere at Toronto Int’l Film Festival
‘The Savage,’ a psychological drama directed by Iranian filmmaker Houman Seyyedi, will make its international debut in the official Primetime section of the 50th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
The 10-part series, produced exclusively by Iranian streaming platform Filmnet, marks Iran’s first-ever entry into TIFF’s Primetime category, which showcases a limited selection of high-profile global TV series inn.ir wrote.
For its 2025 edition, the festival has picked just six shows from around the world for this spotlight, calling them “the boldest new television series.” TIFF will run from September 4 to 14 in Toronto.
Set in contemporary Iran, ‘The Savage’ follows Davood Ashraf, a mineworker whose life is upended after being arrested for murder. The story explores themes of survival, justice, and identity. The cast includes Javad Ezzati, Negar Javaherian, Ehsan Amani, Alireza Sanifar, Mehdi Sabbaghi, and Mohammad Saberi.
TIFF’s official statement emphasized that this year’s Primetime slate brings together series from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Hungary, Norway, Rwanda, South Africa, India, and Canada. ‘The Savage’ stands out as the only Middle Eastern entry, lending it “a distinctive edge” in the lineup.
Seyyedi is best known for his feature film ‘World War III,’ which won the Orizzonti Award at the Venice Film Festival in 2022. With ‘The Savage,’ he shifts gears to long-form storytelling, aiming to break new ground in Iranian serial drama on the international stage.