Echo Chamber - TIFF 2026 - Vol 2 (Driftwood)
People, we still have some @EchoChamberFP goodness to sprinkle on the 51st Toronto International Film Festival.
Once again, the delightful Cynthia Amsden came through with something super interesting as well!!!
This one is a tale of anchoring yourself in something pure, friendship. It’s simple, sparse, but extremely rich in honesty and emotional resonance! Once again, we have the director / co-writer (also co-lead) & co-writer / co-lead on hand for an enthralling, insightful exploration of the filmmaking process, the Toronto film scene, storytelling and a heap more!!!
'Driftwood' is directed by AC Birch, who co-wrote with Breton Lalama. A waterfront escape, about a trans man (A.C. Birch) who enlists his best friend (Breton Lalama) for an adventure on the Toronto Islands in an attempt to recover a piece of himself.
Watch the conversation with A.C. Birch & Breton Lalama: HERE!
Today we have:
Driftwood - Poster
Driftwood
Watch Review: Here.
2026 Toronto International Film Festival
Short Cuts 2026 Programme 02
World Premiere, Monday 14th September 2026 at 11:30
Scotiabank Theatre Cinema 11
Friday 18th September 2026 at 14:45
Scotiabank Theatre Cinema 9
Buy Tickets: Here.
Director: AC Birch
Cast: AC Birch, Breton Lalama, Adrian Rebucas
Credit: Ink Cap Media Inc, Vicarious Playground Productions, Spindle Films
Genre: Drama
Running Time: 10:46 min
Cert: 15
Trailer: Here.
Website: Here.
Watch the conversation with A.C. Birch & Breton Lalama: HERE!
A.C. Birch (phot by: Wynne Neilly)
A.C. Birch
Writer, Director, Producer, Actor, Comedian
A.C. Birch is a comedian, writer, and filmmaker based in Toronto. Driftwood is his first narrative project and his performing debut. His past work includes co-directing the feature doc, A Queer’s Guide to Spiritual Living (Inside Out 2023), directing the short doc, Leaving Vernon (Yorkton Film Fest 2018), and producing the experimental short, Boygirl (Inside Out 2026). A.C.’s work centres on nuanced, heartfelt, and exciting explorations of queer and trans life. He was one of nine inaugural participants in Spindle Film Foundation’s mentorship program for trans and gender diverse writer/directors and has since gone on to work as the program lead for the Trans Film Mentorship and host the annual Trans Film Summit at TIFF. In 2026, A.C.’s solo sketch show, Alter Boy, was programmed at the Toronto and Montreal Sketchfests. In 2024, he produced a sold-out staged reading of his original regency-era romcom at The Second City, featuring a cast of Toronto’s most beloved trans and queer comics, to rave reviews. His awards include “Best Newcomer” at Sketch To The Death 2025, “Best Writing – Category Romance” by IndieX Film Fest, and “Most Improved – Category Hotness” by friends who knew him in high school.
Follow A.C. via:
IMDb: Here.
Linkedin: Here.
Instagram: @a.c.birch
Breton Lalama
Breton Lalama
Actor, Writer, Producer, Director, Cinematographer, Playwright
Breton (he/him) is a writer, performer, and filmmaker.
He is a Merritt and Dora award nominee and a Broadway World Award recipient whose work has been published and shown internationally. Most recently, the movie he co-wrote and starred in, REALLY HAPPY SOMEDAY, won Best Canadian Feature (Inside Out Festival and Whistler Film Festival), and Best Screenplay (Whistler) after premiering at TIFF.
Breton is the co-founder of and Director of Community Engagement at 'The Spindle Films Foundation', an initiative to support gender diverse Canadian filmmakers.
Follow Breton via:
IMDb: Here.
Linkedin: Here.
Website: Here.
Instagram: @bretonlikethecrackers
TIFF - Poster
51st Toronto International Film Festival
10th – 20th September 2026
TIFF is dedicated to presenting the best of international and Canadian cinema and creating transformational experiences for film lovers and creators of all ages and backgrounds.
As Canada's premiere home of cinema, TIFF offers screenings, lectures, discussions, festivals, workshops, events, professional development and opportunities to meet, hear and learn from filmmakers from Canada and around the world.
Information
Website: Here.
Film & Event Info: Here.
Film Schedule: Here.
Buy Tickets: Here.
X: @TIFF_NET
Facebook: Here.
Instagram: @tiff_net
YouTube: Here.
Check out TIFF's Letterboxd: Here.
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Snapchat: Here.
TikTok: @tiff_net
*(Music)
'Give The People' (Instrumental) by EPMD - 2020