Local filmmakers have plenty to say with their entries at this year's Toronto International Film Festival. Among the offerings are films tackling parent-child relationships, mental health, the immigrant experience and gentrification. Here's a rundown of some of the films on offer at TIFF this year that are either shot in the GTA or created by GTA-based filmmakers.

Castle in the Ground is the latest offering from Toronto-based director Joey Klein. Shot in Sudbury, Ont., the film stars Alex Wolff as Henry, a young man who is taking care of his terminally ill mother (Neve Campbell). Tackling the opioid crisis, the film follows Henry as he struggles to cope with his reality while befriending his charming, but troubled neighbour Ana (Imogen Poots).

Alex Wolff stars as Henry in director Joey Klein's 'Castle in the Ground'.

In Clifton Hill, director Albert Shin tackles a psychological thriller set in picturesque Niagara Falls. The film follows Abby (Tuppence Middleton), who becomes obsessed with a fragmented memory from her childhood – a kidnapping she believes she witnessed – when she returns home following the death of her mother. While working with her estranged sister to try and settle her mom's estate, her obsession with the memory begins to spin out of control.

Toronto actress-turned-director Amy Jo Johnson (Power Rangers, Flashpoint) directs Felicity Huffman as Tammy, an alcoholic mom and Anastasia Phillips as her daughter Kathy in Tammy's Always Dying. Shot in Hamilton, the film follows mother and daughter as Kathy is forced to move back home to help take care of Tammy following a cancer diagnosis. This is Johnson's second feature following 2017's The Space Between.

Felicity Huffman and Anastasia Phillips star in 'Tammy's Always Dying'. (Courtesy of TIFF)

White Lie follows the story of Katie (Kacey Rohl), a young woman who becomes the poster child for cancer causes on her campus. There's just one problem; she doesn't really have cancer. Toronto filmmakers Calvin Thomas and Yonah Lewis direct this look at a difficult protagonist, touching on the role that social media plays in amplifying public response. 

The Last Porno Show follows Wayne (Nathaniel Chadwick), a struggling actor who has to figure out what to do when he inherits the city's last porn cinema from his father.  The film from Ryerson grad Kire Paputts deals with Wayne's struggle for his own identity as he reconnects with the memory of his father through the business, but also touches on what the city loses with creeping gentrification. This is the latest offering from Paputts, who has previously explored the changing shape of Toronto in some of his other films (2013's Gerrard Street East and The Last Pogo Jumps Again). According to a description on the TIFF website, The Last Porno Show "conjures the city, pre–condo craze."

Nathaniel Chadwick plays Wayne, a man who inherits his father's porno cinema in 'The Last Porno Show'. (Courtesy of TIFF)

Immigrating to a new country is never easy. In Easy Land, Serbian-Canadian director Sanja Zivkovic tackles the Canadian immigrant experience through the lens of a mother-daughter relationship. Jasna (Mirjana Jokovic), a trained architect, and her daughter Nina (Nina Kiri) are Serbian refugees who move to Toronto so that they can have a better life. Still traumatized by the things she witnessed in her home country, Jasna's mental health is fragile and is further strained by the menial jobs she has to work to pay the bills. Nina, struggling to fit in at high school in her new country, also faces challenges. Presented with separate opportunities, mother and daughter each have to figure out how to improve their situation while keeping their delicate relationship intact.  

Mirjana Jokovic as Jasna, a Serbian mother and architect who has recently immigrated to Toronto in director Sanja Zivkovic's 'Easy Land'. (Courtesy of TIFF)

Mississauga- born director Nicole Dorsey presents her debut feature film with Black Conflux. Set in Newfoundland in 1987, the film stars Toronto actress Ella Ballentine as 15-year-old Jackie, a teen searching for her own identity. She eventually connects with Dennis, an isolated man with a dark streak.  The film explores womanhood, isolation, and toxic masculinity as their two worlds converge.

Anne at 13,000 ft is the latest offering from Toronto director Kazik Radwanski. The film follows Anne (Deragh Campbell), a Toronto daycare worker navigating an uncertain period in her life. It marks just the second Canadian film ever to be showcased in the festival's "Platform" category for films with strong artistic merit and directorial vision.

Deragh Campbell stars in 'Anne at 13,000 ft'. (Courtesy of TIFF)

The Toronto International Film Festival kicks off on Sept. 5. See https://tiff.net for schedules and ticket information.