Documentary Railfan explores autistic children's love of trains, premieres at CAMH this Saturday

Filmmaker Ian Daffern is bringing a documentary about autistic children and their profound connection to trains to Toronto audiences. Railfan will premiere on Saturday, October 24 at 3:30 p.m. at CAMH Auditorium, 1025 Queen Street West, as part of the Rendezvous With Madness Festival.

Daffern, a Toronto native, drew inspiration for the project from his own son Ted, who is obsessed with subways and trains. Daffern and his wife regularly travelled the TTC with Ted, visiting every streetcar barn in the city and attending TTC open houses. "We'd take him to every street car barn in the city and every TTC open house," Daffern said.

The documentary's genesis came from a 2020 New York Times article titled "For Autistic Boys, the Subway is Actually Soothing," which featured fine-art photographer Travis Huggett and his portrait series documenting autistic kids and their love of trains. After reaching out to Huggett a couple of years later, Daffern realized there was a story to tell. Railfan, filmed in New York, follows Travis as he recreates his portrait series with six of the children originally featured in his photographs, exploring the intimate connection each child has with trains and how they each pursue their passion in their own way. The film also tracks the coming-of-age journey of Orson, Travis's son, as he balances his interest in trains with growing up.

Daffern's prior films, Stitched Glass and A Bullet Pulling Thread, both award-winners, explored how artists use their work to engage with the world and create meaningful change through their creativity and interests. Railfan takes a different angle, examining the intricate relationships autistic kids have with both trains and the world.

A crowdfunding campaign launched on September 15 at the Spacing Store in collaboration with Spacing magazine and local transit-based artist Wei Yi. The campaign runs through October 30 on Backerkit. Special event screenings will roll out across North America in April 2027 as part of Autism Awareness Month. More information is available at www.railfanfilm.ca.