When I wrote about the Run N Gun Film Festival, I admitted that before Hudson, I didn’t even know what it was. TIFF was different. I knew how big TIFF was, I knew the schedule for the day, and I thought I had a pretty good idea of what to expect. But as the day unfolded, it became clear that I had underestimated just how big it was going to be. Somewhere between the crowds, the fans who had been waiting for hours and me trying desperately to keep up with everything happening at once, something shifted. It stopped feeling like I was covering Hudson Williams at TIFF. For a few surreal hours, it felt like TIFF was happening around Hudson Williams.

Maybe what made it so striking was how quickly we had arrived at a day like this. Less than a year ago, Hudson was an unknown actor. Now he was at one of the biggest film festivals in the world, headlining his own event in front of a sold-out audience. There are careers that build toward moments like that over years. Watching Hudson’s happen almost in real time has been one of the strangest and most exciting parts of being a fan.

The buzz around Hudson was already building before the festival even began. TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey had praised his rise more than once in the lead-up to TIFF and even predicted that plenty of people would show up simply to be in the room with him, hear what he had to say and, as Bailey joked, “maybe look at him a little bit too.” By the time Hudson’s day at TIFF finally arrived, it was clear Bailey had been onto something.

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That September afternoon at TIFF seemed to capture all at once. It all began at the Royal Alexandra Theatre with Making Waves, an entire conversation dedicated to his career, his love for filmmaking and the journey that had brought him to TIFF. Before he even made it inside there was already a crowd waiting for him. Hudson greeted fans outside the theater, taking photos and signing autographs before heading to the red carpet.

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And because this is still a fan writing this, I am allowed to say the obvious: he looked ridiculously good. Dressed in black from head to toe, with a fitted Balenciaga T-shirt, wide-leg trousers and Bvlgari jewelry around his neck, Hudson looked relaxed, confident and, frankly, hot. It wasn't some elaborate red-carpet outfit, and it didn't need to be. Standing in front of a crowd of fans with phones in the air and his name on their tongues, he already looked every bit the star TIFF was treating him as.

Once he took the stage, the scale of the moment became even harder to ignore. The conversation was sold out, and Hudson was greeted by the kind of cheers that would have been difficult to imagine less than a year earlier. But for all the excitement surrounding him, the conversation itself was really about the work: the films he loves, the people who inspired him, the years he spent learning his craft and the projects that eventually brought him to that stage.

Hudson talked about the years before Heated Rivalry, about acting becoming a safe haven for him and about all the uncertainty that comes with choosing a career where there are no guarantees. There was something especially meaningful about hearing him look back on that period while sitting on a TIFF stage with hundreds of people hanging on his every word.

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What also became obvious throughout the conversation was just how much Hudson genuinely loves movies. Not the idea of being a movie star, but the work itself. He talked about growing up watching David Lynch, his admiration for Heath Ledger, his fascination with transformation as an actor and making short films with friends simply because they loved making them. His idea of success was once simply making enough money to keep acting for a living. So much around Hudson has changed incredibly fast, but the way he talks about movies makes one thing very clear: the love for what he does was there long before everyone else started watching.

At the end of the conversation, the screen behind Hudson showed a photo of him at the Toronto premiere of Heated Rivalry last December, in that very same theater. Seeing those two moments exist in the same room was almost surreal. So much has happened since then that I can barely wrap my head around it, and I can only imagine how it must have felt for him.

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A few hours later, it was time for the world premiere of YAGA. Hudson arrived at TIFF Lightbox looking absolutely stunning in Orange Culture's Fall/Winter 2026 collection. The black tailoring, dramatic flash of red, Bvlgari diamonds and diamond grills made it easily one of my favorite looks of his.

The premiere itself was packed, with fans (and I promise I was not jealous of everyone sitting in that room) filling the theater to be among the first to watch the opening two episodes. The screening came not long after it had finally been revealed that Hudson wasn't playing just one character in YAGA, but two: Henry Park and Logan, giving audiences their first real chance to see him pull off the double role alongside Carrie-Anne Moss, Noah Reid, Clark Backo, Sheila McCarthy, Megan Follows and Ezra Franky. After the screening, Hudson joined creator Kat Sandler and his castmates onstage for a Q&A about the series, talking about the challenge of creating two completely different characters and bringing them both to life.

There was, of course, an after-party from which we somehow have a grand total of four photos of Hudson. 👀 But after a full day surrounded by cameras, I suppose I can forgive him for disappearing on us.

Looking back, I think what makes that day so special to me is knowing just how much had to happen for it to exist at all. Following Hudson over these past months has meant constantly having to adjust my idea of what a “big moment” looks like, because somehow another one always comes along. That day alone, Hudson had two separate segments about him on Canadian television:

TIFF felt different, though. Maybe because, for one day, the past, present and future of his career were all there at once. Ten months ago, none of us could have known what was coming. I have no idea where Hudson will be a year from now, let alone ten. I’m just really glad I get to be here for the ride.

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Now for my favorite part: the photos!! I’ve added more than 400 photos (YES!!!) from that unforgettable day to the gallery, including both professional shots and photos taken by fans. A quick thank you to everyone who has been supporting the gallery. We’re already approaching 20,000 views in less than two months, which is absolutely insane to me. 🥹

You can check out the full collection below:

See y’all at the next event! Hopefully it’ll be on a Saturday so I don’t have to pretend I’m doing my actual job while secretly clocked in at my second one.