Across Toronto, millions of people rely on the TTC daily. Whether it’s for commuting to work or school, exploring the city, or visiting friends, subway trains are a vital part of urban life. For some autistic children, however, subway trains are much more than that.
In 2020, documentary filmmaker Ian Daffern came across an article in the New York Times titled: “For Autistic Boys, the Subway is Actually Soothing.” The piece showcased Travis Huggett, a fine-art photographer based in New York, and his portrait series about autistic kids and their profound love for trains. After reaching out and speaking to Travis a couple of years later, Ian realized that there was a story waiting to be told.
Prior to Railfan, Ian had worked on two award winning documentary films, Stitched Glass and A Bullet Pulling Thread. In both films, Ian explored the connection between artists using their work to engage with the world at large, in order to connect and meaningfully make change through their creativity and interests. However, Railfan has allowed Ian to approach connection through a different angle — by examining the intricate relationships autistic kids have with both trains and the world.
Railfan is a documentary feature film set in New York that follows Travis as he recreates his portrait series with six of the children originally featured in his photo series. Throughout the film, we explore the intimate connection these children have with their love for trains and how each child participates in their passion in their own special way. However, Railfan also explores the coming-of-age story of Orson, Travis’ son, as he balances his interest in trains with growing up into the real world.
Although filmed in New York, Toronto played a big role in Ian’s inspiration for the project. As a Toronto native, Ian’s introduction to railfanning was initially through his son, Ted, who is also obsessed with subways and trains. The father-son duo would often travel across the TTC, and Ian and his wife would “take him to every street car barn in the city [and] every TTC open house” for fun. Ian credits Ted’s passion for railfanning as an inspiration for much of his creative work.
On September 15th, Railfan held a launch party at the Spacing Store for the film’s crowdfunding campaign, in collaboration with Spacing magazine and Wei Yi (@theonlyweiyi), a local transit-based artist in Toronto. Nestled beside the puzzle section, Ian set up his monitor to display a looping track of Railfan’s trailer, while Wei Yi exhibited her artwork and trinkets for sale. The store was lively with conversation, as Ian happily described the project to any curious passersby.
Railfan’s World Premiere will be at the Rendezvous With Madness Festival 2026, on Saturday October 24th at 3:30 PM at the CAMH Auditorium, 1025 Queen Street West. Railfan will also be available at special event screenings across North America in April 2027 as part of Autism Awareness Month.
To support Railfan’s crowdfunding campaign you can find it here on Backerkit. It runs until October 30th, 2026. Find out more information at www.railfanfilm.ca
