#TIFF: “NEIL PEART: NO ONE’S DISCIPLE” TO PREMERE AT TIFF

The CBC original feature documentary Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple explores the artistry and enduring influence of Rush’s enigmatic drummer and lyricist through rare archival footage, intimate reflections and extraordinary live performances. An all-star lineup of acclaimed drummers, including Danny Carey of Tool, Stewart Copeland of The Police, Gavin Harrison of King Crimson and Porcupine Tree, and Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, joins Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson to tackle Peart’s notoriously demanding drum parts, revealing the musicianship behind one of rock’s most original artists. Directed by Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn and produced by Banger Films and Elevation Pictures. Republic Pictures has acquired the film outside of Canada.

WORLD PREMIERE

Wednesday, September 16 at 9:30 PM (EDT)

VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre

300 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1J2

An intimate live performance, featured in Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple, sees Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of Rush accompanied by Chad Smith, drummer for Red Hot Chili Peppers. (Courtesy of CBC/Banger Films)

Following the TIFF World Premiere, Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple will have its broadcast premiere as part of CBC’s The Passionate Eye, Wednesday September 23 at 8 PM (8:30 NT) on CBC and CBC Gem.

#TIFF: FULL SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED FOR 2026 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

With the full Festival schedule now available, it’s time to map out your TIFF ’26 experience. All Official Selection titles are now live at tiff.net/schedule, including 11 additional features announced today, bringing this year’s Festival lineup to 293 titles. The 51st edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, runs September 10–20, 2026.

Films announced today (in alphabetical order)

A Good Little Soldier | Stéphane Brizé | France

North American Premiere | Special Presentations

Bucking Fastard | Werner Herzog | USA

Canadian Premiere | Special Presentations

Closing Night | Cody Fern | Australia, Canada

World Premiere | Special Presentations

It’s My Time | Bai Xue | China

North American Premiere | Gala

It Will Happen Tonight | Nanni Moretti | Italy, France, Spain

International Premiere | Special Presentations

Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple | Scot McFadyen, Sam Dunn | Canada

World Premiere | Special Presentations

The Idiot(s) | Małgorzata Szumowska, Michał Englert | Poland, Germany

Canadian Premiere | Special Presentations

The Liberation | Guy Nattiv | USA

Canadian Premiere | Special Presentations

The Road Not Taken | Peter Ho-Sun Chan | China

World Premiere | Special Presentations

Trees are Watching | Bahman Ghobadi | Turkey

World Premiere | Centrepiece

Wild Horse Nine | Martin McDonagh | USA, Chile

Canadian Premiere | Special Presentations

This marks the last programming announcement leading up to the 51st edition of the Festival. Tickets go on sale to TIFF Members by level beginning Friday, August 21, and single tickets will go on sale to the public on Monday, August 31. For more details or to become a TIFF Member, visit tiff.net/join.

Visit tiff.net/schedule to view the full schedule and tiff.net/films to see the full list of films. The Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, runs September 10–20, 2026.

#TIFF: IN CONVERSATION WITH… SERIES AT 2026 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

As part of today’s schedule launch, TIFF is announcing this year’s iconic In Conversation With… series, expanding the Festival experience beyond the screen through in-depth onstage interviews with Festival artists in front of a live audience. A Festival favourite, this year welcomes Lee Min-ho, Rachel Morrison, Chris Rock, Andrew Scott, and Hudson Williams to the stage for intimate conversations about their creative journeys, craft, and careers.

“This year’s In Conversation With… series brings together trailblazers and extraordinary storytellers for conversations that will offer audiences a deeper look at their craft and careers,” said Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer, TIFF. “From Lee Min-ho, who became an icon of Korean drama long before K-dramas captured global audiences, and Rachel Morrison, the first woman nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography, to multi-hyphenate Chris Rock, who has fearlessly redefined comedy, to Andrew Scott and Hudson Williams, whose groundbreaking performances have captivated audiences around the world.”

In Conversation With… Lee Min-ho

Paging all devoted Minoz (미노즈): Join us at TIFF ’26 for an exclusive event celebrating the extraordinary career of global Hallyu icon Lee Min-ho. Here in Toronto for the World Premiere of his new film, The Assassin(s), co-starring Yoo Hai-jin (Exhuma) and Park Hae-il (Decision to Leave, TIFF ’22), and directed by Hur Jin-ho (A Normal Family, TIFF ’23). For nearly two decades, Lee Min-ho has been one of the defining figures of Korean popular culture, introducing generations of global audiences to the world of K-content. His iconic portrayals of Gu Jun-pyo in Boys Over Flowers (2009) and Kim Tan in The Heirs (2013) helped shape the global K-drama phenomenon, while City Hunter (2011) and the historical fantasy Faith (2012) showcased his remarkable versatility, moving effortlessly between stylish action and period drama. He made a successful transition to the big screen with his first leading film role in Gangnam Blues (2015), before further cementing his global popularity as “the king of fantasy romance” through The Legend of the Blue Sea (2016) and The King: Eternal Monarch (2020), captivating audiences worldwide. Pushing the boundaries of his craft, Lee joined the acclaimed Apple TV+ series Pachinko (2022–present), earning an Independent Spirit Award alongside the ensemble cast and widespread critical recognition. Named the most popular Korean actor in the Overseas Hallyu Survey for 13 consecutive years and recipient of 13 SBS Drama Awards, the undisputed “Hallyu King” regularly sells out arenas across Asia. Now, Lee joins us for his first North American onstage appearance in over a decade to discuss his defining career journey and his highly anticipated new film, The Assassin(s).

In Conversation With… Rachel Morrison

Following the acclaimed premiere of her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside, at TIFF ’24, Academy Award–nominated cinematographer and filmmaker Rachel Morrison returns to the Festival for the World Premiere of her highly anticipated sophomore feature, Love of Your Life, a romantic drama from Amazon MGM Studios starring Margaret Qualley, Aaron Pierre, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Gabriel Basso, and Catherine Keener, and produced by Ryan Gosling and Jessie Henderson. Grounded in photography and backed by formidable technical craft, Morrison has spent two decades moving seamlessly across film, television, fiction, and documentary, establishing herself as a premier visual storyteller. After gaining recognition for her haunting, arresting cinematography on indie highlights like Ryan Coogler’s Fruitvale Station and Dee Rees’ Mudbound (TIFF ’17) — where she made history as the first woman nominated for an Oscar in cinematography — she re-teamed with Coogler to shape the visual identity of Black Panther. Morrison further honed her directorial voice on hit series like The Morning Show and The Mandalorian before bringing the story of boxing legend Claressa Shields to the screen in The Fire Inside, a film celebrated for transcending sports tropes by foregrounding the human weight of victory. Morrison joins us to discuss her remarkable journey from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts to shooting and directing award-winning indies and major studio blockbusters.

In Conversation With… Chris Rock

As he presents the TIFF ’26 World Premiere of his latest film Misty Green, Emmy and Grammy Award–winning director, writer, actor, producer, and comedian Chris Rock joins us for a conversation about his multi-faceted career in front of and behind the camera. After his breakthrough on Saturday Night Live in the early 1990s as part of an iconic cast that included Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, and David Spade, Rock re-defined the landscape of stand-up comedy with his sharp, incisive special Bring the Pain (1996). The groundbreaking set catapulted him to superstardom and earned him two Emmys. Tackling socio-political issues like race relations, class division, and the justice system with piercing fervor, Rock has crafted an indelible onstage persona over the past three decades. Beyond stand-up, his career spans Hollywood blockbusters, hit television series, and acclaimed independent filmmaking. He produced and starred in the lauded documentary Good Hair (TIFF ’09), which won the Special Jury Prize Documentary at Sundance, and later moved into the director’s chair for the deeply personal Top Five (TIFF ’14). He returns to the Festival with Misty Green, a film destined to further cement his status as one of Hollywood’s most original creative voices.

In Conversation With… Andrew Scott, presented by Redbreast

Here at TIFF ’26 with one of the standout performances of the year in Elsinore, Andrew Scott proves once and for all that he’s one of the most versatile and captivating performers of our time. While his role as the charismatic priest in Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag introduced Scott to a wider audience, devoted fans had been following his work for years, including his electrifying turn as Moriarty in Sherlock, where he transformed the iconic villain into a captivating force of chaos. Scott first came to the Festival in 2014 with Matthew Warchus’ Pride, as part of an ensemble cast celebrating the history of LGBTQ+ activism in the UK, and returned most recently in 2025 as part of the acclaimed Knives Out franchise with Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery and Richard Linklater’s celebrated Blue Moon. Scott has emerged as one of the leading actors bringing complex queer experiences to the screen — from Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers, an intimate meditation on longing, grief, family, and memory, to his chilling transformation in Netflix’s Ripley, a dark reimagining of The Talented Mr. Ripley. In Elsinore, a film he also produced, Scott delivers a deeply personal and powerful performance as actor Ian Charleson, who in his final years summons exceptional courage to overcome immense physical challenges and deliver a defining performance of Hamlet at London’s National Theatre while living with AIDS. The conversation will explore the remarkable range of Scott’s career and celebrate this extraordinary new performance.

Making Waves With… Hudson Williams

This ICW is part of TIFF Next Wave initiatives that centre under-25 creators and audiences

Join us for an intimate conversation with Hudson Williams, one of the stars of the Primetime series YAGA from Kat Sandler. Born and raised in British Columbia, Williams spent his youth balancing the arts and sports, training in theatre, music, and dance while simultaneously playing competitive basketball and practicing mixed martial arts. After graduating from Vancouver’s Langara College Film Arts program in 2020, he continued to dive deep into his craft with professional theatre classes. Williams began navigating the Canadian film and television industry while at the same time being a disruptor by writing, directing, producing, and starring in independent short films with a close-knit circle of creative collaborators. His massive breakthrough came when he was cast as Shane Hollander in Jacob Tierney’s award-winning series Heated Rivalry, adapted from the bestselling novels by Rachel Reid. Since its debut in fall 2025, the series has become a global phenomenon, catapulting Williams to international stardom. Williams joins us to discuss his roles in the Crave Original series YAGA and Heated Rivalry, as well as the upcoming independent feature Apparatus. The conversation will explore his cinematic and cultural inspirations and reflect on the early short films, community, and collaborations that helped shape his unique artistic voice.

In Conversation With… programming is led by TIFF Public Programming.Tickets go on sale to TIFF Members by level beginning Friday, August 21, and single tickets will go on sale to the public on Monday, August 31. For more details or to become a TIFF Member, visit tiff.net/join. Visit tiff.net/schedule to view the full schedule and tiff.net/films to see the full list of films. The Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, runs September 10–20, 2026.

#TIFF: MIDNIGHT MADNESS PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED FOR 2026 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

The Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, wraps up its section-specific announcements with another electric and eldritch edition of its Midnight Madness programme. Spanning the full spectrum of midnight movie modes, from classic horror and wicked action to absurdist alt-comedy and the return of gonzo documentaries to the section courtesy of Canada’s Matthew Rankin (The Twentieth Century, TIFF ’19; Universal Language, TIFF ’24), the 2026 Midnight Madness lineup includes six World Premieres across 10 countries of production. Further assembled within the slate are an awesome array of masked killers, medieval ghosts, drug-addled mobsters, denim-desiring yakuza, amnesiac detectives, martial artist vampires, interstellar infantrymen, competing Canadian politicians, Faustian bargains, existential ennui, and even an infamous talking pineapple.

An audience favourite with an “obsessed” following, Midnight Madness delivers 10 late-night screenings at the (allegedly) haunted Royal Alexandra Theatre, each starting at 11:59 pm. Hosted by section curator Peter Kuplowsky, Midnight Madness invites the Festival’s most devoted and raucous audience to close out each night by diving into the best of the bizarre in contemporary genre and underground cinema, from emerging and established provocateurs.

And the Midnight Madness mayhem expands this year, with a special screening of Na Hong-jin’s sci-fi action thriller Hope starring Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, and Jung Hoyeon on Wednesday, September 9, the eve before Festival; and a “return to where it all started” screening of Focus Features and writer-director Curry Barker’s breakout success Obsession on Friday, September 11. As previously announced, TIFF: The Market will host an onstage moderated Dialogues conversation with director Barker and star Inde Navarrette as part of the seven-day Summit at the John Bassett Theatre; accessible by pass holders and public ticket holders.

2026 Midnight Madness programme (in alphabetical order):

Anchors Aweigh | Matt Barats | USA

International Premiere

Arrested Memory | SABU | Taiwan, Japan

North American Premiere

HALF | Samjad | India

World Premiere

Kick On | Nick Kozakis | Australia

World Premiere

Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney | Matthew Rankin | Canada

World Premiere

River | Joshua Giuliano | USA

World Premiere

Midnight Madness Opening Night Film

Rogue Trooper | Duncan Jones | United Kingdom

North American Premiere

Midnight Madness Closing Night Film

The Face of Horror | Anna Biller | United Kingdom

World Premiere

The Spiral | Paolo Strippoli | Italy, France, Belgium

International Premiere

Vintage Violence | Eugene Kotlyarenko | USA, Japan

World Premiere

The 51st edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, runs September 10–20, 2026. Today concludes this week’s programming announcements and the full schedule will be live on tiff.net on Tuesday, August 11.

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About TIFF:

TIFF is a not-for-profit cultural organization with a mission to transform the way people see the world through film. A global leader in film and entertainment, TIFF initiatives include the annual Toronto International Film Festival® in September; TIFF Lightbox, which features five cinemas, plus learning and entertainment facilities; the Donald Shebib TIFF Film Circuit, an innovative national distribution programme; and TIFF: The Market launching in 2026. The organization generates an estimated annual economic impact of $240 million CAD. TIFF Lightbox is generously supported by contributors including the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada, the City of Toronto, the Reitman family (Ivan Reitman, Agi Mandel, and Susan Michaels), The Daniels Corporation, and RBC. For more information, visit tiff.net.

TIFF is generously supported by Festival Presenting Sponsor Rogers Communications.

TIFF is generously supported by Major Sponsors RBC and Visa and Major Supporters Telefilm Canada, the Government of Ontario, and the City of Toronto.

#FIRSTLOOK: “THE FINAL ACT” TO PREMIERE AT 2026 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

MAISON 4:3 and the Association coopérative des productions audio-visuelles (ACPAV) are pleased to announce that THE FINAL ACT, written and directed by Sophie Deraspe (Shepherds, Antigone), will have its world premiere in the TIFF Docs section at the 51st Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). A two-time winner of TIFF’s Best Canadian Feature Film award – for Antigone in 2019 and Shepherds in 2024 – the acclaimed Quebec filmmaker returns to Toronto with a deeply moving documentary about the end of life.

The Final Act gathers the testimony of people consciously preparing for death – their own, a loved one’s, or a patient’s. Through the goodbyes offered by Stéphane’s loved ones, André’s jokes about doing Sudoku at the end of life, and Céline’s embrace to ease her son’s grief, Deraspe enters her subjects’ most intimate moments and captures scenes of remarkable vitality. As the final breath approaches, it is love and life, in all their complexity, that come most powerfully to the fore.

A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Sophie Deraspe combines social engagement with bold aesthetics in her filmmaking. Her first feature, Missing Victor Pellerin, was released in 2006 to critical acclaim and screened widely around the world. In 2010, she established herself internationally with Vital Signs, which was nominated for a Tiger Award at Rotterdam. She followed with The Wolves (2015), winner of the FIPRESCI Prize in Torino, and the documentary The Amina Profile, selected for the official competition at Sundance that same year. Deraspe is a two-time recipient of TIFF’s Best Canadian Feature Film award, for Antigone in 2019 – also selected as Canada’s submission for the Academy Awards – and Shepherds in 2024. A Canada-France co-production, Shepherds was released on 347 screens across France before beginning its rollout in several countries.

THE FINAL ACT is produced by François Bonneau and Isabelle Couture for ACPAV, with the financial participation of SODEC and TELEFILM CANADA. The film is distributed in Canada by Maison 4:3 and will open in theatres in the winter of 2027.

About Maison 4:3

Founded in 2014, Maison 4:3 is a boutique film distribution company. It puts its expertise at the service of filmmakers and their films, developing release strategies and supporting each work through the various stages of its distribution. Maison 4:3 champions deeply human projects that are both distinctive and resonant.

About ACPAV

Conceived from the outset as a home for creative freedom, ACPAV has supported auteur cinema since the early 1970s, exploring the sociopolitical realities of its time across every genre. Encompassing both fiction and documentary, ACPAV’s productions have distinguished themselves through their political dimensions and their commitment to reflecting every facet of Quebec culture. ACPAV is proud of its past while remaining firmly focused on the future. Although much has changed in filmmaking over the past fifty years, the values that guide its production team remain essentially the same: a desire to speak honestly and sincerely about the here and now, and to do so in a way that reaches audiences. Together, the ACPAV team is committed to advancing its vision of cinema alongside Quebec, Canadian and international partners, nurturing new talent while ensuring continuity. This gives ACPAV a truly singular place in Quebec’s film landscape.

#FIRSTLOOK: ZARRAR KAHN’S “THE LION DOES NOT CONCERN HIMSELF” TO PREMIERE AT TIFF

Zarrar Kahn of CityLights Media, Lauren Saarimaki of POV Film and Mina Husain of Suno Studios are pleased to announce the gym-incel (“gym-cel”) romantic-comedy, The Lion Does Not Concern Himself, from writer/director Zarrar Kahn (In Flames) will have its world premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival in the Short Cuts Programme 2 programme. The film stars Mohammad Ali Hashmi (In Flames, Stray Dogs Come Out at Night), Naomi Eidinger (D.I.Y., Swiped), Richesse Kabongo (A.A. (The Alex & Ariel Story), and Steve Cartwright.

In the sterile glow of a Queen West gym, a young trainer broadcasts his ambitions to nine subscribers. When a new client disrupts his routine, the boundary between his online persona and true self becomes a choice that he isn’t ready to face.

The Lion Does Not Concern Himself is co-written by Kahn and Mohammad Ali Hashmi, and produced by Lauren Saarimaki and Hamza Bangash, executive produced by Mina Husain, with Nic Altobelli serving as Co-Producer and Mohammad Ali Hashmi as Associate Producer.

“We shot The Lion Does Not Concern Himself a few blocks away from TIFF at a local gym on Queen West. The film is sort of about the manosphere, sort of about the gender divide, and sort of about the inherent goofiness of falling in love. The Toronto audience is exactly who we made this movie for, and we’re thrilled to be at TIFF,” said Zarrar Kahn.

“After I started working out, I witnessed the absurdity of hyper-performative masculinity. This was where the idea of The Lion Does Not Concern Himself came from. As an actor, it was exciting to flex both my comedic and literal muscles,” said Mohammad Ali Hashmi.

“As a psychiatrist, I believe understanding men’s mental health means understanding the cultural landscape young men are navigating and the forces that shape their search for identity, connection, and belonging” said Executive Producer, Mina Husain.

Produced in partnership with POV Film, The Lion Does Not Concern Himself is also a testament to the power of on set mentorship. Nearly 80% of the crew were participants of POV’s inFOCUS Training Program, many earning their first professional screen credit on the production. Working alongside experienced industry professionals, participants helped bring the film to life.

“Working with POV’s participants on this set was incredibly special. Having The Lion Does Not Concern Himselfpremiere at TIFF is a testament that showcases what’s possible when you invest in the extraordinary community of diverse emerging talent from across Toronto,” said Lauren Saarimaki.

Cinematography by Ash Tailor (Save the Date, The Feeling of the Word Autumn), production design by Jaedan Royer-Alexander (POV Alumni), costume design by Kelly Henderson (Pit), and editing by Craig Scorgie (15 Ways My Dad Almost Died, In Flames) and Zarrar Kahn.

ABOUT ZARRAR KAHN

Zarrar Kahn is a Toronto-based filmmaker whose 2023 debut feature, In Flames, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival’s Director’s Fortnight, won Best Picture at the Red Sea Film Festival, and served as Pakistan’s official 2024 Academy Awards submission. Winner of the Canadian Screen Award for Best Debut Picture, Kahn is an alumnus of the Canadian Film Centre and TIFF Talent Lab. Kahn focuses on socially conscious genre filmmaking that highlights marginalized communities. He is currently directing his next major project, a climate thriller titled Suffering Is Optional. Produced by CityLights Media, the film stars Marvel breakout actress, Iman Vellani, as a young drama student grappling with institutional abuse and a ghostly climate prophecy.

ABOUT MOHAMMAD ALI HASHMI

Mohammad Ali Hashmi’s break-out performance in In Flames underscored his exceptional range and emotional gravity, solidifying his reputation as a transformative actor capable of anchoring high-stakes narratives with quiet nuance and authenticity. The Lion Does Not Concern Himself is his comedy debut – speaking to his immersive approach to character-driven storytelling. Hashmi is represented for commercial and screen work by the prestigious Amanda Rosenthal Talent Agency (ART), marking him as an exciting talent and one-to-watch for North American audiences.

ABOUT LAUREN SAARIMAKI

Lauren Saarimaki is a Toronto-based film producer, educator, and mental health advocate working at the intersection of storytelling and social impact. They manage programs & operations at POV Film, where they design and implement training for emerging, equity-deserving creatives. Their producing credits include Express (TIFF 2023), Streams Flow from a River (Canneseries 2023), Pink Elephant and The Newcomer. Their projects have also screened at festivals including Nightmares Film Festival, Image+Nation, Inside Out, the Canadian Film Festival, and the Kingston Film Festival. They are the co-founder and Vice President of Operations at Area V5 Pictures. Lauren is passionate about building safer, more inclusive working conditions in the film industry and creating stories that spark change.

ABOUT MINA HUSAIN

Dr. Mina Husain is a staff psychiatrist who works across inpatient, outpatient, and emergency psychiatry settings. Her clinical and research interests focus on global mental health, culturally adapted interventions, parenting, and trauma, with her work published in peer-reviewed academic journals. Alongside her clinical practice, Dr. Husain is a film producer dedicated to using storytelling to advance conversations around mental health. She has produced a number of short films exploring themes including psychosis, self-harm, autism, paternal postnatal depression, and men’s mental health. Her award winning work has been selected at international film festivals, including the Toronto International Film Festival, and distributed on platforms including Amazon Prime. Dr. Husain is currently developing innovative interventions addressing the mental health impacts of climate change and trauma. She is the founder of Suno Studios, a production company focused on socially impactful storytelling, and the creator of the Suno Residency, a mental health and film fellowship that brings together filmmakers, clinicians, and people with lived experience to foster authentic and transformative narratives.

ABOUT POV Film

Established in 2007, POV Film is a charity whose mission is to educate, connect, and support young people from traditionally underrepresented communities to develop their talent and creative passion into successful careers in the screen industry. POV provides access to free skills training, job placements, mentorship and professional development opportunities. Our programs intentionally prioritize BIPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+, newcomer, and refugee communities to ensure everyone has access to the tools and training they need to tell the stories that mean the most to them.

#TIFF: SHORT CUTS PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED FOR 2026 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

The Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, is announcing its 2026 Short Cuts programme. This year’s selection includes 45 short films from 30 countries across seven curated programmes, spanning live-action narrative, documentary, animation, and hybrid filmmaking.

Entering its third year, Strange Cuts — the Midnight Madness–adjacent wild child of the Short Cuts programme — embraces genre- and mind-benders from bizarre animation and eccentric comedies to culturally distinct horror and downright disturbing dramatic work. Highlights include MAMMALIA from Elia Kalogianni, a visually stunning study of pathological depravity, and Quebec-based Daniel «Tètèl» Chérubin’s mood-driven horror Koden’n, rooted in inherited spiritual traditions.

Among this year’s World Premieres are Camille Summers-Valli’s meticulously composed character study starring Julianne Nicholson and Charles Melton, Untitled Woman; Fala Chen’s spine-chilling Bloodline, produced by Colin Farrell; Michael Del Monte’s astute and emotionally layered Fight Kid, executive produced by Derek Cianfrance; and Academy Award–nominated director Shaunak Sen’s quiet, evocative drama starring Faisal Malik and Vipin Sharma, Termite.

Additional standouts include The Spectacular Death of Prisca, a love letter to Nollywood from TIFF Filmmaker Labs 2025 alum Kaelo Iyizoba; and Ophelia Harutyunyan’s first TIFF appearance with the unforgettable sibling drama Fried Chicken & Strip Checkers.

With TIFF’s Best Animated Short Film Award in its second year, the programme features eight animated shorts, including Niki Lindroth von Bahr’s latest stop-motion animated comedy, The End, executive produced by and starring Noomi Rapace, with a starry cast led by Denis Lavant and Alexander Skarsgård. Stellan Skarsgård stars in the Annecy award-winning stop motion Please from Anna Mantzaris. Another highlight in the animation lineup is the World Premiere of The Day I Smoked a Cigarette with my Father, co-directed by Sameh Alaa (2020 Cannes Short Film Palme d’Or winner) and Robin Vouters.

Canadian films make up 20 of Short Cuts’ 45 selections, reflecting the breadth of Canadian filmmaking across the Festival’s programming. Films are rooted both in local communities and in stories tracing filmmakers’ roots across borders. One of Canada’s most prominent voices in documentary cinema, Yung Chang (This is Not a Movie, TIFF ’19) makes his fiction debut with the World Premiere of The Highway. Canadian wit is also on full display, with standout comedies from homegrown filmmakers including Cannes Critics’ Week award-winner Skinny Bottines from Romain F. Dubois; rom-com The Lion Does Not Concern Himself from Zarrar Kahn (In Flames, TIFF ’23, Pakistan’s entry to the Oscars); Logan Graham Greene’s boisterous and sharply scripted The Episode; Christian Smith’s dark comedy Fivehead, anchored by Maddy Foley’s singular writing and performance; and Shamier Anderson’s directorial debut, the mockumentary Call Me Tim.

Featuring both emerging and established talent, Short Cuts has introduced TIFF audiences to some of the world’s most acclaimed filmmakers, including recent breakout talents Charlotte Wells, Luis De Filippis, Matthew Rankin, Fawzia Mirza, Nora El Hourch, and Sophy Romvari, whose feature-length film debut Blue Heron won TIFF’s Best Canadian Discovery Award last year.

Films in the Short Cuts programme are eligible for three jury-selected Short Cuts Awards: Best International Short Film, Best Canadian Short Film, and Best Animated Short Film. These awards provide each winner with a bursary of $10,000 CAD. This year’s jury: Joecar Hanna, Chris Lavis, and Iris Ng.

Short Cuts is programmed by Sonja Baksa and Mariam Zaidi.

2026 TIFF Short Cuts programme

Short Cuts Programme 01

Skinny Bottines | Romain F. Dubois | Canada

North American Premiere

Untitled Woman | Camille Summers-Valli | United Kingdom, USA
World Premiere

When the Ground Paused | Jess Barclay Lawton | Australia
International Premiere

The End | Niki Lindroth von Bahr | Sweden, France, Denmark
North American Premiere

The Highway | Yung Chang | Canada, China
World Premiere

Fried Chicken & Strip Checkers | Ophelia Harutyunyan | Armenia, France
World Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 02

Leftover Women | Atalanta Swire | United Kingdom
World Premiere

The Comet | Julie Charette | Canada
North American Premiere

Forgotten Spaceman | Elham Ehsas | Afghanistan, United Kingdom
North American Premiere

Between Late April and Early May | Sophia Smith | Canada
World Premiere

Termite | Shaunak Sen | India
World Premiere

The Lion Does Not Concern Himself | Zarrar Kahn | Canada
World Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 03

A Tenderness | Sabrine Khoury | Netherlands, Palestine
World Premiere

Dough Man | Brittney Gavin, Amy Mielke | Canada
World Premiere

Fight Kid | Michael Del Monte | Canada
World Premiere

Terminal | Alexandre Siqueira | Portugal, Spain, France
World Premiere

Under the Same Clouds | Jérémi Roy | Canada
World Premiere

Patronymic | Mariia Ponomarova | Netherlands, Ukraine
World Premiere

The Episode | Logan Graham Greene | Canada
World Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 04

El Aumento | Maria Belen Poncio | Argentina, USA
World Premiere

BID16 | Mick Robertson, Margaret Rose | Canada
World Premiere

Beans and Belief | Tenzin Sedon | USA, Canada, China
World Premiere

Yek Rooz-e Shirin | Omid Abdollahi | Iran
North American Premiere

(Haboolm Ksinaalgat) Soul Catcher | Amanda Strong, Pamela Post | Canada
World Premiere

Fivehead | Christian Smith | Canada
World Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 05

Bloodline | Fala Chen | USA
World Premiere

Driftwood | A.C. Birch | Canada
World Premiere

Till The Milk Runs Dry | Kalainithan Kalaichelvan | Canada
World Premiere

Almost Pink | Justine Prince | Canada
World Premiere

2:Love | Ronni Shalev | Belgium, France, Israel
World Premiere

Buddies | Fraser Wolfe | Canada
World Premiere

The Spectacular Death of Prisca | Kaelo Iyizoba | Nigeria
World Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 06

Aman | Rahul Roye | India, United Kingdom, USA, France

World Premiere

The Day I Smoked a Cigarette with my Father | Sameh Alaa, Robin Vouters | France, Egypt, Belgium
World Premiere

Call Me Tim | Shamier Anderson | Canada
World Premiere

Pacific Spirit | Antoine Bourges | Canada
World Premiere

Imichki | Yza Nouiga | Canada
World Premiere

Please | Anna Mantzaris | Sweden, France, Czech Republic, Norway, Finland
North American Premiere

Moongirl | Victor Boccard | Japan
World Premiere

Strange Cuts

Melk | Filip Anthonissen | Belgium
North American Premiere

Koden’n | Daniel «Tètèl» Chérubin | Canada
World Premiere

MAMMALIA | Elia Kalogianni | Greece, Netherlands
World Premiere

Into The Betaverse | Varun Raman, Tom Hancock | United Kingdom
World Premiere

Madrugada | Sebastián Lojo | Guatemala
North American Premiere

The Dream Is A Snail | Thien An Nguyen | Vietnam, South Korea
North American Premiere

2026 Short Cuts Jury

Joecar Hanna

Joecar Hanna is a Chinese-Lebanese filmmaker from Spain. His shorts have premiered at TIFF, Cannes, SXSW, and numerous other prestigious festivals. Talk Me, executive produced by Spike Lee, won Best International Short Film at TIFF 2025 and Best Short at Málaga 2026. He also starred in Alexandre Rockwell’s Lump. Hanna is an NYU Graduate Film alumnus, Ang Lee Scholar, Sony Pictures Classics Marcie Bloom Fellow, and resident of the 51st session of the Cannes Residency (2026). His debut feature, Deliver Me, begins production in fall 2026.

Chris Lavis

Chris Lavis is an Academy Award–winning director. His first film with longtime collaborator Maciek Szczerbowski, Madame Tutli-Putli (TIFF ’07), was nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Short. The duo went on to adapt Maurice Sendak’s Higglety Pigglety Pop! starring Meryl Streep. They were nominated for Best Art Direction at the Canadian Screen Awards for Guy Maddin’s The Forbidden Room (TIFF ’15). In 2019, they created Gymnasia, which won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Immersive Experience. Lavis and Szczerbowski’s latest film, The Girl Who Cried Pearls, won Best Canadian Short Film at TIFF 2025 and the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film in 2026.

Iris Ng

Iris Ng is an award-winning cinematographer known for work that focuses on human rights, marginalized narratives, and auteur perspectives. Her close collaborations with directors on critically acclaimed documentaries, scripted films, TV, digital series, and films for contemporary artists include the Oscar-shortlisted films Stories We Tell (dir. Sarah Polley, TIFF ’12) and Shirkers (dir. Sandi Tan, 2018), and more recently Twice Colonized (dir. Lin Alluna, 2023) and The Last of the Sea Women (dir. Sue Kim, TIFF ’24).

The 51st edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, runs September 10–20, 2026.

#TIFF: DOCUMENTARIES PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED FOR 2026 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

The Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, is announcing its 2026 TIFF Docs lineup featuring 21 titles from 20 countries and 18 World Premieres. From archival portraits to dispatches from global front lines, this year’s Official Selection celebrates the art of non-fiction storytelling and its unique power to illuminate untold stories, challenge perspectives, and spark conversation. This year’s lineup includes new work by celebrated directors such as Mila Aung-Thwin, Barry Avrich, Maiken Baird, Lacey Schwartz Delgado, Sophie Fiennes, Alex Gibney, Barbara Kopple, and Sine Plambech, along with several emerging directors with breakthrough works.

The programme will open with Rapinoe, a deeply personal profile of the US soccer star Megan Rapinoe, by Rebeca Huntt (Beba, TIFF ’21). High-profile World Premieres coming to TIFF as sales titles include: Edward Said: Between Worlds, tracing the life of the renowned Palestinian-American writer; Re/Pair, exploring the connections and tensions between American Black and Jewish communities; Bleeding Hearts, portraying the love story of Zella Day and Jesse Woods from the alt-country band Chaparelle; Low Lies the Land, following three winemaking families in Northern Italy; Cheyenne, capturing the world of cowgirls in a bucking horse competition; Rescue, depicting an extraordinary tale of a migrant trying to find his kidnapped wife and children; Black Sunflowers, covering the lives of young Ukrainians against the backdrop of war; The Ultra Runner, examining the extreme ultramarathon runner Tiberiu Uşeriu; and Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been, profiling the acclaimed soul singer.

More than two-thirds of the programme’s films are directed by women, connecting the legacy of visionaries like Barbara Kopple, whose influential Harlan County, U.S.A. screened at the first TIFF in 1976, with a new generation of rising voices. She returns to the Festival this year with Union Town, following three labour battles in New York City. TIFF Docs is programmed by Thom Powers.

2026 TIFF Docs programme (in alphabetical order):

Ba’s Book | Ashley Duong | Canada

World Premiere

Black Sunflowers | James Marcus Haney | Ukraine, USA

World Premiere

Bleeding Hearts | Andrew Morgan | USA

World Premiere

Cheyenne | Taimi Arvidson | USA

World Premiere

Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been | Barry Avrich | Canada

World Premiere

Edward Said: Between Worlds | Maiken Baird | USA

World Premiere

Gail | Michael Maxxis | Canada

World Premiere

Like Magic | Melissa Saavedra Gil | Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay

World Premiere

Low Lies The Land | Emanuele Gerosa | Denmark, Italy

World Premiere

Musk | Alex Gibney | USA

North American Premiere

Rapinoe | Rebeca Huntt | United Kingdom, USA

World Premiere

Re/Pair | Lacey Schwartz Delgado | USA

World Premiere

Rescue | Sine Plambech | Denmark, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Iceland

World Premiere

Still Night, Burning House | Carol Nguyen | Canada

World Premiere

Tehran, Under the Skin | Afsaneh Salari | France, Iran, Sweden

World Premiere

The Final Act | Sophie Deraspe | Canada

World Premiere

The Hummingbird Paints Fragrant Songs | Èlia Gasull Balada, Matteo Norzi | Peru, USA, Qatar

World Premiere

The Pervert’s Guide to Utopias | Sophie Fiennes | Ireland, United Kingdom, Slovenia, Netherlands, Norway

North American Premiere

The Ultra Runner | Mila Aung-Thwin | Canada

World Premiere

Turtle Island Rap | Alexandra Lazarowich | Canada

World Premiere

Union Town | Barbara Kopple | USA

North American Premiere

The 51st edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, runs September 10–20, 2026.

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “BAD LIEUTENANT: TOKYO”

We get a new Trailer today for tiff ’26 selection BAD LIEUTENANT: TOKYO, the latest in the neo-noir Crime Drama franchise. Coming soon.

Directed by: Takashi Miike

Starring: Shun Oguri, Lily James, Shotaro Mamiya, Liv Morgan, Jun Kunimura, Hiroshi Tachi

A disgraced Tokyo detective spirals into a world of corruption, addiction, and violence as he becomes entangled in a twisted investigation involving a vengeful ex-yakuza, an enigmatic FBI agent, and a missing daughter of a powerful American family.

#TIFF: “MARIE MADELEINE” PREMIERING AT 2026 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

MAISON 4:3 and Metafilms are pleased to announce that MARIE MADELEINE, written and directed by Géssica Généus (Freda), will have its North American premiere in the Centrepiece programme at the 51st Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Celebrating global cinematic achievements, the programme invites audiences to immerse themselves in an eclectic selection of contemporary films. TIFF runs September 10-20.

In Jacmel, Haiti, the sea, the churches and the spirits shape life. Marie Madeleine is a free woman. She makes her living as a sex worker and moves through the night without submitting to the rules of those who save souls. Her path crosses that of Joseph, a young evangelist. A relationship develops between two people who could not be more different. As Joseph’s faith begins to waver, Marie Madeleine draws him into a world where desire and the quest for freedom open a space in which everything can be reinvented.

Following its world premiere at the 79th Festival de Cannes this past May, the film stars Généus alongside Béonard Monteau (Port-au-Prince, Dimanche 4 janvier), as well as first-time screen performers Edouard Baptiste and Mélissa Mildort. Généus’s second feature, MARIE MADELEINE, is a film in which the real brushes up against the surreal, as Généus brings colliding worlds together, if only briefly, to create moments of light.

MARIE MADELEINE is a co-production between Metafilms (Canada), SaNoSi Productions (France), Ayizan Productions (Haiti), Stenola Productions (Belgium) and Bidibul (Luxembourg), produced by Sylvain Corbeil, Jean-Marie Gigon, Gessica Généus, Anton Iffland Stettner, Lilian Eche and Christel Henon. International sales are handled by Pyramide Films.

MARIE MADELEINE is distributed in Canada by Maison 4:3 and will open in theatres this fall.

About Maison 4:3

Founded in 2014, Maison 4:3 is a boutique film distribution company that puts its expertise at the service of filmmakers and their work, developing launch strategies and supporting films through every stage of their release. Maison 4:3 champions deeply human projects that are both resonant and distinctive.

About Metafilms

Metafilms is a Montreal-based production company founded in 2003 to give emerging filmmakers with distinctive voices the means to express their vision of cinema and the world.

To date, Metafilms has produced 27 features, 30 short and medium-length films, and seven music videos. Its films have screened widely at prestigious international festivals including Cannes, Berlin, Locarno, Sundance, Toronto, San Sebastián, Rotterdam and Karlovy Vary, among others, and have earned honours including the Jury Prize at Cannes for Mommy; a Silver Bear at the Berlinale for Vic + Flo Saw a Bear; Best Canadian Feature Film at TIFF for Félix and Meira; the Jury’s Coup de Coeur at Cannes for A Brother’s Love; and the César Award for Best Foreign Film for The Nature of Love. Zaynê Akyol’s documentary Rojek (2022) represented Canada in the Best International Feature Film category at the 96th Academy Awards. The following year, Matthew Rankin’s Universal Language (2024) was Canada’s submission to the 97th Academy Awards and made the shortlist. In 2025, Peak Everything had its world premiere in the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes and won the Grand Jury Prize at the Cabourg Film Festival.

Most recently, Metafilms has also launched an emerging creators initiative led by Rosalie Chicoine Perreault and Catherine Boily. Now more than ever, Metafilms continues to seek out and support distinctive filmmakers and films with respect and rigour.