#TIFF: 2026 PRIMETIME PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED AT 2026 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

The Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, is announcing its 2026 Primetime programme, spotlighting groundbreaking episodic storytelling and auteur-driven television from some of the world’s most exciting creators. This year’s Official Selections showcase the creative power and influence of the medium, featuring major World Premieres and new seasons of compelling dramas, thrillers, and docuseries starring François Arnaud, Bérénice Bejo, Linda Cardellini, Jon Hamm, Carrie-Anne Moss, Gary Oldman, Hudson Williams, and more.

Primetime spotlights the best in international and North American series, bringing new shows to the big screen. Featuring one or two episodes and conversations with cast and creators, this programme treats TIFF audiences to a first look at upcoming series before they hit TV, alongside the people who made them. This year’s lineup has a heavy focus on series based on established IP, including American Hostage, Carrie, and Crystal Lake (Friday the 13th).

The programme’s opening title is Jesse McKeown’s Below, a six-episode series starring Mackenzie Davis, Charlie Heaton, and Josh Hartnett, about a small town in Newfoundland that comes under siege by a mysterious sea creature. Premiering his new series Carrie, Mike Flanagan makes his return to TIFF after his 2024 People’s Choice Award winner The Life of Chuck.

2026 Primetime programme (in alphabetical order):

2.6 Seconds: Death in the Outback | Darren Dale | Australia

World Premiere

Alice | Virginie Verrier, Guillaume Lonergan | France, Canada

World Premiere

American Hostage | Shawn Ryan, Eileen Myers, Adam Arkin | USA

World Premiere

Below | Jesse McKeown | Canada

World Premiere
Opening series

Blindspot Berlin | David Nawrath | Germany

World Premiere

Carrie | Mike Flanagan | Canada, USA

World Premiere
Closing series

Crystal Lake | Brad Caleb Kane, Michael Lennox | USA

World Premiere

Oxygen Masks Will (Not) Drop Automatically | Marcelo Gomes, Carol Minêm | Brazil

North American Premiere

Slow Horses | Will Smith, Adam Randall | United Kingdom, USA

International Premiere

YAGA | Kat Sandler, Rachel Talalay, David Frazee | Canada

World Premiere

Primetime’s lead programmer is Geoff Macnaughton. The 51st edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, runs September 10–20, 2026. Today concludes this week’s announcements. TIFF Takeover returns on Tuesday, August 4, at 10am ET with more programming news.

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, Telefilm Canada, and the City of Toronto.

#TIFF: 2026 DISCOVERY PROGRAMME

TIFF announced today the 2026 Discovery programme presented by Air France, showcasing a selection of emerging global filmmakers. Offering audiences a front-row seat to the future of cinema, this year’s lineup highlights films that pair bold creative risks with fresh perspectives. Continuing the tradition of opening the programme with an audacious genre-bender, following the breakout success of John Early’s TIFF ’25 comedy Maddie’s Secret, is the World Premiere of Stuffed. Directed and co-written by the UK’s Theo Rhys (and expanded from his 2021 short of the same name), this gloriously twisted musical stars Jodie Comer and Harry Melling in the year’s most original, hilarious, and unexpectedly heartfelt romance, where love, death, and taxidermy collide.

Additional highlights from the 2026 Discovery Official Selections are the World Premieres of David Turpin’s Ancestors, a dreamlike 1980s London-set seance exploring the legacy of the AIDS crisis; Drifter, an underdog story marking the directorial debut of Fast & Furious star Sung Kang; Ghasideh Golmakani’s Head to Head, an absurd Iranian satire on state control; Krux, writer-director Ulrike Tony Vahl’s feature length debut, a powerful and stark portrait of moral collapse, societal panic, and the consequences of being on the wrong side of history; Alexandra Pechman’s Magazine, where a young intern gets thrown into the intoxicating power dynamics of a prestigious literary magazine in New York 2011; and Tom Nicoll’s Salvation, a razor-sharp commentary on the seductive promise of online self-improvement culture. Plus, the International Premiere of Voices, a striking Motown-infused 1960s period musical from first-time filmmaker and former NFL player Deantè Gray.

Recognized for identifying the early works of generation-defining visionaries, Discovery has showcased foundational titles including Ildikó Enyedi’s My 20th Century (TIFF ’89), Alfonso Cuarón’s Love in the Time of Hysteria (TIFF ’91), Christopher Nolan’s Following (TIFF ’98), and Lav Diaz’s The Criminal of Barrio Concepcion (TIFF ’98). Recent editions have continued to champion next-gen voices, hosting the World Premieres of Dea Kulumbegashvili’s Beginning (TIFF ’20), Elegance Bratton’s The Inspection (TIFF ’22), and Durga Chew-Bose’s Bonjour Tristesse (TIFF ’24).

The 2026 Discovery Official Selection has been programmed by Jason Anderson, Kelly Boutsalis, Diana Cadavid, Robyn Citizen, Claire Diao, Giovanna Fulvi, June Kim, Peter Kuplowsky, Dorota Lech, and Jason Ryle.

2026 Discovery programme (in alphabetical order)

A Common Story | Anna Foglietta | Italy

International Premiere

Ancestors | David Turpin | Ireland, United Kingdom

World Premiere

Arne Goes to Space | Lars Vega | Sweden

World Premiere

Bedford Park | Stephanie Ahn | USA

International Premiere

Drifter | Sung Kang | USA

World Premiere

Head to Head | Ghasideh Golmakani | Iran, Germany

World Premiere

I Am Mario | Sharon Kleinberg | Mexico

International Premiere

In Waves | Phuong Mai Nguyen | France, Belgium

International Premiere

Krux | Tony Vahl | Germany, Poland

World Premiere

Magazine | Alexandra Pechman | USA

World Premiere

Memories of a Forest | Katharina Rabl | Germany, Austria

International Premiere

Nosotros | Joaquín Ruano | Guatemala, Mexico

World Premiere

Purgatory | Lindsay Lanzillotta | Canada, USA

World Premiere

Salvation | Tom Nicoll | United Kingdom

World Premiere

Seventeen | Justin Ducharme | Canada

World Premiere

Sisters | Ione Hernández | Spain

World Premiere

Strong Son | Ian Bawa | Canada

World Premiere

Stuffed | Theo Rhys | United Kingdom

World Premiere

Discovery opening film

The Daughters of Abraham | Hanaël El Yousfi | France

International Premiere

The Fortunate Isles | Helena Girón, Samuel Delgado | Spain, Greece

World Premiere

Voices | Deantè Gray | USA

International Premiere

We Are Born Good | Leung Chuen Yeung | Hong Kong

World Premiere

What Lies Between Us | Amalie Næsby Fick | Denmark

World Premiere

Zjili: A Story of Sisterhood and The Burdens of Excess | Christine Boateng, Hajara Musah Chambas | Ghana

World Premiere

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

#TIFF: 2026 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL PLATFORM PROGRAMME AND JURY

The Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, is announcing its 2026 Platform programme, the Festival’s only competitive section, that champions exceptional directorial vision and auteur voices. Serving as a launchpad for the awards circuit and international spotlight, Platform has launched global auteurs like Barry Jenkins (Moonlight, TIFF ’16), Darius Marder (Sound of Metal, TIFF ’19), William Oldroyd (Lady Macbeth, TIFF ’16), Sarah Gavron (Rocks, TIFF ’19), Anthony Shim (Riceboy Sleeps, TIFF ’22), and Yoon Ga-eun (The World of Love, TIFF ’25).

Now in its eleventh year, named after Jia Zhang-ke’s groundbreaking second feature, the Platform lineup has expanded to 12 films, including Theja Rio’s Angh, Amanda Kernell’s Brace Your Heart,Ferit Karahan’s Djinn Wedding, Irene Dionisio’s Idda, Nyla Innuksuk’s In the Heart of the South, Bertil Nilsson’s Masc, Gabriel Martins’ On Behalf of My Son, Lawrence Fajardo’s Silenced Nights, John Trengove’s The Smell of Apples, Yoon Dan-bi’s The World Before, andJan Holoubek’s Wild Wild East. Children Untold, from acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Miwa Nishikawa (Dreams for Sale, TIFF ’12, Under the Open Sky,TIFF ’20), will open the programme at TIFF Lightbox’s state-of the-art Cinema 1, where all Platform titles will make their World Premieres.

“Platform was created to spotlight directorial voices and this year’s 12-film selection is an imaginative reflection of new auteur cinema now,” said Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer, TIFF. “We are honoured to welcome a jury of distinguished artists and industry leaders to inspire and support with their expertise and commitment to global cinema.”

In a major milestone for the programme, a non-English-language* winning film in TIFF’s Platform lineup will now have a direct pathway for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards, making TIFF one of only six international film festivals to qualify worldwide.

Platform selection is led by Robyn Citizen, Director of Programming. The 12 Platform titles are eligible for the Platform Award, which will be decided this year by an expanded five-member international jury. Argentinian producer, director, and writer Pablo Trapero will serve as Jury President, joining British writer and director Amma Asante, Taiwanese actor and filmmaker Sylvia Chang,French Canadian producer Luc Déry, and Hong Kong film industry executive Albert Lee. The winning filmmaker will receive a $20,000 CAD cash prize. The Platform Award will be presented on the last day of the Festival on Sunday, September 20.

2026 Platform programme (in alphabetical order) 

Angh| Theja Rio | India

World Premiere

Set in the remote jungles of Nagaland near the Indo–Burma border in the early 1960s and shot in richly textured 16mm, Angh follows Anghba, the last surviving chief of an abandoned Indigenous Naga village, who lives in isolation with his ailing wife and mute young son after being deserted by his people. 

Riois a London-based writer and director from Nagaland, India. He wrote and directed the short films Checkpost (2018), Angh (2021), Remains (2024), and Ade (On a Sunday) (2024). Angh is his feature directorial debut and an expansion of his short by the same name.

Brace Your Heart | Amanda Kernell | Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Bulgaria

World Premiere 

Kernell’s luminous third drama is a quietly devastating portrait of love, resilience, and the enduring strength of Sámi women. 

Kernellwas born in Umeå, Sweden, to a Sámi father and Swedish mother. She holds a degree from the National Film School of Denmark. Her directorial credits include the short film Stoerre Vaerie (Northern Great Mountain) (2015) and the features Sami Blood (2016), which played the Festival, and Charter (2020).

Children Untold | Miwa Nishikawa | Japan

World Premiere 

Opening film

A longtime collaborator of Hirokazu Kore-eda, Nishikawa adapted Children Untold from her own unpublished novel. It follows a 12-year-old girl who disguises herself as a boy to survive in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War in Tokyo. Featuring Ami Koyae, Fumi Nikaido, and Koji Yakusho.

Nishikawa was born in Hiroshima, Japan. Her writing and directing credits include the feature films Wild Berries (2003), Dear Doctor (2009), and the Festival Official Selections Dreams for Sale (2012) and Under the Open Sky (2020). 

Djinn Wedding | Ferit Karahan | Turkey

World Premiere

Set in a remote Anatolian village, Karahan’s Djinn Wedding is an impressive family drama that unravels family secrets and conflicts across three periods of time. Carried by a supreme cast including Demet Özdemir, Kaan Yildirim, İlhan Şen, and Sarp Bozkurt, the film swings between belief, hope, and dissolution.

Karahan was born in Muş, Turkey. His writing and directing credits include The Fall from Heaven (2013), Brother’s Keeper (2021), which won the FIPRESCI Prize at Berlinale, and The Death of Black Horses (2025).

Idda | Irene Dionisio | Italy

World Premiere 

This is Dionisio’s sophomore feature, which she co-penned alongside Marco Borromei. Idda takes an epic approach to unearthing the packed layers of a stewing friendship. When childhood friends Adele and Sofia reunite to fulfill the broken promise of climbing Mount Etna, they realize that like the mountain, old wounds loom over everything.

Dionisio was born in Torino, Italy. She is a filmmaker and visual artist whose credits include the short films Le storie che saremo (2020) and Murmur (2025). Her feature-length films include the documentaries The factory is full (2012) and Shores (2015), and the fictional feature Pawn Street (2017).

In the Heart of the South | Nyla Innuksuk | Canada

World Premiere

A surprising and exciting swerve away from Innuksuk’s 2022 debut feature Slash/Back. In the Heart of the South is what Single White Female would be if it were set in Toronto, with an Inuk protagonist and a dash of supernatural elements, starring North of North’s Anna Lambe as Yura Ivalu, the latest darling of the Toronto art world, whose virtual reality piece promises to blow your mind.

Innuksukwas born in Igloolik, Nunavut, and studied film at Toronto Metropolitan University. She co-wrote and co-produced the short film Kajutaijuq (2015), which screened at the Festival and was named to Canada’s Top Ten. Her other directorial credits include the short film Breaths (2016) and debut feature Slash/Back (2022).

Masc | Bertil Nilsson | United Kingdom

World Premiere

Nilsson’s debut feature is a tender, unflinching portrait of self-performance, identity, and learning to exist as oneself in an often prescriptive world. The film draws on the filmmaker’s experiences as a neurodivergent gay man navigating the contradictory demands of masculinity.

Nilsson is an award-winning Swedish artist and filmmaker based in London. He has directed numerous short films, including Repair (2023) and Alfie’s Island (2023), and has exhibited internationally with solo shows in the UK, the Netherlands, Canada, and the USA.

On Behalf of My Son | Gabriel Martins | Brazil

World Premiere 

Anchored by a deeply affecting performance from Rejane Faria, Martins’ moving drama follows a grieving mother seeking forgiveness from the families of a tragic bus accident, unfolding as a profoundly humane meditation on guilt and whether forgiveness is even possible.

Martins is a Brazilian writer-director and co-founder of Filmes de Plástico. His debut feature Mars One (2022) was Brazil’s selection for Best International Feature at the Academy Awards. He also directed the shorts Nada (2017), In the Heart of the World (2019), and Pelas Mãos (2021).

Silenced Nights | Lawrence Fajardo | Philippines

World Premiere

For some, staying silent is the only way to survive. Fajardo’s bleak sociopolitical drama Silenced Nights follows a witness to an extrajudicial killing in a Philippines slum as he seeks to make the truth known. The film takes a raw cinema verité approach and echoes the director’s previous works, including The Hearing. 

Fajardo is a Filipino director from Bacolod City in the Philippines. His writing and directing credits include Amok (2011), Posas (2012), and Invisible (2015), which screened at the Festival.

The Smell of Apples | John Trengove | South Africa, Netherlands, Chile

World Premiere 

In Trengove’s relentless third feature, a sheltered 11-year-old white South African boy gradually comes to realise the horrors of the apartheid system. Adapted from South African writer Mark Behr’s 1993 bestselling novel of the same name.

Trengove is an award-winning South African writer and director who holds an MFA from New York University. His features include The Wound (2017), which was South Africa’s selection for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards, and Manodrome (2023).

The World Before | Yoon Dan-bi | South Korea

World Premiere 

In her second narrative feature, Dan-bi (Moving On) turns her attention from childhood to adolescence with a tender, sharply observed portrait of first love and growing up. This coming-of-age story follows two teenagers, childhood best friends, who reunite for a summer on a small rural island in Korea.

Dan-bi is a South Korean filmmaker who holds a BFA in Theatre and Film from Kookmin University. Her film credits include the short film Fireworks (2015) and the feature film Moving On (2019), which debuted in Busan and won the NETPAC and DGK Awards.

Wild Wild East | Jan Holoubek | Poland

World Premiere 

Set in occupied Poland in the middle of the Second World War, Holoubek’s tour de force is part suspenseful western, part gritty wartime noir. 

Holoubek was born in Warsaw, Poland. His directing credits include the series The Mire (2018–2024) and High Water (2024), as well as the feature 25 Years of Innocence (2020).

2026 Platform Jury:

“It is a true honour to return to Toronto as President of the Platform Jury, having had all of my films screened here over the years. TIFF has always felt like home to me. Every time I’ve come back, I’ve been warmly welcomed, and I’ve always felt that my films have found a special connection with TIFF audiences.

I’m delighted to return in this new role as a way of giving back to TIFF, to its audiences, and to the wonderful films it champions. I’m deeply grateful for everything the Festival has given me over the years, and for all that it continues to give filmmakers from around the world as one of cinema’s most important annual meeting places — a festival where audiences, artists, and extraordinary films come together year after year.” —Pablo Trapero, Platform Jury President 2026 

Pablo Trapero, Jury President 

Pablo Trapero is a producer, director, and writer whose films have premiered at the world’s leading festivals. Every one of his feature films has screened at TIFF since 1999, most recently & Sons (TIFF ’25). His debut feature, Crane World (Mundo grúa), won an International Critics’ Week award at Venice, where he received the Silver Lion for Best Director in 2015 for The Clan. Trapero has directed several high-profile television series, including Gordon, which premieres on Netflix this year. His work has been honoured by Spain’s Goya Awards, Argentina’s Sur Awards, and Mexico’s Ariel Awards, among others. Trapero was named a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by France’s Ministry of Culture and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Amma Asante

Amma Asante is an award-winning writer and director. With her debut feature, A Way of Life (TIFF ’04), she became the first Black director to win a BAFTA award for writing and directing a feature film. Her acclaimed films include Belle (TIFF ’13), A United Kingdom (TIFF ’16), and Where Hands Touch (TIFF ’18). Her television credits include Mrs. America, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Smilla’s Sense of Snow. Asante is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Sylvia Chang

Sylvia Chang is a renowned actor, screenwriter, director, and producer whose career spans more than five decades and over 100 films. A multiple Hong Kong Film Award and Taipei Golden Horse Award winner, she received the Asian Film Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. She is devoted to fostering emerging talent through filmmaking and mentorship initiatives.

Luc Déry

Luc Déry founded the production company micro_scope in 2002. He has produced over 30 features, all selected by major international festivals and together earning more than 100 awards. Both Incendies (TIFF ’10) and Monsieur Lazhar (TIFF ’11) were nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Other notable features include Gabrielle (TIFF ’13), Tu Dors Nicole (TIFF ’14), My Salinger Year, Drunken Birds (TIFF ’21), Viking (TIFF ’22), Shepherds (TIFF ’24), and Lovely Day (TIFF ’25). 

Albert Lee

Albert Lee has served as Executive Director of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society since 2018. With more than four decades of experience spanning film production, distribution, exhibition, and corporate management, he has played a significant role in Hong Kong cinema’s Golden Age, having held senior positions at Golden Harvest and Emperor Motion Pictures. Lee is a member of the China Film Association, the Asia Pacific Screen Academy, and the Producers Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

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

#TIFF: ADDITIONAL SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS AND GALAS ANNOUNCED FOR 2026 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

The Toronto International Film Festival is kicking off its week of announcements with its Gala, presented by Lavazza, and Special Presentations programmes, welcoming acclaimed filmmakers, celebrated talent, and some of the most anticipated films of the year to Toronto. Showcasing a dynamic mix of World Premieres, critically acclaimed international cinema, and compelling storytelling from directors to watch, the films announced today reflect TIFF’s ongoing commitment to bringing audiences together through exceptional film experiences from around the globe. The 51st edition of TIFF, presented by Rogers, will run September 10—20, 2026.

This year’s Gala and Special Presentations feature films from nearly 30 countries, highlighting distinctive artistic visions by leading global directors including: Pedro Almodóvar, Danny Boyle, Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Lee Chang-dong, Jesse Eisenberg, Gael García Bernal, Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Mike Leigh, John Madden, Rachel Morrison, Cristian Mungiu, Chris Rock, Rodrigo Sorogoyen, Florian Zeller and Andrey Zvyagintsev.

The Gala and Special Presentations programmes are popular with TIFF audiences for their glitzy A-list red carpets and future award winners, as well as for presenting a curated collection of films that reflect the diversity and creativity of today’s filmmaking landscape.

TIFF is also announcing that its Closing Night Film will be Yan Lanouette Turgeon’s Villeneuve: The Rise of a Legend, a biographical sports drama that chronicles the early years of Canadian racing legend Gilles Villeneuve’s career, taking place on Saturday, September 19.

2026 Gala Presentations (in alphabetical order):

*previously announced

A Talent for Murder | Anton Corbijn | United Kingdom, Italy

World Premiere

All About Corinne | Marc Fitoussi | France

North American Premiere

Always Lalisa | Sue Kim | USA

World Premiere

Atonement | Reed Van Dyk | USA

North American Premiere

Babies | Lauren Miller Rogen | USA

World Premiere

*Being Heumann | Siân Heder | USA

World Premiere

Opening Night Film

Bunker | Florian Zeller | France, Spain

North American Premiere

Diary of a Mad Old Man | Wayne Wang | USA

World Premiere

Evil Genius | Courteney Cox | USA

World Premiere

Girl Group | Rebel Wilson | United Kingdom

World Premiere

Man in Motion: The Rick Hansen Story | Adrian Buitenhuis | Canada

World Premiere

Misty Green | Chris Rock | USA

World Premiere

Onwards and Sideways | John Madden | United Kingdom

World Premiere

Pretenders | Joss Crowley | United Kingdom

World Premiere

*Prima Facie | Susanna White | Australia, United Kingdom

World Premiere

Run Terry Run | Sean Menard | Canada

Spirit Guardians: The Last Secret of the First Emperor | Nguyen Phan Quang Binh | Vietnam

International Premiere

Tenzing | Jennifer Peedom | USA, Australia

Canadian Premiere

*The Assassin(s) | Hur Jin-ho | South Korea

World Premiere

The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd | Tim Blake Nelson | USA

World Premiere

The Only Living Pickpocket in New York | Noah Segan | USA

Canadian Premiere

Up Against It | Trudie Styler | United Kingdom

World Premiere

Villeneuve: The Rise of a Legend | Yan Lanouette Turgeon | Canada

World Premiere

Closing Night Film

2026 Special Presentations (in alphabetical order):

*previously announced

A Long Winter | Andrew Haigh | Canada, United Kingdom

Canadian Premiere

All of a Sudden | Ryûsuke Hamaguchi | France, Japan, Germany, Belgium

North American Premiere

All That She Wants | Scarlett Bermingham, Andrew Rhymer | USA, Canada

World Premiere

*Alpha Gang | David Zellner, Nathan Zellner | USA

International Premiere

Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo | Takashi Miike | USA, United Kingdom, Japan

World Premiere

Bitter Christmas | Pedro Almodóvar | Spain

North American Premiere

Clarissa | Arie Esiri, Chuko Esiri | Nigeria, USA

North American Premiere

Club Kid | Jordan Firstman | USA

Canadian Premiere

Coward | Lukas Dhont | Belgium

North American Premiere

Elsinore | Simon Stone | United Kingdom

Canadian Premiere

Everest: The Other Side | Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi | USA

Canadian Premiere

Everybody Wants To F*** Me | Jonathan Schey | United Kingdom, France, USA

World Premiere

Faith | Paul Andrew Williams | United Kingdom

World Premiere

Fjord | Cristian Mungiu | Romania, France, Norway, Sweden, Denmark

Canadian Premiere

Gentle Monster | Marie Kreutzer | Austria

Canadian Premiere

*Glaxo | Benjamín Naishtat | Argentina, Brazil

World Premiere

Growth of the Soil | Hans Petter Moland | Norway

World Premiere

Happily Ever After | Feng-I Fiona Roan | Taiwan

World Premiere

Hombre al agua | Gael García Bernal | Mexico

North American Premiere

I Play Rocky | Peter Farrelly | USA

World Premiere

In Alaska | Jaap van Heusden, Vinnie Karetak | Netherlands, Canada

World Premiere

Ink | Danny Boyle | United Kingdom, France, USA

Canadian Premiere

Josephine | Beth de Araújo | USA

Canadian Premiere

La Bola Negra | Javier Calvo, Javier Ambrossi | Spain, France

Canadian Premiere

Le Faux Soir | Michaël R. Roskam | Belgium, France

World Premiere

Look Back | Hirokazu Kore-eda | Japan

North American Premiere

*Love of Your Life | Rachel Morrison | USA

World Premiere

Minotaur | Andrey Zvyagintsev | France, Germany, Latvia

Canadian Premiere

Mr. Nelson, Did You Kill People? | Shinya Tsukamoto | Japan

North American Premiere

Paradise Lost | Yeon Sang-ho | South Korea

World Premiere

Phoolan | Richie Mehta | India

World Premiere

Possible Love | Lee Chang-dong | South Korea

North American Premiere

Tender Loving Care | Mike Leigh | United Kingdom

Canadian Premiere

The Age of Goodbyes | Edmund Yeo | Taiwan, Malaysia

World Premiere

The Beloved | Rodrigo Sorogoyen | Spain

North American Premiere

The Debut | Jesse Eisenberg | USA

International Premiere

*The Housewife | Ben Shirinian | USA

World Premiere

The Julia Set | Niki Byrne | USA

World Premiere

The Man I Love | Ira Sachs | USA

North American Premiere

The Stunt Driver | Michael Dowse | Canada

World Premiere

The Unknown | Arthur Harari | France

North American Premiere

Whatcha Want | Mina Shum | Canada

World Premiere

*Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother | Bassam Tariq | USA

World Premiere

The 51st edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, runs September 10–20, 2026. The inaugural edition of TIFF: The Market takes place the first week of Festival, September 10–16, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

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#TIFF: FIVE SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR 2026 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

TIFF ‘26 is expanding with today’s announcement of five additional films in this year’s Special Presentations programme. These compelling new works from celebrated filmmakers Rachel Morrison, Benjamín Naishtat, Ben Shirinian, Bassam Tariq, plus David and Nathan Zellner provide a glimpse into this year’s Official Selection. The 51st edition of TIFF, presented by Rogers, will take place September 10–20, 2026.

“Each year, we strive to curate a selection of films that feels most relevant to the moment with the power to spark a rich dialogue with our public audience, and these Special Presentations titles are true reflections of that,” said Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer, TIFF. “From debut directors to the most anticipated sophomore films of the year to vanguard voices, this group of films showcase the authenticity, the unexpected, and the ambition of cinema now. They are sure to be among the Festival’s most talked-about titles, captivating audiences and generating buzz long after the credits roll. We’re delighted to share these original works with TIFF audiences in September.”

Film details (in alphabetical order):

Alpha Gang | David Zellner, Nathan Zellner | USA

International Premiere

Glaxo | Benjamín Naishtat | Argentina, Brazil
World Premiere

Love of Your Life | Rachel Morrison | USA

World Premiere

The Housewife | Ben Shirinian | USA

World Premiere

Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother | Bassam Tariq | USA

World Premiere

Upcoming announcements:

TIFF Takeover 1: July 20–23

Mon., Jul. 20: Gala & Special Presentations

Tue., Jul. 21: Platform

Wed., Jul. 22: Discovery

Thu., Jul. 23: Primetime

TIFF Takeover 2: August 4–6

Tue., Aug. 4: Centrepiece, Wavelengths & Classics

Wed., Aug. 5: TIFF Docs & Shortcuts

Thu., Aug. 6: Midnight Madness

#TIFF26: THREE WORLD PREMIERES ANMOUNCED FOR 2026 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL | “BEING HUMAN” OPENING NIGHT GALA

The 51st edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, is announcing three World Premieres in its Gala Presentations programme including Prima Facie from British director Susanna White (Woman Walks Ahead, TIFF ’17); The Assassin(s) from Korean filmmaker Hur Jin-ho (A Normal Family, TIFF ’23), and Apple Original Film’s Being Heumann from American director Siân Heder (CODA) as TIFF’s Opening Night Film taking place on Thursday, September 10, at Roy Thomson Hall. Building on the momentum of last year’s milestone 50th edition, which welcomed approximately 700,000 attendees, TIFF returns this September 10–20 with a dynamic lineup of acclaimed directors, Hollywood and international A-list talent, red carpet premieres, the inaugural TIFF: The Market, and unforgettable audience experiences across all 11 days.

“We’re thrilled to open this year’s Festival with Siân Heder’s inspiring follow-up to her Oscar-winning CODA,” said Cameron Bailey, CEO, TIFF. “Being Heumann features an electric performance from Ruth Madeley in the story of Judy Heumann, a world-changing advocate for accessibility. We’re also glad to reveal the news that Toronto audiences will be the first to see Cynthia Erivo in Susanna White’s searing legal drama Prima Facie, and that the South Korean power duo of director Hur Jin-ho and superstar Lee Min-ho will launch their thriller The Assassin(s) at our 51st Festival. Lots more to come.”

Film Details:

Being Heumann | Siân Heder | USA

World Premiere | Gala Presentation

Opening Night Film

Prima Facie | Susanna White | Australia, UK

World Premiere | Gala Presentation

The Assassin(s) | Hur Jin-ho | South Korea

World Premiere | Gala Presentation

In addition to TIFF ’26’s Official Selection, the Festival’s 51st edition will once again offer live post-screening Q&As, the In Conversation With… series, as well as the popular Festival Street, which returns for opening weekend along King Street West, from Peter Street to University Avenue, with food trucks, free activations, potential celebrity-spotting, and more.

On the last day of Festival, TIFF will announce its award winners including the popular People’s Choice Awards, presented by Rogers, which last year had Toronto audiences choosing Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet as their top pick. New this year, a non-English-language winner of TIFF’s Platform Award can directly qualify for Best International Feature Film at the upcoming 99th Academy Awards. Also returning are the esteemed Jury Prizes and honours from FIPRESCI and NETPAC. For a full list of past winners, visit tiff.net/awards.

This year’s official screening venues are: TIFF Lightbox, Roy Thomson Hall, the Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre, Cineplex’s Scotiabank Theatre Toronto, Cinema Park, the Royal Alexandra Theatre and new this year the John Bassett Theatre at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The eighth edition of the TIFF Tribute Awards gala fundraiser will take place on Sunday, September 13, 2026, at Fairmont Royal York Hotel, and the inaugural TIFF: The Market will take place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre September 10–16.

TIFF Takeover programming announcements are returning the weeks of July 20–23 and August 4–7, and the complete film schedule will go live August 11 on tiff.net. Ticketing details can be found here, with single tickets going on sale to TIFF Members starting August 21 (by level), and to the public on August 31.

#TIFF: JULY/AUGUST 2026 PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDING CATHERINE O’HARA RETROSPECTIVE

This summer, alongside the recently announced marquee series Christopher Nolan: Grand Designs, TIFF honours the great international screen legend and longtime friend of the Festival, Catherine O’Hara, featuring some of her most iconic roles, and TIFF Cinematheque continues its Pride celebration with a rare spotlight on German-born lesbian filmmaker Monika Treut.

Additionally, TIFF Cinematheque’s summer-themed slate features anticipated revivals and landmark anniversary screenings including Henry Hathaway’s Niagara in honour of Marilyn Monroe’s centenary, the 25th anniversary of Lucrecia Martel’s La Ciénaga, and the 55th anniversary and new 4K Toronto Premiere of Gerald Potterton’s Tiki Tiki on Canada Day. Plus, a relaxed screening of The Bob’s Burger Movie, the 2022 animated musical based on Loren Bouchard’s beloved animated sitcom.

Not to be missed, Tsai Ming-liang’s much-lauded fourth feature The Hole (TIFF ’98) — an absurdist mix of dark comedy, Hong Kong musical, and Kafkaesque sci-fi — returns for a limited run on a newly struck 35mm print.

The schedule for Downtown Movies in the Park is now available, with this year’s series celebrating timeless sports films about underdogs and misfits on the unlikely road to victory. Featuring six free weeks of outdoor screenings under the stars at David Pecaut Square, this year’s films are: Next Goal Wins (June 24), Cool Runnings (July 1), A League of Their Own (July 8), The First Slam Dunk (July 15), Bend It Like Beckham (July 22), and Remember the Titans (July 29).

Information is subject to change. Please visit tiff.net for up-to-date programming details. Tickets for July programming will be available to TIFF Members on Wednesday, June 10, and to the public on Friday, June 12. Tickets for August programming will be available to TIFF Members on Wednesday, July 15, and to the public on Friday, July 17.

TIFF CINEMATHEQUE PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS

Monika Treut: Transcending Gender

June 26–July 24

This July, TIFF Cinematheque continues its Pride celebration with Monika Treut: Transcending Gender, a rare spotlight on the German-born, lesbian filmmaker, curated by TIFF Cinematheque programmer Jacob Crepeault. Treut explores queer and trans identities through the ambiguities and fluid margins that exist between restrictive binaries, turning the camera to subjects whose interior lives had rarely been documented at the time. This series presents new 2K restorations from the Hamburg Kinemathek released by Muscle Distribution, with Canadian Premieres of My Father is Coming (TIFF ’91), Female Misbehavior (TIFF ’92), Didn’t Do It For Love (TIFF ’97), and Gendernauts (1999), and Virgin Machine (TIFF ’88) with an introduction by Toronto-based drag artist and film curator Weird Alice.

Catherine O’Hara: Queen of Comedy

August 21–26

Moira Rose. Delia Deetz. Cookie Fleck. We know these characters by name because they were brought to life with such precision, vigour, and humanity by the incomparable Catherine O’Hara. In this summer spotlight, Catherine O’Hara: Queen of Comedy, curated by TIFF programmer Keith Bennie, we celebrate O’Hara’s most memorable film roles, trace her comedic evolution from SCTV to Schitt’s Creek, and pay tribute to her ability to balance character eccentricity with emotional truth, cementing her legacy as Canada’s queen of comedy. Films featured in the series: After Hours (1985), Beetlejuice (1988), Waiting for Guffman (1996), Best in Show (2000), and A Mighty Wind (2003).

TIFF Cinematheque Special Screenings

June 27, 3:45pm: Suddenly, Last Summer (1959) dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz

June 27, 6:30pm & July 25, 6:30pm: Summer Interlude (1951) dir. Ingmar Bergman, 75th anniversary!

June 28, 4pm: Niagara (1953) dir. Henry Hathaway, Marilyn Monroe centenary

July 5, 6:30pm & July 18, 1pm:La Ciénaga (2001) dir. Lucrecia Martel, 25th anniversary!

July 23, 7pm: Material Practice: Luke Fowler and Corin Sworn, with both directors in attendance

July 26, 6:30pm: Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) dir. John Carpenter, 4K restoration and 50th anniversary!

August 2: Le Rayon Vert (1986) dir. Eric Rohmer, 40th anniversary!

TIFF Cinematheque New and Restored

June 28, 6:30pm: L’enfance nue (1968) dir. Maurice Pialat, Canadian Premiere of new 4K restoration!

July 4, 1pm: La maison des bois (1971) dir. Maurice Pialat, Canadian Premiere of new 4K restoration!; screening with a 20‑minute intermission, 55th anniversary!

July 11, 6:30pm & July 21, 6:30pm: Macho Dancer (1988) dir. Lino Brocka, recorded introduction by Lav Diaz, Toronto Premiere of new 4K restoration!

August 8, 9 & 11: The Hole (1998) dir. Tsai Ming‑liang, limited run; Canadian Premiere of new 35mm print!

See the North presented by MUBI

July 1, 6:30pm: Tiki Tiki (1971) dir. Gerald Potterton, Canada Day celebration; 55th anniversary and Toronto Premiere of new 4K restoration!

From the Collection with Cameron Bailey

July 7, 6:30pm: Salaam Bombay! (1988) dir. Mira Nair, 35mm print!

August 18, 6:30pm: The Crying Game (1992) dir. Neil Jordan, 35mm print!

TIFF Wavelengths Presents

July 8, 6:30pm: Il pianeta azzurro (1982) dir. Franco Piavoli, curated by Dylan Adamson, Canadian Premiere of new 4K restoration!

Animate

July 15, 6:30pm: Redline (2009) dir. Takeshi Koike

August 5, 6:30pm: Dragon Ball Super: Broly (2018) dir. Tatsuya Nagamine, 40th anniversary of the Dragon Ball TV series!

TIFF Next Wave Presents

July 29, 7pm: Premium Rush (2012) dir. David Koepp, 35mm print!

Presented in partnership with Charlie’s FreeWheels

MDFF Selects

July 30: Student Film Showcase 2026, featuring a lineup of 10 short films representing an exciting range of modes, shining a light on the bright future of Canadian filmmaking.

TIFF PUBLIC PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS
July 11, 1pm: The Bob’s Burgers Movie (2022) dirs. Loren Bouchard, Bernard Derriman, relaxed screening, introduction by author Sarah Kurchak

Sun’s out and (burger) buns are out! Join us for a relaxed screening of the animated musical presented in collaboration with Surrey Place and Cinema from the Spectrum. An accessible entry point for fans and audiences new to the series, this “Sunny Side Up Summer” film finds third-generation restaurateur Bob and his family navigating debt, sinkholes, and a murder mystery. This screening will feature an introduction by Kurchak, author of the memoir I Overcame My Autism and All I Got Was This Lousy Anxiety Disorder, about neurodivergent-coded representation and “headcanons” in TV and film.

August 13: 48-Hour Film Challenge

TIFF Next Wave’s annual 48-Hour Film Challenge returns to the Lightbox this summer, inviting emerging filmmakers to produce a short film in only 48 hours. See youth creativity in motion with a screening of all of the films shot during the challenge and celebrate the future of cinema, presented in partnership with Future of Film Showcase and POV.

The next TIFF Bi-Monthly Programming Alert will be issued October 2026.

#TIFF: “CHRISTOPHER NOLAN: GRAND DESIGNS” RUNS JULY 8-AUGUST 20

TIFF invites audiences to explore time, memory, and bold new worlds through two upcoming marquee series at TIFF Lightbox: Christopher Nolan: Grand Designs (July 8–August 20) presented by Air France, and a fall anime series titled Drawn Universes: Visions in Animation guest-curated by acclaimed Japanese director Masaaki Yuasa. Presented ahead of this summer’s premiere of The Odyssey, the Nolan retrospective celebrates the Oscar-winning, self-taught filmmaker with screenings of his work, exclusively on 35mm and 70mm film. Nolan made his directorial debut with Following in the Discovery section at TIFF ’98, and he last returned for TIFF ’17 with a special screening of Dunkirk in celebration of IMAX’s 50th anniversary. To launch the TIFF series, The Ringer and Spotify’s The Big Picture will host a live recording of their podcast at TIFF Lightbox with Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins, marking the first time an episode will be recorded in Canada.

“The marquee series at TIFF Lightbox was envisioned to present big artists and ideas that capture and shape popular imagination,” said Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer, TIFF. “Christopher Nolan is one of the most influential voices in contemporary cinema today where each new film is a cultural event, while anime continues to explode as an art force shaping global entertainment across mediums. These programmes offer audiences of all ages a compelling look at the scale, creativity, and innovation that define film today.”

“We’ve enjoyed many hours of lively conversation around Christopher Nolan’s films, so we’re thrilled to join TIFF for this summer’s series,” said Fennessey and Dobbins. “We can’t wait to bring our show to Canada for the first time to record a very special episode and screen one of our Nolan faves, Tenet, for Toronto movie lovers.”

Christopher Nolan: Grand Designs

July 8–Aug 20, Presented by Air France

Tenet (2020)

Christopher Nolan: Grand Designs anchors TIFF’s summer programming with multiple screenings of all 12 of Nolan’s directed features, including many presented in stunning 70mm in Cinema 1, the Lightbox’s largest and most technically advanced cinema. Alongside the films, TIFF’s marquee series features a lineup of special guests and events, beginning with The Big Picture’s live podcast recording on July 8, followed by a deep dive on Tenet (July 9) with co-hosts Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins.

Additional programming includes a Silver Screenings presentation of The Right Stuff (July 24), a film Nolan cited as one of his favourites, preceded by an in‑cinema talk from a space exploration expert along with a free pop‑up planetarium activation in the Lightbox atrium, which will also be available ahead of each screening of Interstellar; these events are all presented in partnership with Space Place Canada and Astronomy in Action. A Quote Along screening of Barbie will take place directly before Oppenheimer (July 18) as a playful nod to the Summer of 2023’s “Barbenheimer.” Rounding out the lineup is the free and interactive Introduction to Film Formats event (July 12), which will explore the art and craft of analogue film, programmed in collaboration with IMAX. For more information, visit tiff.net/nolan.

Nolan Films & Events:

July 8, 7pm: The Big Picture: Live from TIFF Lightbox

July 9, 7pm: Tenet (2020) in 70mm, with Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

July 10, 6:30pm: Memento (2000) in 35mm

July 11, 4pm: Following (1998) in 35mm with guest Adam Nayman

July 12, 3pm: Oppenheimer (2023) in 70mm

July 14, 6pm: Tenet (2020) in 70mm

July 16, 6pm: The Prestige (2006) in 35mm with Scott Hammell, magician and stunt artist

July 17, 6pm:Following (1998) in 35mm

July 18, 4pm: Oppenheimer (2023) in 70mm

July 19, 3pm: Memento (2000) in 35mm

July 19, 7pm: Tenet (2020) in 70mm

July 22, 7pm: Oppenheimer (2023) in 70mm

July 25, 3pm: Inception (2010) in 35mm, with a pre-screening discussion with Nolan author and journalist Dan Jolin

July 26, 3pm: The Prestige (2006) in 35mm

July 28, 6:30pm: Insomnia (2002) in 35mm

July 31, 6pm: Batman Begins (2005) in 35mm

August 1, 6pm: The Dark Knight (2008) in 35mm, with recorded introduction by Academy Award-winning sound designer Richard King

August 2, 6pm: The Dark Knight Rises (2012) in 35mm, with recorded introduction by Dan Jolin

August 6, 6:30pm: Inception (2010) in 35mm

August 7, 6:30pm:Interstellar (2014) in 70mm

August 8, 3pm: Batman Begins (2005) in 35mm

August 9, 4pm: Interstellar (2014) in 70mm

August 12, 6pm: Dunkirk (2017) in 70mm, with recorded introduction by Dan Jolin

August 14: 6pm: Insomnia (2002) in 35mm

August 15, 3:30pm: The Dark Knight (2008) in 35mm, recorded introduction by Academy Award-winning sound designer Richard King

August 15, 8pm: The Dark Knight Rises (2012) in 35mm, with recorded introduction by Dan Jolin

August 16, 4pm: Dunkirk (2017) in 70mm, with recorded introduction by Dan Jolin

August 18, 7:30pm: Interstellar (2014) in 70mm

August 20, 5:30pm: Dunkirk (2017) in 70mm preceded by Nolan Trivia, presented by Air France

Tickets for Christopher Nolan: Grand Designs July programming will be available for TIFF Members on Thursday, June 11 at 12pm, and to the public on Friday, June 12. Tickets for August programming will be available for TIFF Members on Thursday, July 16 at 12pm, and to the public on Friday, July 17. To learn more, visit tiff.net/membership.

Drawn Universes: Visions in Animation

November & December (specific dates to be announced at a later time)

A black and while headshot photo of Masaaki Yuasa
Masaaki Yuasa

Masaaki Yuasa, one of Japan’s most celebrated and influential anime filmmakers, will guest-curate TIFF’s fall marquee series, Drawn Universes: Visions in Animation. Building on the success of TIFF’s 2023 Pop Japan! marquee and expanding on TIFF Cinematheque’s ongoing Animate programme, the series will present a sweeping survey of animation, spanning years of groundbreaking storytelling, artistry, and innovation.

“It is an honour to curate this series for TIFF,” said Masaaki Yuasa. “I am looking forward to finally meeting the Toronto audience that I have heard so much about. As I begin shaping the lineup, I am excited to look back at the works that sparked my own imagination from a young age, and to curate a series with a focus on the artists who have defined the genre and the incredible creators who continue to push the visual possibilities of anime today. I hope to bring a programme that truly surprises and delights everyone.”

Masaaki Yuasa is an acclaimed Japanese animator, creator and director known for his visually inventive and genre-defying work across film and television. After beginning his career on series including Crayon Shin-chan, he made his feature directorial debut with Mind Game (2004), which earned major international acclaim and multiple awards. He later directed celebrated works including The Tatami Galaxy, Ping Pong the Animation, Night Is Short, Walk On Girl, Lu Over the Wall, Devilman Crybaby, and Inu-Oh. In 2013, he co-founded the animation studio Science SARU, and in 2021 he received Japan’s Medal with Purple Ribbon for his contributions to the arts. In 2025, Yuasa launched his own animation studio, ame pippin.

TIFF’s July/August Programming will be announced tomorrow: Wednesday, May 27 at 12pm ET.

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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 program; 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 Major Sponsors RBC and Visa

and Major Supporters the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, and the City of Toronto.

Christopher Nolan: Grand Designs is presented by Air France.

#TIFF: TIFF MAY 2026 PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS

This season, creative partnerships take centre stage at TIFF Cinematheque, alongside a curated slate in honour of Asian Heritage month in May, a lineup that celebrates and amplifies the work of Indigenous and 2SLGBTQ+ filmmakers in June, and (indoor and outdoor) programming inspired by the city’s love of the Beautiful Game. TIFF welcomes American independent filmmaker and author John Sayles for his first-ever TIFF Cinematheque retrospective, who will be joined by producing partner Maggie Renzi, curated by Toronto film critic Adam Nayman. Other notable guests coming to the Lightbox include bestselling author Maggie O’Farrell (Hamnet); Ashley Clark, Curatorial Director at the Criterion Collection; and Philipp Fleischmann, filmmaker and Artistic Director, School Friedl Kubelka for Independent Film. Another creative duo, here to celebrate National Canadian Film Day on April 15, are filmmakers Barbara Ulrich and Renaud Lessard for the Toronto Premiere of Barbaracadabra — free to the public!

TIFF celebrates Asian Heritage Month this May with a curated lineup including Hayao Miyazaki’s soaring adventure Porco Rosso; a series of features and shorts highlighting the 26‑year legacy of the JEONJU International Film Festival and its enduring commitment to independent and experimental filmmaking; Islands, a coming-of-middle-age film from Filipino Canadian filmmaker Martin Edralin; and a spotlight on the Seoul‑born, Toronto‑based filmmaker Helen Lee in Outside the Frame: The Films of Helen Lee. TIFF is also collaborating with Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) for a Silver Screenings presentation of Yasujirō Ozu’s first colour film Equinox Flower, introduced by Akiko Takesue, ROM’s Bishop White Committee Associate Curator of Japanese Art & Culture.

TIFF’s Pride Month this June features a special 10th‑anniversary screening of Barry Jenkins’ Academy Award–winning Moonlight (TIFF ’16); the new 4K restoration of James Bidgood’s underground classic Pink Narcissus; a free Silver Screenings presentation of Blake Edwards’ musical‑comedy Victor/Victoria; the 10th anniversary screening of Shoko Nakamura’s Dou kyu sei – Classmates; and rounding out the lineup, TIFF Next Wave partners with Trans Film Mentorship for a spirited 20th‑anniversary screening of Andy Fickman’s She’s The Man, starring Amanda Bynes, Channing Tatum, and Alexandra Breckenridge. The month wraps up with Miss 501: A Portrait of Luck, a documentary about Toronto’s drag scene in the early 2000s.

Downtown Movie Nights return to David Pecaut Square with six weeks of free outdoor screenings. In partnership with Toronto Downtown West BIA, the series launches Wednesday, June 24 with a sports‑themed film lineup celebrating the energy of the FIFA World Cup in Toronto. Each Wednesday night screening will start at 9:30pm, with a pre-show at 9pm featuring photo ops, live performances, film introductions, music and more. All screenings will include open captions.

Looking ahead to the fall, anime arrives at TIFF in a big way, with a new major marquee series opening in November building on the 2023 Pop Japan series, and growing popularity of Cinematheque’s new Animate series. More details on the lineup and guest curator will be announced soon!

Tickets for May programming will be available for TIFF Members on Wednesday, April 15 at 12pm, and to the public on Friday, April 17. Tickets for June programming will be available for TIFF Members on Wednesday, May 13, at 12pm and to the public on Friday, May 15. Information is subject to change. Please visit tiff.net for up-to-date programming details.

TIFF CINEMATHEQUE PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS

António Reis & Margarida Cordeiro, Restored

May 8–17

With a modest yet extraordinary body of work, the Portuguese filmmaking duo António Reis (1925–1991) and Margarida Cordeiro (b. 1938) shaped their national cinema across successive generations, despite remaining ripe for discovery abroad. António Reis & Margarida Cordeiro, Restored introduces their films, alongside attendant work by Manoel de Oliveira, Paulo Rocha, and Reis’ most celebrated student, Pedro Costa, showcasing the duo’s deep focus on the people and land of Portugal’s remote Northeast Trás-as Montes region, where they elaborated their singular pastoral visual poetry blending rigorous ethnographic observation with a wraithlike lyricism. Featuring new restorations of their three features — Trás-os-Montes, Ana, and Rosa de Areia — recently acquired for theatrical distribution by Cinema Guild, this retrospective offers a rare opportunity for Toronto audiences to finally discover these foundational films and their enduring legacy. The series includes in-person introductions by local critics and programmers Ryan Krahn and Saffron Maeve, as well as exclusive video introductions by renowned directors Pedro Costa and João Pedro Rodrigues.

TIFF and Korea Story Festival present JEONJU Projects

May 21–26

Since 2000, JEONJU International Film Festival has been a vital platform for independent and experimental cinema — not just screening bold work, but commissioning, distributing, and investing in it. Through the JEONJU Digital Projects and JEONJU Cinema Project, the festival had the vision to recognize digital technology’s transformative role in cinema’s future, championing filmmakers featured in this series, including Hong Sangsoo, Bong Joon-ho, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Ted Fendt, and György Pálfi, whose film Hen recently screened in the TIFF ’25 auteur competition programme, Platform. As JEONJU marks its 27th edition, this series celebrates that legacy with a selection of features and shorts that have expanded the horizons of film aesthetics and reimagined the festival as an active force in film production itself.

This series is supported by the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Toronto.

Declarations of Independence: The Cinema of John Sayles

June 11–18

It’s been more than a decade since John Sayles’ last feature, Go For Sisters (2013), and he’s seen as an elder statesman of the American indie boom, having ceded the screen to more radical practitioners. But the fundamental things still apply, and in a moment when we’re more desperate than ever for cogent, cohesive, and principled political moviemaking, it seems like a good time to go back and look at Sayles’ body of work as a writer and a director; his subversive satires, probing character studies, and sturdy, hand-crafted dramas were built from the ground up to stand the test of time. Audiences can look forward to some of his early works including Return of the Secaucus Seven, The Brother From Another Planet, and Matewan. This series is guest-curated by film critic and author Adam Nayman.

From the Collection with Cameron Bailey

May 5, 6:30pm: Weekend (1967) dir. Jean-Luc Godard, 35mm print!

June 9, 6:30pm: The Portrait of a Lady (1996), dir. Jane Campion, 35mm print!

TIFF Cinematheque Special Screenings:

May 7, 7pm: Outside the Frame: The Films of Helen Lee, in-person Q&A with Lee

May 9, 6:30pm: Ashley Clark on This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection (2019), dir. Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese

Supported by Visa

May 10, 3:30pm: Ashley Clark on Yeelen (1987) dir. Souleymane Cissé

May 10, 11:15am & May 16, 2:15pm: Giant (1956) dir. George Stevens, 35mm and 70th anniversary!

May 19, 6:30pm: Mikey and Nicky (1976) dir. Elaine May, new 4K restoration and 50th anniversary!

June 19, 6:00pm: Dry Leaf (2025) dir. Alexandre Koberidze, recorded introduction from the director.

June 21, 3:30pm: Miss 501: A Portrait of Luck (2002) dir. Clint Alberta under the pseudonym “Jules Karatechamp”

Animate

May 6, 6:30pm: Porco Rosso (1992) dir. Hayao Miyazaki

June 17, 6:30pm: Dou kyu sei – Classmates (2016) dir. Shoko Nakamura, 10th anniversary!

See the North presented by MUBI

Join Lead Canadian Programmer and series curator Jason Anderson

May 12, 6:30pm: Islands (2021) dir. Martin Edralin

June 16, 6:30pm: Wildhood (2021) dir. Bretten Hannam

TIFF Wavelengths Presents

May 13–14, 7:30 & 7pm: School Friedl Kubelka For Independent Film: Programmes 1 and 2 with Philipp Fleischmann

June 2, 6:30 PM: Selections by Diego Marcon with Diego Marcon in person

Co-presented with The Vega Foundation

TIFF Next Wave Presents

May 20, 6:30pm: Young Female Playwright (2026) dir. Pony Nicole Herauf, post-screening Q&A with director, Toronto Premiere!

June 24, 6:30pm: She’s the Man (2006) dir. Andy Fickman, 20th anniversary!

MDFF Selects

May 28, 6:30pm: Strange River (2025) dir. Jaume Claret Muxart, Toronto Premiere!

TIFF Cinematheque New and Restored

May 24, 3:45pm: Bitter Rice (1949) dir. Giuseppe De Santis, New 4K restoration!

June 23, 6:30pm: Pink Narcissus (1971) dir. James Bidgood, New 4K restoration and 55th anniversary!

Midnight Madness Presents

June 20, 6:45pm: The Masque of the Red Death (1964) dir. Roger Corman, 35mm print!

TIFF PUBLIC PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS

May 8, 12pm: Silver Screenings: Equinox Flower (1958) dir. Yasujirō Ozu, with ROM curator Akiko Takesue — Free!

The Bishop White Committee Associate Curator of Japanese Art & Culture at ROM joins us for a talk before this free screening of Yasujirō Ozu’s first colour film about a traditional father grappling with his modern daughter’s refusal of an arranged marriage. Shot in glorious Agfacolour, Ozu’s reverence for everyday objects and domestic spaces is on full display. Coinciding with the ROM-original exhibition Shokkan: Material Encounters in Japanese Art (April 4 to September 7, 2026). Presented in partnership with ROM and the Japan Foundation, Toronto.

May 14, 6pm: TIFF Advance Screening of Modern Whore (2025) dir. Nicole Bazuin, post-screening Q&A with the director and co-writer Andrea Werhun

Werhun and Bazuin challenge toxic misconceptions about sex work with great audacity and high style in this documentary from TIFF ’25.

June 19, 12pm: Silver Screenings: Victor/Victoria (1982) dir. Blake Edwards

Notable for its nuanced exploration of performativity and queer representation in 1980s Hollywood cinema. Julie Andrews stars as Victoria, a struggling singer who, with help from her friend and acting manager Toddy (Robert Preston), finds success by posing as a “female impersonator” named Victor. This event will include a pre-screening activation inspired by the film’s focus on performance.

June 20, 6pm: Moonlight (2016) dir. Barry Jenkins – 10th Anniversary!

TIFF Community Impact celebrates the enduring impact of Barry Jenkins’ intimate and poetic breakthrough 10 years after its Canadian Premiere at TIFF 2016 and its record-breaking release at the Lightbox. A watershed moment for Black queer representation and independent cinema, this coming-of-age story chronicles three chapters in the life of Chiron, a young Black man growing up in Miami navigating identity, masculinity, and connection.

June 28: In Conversation With… Maggie O’Farrell

Maggie O’Farrell, the bestselling author and Academy Award–nominated co-writer of the TIFF People’s Choice Award–winning film Hamnet, joins us in person for the exclusive Canadian launch of her latest work of fiction, Land: A Novel, one of 2026’s most anticipated books. Presented in partnership with Penguin Random House Canada and the Toronto International Festival of Authors, tickets for this event will go on sale in early May.

FILM REFERENCE LIBRARY

May 23–24, 10am-5pm: Doors Open Toronto

Each May, Doors Open Toronto invites the public to explore the city’s most-loved buildings and sites, free of charge. This year’s theme is “The World in a City,” and the Film Reference Library located on the fourth floor of TIFF Lightbox will highlight TIFF’s international scope through guided building tours and archival activations.

#TIFF: TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCE NEW MELISSA CHUNG STUDIO

The Toronto International Film Festival® (TIFF) today announced the opening of its new, state-of-the-art production hub inside TIFF Lightbox. The TIFF Melissa Chung Studio will enhance TIFF’s in-house content team’s ability to produce, capture, and amplify world-class content featuring established and emerging talent for audiences around the world. The studio is made possible through a generous philanthropic gift from the Toronto-based Ibrahim Family Foundation.

“We are grateful to Sam Ibrahim and Melissa Chung for their extraordinary generosity and belief in TIFF’s mission,” said Cameron Bailey, CEO of TIFF. “Sam’s journey, from arriving in Toronto as part of an immigrant family to building businesses from scratch alongside Melissa, reflects a remarkable ‘Scarborough grit’ that continues to shape their success. We look forward to inviting local and international talent into this incredible new space.”

“Their story embodies the creativity, ambition, and resilience that define this city, and this gift exemplifies a new generation of philanthropists committed to giving back,” added Jennifer Frees, TIFF’s Chief Business & Marketing Officer. “We hope Sam and Melissa’s leadership inspires others to join us by investing in the storytellers that project our city’s unique spirit onto the world stage.”

“We chose to make this gift because we believe in the power of storytelling and the importance of creating space for emerging voices to be seen and celebrated,” said Sam Ibrahim and Melissa Chung. “TIFF has always represented excellence in film and culture, and contributing to the TIFF Melissa Chung Studio felt like a meaningful way to support creativity, community, and the next generation of artists. Toronto is home for us and where we are raising our family and building our work, and supporting TIFF is a natural extension of our commitment to giving back to our city.”

The TIFF Melissa Chung Studio is a fully equipped, flexible production hub located off the Gallery space on the main floor of the Lightbox, with windows facing south onto King St. W. Outfitted by Atriani Interiors and equipped by Sunbelt Rentals Film & TV, it was designed to support a wide range of creative uses: from podcast recordings and filmed interviews, to a photography studio, social media, premium digital series, and long-form video production. Built with versatility in mind, The TIFF Melissa Chung Studio enhances TIFF’s capacity to collaborate with filmmakers, talent, and industry partners while also serving as a premium venue rental space for external clients seeking a state-of-the-art production facility right in the heart of the entertainment district. Over the years, TIFF’s content platforms have featured conversations and appearances from some of the most influential voices in film and culture.

This investment recognizes and supports the growing importance of digital storytelling, highlighting emerging Canadian creators, in-depth conversations with filmmakers, and building a year-round bridge between audiences and the films they love. With a combined social audience of more than 2.8 million global followers and 900 million impressions in 2025 alone, TIFF continues to engage film lovers, creators, and industry leaders at an unprecedented scale.

This transformational gift reflects the vital role philanthropy plays in advancing TIFF’s mission. To learn more about supporting TIFF and The TIFF Melissa Chung Studio, visit tiff.net/give.

To learn more about the space and rental opportunities at The TIFF Melissa Chung Studio, please visit tiff.net/studio.