The 2026 Toronto Film Festival kicked off Thursday, September 10, and features a slew of world premieres including the official opening-night film Being Heumann, Oscar winner Siân Heder's follow-up to her Best Picture wi...
By Nexvoro Tech Wire
PUBLISHED FRI, SEP 11, 2026 10:33 PM UTC • 6 MIN READ
Primary Journalistic Dispatch & Direct Reporting
The 2026 Toronto Film Festival kicked off Thursday, September 10, and features a slew of world premieres including the official opening-night film Being Heumann , Oscar winner Siân Heder 's follow-up to her Best Picture winner CODA . The event's 51st edition features 10 days of premieres, gala presentations and more as the third leg of the fall festival tour (along with Venice and Telluride ) that helps set the agenda for awards season.
Among the fest's world premieres are the latest from such filmmakers as Green Book double Oscar winner Peter Farrelly ( I Play Rocky ), Shakespeare in Love Oscar nominee John Madden ( Onwards and Sideways ), Chris Rock ( Misty Green ) and Anton Corbijn ( A Talent for Murder ).
TIFF also will feature the world debuts of Prima Facie , from British director Susanna White starring three-time Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo, and The Assassin(s) from Korean filmmaker Hur Jin-ho, whose A Normal Family played Toronto in 2023.
In-Depth Developments & Factual Context
RELATED: TIFF Centrepiece To Showcase 54 Features With Kamila Andini's 'Four Seasons In Java' & Avi Nesher's 'Our Loves' Among World Premieres
Among others screenings are Friends star Courteney Cox directing debut Evil Genius , Tim Blake Nelson's prison thriller The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd , One Battle After Another breakout Chase Infiniti's The Julia Set and director Rebel Wilson's The Deb follow-up Girl Group.
Scroll below to read about Deadline's reviews out of TIFF 2026, and click on the link to read the full versions. Keep checking back as we add more.
Industry Impact & Strategic Analysis
RELATED: TIFF Docs Lineup Revealed: Rapinoe, Said, Love, And A Scent Of Musk
Section: Gala Presentations Director: Siân Heder Cast: Ruth Madeley, Mark Ruffalo, Dylan O'Brien, Madeline Delp, Rob Delaney, Ray Fisher, Michael Patrick Thornton, Antwan Tolliver, Daniel Durant, Jon Beavers, Roberta Colindrez, Russell Harvard Deadline's takeaway: While the title is a reference to disability rights activist Judy Heumann's tireless efforts in legislating accessibility, this biopic is better viewed as an ensemble piece that captures the entire movement she championed. Its two-hour runtime is somewhat excessive but perhaps prudent to capture the sit-in's grueling length. - GG
Section: Special Presentations Director: Paul Andrew Williams Cast: Erin Doherty, James McAvoy, Liv Hill, Smylie Bradwell Deadline's takeaway: The latest from British indie stalwart Paul Andrew Williams is an emotional chamber piece with a slow-burn supernatural twist that punches well above its weight, especially when star Erin Doherty's heartbreaking performance reaches chilling new heights of what can only be described as "raw." - DW
Forward Outlook & Market Perspective
Section: Special Presentations Director: Ben Shirinian Cast: Naomi Watts, Luke Evans, Tye Sheridan, Lena Olin, Michael Imperioli, Ron Leo Deadline's takeaway: In an enormously tricky and risky performance, Naomi Watts is stunning as a seemingly typical 1950s Queens housewife who harbors a horrific secret, and Ben Shirinian's impressive debut feature stands out as it tries to show how one person can embody the worst, most monstrous aspects of humanity and then lock it away. - PH
Section: Midnight Madness Director: Joshua Giuliano Cast: Jane Levy, Jessica Rothe, Max Mattern, Dane DiLiegro Deadline's takeaway: There's an eerie simplicity that separates Joshua Giuliano's debut feature film from others in the slasher genre, only leaning into tropes when it makes sense, and not falling into the trap of overly stylizing for the sake of appealing to under-stimulated horror fans. - GG
Section: Discovery Director: Theo Rhys Cast: Jodie Comer, Harry Melling Deadline's takeaway: "Sweeney Todd with taxidermy" is the high-concept pitch behind this doozy of a musical black comedy that, ambitiously, attempts to make a serious point about modern-day loneliness and, thanks to its terrific core cast, pretty much succeeds. Hal Ashby's Harold and Maude is about as close a comparison as you might find in this very niche genre. - DW
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