What to know
- TIFF 2026 will run in Toronto from Sept. 10 to 20.
- Eight Gala and Special Presentations titles list Canada as a production country.
- Five films credit Canada alone, while three are co-productions with the United States, United Kingdom or Netherlands.
- Villeneuve: The Rise of a Legend will make its world premiere as TIFF’s Closing Night Gala on Sept. 19.
It’s almost TIFF season, and from what we know so far, Canadian stories and filmmakers will have a major presence at the film festival this fall.
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) returns to the city for its 2026 run from Sept. 10-20, bringing hundreds of screenings, panels, parties and events to the city. As the coveted festival approaches, we’re learning more about what to expect from this year’s affair, and it looks like a lot of Canadian content is in the lineup. Of the 66 movies included in TIFF’s newly announced Gala and Special Presentations programmes, eight list Canada as a production country. Five are credited solely to Canada, while three list Canada alongside international production partners.
The Canadian productions include Villeneuve: The Rise of a Legend, Run Terry Run, Man in Motion: The Rick Hansen Story, The Stunt Driver and Whatcha Want. Meanwhile, A Long Winter, All That She Wants and In Alaska are international co-productions involving Canada.
A co-production generally brings together producers, financing, or creative resources from more than one country. However, TIFF’s country listings do not necessarily reveal where every scene was filmed or whether the projects were made under formal international co-production treaties.
Here are the eight Canadian films included in TIFF’s 2026 Gala and Special Presentations announcement.
Villeneuve: The Rise of a Legend
Directed by Yan Lanouette Turgeon | Canada
The biographical sports drama chronicles the early career of Quebec driver Gilles Villeneuve and his rise to international racing fame. It will make its world premiere as TIFF’s Closing Night Gala on Sept. 19.
Run Terry Run
Directed by Sean Menard | Canada
Featuring previously unseen footage and audio, the documentary revisits Terry Fox’s 1980 Marathon of Hope and the national movement inspired by his attempt to run across Canada for cancer research.
Man in Motion: The Rick Hansen Story
Directed by Adrian Buitenhuis | Canada
The documentary looks back at Rick Hansen’s historic Man in Motion World Tour, which saw him travel more than 40,000 kilometres through 34 countries in his wheelchair. The journey raised awareness and funds while challenging perceptions of people with disabilities.
The Stunt Driver
Directed by Michael Dowse | Canada
Jay Baruchel plays real-life Montreal daredevil Ken Carter, who risks everything to jump a rocket-powered car across the St. Lawrence River from Canada into the United States. The Canadian production will make its world premiere in the Special Presentations programme.
Whatcha Want
Directed by Mina Shum | Canada
Following a betrayal by her wealthy husband, a Hong Kong immigrant rediscovers the love of dance she left behind. The film, which will have its world premiere at TIFF, stars Ming-Na Wen, Isabella Wei and Tzi Ma.
Canadian international co-productions
A Long Winter
Directed by Andrew Haigh | Canada, United Kingdom
Adapted from Colm Tóibín’s short story, the film follows a family living high in the mountains as autumn ends and preparations begin for the long winter ahead. The Canada-U.K. production will have its Canadian premiere at TIFF.
All That She Wants
Directed by Scarlett Bermingham and Andrew Rhymer | USA, Canada
Following a breakup, Emma begins seeing a charming younger man — only to realize she used to babysit him. The Canada-U.S. production follows her as she confronts her desire to become a mother and get her life back on track.
In Alaska
Directed by Jaap van Heusden and Vinnie Karetak | Netherlands, Canada
After shooting the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline, a 17-year-old Inuit boy is labelled a terrorist and flees toward his family’s Canadian roots while an FBI agent pursues him. The Netherlands-Canada co-production will make its world premiere at the festival.
Here is a list of the rest of the films having Canadian, International, and World premieres at this year’s TIFF:
2026 Gala Presentations (in alphabetical order):
*previously announced
A Talent for Murder | Anton Corbijn | United Kingdom, Italy
All About Corinne | Marc Fitoussi | France
Always Lalisa | Sue Kim | USA
Atonement | Reed Van Dyk | USA
Babies | Lauren Miller Rogen | USA
*Being Heumann | Siân Heder | USA
Opening Night Film
Bunker | Florian Zeller | France, Spain
Diary of a Mad Old Man | Wayne Wang | USA
Evil Genius | Courteney Cox | USA
Girl Group | Rebel Wilson | United KingdomMisty Green | Chris Rock | USA
Onwards and Sideways | John Madden | United Kingdom
Pretenders | Joss Crowley | United Kingdom
*Prima Facie | Susanna White | Australia, United Kingdom
Spirit Guardians: The Last Secret of the First Emperor | Nguyen Phan Quang Binh | Vietnam
Tenzing | Jennifer Peedom | USA, Australia
*The Assassin(s) | Hur Jin-ho | South Korea
The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd | Tim Blake Nelson | USA
The Only Living Pickpocket in New York | Noah Segan | USA
Up Against It | Trudie Styler | United Kingdom
2026 Special Presentations (in alphabetical order):
*previously announced
All of a Sudden | Ryûsuke Hamaguchi | France, Japan, Germany, Belgium
*Alpha Gang | David Zellner, Nathan Zellner | USA
Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo | Takashi Miike | USA, United Kingdom, Japan
Bitter Christmas | Pedro Almodóvar | Spain
Clarissa | Arie Esiri, Chuko Esiri | Nigeria, USA
Club Kid | Jordan Firstman | USA
Coward | Lukas Dhont | Belgium
Elsinore | Simon Stone | United Kingdom
Everest: The Other Side | Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi | USA
Everybody Wants To F*** Me | Jonathan Schey | United Kingdom, France, USA
Faith | Paul Andrew Williams | United Kingdom
Fjord | Cristian Mungiu | Romania, France, Norway, Sweden, Denmark
Gentle Monster | Marie Kreutzer | Austria
*Glaxo | Benjamín Naishtat | Argentina, Brazil
Growth of the Soil | Hans Petter Moland | Norway
Happily Ever After | Feng-I Fiona Roan | Taiwan
Hombre al agua | Gael García Bernal | Mexico
I Play Rocky | Peter Farrelly | USA
Ink | Danny Boyle | United Kingdom, France, USA
Josephine | Beth de Araújo | USA
La Bola Negra | Javier Calvo, Javier Ambrossi | Spain, France
Le Faux Soir | Michaël R. Roskam | Belgium, France
Look Back | Hirokazu Kore-eda | Japan
*Love of Your Life | Rachel Morrison | USA
Minotaur | Andrey Zvyagintsev | France, Germany, Latvia
Mr. Nelson, Did You Kill People? | Shinya Tsukamoto | Japan
Paradise Lost | Yeon Sang-ho | South Korea
Phoolan | Richie Mehta | India
Possible Love | Lee Chang-dong | South Korea
Tender Loving Care | Mike Leigh | United Kingdom
The Age of Goodbyes | Edmund Yeo | Taiwan, Malaysia
The Beloved | Rodrigo Sorogoyen | Spain
The Debut | Jesse Eisenberg | USA
*The Housewife | Ben Shirinian | USA
The Julia Set | Niki Byrne | USA
The Man I Love | Ira Sachs | USA
The Unknown | Arthur Harari | France
*Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother | Bassam Tariq | USA
