Organizers revealed on Tuesday that the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival will kick off with the global premiere of the biographical film Being Heumann.
The Apple production, directed by Siân Heder, is based on the acclaimed 2020 memoir of the same name and chronicles the life of Judy Heumann, a notable advocate for disability rights. Ruth Madeley will portray Heumann, with Mark Ruffalo cast as Joseph Califano, a former U.S. health secretary.
Heder, who received an Oscar for best picture in 2022 for CODA, will become the fourth female director to open the festival, following Sally El Hosaini’s The Swimmers in 2022, Deepa Mehta’s Water in 2005, and Patricia Rozema’s I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing in 1987.
On Tuesday, the festival also announced the world premieres of two additional films: Susanna White’s Prima Facie and Hur Jin-ho’s Assassin(s).
TIFF kicked off its 50th edition on Thursday, attracting stars, fans, and thrilling premieres. However, concerns remain about ticket prices and the festival’s visibility compared to other events.
Prima Facie features Oscar-nominated actress Cynthia Erivo and narrates the experience of a defense attorney who becomes a victim of sexual assault while representing accused offenders. This film is adapted from Suzie Miller’s one-woman stage play, which she also scripted.
Assassin(s) centers on the actual 1974 attempted assassination of South Korean president Park Chung-hee. As reported by Deadline, Park Hae-il, known for Decision to Leave and The Host, will portray a news editor investigating the unanswered aspects of the assassination plot.
The people’s festival
This year’s TIFF will be held from September 10 to 20, with the lineup for its 51st edition set to be revealed on August 11. Last year’s festival showcased over 200 films, including the North American and world premieres of several highly anticipated titles such as Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, Curry Barker’s horror hit Obsession, and Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.
The 50th-anniversary event represented a notable comeback for the festival after previous years were affected by the pandemic, strikes among writers and actors limiting attendance, and the death of Queen Elizabeth on the first day of the 2022 festival, which led to a debate about the festival’s significance.
Nevertheless, with the 2025 People’s Choice award winner Hamnet receiving an Oscar nomination for best picture, TIFF has reestablished itself as a key indicator in the awards season.
Since 2008, every People’s Choice winner has received a top Oscar nomination, with only two exceptions: Where Do We Go Now? in 2011 and The Life of Chuck from 2024. This impressive track record enhances TIFF’s reputation as the “people’s festival,” encouraging studios to showcase their major films at an event more accessible than critic-centric festivals like Cannes or Venice.
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Analysis
Hamnet just won TIFF’s People’s Choice Award — a big boost to its chances for Oscar success
The 51st Toronto International Film Festival will be hosted at various venues including TIFF Lightbox, Roy Thomson Hall, the Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre, Cineplex’s Scotiabank Theatre, Cinema Park, and the Royal Alexandra Theatre. Additionally, the John Bassett Theatre at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre will feature screenings for the first time this year.
Tickets for the festival will go on sale for TIFF members on August 21 and to the general public on August 31.
