S Viswanath

The Toronto International Film Festival aka TIFF, now into its 51st Edition, is furiously busy in lining up the crème la crème of international and local Canadian cinemas, beginning its flurry of announcements in the run up to the film festival proper which will run September 10—20, 2026, as the Entertainment District, which houses the TIFF Lightbox, the epicentre of all things cinema, dresses itself up for the D-day.

Billed as Canada’s premier Cinema Coliseum with the charter of creating transformational experiences for film lovers and creators of all ages and backgrounds, more importantly, in keeping with its stated mandate of transforming the way people see the world, at large, through films, TIFF avers that the festival programming mission was to present transformative film experiences that enlighten, enrich understanding, and foster empathy, create and foster an environment of constructive and respectful dialogue, while, at the same time, defending TIFF’s curatorial independence as also artistic excellence and artistic freedom, it brings to the gala cinema carnival, year on year.

The not-for-profit cultural outfit, in its five decades of eventful existence, through contemporary film screenings, lectures, discussions, festivals, workshops, events, professional development and opportunities to congregate and confabulate among those diligently assembling to hear and learn from filmmakers from Canada and around the world.

In keeping with this ubiquitous vision and mission, the 51st Edition of TIFF has formally laid out its festival showpiece sections with its Gala and Special Presentations with carefully curated cinemas from over 30 countries forming the choicest curated collection of films reflecting the diversity and creativity of modern day filmmaking cinemascape.

The festival’s Gala Presentations, boasts of as many as 23 films with a myriad of thematic explorations from thrillers, to biopics to documentaries and intimate filial drama besides adaptation of prominent novels. Veering towards the popular, entertainment and commercial format these are primarily positioned for the Red Carpet screenings at the big halls that dot the Entertainment District with the major cast of the film in attendance providing the paparazzi an opportunity to catch them in their sartorial and haute couture best.

The Gala Presentations will see Oscar winning woman American filmmaker of CODA film fame Sian Heder’s Being Heumann the inspirational historical biographical feature that charts the indomitable saga of the groundbreaking disability rights advocate and the Mother of the Disability Rights Movement Judy Heumann kicking off the nine-day long festivities.

You then have renowned Dutch director Anton Corbin’s crime thriller as the title A Talent for Murder bespeaks for itself based on Melbourne based Australian playwright and novelist Joanna Murray-Smith’s 2014 play Switzerland).

Described as a riveting psychological twisty edge-of-the seat thriller the film follows a callow young literary agent from New York sent to Switzerland to persuade celebrated crime thriller writer Patricia Highsmith to write one final instalment of the Ripley anthology with his efforts gradually turning more sinister by the day.

French director Marc Fitoussi’s All About Corinne is comedy which follows Corinne Maclou, a background actress, who, dreaming of a big break, befriends a famous actress chancing an opportunity to foray into the closed-off world of French cinema.

The Korean flick Always Lalisa by Sue Kim is a documentary which traces K-pop idol–turned–global superstar Lisa’s journey from childhood ambition through BLACKPINK stardom into the artist she is today.

American filmmaker Reed Van Dyk’s directorial debut Atonement based on 2012 New Yorker article ‘Atonement’ by Dexter Filkins, revolves around a guilt ridden marine seeking to reconcile with the survivors of an Iraqi family he and his unit fired on back in 2003 Iraqi war.

Lakeland, Florida based American filmmaker Lauren Miller Rogen’s Babies spotlights on a couple grappling with parenthood finds their lives turned upside down when their friend and her toddler move in after a divorce, giving them an unexpected crash course in raising a child.

Bunker by French director Florian Zeller is a psychological thriller about a couple wherein the husband, an architect, accepts a controversial project to build a survivalist bunker for a tech billionaire, which decision leads his wife to question their marriage.

Hong Kong-American film director Wayne Wang’s Diary of a Mad Old Man is an adaptation of Jun’ichirō Tanizaki’s novel which follows a septuagenarian stroke ridden widower who is drawn into an unnervingly intimate relationship with his caregiver daughter-in-law’s attentions, a dancer with a shady past..

Birmingham, Alabama born American filmmaker Courteney Cox’s Evil Genius follows the infamous ‘pizza bomber’ case exploring deception, desperation, and the blurred line between victim and villain.

Girl Group by Australian director Rebel Wilson has the filmmaker herself play the role of a former girl group star from the early noughties forced to coach a rag tag bunch of teen girls to make them into a group for a record label competition.

Canadian documentary producer and director Adrian Buitenhuis’ Man in Motion: The Rick Hansen Story chronicles the 26-month Man In Motion World Tour of the great Canadian athlete and activist’s 40,000-km wheelchair journey that raised millions to eliminate accessibility barriers and transform public perception of people with disabilities.

US film Misty Green by Chris Rock Misty follows the titular character Misty a talented actress, whose vices have derailed every attempt to revitalise her career as she attempts to stage a comeback finds her best opportunity in ages arriving in the form of a director named Jordan who offers her a potential lifeline for resurrection.

Onwards and Sideways by British filmmaker John Madden is about two strangers whose lives become entwined when both are diagnosed with Parkinson disease.

Cork born, & 2015 Brooklyn fame Irish director Joss Crowley’s Pretenders chronicles the evolution of one of rock’s most singular icons – Pretenders founder Chrissie Hynde with extensive interviews and archival materials.

Oz director Susanna White’s Prima Facie adaptation of Suzie Miller’s globally acclaimed play follows Tessa, an ambitious defence lawyer, who expertly represents her clients, including those accused of sexual assault. However, she finds out that the law does not provide justice after being raped by a coworker unexpectedly becoming the accuser in a sexual assault case.

Run Terry Run by Canada’s documentary filmmaker Sean Menard provides a behind-the-scenes look at Terry Fox’s legendary 1980 Marathon of Hope to raise awareness and money for cancer research.

The Vietnamese flick Spirit Guardians: The Last Secret of the First Emperor (Hộ Linh Tráng Sĩ: Bí Ẩn Mộ Vua Đinh) by Nguyen Phan Quang Binh is a historical martial arts action thriller epic of loyalty and sacrifice set during the 10th C Dinh Dynasty which follows seven elite warriors tasked with protecting Vietnam’s first emperor’s tomb by transporting 99 coffins as decoys across the kingdom so that foes cannot find his true burial site. The tomb is believed to be the source of nation’s prosperity.

Tenzing by Aussie filmmaker Jennifer Peedom is a wondrous untold and inspiring biopic recounting the sagacious saga of Nepalese-Indian Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay, who, alongside Sir Edmund Hillary, became first to top Everest in 1953.

The South Korean flick The Assassin(s) by Hur Jin-ho set in 1974 is based on the attempted assassination of South Korean President Park Chung-hee on August 15 of that year. The mystery thriller blending real records with creative interpretation, explores the unresolved parts of the case marking the first film adaptation of the dramatic historical event.

Tim Blake Nelson’s American flick The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd revolves round a teacher in an abusive relationship who takes a job at a maximum security prison only to fall for a charismatic inmate in this a psychologically rich prison story about crime, punishment, and love.

The Only Living Pickpocket in New York by American actor-director Noah Segan is a low-key crime drama about a veteran pickpocket, who, when a theft goes awry, is sent on a mission through New York to reclaim it.

British actress-director Trudie Styler’s Up Against It is a marital comedy wherein post-marital acrimony and parental devotion make strange bedfellows as the co-parenting divorcees are faced with an indecent proposal.

Villeneuve: The Rise of a Legend by Quebec based Canadian film and television director Yan Lanouette Turgeon which brings curtains down on the nine-day gala festivities on the closing night is a biographical drama about the early life of Canadian racing driver Gilles Villeneuve which centres on the ace driver’s early efforts to establish his racing career.