The 2026 Toronto International Film Festival is set to kick off with the premiere of the biopic “Being Heumann,” as announced by organizers on Tuesday. Based on the acclaimed 2020 memoir of the same name, the film by Apple, directed by Siân Heder, chronicles the life of Judy Heumann, a prominent advocate for disability rights. The cast includes Ruth Madeley in the lead role and Mark Ruffalo portraying former U.S. health secretary Joseph Califano.
Siân Heder, known for her film “CODA,” which won the best picture at the Oscars in 2022, will be the fourth woman to have a film open the festival. Previous female directors to open the festival include Sally El Hosaini with “The Swimmers” in 2022, Deepa Mehta with “Water” in 2005, and Patricia Rozema with “I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing” in 1987.
In addition to “Being Heumann,” two other films will have their world premieres at the festival: Susanna White’s “Prima Facie” and Hur Jin-ho’s “Assassin(s).” “Prima Facie” stars Cynthia Erivo and tells the story of a defense attorney who is sexually assaulted while representing accused sexual offenders. On the other hand, “Assassin(s)” focuses on the 1974 attempted assassination of South Korean president Park Chung-hee.
The Toronto International Film Festival, known as TIFF, will run from September 10-20 this year, with the lineup for its 51st edition to be revealed on August 11. The festival, which featured over 200 titles last year, has showcased North American or world premieres of highly anticipated films like “Hamnet” by Chloé Zhao, “Frankenstein” by Guillermo del Toro, “Obsession” by Curry Barker, and “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” by Rian Johnson.
Following a challenging period due to various disruptions such as the pandemic and industry strikes, TIFF regained its footing with the success of “Hamnet,” which received an Oscars nomination for best picture in 2025. The festival’s reputation as the “people’s festival” is bolstered by its track record of People’s Choice winners often receiving major Oscar nominations, making it an attractive platform for studios to showcase their top films.
The 51st annual Toronto International Film Festival will be held 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, screenings will take place at the new venue, the John Bassett Theatre at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Tickets for the festival will be available for TIFF members starting on August 21 and for the general public on August 31.