The Toronto International Film Festival in 2026 is set to kick off with the premiere of the biographical film “Being Heumann,” as revealed by organizers on Tuesday. Based on the acclaimed 2020 memoir of the same name, the movie by director Siân Heder chronicles the life of Judy Heumann, a prominent advocate for disability rights. The lead roles in the film will be portrayed by Ruth Madeley as Judy Heumann and Mark Ruffalo as former U.S. health secretary Joseph Califano.
Siân Heder, who previously won the best picture award at the Oscars in 2022 for her film “CODA,” will become the fourth woman to have her film open the prestigious festival. This follows 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. Additionally, the festival will feature the world premieres of two other films: Susanna White’s “Prima Facie” and Hur Jin-ho’s “Assassin(s).”
“Prima Facie,” starring Cynthia Erivo, tells the story of a defense attorney for accused sexual offenders who becomes a victim of sexual assault herself. The movie is adapted from Suzie Miller’s one-woman stage play of the same title, with Miller also handling the screenplay.
On the other hand, “Assassin(s)” focuses on the real-life 1974 assassination attempt on South Korean president Park Chung-hee. Park Hae-il will play a news editor trying to unravel unanswered questions surrounding the assassination attempt.
The Toronto International Film Festival will run from September 10-20 this year, with the lineup for its 51st edition to be announced on August 11. Last year’s festival showcased over 200 films, including North American or world premieres of notable releases like Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet,” Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” Curry Barker’s “Obsession,” and Rian Johnson’s “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.”
The festival’s 50th-anniversary edition marked a resurgence after past challenges, such as COVID-19 disruptions and other setbacks. The success of “Hamnet” at the Oscars following its win as the People’s Choice in 2025 reaffirmed TIFF’s influence as a predictor of awards season success.
Since 2008, nearly every People’s Choice winner went on to receive the top Oscar nomination, bolstering TIFF’s reputation as a festival for the people. The upcoming festival will take place 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, Royal Alexandra Theatre, and the John Bassett Theatre at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, which is a new addition this year.
Tickets for the festival will be available for TIFF members starting on August 21 and to the general public on August 31.