Toronto film festival 2026 preview: Screen’s guide to the Special Presentations

Screen International rounds up the world and international premieres in the Toronto International Film Festival’s Special Presentations programme, with details on each title including sales contacts.

TIFF runs September 10-20.

The Age Of Goodbyes (Tai-Malay)

Dir. Edmund Yeo
Adapted from Li Zi Shu’s 2010 novel, this Malaysian drama explores history, memory and family myths through a lonely boy who discovers a book that details the tragic love of a woman and her schoolteacher boyfriend in the 1960s. The cast is led by Taiwan’s Vivian Sung and Stanley Yau from Hong Kong boy band Mirror. Taiwan’s Renaissance Films and Malaysia’s Happy Together Pictures produced. Based between Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur, Yeo won best director at Tokyo in 2017 with We, The Dead (Aqérat).
Contact: Vivi Chen, Renaissance Films 

All That She Wants (US-Can)

Dirs. Scarlett Bermingham, Andrew Rhymer
Rhymer, whose Plus One was a 2019 Tribeca audience award winner, and TV writer Bermingham team up on a romantic comedy scripted by Schitt’s Creek writer/producer David West Read. Annie Murphy and Cooper Raiff star as a millennial and a Gen Z-er whose casual encounter leads to complications when the former decides she wants a baby. Tim Headington, Theresa Steele Page and Lauren Shelton produce for Ley Line Entertainment, and Katie Bird Nolan and Lindsay Tapscott for Babe Nation Films. CAA is representing the film for the US.
Contact: Mister Smith Entertainment (international)

Alpha Gang (US)

Dirs. David Zellner, Nathan Zellner
The Zellner brothers (2024’s Sasquatch Sunset) have summoned a mighty cast for their sci-fi comedy about alien invaders who disguise themselves as a 1950s biker gang, and land in deep water when they experience human emotions. Riley Keough, Cate Blanchett, Dave Bautista, Chris Pine and Lily-Rose Depp join the mayhem. Mary Aloe’s Aloe Entertainment, Blanchett and Coco Francini’s Dirty Films, the Zellners’ ZBi, Felix Culpa, Fat City and Sugar Rush Pictures are producing. CAA Media Finance represents US rights.
Contact: mk2 Films (international)

Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo (US-UK-Japan)

Dir. Takashi Miike
Miike follows lauded directors Abel Ferrara and Werner Herzog for the third entry in a line of films about crazed cops, this one played by Shun Oguri of Godzilla Vs. Kong and the hit Kingdom franchise. Supporting cast includes Lily James and Liv Morgan. Producers are Jeremy Thomas of Recorded Picture Company, Sam Pressman of Pressman Films, Naoaki Kitajima of Nippon TV, longtime Miike producer Misako Saka, TF1 and OLM. In Japan, the film is distributed by Sony and will be released later this year.
Contact: Neon

Closing Night (Australia-Can)

Dir. Cody Fern
Headed by Naomi Watts, Sarah Paulson, Odessa A’zion and Dianne Wiest, Australian actor Fern’s feature directorial debut is a drama about a hard-hearted film star who reunites with the messy family she abandoned decades ago. Elevation Pictures is Canadian distributor on the Metafilms and Fictious production.
Contact: mk2 Films

The Debut (US)

Dir. Jesse Eisenberg
Eisenberg’s first outing as director since his 2025 awards season darling A Real Pain and his third feature overall, The Debut stars Julianne Moore as a housewife in 1990 who lands a role in a community theatre production run by an intimidating director (Paul Giamatti). Eisenberg shot The Debut on film shortly after A Real Pain won the best screenplay Oscar in March 2025, and told Screen International it “has the ethos of the 1990s throwback independent movie” and tested “like a crowdpleaser”. The film gets its world premiere in Telluride and A24 will release in the US on December 11.
Contact: A24 

Elsinore (UK)

Dir. Simon Stone
Andrew Scott, Olivia Colman, Billie Piper, Johnny Flynn and Monica Dolan star in this 1980s-set film about the last year in the life of Chariots Of Fire lead Ian Charleson, before the Scottish actor died of Aids at the age of 40. Australian filmmaker Stone screened his feature debut The Daughter at TIFF in 2015, and his credits also include 2021’s The Dig. Elsinore has its world premiere in Telluride before going on to Toronto; it will also open the BFI London Film Festival in October. Lucky Red, Magnolia Mae Films and LD Entertainment produce. Studiocanal is distributing in several territories including the UK and Ireland, while Focus Features has North America.
Contact: Studiocanal

Everest: The Other Side (US)

Dirs. Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
The documentary from Disney’s National Geographic brings Chin and Vasarhelyi back to TIFF after last year’s Love + War. Their latest feature focuses on elite ski mountaineers and couple Jim Morrison and Hilaree Nelson as they plan to scale Everest’s North Face and become the first people to ski down it. The film gets its world premiere in Venice and will open exclusively in Imax worldwide on October 30 before an eventual debut on Disney+.
Contact: National Geographic Films

Everybody Wants To F*** Me (UK-Fr-US)

Dir. Jonathan Schey
UK writer/director Schey, whose credits include BBC series Ladhood, makes his feature directorial debut with a dark comedy thriller set in London’s contemporary dating scene. Taron Egerton, Jessica Henwick, Mia McKenna-Bruce and Herbert Nordrum star. The project is produced by Cecilia Frugiuele and Olivier Kaempfer of Parkville Pictures and LuckyChap Entertainment, with Studiocanal and Film4 fully financing. Schey previously directed shorts including 2017’s British Independent Film Award-­nominated The Entertainer and 2013’s I Want To Be Happy Cha Cha Cha.
Contact: Studiocanal

Faith (UK)

Dir. Paul Andrew Williams
Erin Doherty and James McAvoy headline the story of a devoted single mother whose life is changed drastically on meeting an enigmatic stranger. Producers are Dominic Tighe of Giant Productions and Danny Page of Homefront Productions and Blazing Griffin, with France’s Logical Pictures among the financiers. True Brit will release in the UK and Ireland. The super­natural drama’s premiere follows a strong 2025 for Williams, in which his Dragonfly won several prizes on its festival run, including at Tribeca, Galway and Cairo. Bankside Films and Logical Pictures co-rep world sales.
Contact: Bankside Films; Logical Pictures 

Glaxo (Arg-Braz)

Dir. Benjamin Naishtat
In Chivilcoy, a quiet Argentinian town that hosts a Glaxo pharmaceutical factory, the arrival of a former policeman and his wife transforms the friendship of four young men. Naishtat won the Silver Shell for best director in San Sebastian with Rojo (2018). His most recent film Puan (2023), co-directed by Maria Alché, won the best screenplay award at San Sebastian and was nominated for the Goya award for best Ibero-­American film. Glaxo is produced by Argentina’s Rei Pictures and Brazil’s RT Features. CAA Media Finance is handling domestic rights.
Contact: Luxbox Films (international)

Growth Of The Soil (Nor)

Dir. Hans Petter Moland
Adapted from Knut Hamsun’s Nobel Prize-winning novel published in 1917, Growth Of The Soil is a love story set against the imposing Norwegian mountains, as a husband and wife are tested by the power of the natural world and the passing of time. Herbert Nordrum and Asta Kamma August star, having previously played a couple in The Hypnosis, which won three of Sweden’s Guldbagge awards in 2025. Norwegian stalwart Moland returns to his homeland after making US crime drama Absolution, his second film to star Liam Neeson. Growth Of The Soil heads to San Sebastian’s main competition after Toronto.
Contact: Beta Cinema

Happily Ever After (Tai)

Dir. Feng-I Fiona Roan
Starring Shuhua of K-pop group i-dle in her acting debut, Roan’s second feature revolves around two sisters whose fragile bond is tested by the question of whether happiness can ever truly be chosen as one prepares for marriage and the other resists its conventions. Roan previously worked with producers Clifford Miu and Linhan Zhang on her 2021 feature debut American Girl, which premiered at Tokyo’s Asian Future competition section and won four Golden Horse Awards including best new director.
Contact: Fred Tsui, Moebius Entertainment

The Housewife (US)

Dir. Ben Shirinian
Naomi Watts and Tye Sheridan lead the cast in this historical drama from Canadian first-time feature director Shirinian, whose ballet short Lost In Motion screened at TIFF in 2012. The story follows a young journalist who tracks down a possible former Nazi officer in 1960s New York and befriends the man’s charming wife. Production companies include Escape Route, LB Entertainment and Loose Cannon Pictures. CAA Media Finance is representing sales in the US.
Contact: Neon International 

I Play Rocky (US)

Dir. Peter Farrelly
Farrelly’s drama about the making of Rocky stars Anthony Ippolito as Sylvester Stallone and could be one to watch heading into awards season. Farrelly won the TIFF audience award with Green Book in 2018 before it went on to win the best picture Oscar the following year. Footage from I Play Rocky drew the loudest cheer at an international buyers presentation in Cannes hosted by sales agent FilmNation. AnnaSophia Robb, Toby Kebbell and Matt Dillon are among the cast and the producers include former Warner Bros film group chairman Toby Emmerich. Amazon MGM Studios releases in North America on November 13.
Contact: FilmNation Entertainment 

The Idiot(s) (Pol-Ger)

Dirs. Malgorzata Szumowska, Michal Englert
Aimee Lou Wood, Johnny Flynn, Vicky Krieps and Christian Friedel headline this historical drama about Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky during a period that inspired him to write the classic novel The Idiot. The film centres on Dostoyevsky and wife Anna, who shaped and safeguarded his legacy. Set to world premiere first at Telluride, The Idiot(s) is Szumowska and Englert’s latest collaboration after co-directing 2023’s Woman Of… and 2020’s Never Gonna Snow Again, which both premiered in Venice Competition. Gold Rush Pictures and Hype Studios produced, and CAA Media Finance is handling the North America sale.
Contact: The Match Factory (international)

In Alaska (Neth-Can)

Dirs. Jaap van Heusden, Vinnie Karetak
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo star Noomi Rapace plays an FBI agent in pursuit of an Inuit teenager who has shot up an oil pipeline and is being hunted as a dangerous terrorist. Nunavut-based rapper Leo Matthew Tamela plays the troubled teenager for whom Rapace’s agent cannot help but feel sympathy. Marc Bary of Dutch outfit IJswater Films and Tyler Hagan of Vancouver-based Experimental Forest Films produce; Rhombus Media is executive producing and financing comes from Netherlands Film Fund and Telefilm Canada, with distribution fixed in the co-production countries through Gusto in the Netherlands and Elevation in Canada.
Contact: WTFilms 

The Julia Set (US)

Dir. Niki Byrne
Chase Infiniti — Bafta-nominated earlier this year for One Battle After Another and recently Primetime Emmy-nominated for The Testaments — stars with Christopher Briney in this drama about a student maths prodigy and the dashing teaching assistant who at first challenges her but ultimately becomes threatened by her brilliance. It is California native Byrne’s second narrative feature after 2021’s Evan Wood. Producers include Jeffrey Penman for Potato Salad Cosmic Domination, and Nicholas Scherma. Gersh represents sales for the US.
Contact: HanWay Films (international)

Le Faux Soir (Belg-Fr)

Dir. Michaël R Roskam
Oscar-nominated Bullhead director Roskam has spent much of the past decade working on international TV crime drama series such as Black Bird and Berlin Station. He is back in Belgium but working in French rather than Flemish with this wartime drama based on the true story of how the Belgian resistance secretly produced a spoof version of the country’s main newspaper Le Soir, which was then under Nazi control. Belgian outfit Frakas is the main producer, and Arieh Worthalter stars alongside Mélanie Thierry. The film’s backers include Cinema and Audiovisual Centre of the Wallonia-­Brussels Federation, Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), Screen Flanders and Wallimage.
Contact: Flavien Eripret, Goodfellas 

The Liberation (US)

Dir. Guy Nattiv
Nattiv’s thriller (formerly Harmonia) will bow in Telluride before its Canadian premiere at TIFF. Carrie Coon stars as a mother who leaves her family to live on an all-female commune run by a charismatic leader. When her daughters set out to rescue her, they too are drawn into the group. Production took place in British Columbia in summer 2025 on the story inspired by the experiences of Nattiv’s grandmother. Lily James, Bella Ramsey, Odessa Young and Tracy Letts round out the key cast.
Contact: Embankment Films

A Long Winter (UK-Can)

Dir. Andrew Haigh
Haigh’s follow-up to All Of Us Strangers is an adaptation of Colm Toibin’s short story of the same name. Set high in the mountains and shot in Canada as a family prepares for winter, the film stars Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Kit Connor and Caitriona Balfe. The producers are Tristan Goligher for The Bureau, Chad Oakes and Mike Frislev of Nomadic Pictures, and Michael Elliott for EMU Films. Mubi and Film4 backed the project, and Mubi will release in territories including the UK and Ireland, US and Latin America.
Contact: The Match Factory

Love Of Your Life (US)

Dir. Rachel Morrison
Morrison, who became the first woman to earn a cinematography Oscar nomination for Mudbound in 2018, reunites with Amazon MGM Studios after her directorial debut and Toronto 2024 selection The Fire Inside. Ryan Gosling and Jessie Henderson are among the producers on Love Of Your Life, which stars Margaret Qualley in what is described as a romantic drama exploring emotional restoration, forgiveness and the courage to begin anew. The cast includes Gabriel Basso, Aaron Pierre and Patrick Schwarzenegger. Production took place in 2025 in Boston, Lisbon, London and New Orleans. Amazon MGM Studios plans a limited theatrical release in early October before dropping the title on Prime Video.
Contact: Amazon MGM Studios

Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple (Can)

Dirs. Scot McFadyen, Sam Dunn
Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of the legendary Canadian rockers Rush team up with four revered drummers including Stewart Copeland from The Police and Chad Smith from Red Hot Chili Peppers to discuss the legacy of their late friend and drummer Neil Peart in this documentary from Banger Films and Elevation Pictures. McFadyen and Dunn co-directed the 2010 documentary Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage and co-directed with Jessica Joy Wise the 2005 TIFF selection Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation holds local rights and Republic Pictures is the US distributor.
Contact: Emma Epstein, Elevation Pictures  

Paradise Lost (S Kor)

Dir. Yeon Sang-ho
Having already scored a Cannes premiere and box-office hit this year with zombie thriller Colony, Korean filmmaker Yeon returns with a thriller about a mother who recreates her deceased son using AI — only for the real child to return nine years later. Based on Oh Seongeun’s 2025 novel Black Inferno, the film stars Bae Hyun-sung and Kim Hyun-joo, and is produced by Yeon’s Wowpoint. A local release is set for October through CJ ENM.
Contact: CJ ENM 

Phoolan (India)

Dir. Richie Mehta
This Hindi action drama centres on one of the most famous outlaws in Indian history — Phoolan Devi, also known as Bandit Queen — and captures a brutal 48-hour siege when 2,000 heavily armed men were sent to kill her. The title role is played by newcomer Sneha Kumari with a cast that includes Anurag Thakur, Vikram Pratap Singh and Aakash Dahiya. Writer/director Mehta is known for Amal, which premiered at Toronto in 2007, Emmy-winning Netflix drama series Delhi Crime and Siddarth, which debuted at Venice before playing TIFF in 2013. The Prime Video Original is produced by Namah Pictures.
Contact: Amazon MGM Studios

The Road Not Taken (China)

Dir. Peter Ho-Sun Chan
This drama centres on a TV host, played by Zhou Xun, whose memory starts to decline due to early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, while juggling a dying marriage and domestic tension with her daughter and ageing father. The cast also includes Wen Qi and Tian Zhuangzhuang. Director Chan was at TIFF last year with She Has No Name, starring Zhang Ziyi. Acclaimed production designer Yee Chung-man and Chan are producers. Hong Kong-based We Pictures and China’s ChengDu J.Q. Pictures are the production companies.
Contact: Fred Tsui, Moebius Entertainment

The Stunt Driver (Can)

Dir. Michael Dowse
Jay Baruchel stars in the 1970s underdog story as Ken Carter, the troubled real-life Canadian daredevil who attempted to jump across the St Lawrence River in a rocket-powered car. Ben Foster plays his American nemesis Evel Knievel. The production received support from Telefilm Canada, Sodec (Quebec) and labs, and shot in Montreal and Varennes in Quebec. Dowse and Jennifer Wilson produced for Film Cardinal with Baruchel, Joe Iacono, Dave Bishop and James Pugh for Protagonist Pictures, Lisa Wolofsky, and Andrew Frank for Mongrel Media. Independent Film Company holds US rights.
Contact: Protagonist Pictures 

Tender Loving Care (UK)

Dir. Mike Leigh
The veteran UK filmmaker returns to TIFF for the ninth time, following an expected world premiere in Telluride first and after 2024’s Hard Truths. Tender Loving Care — which the 82-year-old director hinted over the summer might be his last film — is described only as an “insightful exploration of the contemporary world” and is produced by Leigh’s regular collaborator Georgina Lowe. It stars Marion Bailey, Paul Jesson, Kate O’Flynn and Alice Bailey Johnson. Bleecker Street is handling distribution in the US while Studio­canal is releasing in the UK.
Contact: Cornerstone Film 

Whatcha Want (Can)

Dir. Mina Shum
Frequent Toronto attendee Shum — whose previous festival entries have included 2017’s Meditation Park, 2002’s Long Life, Happiness And Prosperity and 1995’s Double Happiness — wrote and directed this romantic drama. Isabelle Wei stars as a recent immigrant from Hong Kong who rediscovers her love of dance after she is betrayed by her wealthy Canadian husband. Supported by sources including Telefilm Canada and the Canada Media Fund, the film is produced by Shum, Stephen Hegyes and Raymond Massey for Thoughts From The Asylum Productions. Mongrel Media will release in Canada in 2027.
Contact: Naveen Prasad, Impossible Objects 

Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother (US)

Dir. Bassam Tariq
Mahershala Ali stars in the action thriller as a religious hitman who races to find his children in Houston after their mother dies. Amazon MGM Studios will distribute in the US through its Orion Pictures division from September 25. Director Tariq’s last film, Mogul Mowgli starring Riz Ahmed, premiered at Berlin in 2020 and was nominated for an outstanding British film Bafta. Amazon MGM Studios teased Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother at CinemaCon in July.
Contact: Amazon MGM Studios

Profiles by: Ellie Calnan, Ben Dalton, Elaine Guerini, John Hazelton, Jeremy Kay, Geoffrey Macnab, Lee Marshall, Thea Middleton, Cecilia Neri, David Opie, Michael Rosser, Matt Schley, Mona Tabbara, Silvia Wong

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