TIFF announces the first honourees of the 2026 Tribute Awards

TIFF announces the first honourees of the 2026 Tribute Awards: Penélope Cruz, Lee Chang-dong, Rosalind Eleazar, Siân Heder, and Isabelle Huppert

Presented in partnership with Rolex, the eighth annual TIFF Tribute Awards gala fundraiser takes place Sunday, September 13, 2026

TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey is delighted to announce the first group of esteemed honourees of the annual TIFF Tribute Awards, celebrating outstanding contributions to cinema and serving as the kick-off to awards season. The annual awards gala will take place on Sunday, September 13, at Fairmont Royal York Hotel Toronto.

Academy Award–winning actor Penélope Cruz will receive the TIFF Special Tribute Award, presented by CHANEL; visionary auteur Lee Chang-dong will be honoured with the TIFF Ebert Director Award, presented by The Tory Family; acclaimed actor Rosalind Eleazar and French screen icon Isabelle Huppert will be presented with TIFF Tribute Performer Awards; and Academy Award–winning filmmaker Siân Heder will receive the TIFF Tribute Award in Impact Media, presented by Anne-Marie Canning.

“Now in its eighth year, the TIFF Tribute Awards celebrates some of cinema’s most exciting artists at an event dedicated to the transformative power of film,” said Cameron Bailey, CEO, TIFF. “From the captivating performances of Isabelle Huppert, Penélope Cruz, and Rosalind Eleazar to Lee Chang-dong and Siân Heder’s vital filmmaking, each has shown a profound impact on screen storytelling. It’s our privilege to recognize their achievements as we gather to celebrate another exceptional year in film and rally support for TIFF’s ongoing work.”

The Tribute Awards gala is TIFF’s largest annual fundraiser and a world-class celebration of cinematic excellence, with proceeds supporting expanded access to cinema, championing artists, strengthening the industry, and bringing communities together through film. Presented in partnership with Rolex, with support from RBC, Fairmont Royal York Hotel, and Don Julio.

2026 TIFF Tribute Awards honourees

Penélope Cruz – TIFF Special Tribute Award, presented by CHANEL

Academy Award winner and three-time nominee Penélope Cruz has two films premiering at this year’s Festival: Bunker from Oscar-winning writer-director Florian Zeller and La Bola Negra, directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi from a screenplay co-written with Alberto Conejero. Her other starring roles this year include The Bride!, directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, alongside Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, and Peter Sarsgaard, and Olivia Wilde’s The Invite alongside Wilde, Seth Rogen, and Edward Norton.

Cruz has proven herself one of the industry’s most accomplished performers, becoming the first actress from Spain to be nominated for and win an Academy Award. Her acclaimed credits include Volver (TIFF ’06), Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008), Nine (2009), and Parallel Mothers (2021). In 2022, Cruz partnered with The MediaPro Studio to launch her production company Moonlyon. Recently, she starred in Ferrari (2023) alongside Adam Driver and Shailene Woodley, earning Screen Actors Guild and Gotham Award nominations for her supporting performance. Upcoming projects include director Isabel Coixet’s adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s The Days of Abandonment and the thriller Day Drinker. Looking ahead, Cruz will lead Nancy Meyers’ return to directing in her untitled film, set for release at Christmas of 2027.

The Special Tribute Award recognizes an individual who has made an extraordinary and unique contribution to the world of film, leaving a lasting legacy through their dedication and artistry. Previous recipients include Lee Byung Hun, Zacharias Kunuk, and Jafar Panahi (2025), Zhao Tao (2024), Andy Lau (2023), Dionne Warwick (2021), and David Foster (2019).

Lee Chang-dong – TIFF Ebert Director Award, presented by The Tory Family

Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong returns to TIFF with the Special Presentations premiere of his eagerly anticipated Possible Love, a gripping tale of relationships plus generational and class divides. Beginning his career as a novelist before transitioning into cinema, Chang-dong has built an international reputation through films that profoundly contemplate contemporary humanity and society. His acclaimed filmography includes Peppermint Candy (1999), Oasis (TIFF ’02), which won the Silver Lion at Venice, Secret Sunshine (TIFF ’07), and the internationally revered thriller Burning (TIFF ’18), which was shortlisted for Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards.

Named after legendary film critic Roger Ebert, the award recognizes visionary filmmakers who have made a transformative impact on cinema. Past recipients include Guillermo del Toro (2025), Mike Leigh (2024), Spike Lee (2023), Sam Mendes (2022), Denis Villeneuve (2021), and Chloé Zhao (2020).

Rosalind Eleazar – TIFF Tribute Performer Award

Rising British powerhouse Rosalind Eleazar receives the TIFF Tribute Performer Award for her magnetic performance in Chris Rock’s Misty Green. Making her return to TIFF following the World Premiere of The Personal History of David Copperfield (TIFF ’19), Eleazar has earned acclaim for her dramatic range across stage and screen, most notably for her role as MI5 agent Louisa Guy in the award-winning series Slow Horses (2022–2025). Her screen credits include Rose of Nevada (TIFF ’25), Missing You (2025), for which she was recognized with a Royal Television Society Award, Class of ’09 (2023), Deep Water (2019), Harlots (2017–2019), Rellik (2017), National Treasure (2016), and more. On stage, Eleazar most recently appeared opposite Ralph Fiennes in Small Hotel as part of the Theatre Royal Bath season.

Isabelle Huppert – TIFF Tribute Performer Award

With a career spanning over 100 films, Oscar-nominated Isabelle Huppert re-teams with Marc Fitoussi (Paris Follies, 2014) in his latest comedy All About Corinne, a TIFF ’26 Gala Presentation, in which she plays a background actor who spots a belated chance to break into the fickle family of le cinéma français. Huppert is widely regarded as one of the greatest figures in auteur and global cinema. In an exceptional career, she has stood out for her bold and profound roles, collaborating with renowned directors such as Claude Chabrol, Michael Haneke, and Paul Verhoeven. Her iconic films include The Piano Teacher (2001), Elle, and Things to Come (both at TIFF ’16), with additional Festival Official Selections Greta (TIFF ’18) and Frankie (TIFF ’19).

The TIFF Tribute Performer Award recognizes an overall body of work. Past recipients are Nina Hoss and Channing Tatum (2025), Amy Adams and Jharrel Jerome (2024), Colman Domingo and Vicky Krieps (2023), Brendan Fraser and the ensemble cast of My Policeman (2022), Jessica Chastain and Benedict Cumberbatch (2021), Kate Winslet and Sir Anthony Hopkins (2020), plus Meryl Streep and Joaquin Phoenix (2019).

Siân Heder – TIFF Tribute Award in Impact Media, presented by Anne-Marie Canning

A defining voice in contemporary cinema, American writer, director, and producer Siân Heder makes her Festival debut with the TIFF ’26 World Premiere of Being Heumann, a follow-up to her Oscar-winning CODA (2021). Heder’s Opening Night Gala Presentation features a breakout performance by Ruth Madeley and Oscar nominee Mark Ruffalo in this inspiring historical drama celebrating the paradigm-shifting activist Judy Heumann, “Mother of the Disability Rights Movement.” Building on a body of work that includes Tallulah (2016) and TV credits such as Orange Is the New Black and Little America, Heder continues to advance inclusive storytelling and pave the way for a more accessible future on and off screen.

Previously bestowed upon Idris Elba, Angelina Jolie, Pedro Almodóvar, Mira Nair, and Alanis Obomsawin, the TIFF Tribute Award in Impact Media is presented by Anne-Marie Canning and recognizes leadership in creating a union between social impact and cinema.

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About Rolex and Cinema:

Rolex celebrates human achievement as a journey marked by milestones, emotions, and defining moments. For more than half a century, the brand has partnered some of the world’s most talented artists and leading cultural institutions to promote excellence and the transmission of artistic heritage, creating a link between the past, present, and future.

Through the Perpetual Arts Initiative, a broad portfolio of arts that extends through architecture, cinema, dance, music, literature, theatre, and visual arts, the brand confirms its long-term commitment to global culture. The company has had close ties with the film industry for decades, its watches playing a role in numerous films, including Oscar®-winning masterpieces. Since 2017, Rolex has supported the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, serving as Proud Sponsor of the Oscars®, hosting the event’s Greenroom, as well as supporting the Governors Awards, which recognize lifetime achievement and humanitarian efforts in the film industry. Rolex also sponsors Film at Lincoln Center as Official Partner and Exclusive Timepiece.

The company promotes achievement through Testimonees such as James Cameron, Leonardo DiCaprio, Zendaya, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Martin Scorsese, Ava DuVernay, and Jia Zhang-Ke. It also assists in the preservation of film history for future generations as a Founding Supporter of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, as a partner of The Film Foundation and through its support to the National Film and Television School in the UK. For more information, click here.

About TIFF:

TIFF is a not-for-profit cultural organization with a mission to transform the way people see the world through film. A global leader in film and entertainment, TIFF initiatives include the annual Toronto International Film Festival® in September; TIFF Lightbox, which features five cinemas, plus learning and entertainment facilities; the Donald Shebib TIFF Film Circuit, an innovative national distribution programme; and TIFF: The Market launching in 2026. The organization generates an estimated annual economic impact of $240 million CAD. TIFF Lightbox is generously supported by contributors including the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada, the City of Toronto, the Reitman family (Ivan Reitman, Agi Mandel, and Susan Michaels), The Daniels Corporation, and RBC. For more information, visit tiff.net.

TIFF is generously supported by Festival Presenting Sponsor Rogers Communications.
TIFF is generously supported by Major Sponsors RBC and Visa and Major Supporters Telefilm Canada, the Government of Ontario, and the City of Toronto. 
The TIFF Tribute Awards Gala is in partnership with Rolex, supported by RBC, Fairmont Royal York, and Don Julio.
The Ebert Director Award is supported by The Tory Family.
The TIFF Special Tribute Award is presented by CHANEL.
The TIFF Tribute Award in Impact Media is presented by Anne-Marie Canning.

Source: TIFF

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