TIFF has unveiled its 54-film Centrepiece programme for the 2026 edition

Keith NoakesAugust 4, 2026n/a25 min

TIFF’s 2026 Centrepiece programme presents highly anticipated World Premieres, new work from luminaries, and award-winning films from 50 countries

TIFF is proud to share the Official Selections of its 2026 Centrepiece programme, presented by Intrepid Travel, the main section of the Festival. This year’s slate features 54 titles from filmmakers representing 50 countries, including Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, the Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Mexico, Nigeria, Thailand, and more, underscoring TIFF’s commitment to spotlighting the best in global cinema.

The lineup features new works from significant voices and festival favourites, such as Neto Villalobos BrenesAnthony ChenLouis Clichy, Hosam Abu DanValeska Grisebach, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, Diego Luna, Avi NesherBanjong Pisanthanakun, and Yonfan, alongside a strong showing of Canadian films led by filmmakers Marie Clements, David Bezmozgis, and Cody Lightning, as well as a record-setting slate of eight animated features, representing an unprecedented milestone for the programme.

Global cinema highlights include the World Premiere presentations of:

  • Dorothy (Karthik Subbaraj and producer Guneet Monga)
  • Four Seasons in Java (Kamila Andini)
  • Inherit (Banjong Pisanthanakun)
  • Lemonade (Kim Bartley)
  • Long Long Night (Kyu Bock Youm)
  • Love is the monster (Neto Villalobos Brenes)
  • Our Loves (Avi Nesher)
  • The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives (Daniel Oriahi)
  • The Surgeon (Roshan Sethi)
  • Trash Mountain (Kris Rey)

International festival circuit films include:

  • Ben’Imana (Marie-Clementine Dusabejambo)
  • Conversation With The Sea (Muayad Alayan)
  • Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! (Josef Kubota Wladyka)
  • Iron Boy (Louis Clichy)
  • La Gradiva (Marine Atlan)
  • The Dreamed Adventure (Valeska Grisebach)
  • Woman Unknown (May el-Toukhy)

Canadian cinema highlights include the World Premiere presentations of:

  • Back in Black (Ron Murphy)
  • How We Stand (Marie Clements)
  • L’AUTRE (Alexandre Franchi)
  • Neverman (Rodrigo Barriuso)
  • Smudge the Blades (Cody Lightning)
  • Sunburn (Serville Poblete)
  • The Betrayers (David Bezmozgis)
  • Toy Gun Bandit (Rémi St-Michel)
  • Where the River Begins (Juan Andrés Arango)

In addition to Iron Boy and Long Long Night, animated titles in the Centrepiece lineup are:

  • Julián: Louise Bagnall’s debut 2D-animated feature 
  • Light Pillar: Xu Zao’s animated 2D feature
  • Muyi: Julien Chheng’s 2D-animated mythic odyssey
  • Tangles: Leah Nelson’s debut hand-drawn 2D animated feature
  • The Violinist: Ervin Han and Raúl García’s hand-drawn 2D/CG epic
  • Viva Carmen: Sébastien Laudenbach’s 2D-animated reimagining of Bizet’s famous opera

2026 Centrepiece programme (in alphabetical order):

A Girl Unknown | Zou Jing | China
North American Premiere

After Elena | Shawn Garry | Chile, Colombia, Italy
World Premiere

Ah Girl | Ang Geck Geck Priscilla | Singapore
North American Premiere

Ashes | Diego Luna | Mexico, Spain
North American Premiere

Back in Black | Ron Murphy | Canada
World Premiere

Ben’Imana | Marie-Clementine Dusabejambo | Rwanda, Gabon, France, Norway
North American Premiere

Congo Boy | Rafiki Fariala | Central African Republic, France, Democratic Republic of Congo, Italy
North American Premiere

Conversation With The Sea | Muayad Alayan | Palestine
North American Premiere

Dorothy | Karthik Subbaraj | India
World Premiere

Eklipse | Manuel Wetscher | Austria, Italy
North American Premiere

Elephants in the Fog | Abinash Bikram Shah | Nepal, France, Germany, Brazil, Norway
North American Premiere

Everytime | Sandra Wollner | Austria, Germany
North American Premiere

Flies | Fernando Eimbcke | Mexico
North American Premiere

Four Seasons in Java | Kamila Andini | Indonesia, France, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Singapore
World Premiere

Furies | Rami Kodeih | Lebanon, Brazil
North American Premiere

Future Tense | Jenna Cato Bass | South Africa, Australia
World Premiere

God Bless You, Mr Kopu | Alex Liu | New Zealand, Australia
World Premiere

Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! | Josef Kubota Wladyka | USA
Canadian Premiere

How We Stand | Marie Clements | Canada
World Premiere

Inherit | Banjong Pisanthanakun | Thailand
World Premiere

Intermission | Yonfan | Hong Kong
North American Premiere

Iron Boy Louis Clichy | France, Belgium
North American Premiere

Julián | Louise Bagnall | Luxembourg, Ireland, Canada, Denmark
North American Premiere

La Gradiva | Marine Atlan | France, Italy
North American Premiere

L’AUTRE | Alexandre Franchi | Canada
World Premiere

Lemonade | Kim Bartley | Ireland, United Kingdom
World Premiere

Light Pillar | Xu Zao | China
North American Premiere

Long Long Night | Kyu Bock Youm | South Korea
World Premiere

Love is the monster | Neto Villalobos Brenes | Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, Chile, Mexico
World Premiere

Marie Madeleine | Géssica Généus | France, Haiti, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg
North American Premiere

Muyi | Julien Chheng | France
North American Premiere

Neverman | Rodrigo Barriuso | Canada
World Premiere

Our Loves | Avi Nesher | Israel
World Premiere

Rehearsals for a Revolution | Pegah Ahangarani | Czech Republic, Spain
Canadian Premiere

Smudge the Blades | Cody Lightning | Canada
World Premiere

Soumsoum, The Night of the Stars | Mahamat-Saleh Haroun | Chad, France
North American Premiere

Sunburn | Serville Poblete | Canada
World Premiere

Tangles | Leah Nelson | Canada, USA
North American Premiere

The Betrayers | David Bezmozgis | Canada, Ukraine
World Premiere

The bovine with the curved horns | Omar E. Ospina Giraldo | Colombia
World Premiere

The City of the Living | Edoardo Gabbriellini | Italy
International Premiere

The Difficult Bride | Rubaiyat Hossain | France, Bangladesh, Germany, Norway, Portugal
North American Premiere

The Dreamed Adventure | Valeska Grisebach | Germany, France, Bulgaria, Austria
North American Premiere

The Lost Children Of Tuam | Frank Berry | Ireland
International Premiere

The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives | Daniel Oriahi | Nigeria
World Premiere

The Surgeon | Roshan Sethi | Ireland
World Premiere

The Violinist | Ervin Han, Raúl García | Singapore, Spain, Italy
North American Premiere

Thirteen in Gaza | Hosam Abu Dan | Palestine
World Premiere

Toy Gun Bandit | Rémi St-Michel | Canada
World Premiere

Trash Mountain | Kris Rey | USA
World Premiere

Viva Carmen | Sébastien Laudenbach | France
North American Premiere

We Are All Strangers | Anthony Chen | Singapore
North American Premiere

Where the River Begins | Juan Andrés Arango | Canada, Colombia, Norway
World Premiere

Woman Unknown | May el-Toukhy | Denmark
North American Premiere

The 51st edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, runs September 10–20, 2026.

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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 Centrepiece programme is generously presented by Intrepid Travel.

Source: TIFF


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