TIFF’s In Conversation With… spotlights the stories, artists, and ideas shaping cinema today
Featuring Lee Min-ho, Rachel Morrison, Chris Rock, Andrew Scott, and Hudson Williams
As part of today’s schedule launch, TIFF is announcing this year’s iconic In Conversation With… series, expanding the Festival experience beyond the screen through in-depth onstage interviews with Festival artists in front of a live audience. A Festival favourite, this year welcomes Lee Min-ho, Rachel Morrison, Chris Rock, Andrew Scott, and Hudson Williams to the stage for intimate conversations about their creative journeys, craft, and careers.
“This year’s In Conversation With… series brings together trailblazers and extraordinary storytellers for conversations that will offer audiences a deeper look at their craft and careers,” said Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer, TIFF. “From Lee Min-ho, who became an icon of Korean drama long before K-dramas captured global audiences, and Rachel Morrison, the first woman nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography, to multi-hyphenate Chris Rock, who has fearlessly redefined comedy, to Andrew Scott and Hudson Williams, whose groundbreaking performances have captivated audiences around the world.”
In Conversation With… Lee Min-ho
Paging all devoted Minoz (미노즈): Join us at TIFF ’26 for an exclusive event celebrating the extraordinary career of global Hallyu icon Lee Min-ho. Here in Toronto for the World Premiere of his new film, The Assassin(s), co-starring Yoo Hai-jin (Exhuma) and Park Hae-il (Decision to Leave, TIFF ’22), and directed by Hur Jin-ho (A Normal Family, TIFF ’23). For nearly two decades, Lee Min-ho has been one of the defining figures of Korean popular culture, introducing generations of global audiences to the world of K-content. His iconic portrayals of Gu Jun-pyo in Boys Over Flowers (2009) and Kim Tan in The Heirs (2013) helped shape the global K-drama phenomenon, while City Hunter (2011) and the historical fantasy Faith (2012) showcased his remarkable versatility, moving effortlessly between stylish action and period drama. He made a successful transition to the big screen with his first leading film role in Gangnam Blues (2015), before further cementing his global popularity as “the king of fantasy romance” through The Legend of the Blue Sea (2016) and The King: Eternal Monarch (2020), captivating audiences worldwide. Pushing the boundaries of his craft, Lee joined the acclaimed Apple TV+ series Pachinko (2022–present), earning an Independent Spirit Award alongside the ensemble cast and widespread critical recognition. Named the most popular Korean actor in the Overseas Hallyu Survey for 13 consecutive years and recipient of 13 SBS Drama Awards, the undisputed “Hallyu King” regularly sells out arenas across Asia. Now, Lee joins us for his first North American onstage appearance in over a decade to discuss his defining career journey and his highly anticipated new film, The Assassin(s).
In Conversation With… Rachel Morrison
Following the acclaimed premiere of her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside, at TIFF ’24, Academy Award–nominated cinematographer and filmmaker Rachel Morrison returns to the Festival for the World Premiere of her highly anticipated sophomore feature, Love of Your Life, a romantic drama from Amazon MGM Studios starring Margaret Qualley, Aaron Pierre, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Gabriel Basso, and Catherine Keener, and produced by Ryan Gosling and Jessie Henderson. Grounded in photography and backed by formidable technical craft, Morrison has spent two decades moving seamlessly across film, television, fiction, and documentary, establishing herself as a premier visual storyteller. After gaining recognition for her haunting, arresting cinematography on indie highlights like Ryan Coogler’s Fruitvale Station and Dee Rees’ Mudbound (TIFF ’17) — where she made history as the first woman nominated for an Oscar in cinematography — she re-teamed with Coogler to shape the visual identity of Black Panther. Morrison further honed her directorial voice on hit series like The Morning Show and The Mandalorian before bringing the story of boxing legend Claressa Shields to the screen in The Fire Inside, a film celebrated for transcending sports tropes by foregrounding the human weight of victory. Morrison joins us to discuss her remarkable journey from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts to shooting and directing award-winning indies and major studio blockbusters.
In Conversation With… Chris Rock
As he presents the TIFF ’26 World Premiere of his latest film Misty Green, Emmy and Grammy Award–winning director, writer, actor, producer, and comedian Chris Rock joins us for a conversation about his multi-faceted career in front of and behind the camera. After his breakthrough on Saturday Night Live in the early 1990s as part of an iconic cast that included Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, and David Spade, Rock re-defined the landscape of stand-up comedy with his sharp, incisive special Bring the Pain (1996). The groundbreaking set catapulted him to superstardom and earned him two Emmys. Tackling socio-political issues like race relations, class division, and the justice system with piercing fervor, Rock has crafted an indelible onstage persona over the past three decades. Beyond stand-up, his career spans Hollywood blockbusters, hit television series, and acclaimed independent filmmaking. He produced and starred in the lauded documentary Good Hair (TIFF ’09), which won the Special Jury Prize Documentary at Sundance, and later moved into the director’s chair for the deeply personal Top Five (TIFF ’14). He returns to the Festival with Misty Green, a film destined to further cement his status as one of Hollywood’s most original creative voices.
In Conversation With… Andrew Scott, presented by Redbreast
Here at TIFF ’26 with one of the standout performances of the year in Elsinore, Andrew Scott proves once and for all that he’s one of the most versatile and captivating performers of our time. While his role as the charismatic priest in Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag introduced Scott to a wider audience, devoted fans had been following his work for years, including his electrifying turn as Moriarty in Sherlock, where he transformed the iconic villain into a captivating force of chaos. Scott first came to the Festival in 2014 with Matthew Warchus’ Pride, as part of an ensemble cast celebrating the history of LGBTQ+ activism in the UK, and returned most recently in 2025 as part of the acclaimed Knives Out franchise with Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery and Richard Linklater’s celebrated Blue Moon. Scott has emerged as one of the leading actors bringing complex queer experiences to the screen — from Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers, an intimate meditation on longing, grief, family, and memory, to his chilling transformation in Netflix’s Ripley, a dark reimagining of The Talented Mr. Ripley. In Elsinore, a film he also produced, Scott delivers a deeply personal and powerful performance as actor Ian Charleson, who in his final years summons exceptional courage to overcome immense physical challenges and deliver a defining performance of Hamlet at London’s National Theatre while living with AIDS. The conversation will explore the remarkable range of Scott’s career and celebrate this extraordinary new performance.
Making Waves With… Hudson Williams
This ICW is part of TIFF Next Wave initiatives that centre under-25 creators and audiences
Join us for an intimate conversation with Hudson Williams, one of the stars of the Primetime series YAGA from Kat Sandler. Born and raised in British Columbia, Williams spent his youth balancing the arts and sports, training in theatre, music, and dance while simultaneously playing competitive basketball and practicing mixed martial arts. After graduating from Vancouver’s Langara College Film Arts program in 2020, he continued to dive deep into his craft with professional theatre classes. Williams began navigating the Canadian film and television industry while at the same time being a disruptor by writing, directing, producing, and starring in independent short films with a close-knit circle of creative collaborators. His massive breakthrough came when he was cast as Shane Hollander in Jacob Tierney’s award-winning series Heated Rivalry, adapted from the bestselling novels by Rachel Reid. Since its debut in fall 2025, the series has become a global phenomenon, catapulting Williams to international stardom. Williams joins us to discuss his roles in the Crave Original series YAGA and Heated Rivalry, as well as the upcoming independent feature Apparatus. The conversation will explore his cinematic and cultural inspirations and reflect on the early short films, community, and collaborations that helped shape his unique artistic voice.
In Conversation With… programming is led by TIFF Public Programming.Tickets go on sale to TIFF Members by level beginning Friday, August 21, and single tickets will go on sale to the public on Monday, August 31. For more details or to become a TIFF Member, visit tiff.net/join. Visit tiff.net/schedule to view the full schedule and tiff.net/films to see the full list of films. 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.
Source: TIFF
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The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.
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