As a Toronto native born and raised, August has always been an exciting time. The humid warmth has a certain energy to it, one that always reminds me of those lazy weekends on the Toronto Island, or scarfing down a warm gyro at the Taste of the Danforth, or walking through the bustling CNE to catch a concert at the Molson Amphitheatre. I used to never want August to end. But in more recent years, I’ve had to resist the urge to countdown the days to September and countdown the days to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

September 10th, 2026 marks the start of the 51st edition of TIFF, and so, as you would expect, TIFF schedule planning is in full swing. Now that the full schedule has been posted, I’ve delved through each title on offer, combed through synopses and trailers, and scoured the trades, all in order to select my top most anticipated films of the festival. Narrowing things down to my Top 30, these films may not necessarily represent the best of the best, or even the buzziest, but they represent the titles that speak to my own personal sensibilities as a film lover.

I’m hoping to be able to catch all of these during the festival, and maybe even some more in between. So without further adieu here is my Top 30 TIFF Hotlist. These are listed in alphabetical order, and not in any order of preference. 

#1 A Long Winter | Director Andrew Haigh | UK, Canada | Special Presentations

TIFF Synopsis: After his mother disappears during the first blizzard of the season, a young man refuses to give up hope as one long Montana winter reshapes his relationship with his father and his understanding of the man he is becoming. From Andrew Haigh, the acclaimed director of All of Us Strangers.

Why I’m Interested: Out of Andrew Haigh’s filmography, I’ve really only had the chance to watch All of Us Strangers, but boy did that film hit hard with its emotional poignancy. I’m hoping that this one treads on similar territory, and will potentially fill the spot of last years’ Train Dreams. Fred Hechinger has been recently quite prolific (Thlema, Gladiator 2, Kraven the Hunter, The White Lotus), but I haven’t yet seen him in a very emotionally nuanced role, so I’m excited to see what he brings to the table.

#2 All of a Sudden | Director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi | France, Japan, Germany, Belgium | Special Presentations

TIFF Synopsis: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi brings Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto together in a poignant drama about friendship, illness, art, and the responsibilities of care, creating a film that makes the world seem gentler, more open, and more humane.

Why I’m Interested: It goes without saying that Ryûsuke Hamaguchi is an incredible filmmaker (see Drive My Car), but the themes and narratives he explores in his films don’t always quite land for me (see TIFF 2024’s Evil Does Not Exist). But regardless, the experience is always deeply thought provoking and meditative. And any film that explores themes of illness and caregiving are well worth it to me to explore, particularly in a world that too often ignores that important aspect of living.

#3 Bedford Park | Director Stephanie Ahn | USA | Discovery

TIFF Synopsis: Writer-director Stephanie Ahn’s feature debut explores the complexities of diasporic experience through a chance encounter between two thirtysomething, second-generation Korean Americans, tracking their relationship as it moves from circumstantial to friendly to romantic.

Why I’m Interested: One of a handful of films that were on my shortlist for Sundance but I just couldn’t make happen, Bedford Park seems right up my alley in its simple and contemplative concept. Those who know me know I love a good slow paced, nuanced American indie. And in recent times we’ve seen a plethora of indie films about new or recent immigrants (see Minari, Blue Heron), but I’m interested to see the perspective of the second-generation and how that plays out on screen.

#4 Being Heumann | Director Siân Heder | USA | Special Presentations

TIFF Synopsis: Featuring a breakout performance by Ruth Madeley and Oscar nominee Mark Ruffalo (TIFF ’15’s Spotlight), this inspiring historical drama from Oscar-winning filmmaker Siân Heder (CODA) celebrates the paradigm-shifting activist Judy Heumann, “Mother of the Disability Rights Movement.”

Why I’m Interested: I’ll be honest, I know next to nothing about the person at the centre of the this biopic, but considering how much I really did enjoy CODA and its honest and authentic portrayal of life & disability, I’m looking forward to seeing what this one has to offer. The TIFF programming team in general spoke highly of this film, so I think this could be a really heartfelt and poignant one, and hopefully a nice contrast to the heavier films in the festival.

#5 Bucking Fastard | Director Werner Herzog | USA | Special Presentations

TIFF Synopsis: Director Werner Herzog and real-life sisters Kate and Rooney Mara enliven the wild true story of twin sisters who speak as one, fall in love with the same person, and eventually spiral in a peculiar case that grabbed national headlines in 1980s Britain.

Why I’m Interested: A TIFF list is not complete without a film with an incredibly zany and weird premise, and Bucking Fastard certainly fits that bill. Let’s call it the Megalopolis of the festival, and I mean that in the most endearing way possible. There is something truly electric about watching these odd films on screen in a room filled with film lovers. So I’m very much so looking forward to this one.

#6 Club Kid | Director Jordan Firstman | USA | Special Presentations

TIFF Synopsis: In his exuberant debut feature, writer-director Jordan Firstman stars as a carousing New York City club promoter whose lifestyle is upended by the unexpected responsibility of raising a 10-year-old son he never knew he had.

Why I’m Interested: There’s a genre in modern independent filmmaking that I can’t quite define, but is filled with films that explore the joy of youth, but that are also secretly quite painful to watch, and maybe at the end a little bit uplifting. Think like Nino, Aftersun or Scrapper from past festivals. It’s that juxtaposition of carefree bliss and deep heart-wrenching emotion that can be so utterly satisfying. And I’m hoping that Club Kid fits nicely into that mold.

#7 Coward | Director Lukas Dhont | Belgium, France, Netherlands | Special Presentations

TIFF Synopsis: Belgian director Lukas Dhont’s poignant third feature celebrates a love that blooms amid the hardships and horrors of the First World War.

Why I’m Interested: I’m not usually one to be interested in a war movie, but I think Lukas Dhont’s approach to this film feels so refreshing. I love the intention behind the film, which is to focus on how men survived and expressed themselves through art, even in the bleakest of times. Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne shared the Cannes Best Actor award for their lead performances in this film. So for many reasons I’m very much so interested to watch this one.

#8 Elsinore | Director Simon Stone | United Kingdom | Special Presentations

TIFF Synopsis: Andrew Scott (TIFF ’25’s Blue Moon and Wake Up Dead Man) delivers his strongest performance honouring the real-life story of Ian Charleson, the Chariots of Fire actor who courageously pushed through AIDS to play Hamlet at London’s National Theatre.

Why I’m Interested: I truly do not know too much about this film, but with a cast that includes Andrew Scott in the lead AND Olivia Colman, this one is certain to be filled with awards-worthy performances. Andrew Scott has already been getting early awards buzz for his performance, and is such a captivating actor. I’m wondering if this might go the same route as Ethan Hawke in Blue Moon and secure him some awards recognition.

#9 Everest: The Other Side | Director Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin | USA | Special Presentations

TIFF Synopsis: Professional ski mountaineers Jim Morrison and Hilaree Nelson seek to ski down the North Face of Mount Everest, a feat never achieved, as the Oscar-winning filmmakers Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo, TIFF ’18) follow their journey, shooting for the IMAX screen.

Why I’m Interested: I once made the mistake of watching Free Solo at 10:00 am at the Varsity Cineplex with a coffee in hand, after which my heart was racing for at least 4 hours afterwards. But it was well worth the experience, even though I knew next to nothing about free climbing. I expect the same calibre of documentary filmmaking from this incredible duo in this one. And I believe it’s playing exclusively on the Scotiabank IMAX no less. It’s incredibly rare that a documentary makes it into my Top 30 list, so you know this will be a good one.

#10 Fjord | Director Cristian Mungiu | Romania, France, Norway, Sweden, Denmark | Special Presentations

TIFF Synopsis: Winner of the prestigious Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the latest from writer-director Cristian Mungiu is a gripping high-stakes courtroom drama driven by a profound moral dilemma.

Why I’m Interested: This one is easily going to be one of the hardest ticket to get at the festival, similar to Sentimental Value from last year. Between the buzz of the Palme d’Or, to the awards-contending performances from Sebastian Stan and the always incredible Renate Reinsve, this one is definitely THE film to watch at TIFF.

#11 Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! | Director Josef Kubota Wladyka | USA | Centrepiece

TIFF Synopsis: Oscar nominee Rinko Kikuchi (TIFF ’06’s Babel) stars in this fantasy-fuelled fable from director Josef Kubota Wladyka (Catch the Fair One), which follows a Tokyo ballroom enthusiast as she dreams and dances her way through spells of bliss and sorrow.

Why I’m Interested: Yet another Sundance film I missed during the festival, this one just sounds so delightful! Yes, it’s ultimately a story about grief, told through the independent filmmaking lens. But I’m excited for that contrast between the heaviness of the themes and the joyfulness of ballroom dance.

#12 Ink | Director Danny Boyle | UK, France, USA | Special Presentations

TIFF Synopsis: Director Danny Boyle’s latest thrillingly charts the meteoric rise of Rupert Murdoch’s fledgling but instantly notorious The Sun newspaper as he and editor Larry Lamb create the blueprint for UK tabloid culture. Guy Pearce (The Brutalist, TIFF ’24) and Jack O’Connell star.

Why I’m Interested: Danny Boyle certainly knows how to make really good films – films that can entertain, inspire or terrify. Most recently, I quite liked the direction we went in with zombie-horror film 28 Years Later. And this is from the same director that also brought us Slumdog Millionaire. If we can get some of that same magic and intrigue in this story, combined with an already top-notch cast, this could be a hit in the making.

#13 In the Heart of the South | Director Nyla Innuksuk | Canada | Platform

TIFF Synopsis: In the Heart of the South is what Single White Female would be if it were set in Toronto, with an Inuk protagonist and a dash of supernatural elements, starring North of North’s Anna Lambe.

Why I’m Interested: The Platform category at TIFF has always been an exciting one, being the main competitive arm of the festival. And this year one of the more interesting titles for me is one from close to home. I love opportunities to see real depictions of Toronto on screen, and I love seeing the indigenous perspective unfold in a modern setting. I’m excited to see if this one is as tense and insightful as it seems.

#14 It’s My Time 魔方小姐 | Director Bai Xue | China | Gala Presentation

TIFF Synopsis: Led by Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once), this inspired comedy about a woman on the road to magic-cube mastery is a story of galvanizing gamesmanship and ageless defiance.

Why I’m Interested: Michelle Yeoh in a Rubik’s cube movie? Sign me up. But in all seriousness, do I think this is going to be the greatest movie in the world? Probably not. If any thing I think it will tread on familiar underdog story territory. But will it bring some uplifting levity to an often dark and depressing festival line-up? Certainly. So count me in!

#15 Josephine | Director Beth de Araújo | USA | Special Presentations

TIFF Synopsis: After witnessing a sexual assault, a young girl is haunted by the trauma of the disturbing incident, opening her eyes to the violence that surrounds her.

Why I’m Interested: Okay I promise this is my last pick from what I missed during the Sundance Film Festival, but this one is the Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner! Josephine sounds like a devastatingly challenging film, with solid performances from Gemma Chan and Channing Tatum. I don’t expect this to be a pleasant watch, but the buzz out of Sundance has me hooked.

#16 La Bola Negra | Director Javier Calvo, Javier Ambrossi | Spain, France | Special Presentations

TIFF Synopsis: Los Javis’ ambitious and captivating homage to Federico García Lorca sees the lives of three men intertwined in love and loss across eras. Featuring powerful performances by Guitarricadelafuente, Carlos González, and Miguel Bernardeau.

Why I’m Interested: I am so incredibly excited to see this one, between its depiction of queer love, to its jumping between time periods, and between the buzz from its performances (including Penelope Cruz in her second feature of the festival!). While I know that this one has already been picked up by Netflix (with a 4 week theatrical run), this is the type of film that screams film festival to me, and I’m excited to add this to my TIFF line-up.

#17 La Gradiva | Director Marine Atlan | France, Italy | Centrepiece

TIFF Synopsis: A pack of rowdy French teenagers embark on a school field trip to Pompeii, where desire, passion, angst, and class tensions in the present unfold against the ruins of the ancient past.

Why I’m Interested: Coming of age tales, told from unique but fully realized perspectives, is a genre of film that still gets me emotionally, even as I age out of that part of my life. And La Gradiva, coming out of Cannes, feels like it could be a very special entry into that genre. Based on the early reviews this one looks honest, authentic and nuanced. I can’t wait to catch this one at the festival.

#18 Look Back | Director Hirokazu Kore-eda | Japan | Special Presentations

TIFF Synopsis: Visionary auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda helms this tender and slow-burning adaptation of manga creator Tatsuki Fujimoto’s acclaimed story, following two young artists whose friendship and bond become the engine of their art.

Why I’m Interested: I don’t know if I’m at the point where I would say I will automaticlaly enjoy this film because it’s Kore-eda, because as of late I’ve been pretty hit or miss on his more recent films (see Sheep in the Box). But this one looks intriguing, and has a simplicity in its concept that I know Kore-eda can handle so deftly. I know enough about the source material to brace myself, so I’m walking in cautiously. But I will have faith that Kore-eda can pull it off.

#19 Paradise Lost | Director Yeon Sang-Ho | South Korea | Special Presentations

TIFF Synopsis: A bus full of children mysteriously vanishes. When an altered version of a grieving mother’s son returns years later, she must grapple with the technologically revised reality she has created in this sharp thriller from Yeon Sang-ho.

Why I’m Interested: The Korean filmmakers are always out in full force in Toronto, but I’ll be honest, the films have always been a bit mixed for me. Yeon Sang-ho can certainly knock it out of the park, particularly when he is focusing on the human relationships behind the horror (see Train to Busan). And he can certainly handle high-concept science fiction well (see Hellbound). But I can’t say last years’ The Ugly was my favourite. But here’s hoping that Paradise Lost is as intriguing as it looks!

#20 Possible Love | Director Lee Chang-dong | South Korea | Special Presentations

TIFF Synopsis: Lee Chang-dong’s eagerly anticipated new film brings stories of relationships, generational and class divides, in this gripping tale of two couples playing games with themselves and one another.

Why I’m Interested: I’m less familiar with Lee Chang-dong’s work than I should be, but nonetheless I think this one will be an interesting entry into the acclaimed filmmakers repertoire. It feels like possibly a spiritual successor to 2024’s A Normal Family from Hur Jin-ho, and I’m interested to see the tense interplay between its talented cast. I just hope it can keep up the tension over its longer run time.

#21 Tangles | Director Leah Nelson | Canada, USA | Centrepiece

TIFF Synopsis: A young woman deals with her vibrant mother’s Alzheimer diagnosis in this deeply moving animation adapted from a graphic memoir, with a voice cast including Abbi Jacobson, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Seth Rogen, and Bowen Yang.

Why I’m Interested: I love animation, and particularly films that showcase more unconventional art styles. There have been some stunning animated films in TIFF’s past, including the likes of Flow, Arco and Scarlet. Couple that with yet another depiction of aging and dementia, a trend amongst this years’ TIFF line-up that I am all for, and you end up with a film that is right up my alley. Add on an incredible stacked cast and what you have is a must watch film for me.

#22 The Debut | Director Jesse Eisenberg | USA | Special Presentations

TIFF Synopsis: Jesse Eisenberg directs Academy Award winner Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti in a dark comedy about a bored suburban housewife who finds purpose acting in community theatre.

Why I’m Interested: There’s just something that sounds so fun about this one, particularly as a former drama student and musical theatre nerd myself. With an incredible and capable cast, I’m interested to see what writer / director Jesse Eisenberg has in store as his follow-up to A Real Pain. I’m hoping this one can reach the same heights in its insightful and cutting performances.

#23 The Road Not Taken | Director Peter Ho-Sun Chan | China | Special Presentations

TIFF Synopsis: Peter Ho-Sun Chan directs Zhou Xun, Wen Qi, Tian Zhuangzhuang and Wang Xiao in a drama about early-onset Alzheimer disease. Combining expert storytelling with commercial appeal, The Road Not Taken reflects on what remains when our understanding of the world begins to disappear.

Why I’m Interested: Coming off of 2024’s She’s Got No Name, which was much more grand in scale, I’m interested to see what Peter Ho-Sun Chan has in store for what seems to be a much more intimate feature. And with yet another depiction of aging and dementia, I’m interested to see what this journey looks like from a non-Western perspective.

#24 The World Before | Director Yoon Dan-bi | South Korea | Platform

TIFF Synopsis: Yoon Dan-bi’s coming-of-age story follows two childhood best friends who reunite for a summer on a remote Korean island. This beautifully constructed slice of life captures the emotional intensity of adolescence through assured filmmaking and compelling performances.

Why I’m Interested: Another from the Platform category, this one checks a number of my boxes. As a coming-of-age tale that is small, intimate and observant, this one could be a bit of a sleeper hit for me. That said, as dreamy as the island setting feels, I’m hoping this is able to hit some of the emotional highs and lows that make these adolescent journeys interesting.

#25 The Surgeon | Director Roshan Sethi | Ireland | Centrepiece

TIFF Synopsis: Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once) is back in action as a kidnapped surgeon forced to perform one last operation in this fun, pulse-pounding thriller.

Why I’m Interested: Two major reasons why I’m excited for this one. The first is, of course, Michelle Yeoh, in her second and wildly different role at the festival (talk about range!). But the other is director Roshan Sethi, who, if you know anything about his story, I have huge respect for as someone who balances writing, directing and an active medical practice as a Radiation Oncologist. This is such a turn from his previous directorial effort A Nice Indian Boy, but I am wholeheartedly here to support it.

#26 The Unknown | Director Arthur Harari | France | Special Presentations

TIFF Synopsis: A highlight of this year’s Cannes Competition, the third feature by acclaimed French filmmaker, actor, and screenwriter Arthur Harari (co-writer of Anatomy of a Fall) is a moody, existential body-swap puzzler starring an extraordinary Léa Seydoux and a near-unrecognizable Niels Schneider.

Why I’m Interested: I feel like TIFF really isn’t complete without a Léa Seydoux starring sci-fi adjacent film (see Silent Friend or The Beast). And paired with director Arthur Harari, we’re certainly in for an interesting and captivating experience. French films for me are always a little divisive, but this one looks like a potential highlight coming off of the buzz from Cannes. I just hope there is more substance than style.

#27 Thirteen in Gaza | Director Hosam Abu Dan | Palestine | Centrepiece

TIFF Synopsis: Palestinian director Hosam Abu Dan makes his narrative feature debut with a nuanced and deeply human portrait of a father and his teenage daughter navigating everyday life in a refugee camp in the Gaza Strip.

Why I’m Interested: Akin to last years’ The President’s Cake, I think there is something incredibly special when filmmakers explore the conflicts of the world but through very specific and narrow lenses. What results is something deeply humanizing and ultimately universal. Films have the power to give a voice to the small perspective, and through perspective comes empathy, something that is in such short supply nowadays.

#28 We Are All Strangers | Director Anthony Chen | Singapore | Centrepiece

TIFF Synopsis: Anthony Chen, a Festival favourite and the helmer behind Ilo Ilo, reunites with muses Yeo Yann Yann and Koh Jia Ler in an emotionally charged drama about a constructed family to close his “Growing Up” trilogy.

Why I’m Interested: Anthony Chen is one of my favourite directors, having watched Wet Season, the second part of the “Growing Up” trilogy in 2019 (and unknowingly sitting next to him at the time). But really my love for his work was cemented after watching The Breaking Ice at TIFF 2023. Chen has a way of capturing all the nuanced emotions in a coming of age story, and he particularly shines when capturing those joyful moments. I’m incredibly excited to see if We Are All Strangers can capture the same magic.

#29 Wild Horse Nine | Director Martin McDonagh | USA, Chile | Special Presentations

TIFF Synopsis: Two CIA agents (John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell) are sent on a mission to Easter Island, where one faces an existential crisis over his past actions, in Martin McDonagh’s latest dark comedy.

Why I’m Interested: One of the buzzier film on the list, the combination of Martin McDonagh (who’s previous films include The Banshees of Inisherin and Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing Missouri) and the two lead actors is already generating a fair amount of awards noise. I’m hoping this one leans more comedy than dark. But regardless I think it’s certainly going to be an entertaining watch.

#30 Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother | Director Bassam Tariq | USA | Special Presentations

TIFF Synopsis: Oscar winner Mahershala Ali (TIFF ’18 People’s Choice Award winner Green Book) stars as a devout Muslim, loving family man, and contract killer in this audaciously inventive Texas-set action thriller from writer-director Bassam Tariq (Mogul Mowgli).

Why I’m Interested: It’s possible that the lore behind the movie is what is its biggest selling point to me, having been born out of the ashes of the MCU Blade movie that never was. “Action thriller” is not my usual go-to genre at TIFF, but it’s certainly worth dipping my toes into for what will likely be an incredible powerful lead performance.

In Conclusion

So there you have it, my top 30 most anticipated films of the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. It’s always incredibly hard to narrow down my list and find that perfect blend of big names and small features. Notable runner’s up include Bunker, Children Untold, Closing Night, Minotaur, and On Behalf of My Son.

Now to start building my schedule!

So what films are you most looking forward to this year?