TIFF 2026 Expands Lineup With Martin McDonagh, Werner Herzog and Major New Films

The Toronto International Film Festival has expanded its 2026 program with 11 additional films, bringing the festival’s overall lineup to 293 titles and adding several highly anticipated international and North American premieres.

The 51st edition of the Toronto International Film Festival is scheduled to take place from September 10 to 20, with the latest announcement strengthening an already diverse program featuring established filmmakers, major actors and emerging voices. The newly announced titles include Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine, Werner Herzog’s Bucking Fastard, The Idiot(s), Guy Nattiv’s The Liberation, Michelle Yeoh’s It’s My Time and Cody Fern’s directorial debut Closing Night. (Deadline)

Among the most closely watched additions is Wild Horse Nine, directed by Martin McDonagh and starring John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Parker Posey, Steve Buscemi and Tom Waits. The film follows two CIA agents whose mission takes them from Santiago, Chile, to Easter Island in 1973, placing their professional relationship and trust under increasing pressure.

The film arrives at TIFF following its world premiere at Venice and will receive a Canadian premiere in Toronto. Its combination of McDonagh’s distinctive filmmaking style and an ensemble cast of internationally recognized performers makes it one of the festival’s notable new additions.

Werner Herzog’s Bucking Fastard is another major attraction. The film stars sisters Kate Mara and Rooney Mara as Jean and Joan Holbrooke, twin sisters whose extraordinary closeness shapes almost every aspect of their lives. The sisters speak in unison, share dreams and become connected through an unusual relationship involving the same man.

The film is inspired by a true story and marks a significant collaboration between the Mara sisters and Herzog. It will also receive its Canadian premiere at TIFF. The unusual premise and Herzog’s long career as one of cinema’s most distinctive directors are expected to make the film a major talking point during the festival. (Deadline)

Another international highlight is Nanni Moretti’s It Will Happen One Night. The drama focuses on four tenants living in the same building in an Israeli city. Each character is dealing with personal difficulties, emotional uncertainty and a desire for greater meaning. Their individual stories gradually become connected as they search for companionship, fulfillment and redemption.

TIFF will also present The Idiot(s), featuring Aimee Lou Wood, Johnny Flynn, Vicky Krieps and Christian Friedel. The film explores an unusual European journey involving a newly married couple and a prolonged stay that becomes intertwined with literary ambition and the creation of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Idiot. The movie will receive a Canadian premiere at the festival. (The Playlist)

Guy Nattiv’s The Liberation adds another major dramatic title to the program. The film features Carrie Coon, Lily James, Bella Ramsey, Odessa Young, Tracy Letts and Jaime Ray Newman.

Coon plays Rita, a woman approaching middle age who is carrying the emotional weight of her past. Her life changes after she encounters Ricki, a charismatic young spiritual leader played by James. Rita becomes increasingly drawn toward Ricki and an all-female community, creating a conflict between her existing family responsibilities and the new life she believes may offer her a sense of purpose.

Michelle Yeoh is also joining the TIFF program with Bai Xue’s It’s My Time, which will receive a North American premiere. Yeoh plays a woman living in a nursing home who refuses to quietly accept the limitations associated with aging. Her unconventional behavior and determination eventually lead her toward an unexpected opportunity for change.

The festival will also introduce audiences to Closing Night, the directorial debut of actor Cody Fern. The film stars Naomi Watts, Sarah Paulson and Odessa A’zion and centers on a renowned actress preparing for a major stage production when her estranged sister unexpectedly returns after decades apart.

The arrival of the film at TIFF gives Fern an opportunity to move behind the camera while bringing together an experienced cast for an emotionally focused family drama. The film will have its world premiere in Toronto. (The Playlist)

Another significant addition is Peter Ho-Sun Chan’s The Road Not Taken, which will have its world premiere at TIFF. Chan previously appeared at Cannes with She’s Got No Name, and his new project adds further international weight to Toronto’s Special Presentations program.

Bahman Ghobadi’s Trees Are Watching will also receive its world premiere and has been selected for the Centrepiece section. The film adds another international perspective to a festival increasingly known for combining major commercial releases with distinctive independent and international cinema.

The latest announcement also includes A Good Little Soldier from Stéphane Brizé and Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple, a Canadian documentary receiving a world premiere. The latter is particularly significant for Canadian audiences because it focuses on the life and legacy of Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart. (The Playlist)

The expanded program demonstrates the breadth of TIFF’s 2026 ambitions. Rather than concentrating exclusively on major Hollywood productions, the festival continues to create space for international filmmakers, independent productions, documentaries, first-time directors and films arriving from other major festivals.

For Toronto audiences, the timing is also important. Several of the new selections have already generated attention internationally, while others will make their first public appearance in Toronto. That combination gives TIFF an important role in shaping the conversation around films heading into the final months of the year and the awards season.

The festival has now reached 293 titles for its 51st edition, making the 2026 event one of the most extensive programs in its recent history. TIFF has also released its full festival schedule, allowing audiences to begin planning screenings across the September 10 to 20 festival period. (Tiff)

With films from directors such as McDonagh, Herzog, Moretti, Nattiv, Ghobadi and Chan, alongside performances from major names including John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Michelle Yeoh, Naomi Watts, Carrie Coon and the Mara sisters, the latest additions give Toronto another strong collection of films to watch.

For moviegoers, filmmakers and industry professionals, the expanded lineup sets the stage for a particularly busy September in Toronto. The festival will once again transform the city into an international meeting point for cinema, with new films competing for attention, audiences discovering unexpected favorites and filmmakers using TIFF as a platform to reach viewers well beyond Canada.

Courtesy: deadline