TIFF 2026: Keith Whittier Kicks Off His Coverage with This Year’s Must‑See Films

The 51st edition of the Toronto International Film Festival is about to commence, and this isn’t hyperbole when I say it’s my favourite time of year. Well, this and my birthday.

For 11 days, downtown Toronto becomes the centre of the film world. The streets are filled with cinephiles rushing from screening to screening, fans hoping to catch a glimpse of their favourite celebrities and aspiring actors, directors and screenwriters attending workshops, networking and trying to take the next step in their careers.

And then, of course, there are the parties.

There truly is something for everyone at TIFF.

The first time I attended the festival, it was a quick overnight trip where I managed to squeeze in three movies. Fast forward many years and I’m preparing to watch 42 movies while in Toronto and that’s in addition to the roughly 20 festival films I’ve already seen before making my way down the 401.

Yes, I love TIFF.

With so many movies on the schedule, narrowing down the ones I’m most excited about isn’t easy, but these 10 are very high on my list.

All of a Sudden

Many people are excited about All of a Sudden because it comes from Oscar-nominated filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchi, director of Drive My Car. While I certainly respect his work, that isn’t the biggest selling point for me.

Two words: Virginie Efira.

I am a huge fan of her work. Like Steph Curry, she doesn’t miss. The Belgian actor has put together an incredible collection of performances, and while she may not yet be a household name in North America, in Europe she is royalty.

All of a Sudden received an enthusiastic response at Cannes and tells the story of two women navigating their friendship through difficult circumstances. Hamaguchi and Efira together? Count me in.

Being Heumann

TIFF’s opening night film comes from Sian Heder, the filmmaker behind the Academy Award-winning CODA.

Heder continues her commitment to telling stories about people who have historically been underrepresented on screen with Being Heumann, based on the life of disability rights activist Judy Heumann.

Ruth Madeley takes on the lead role and is already generating early Oscar buzz for her performance. Opening night at TIFF always carries a certain level of anticipation, but this one feels particularly special.

Club Kid

People who attended the Cannes Film Festival may disagree about plenty of the movies they saw, but there seems to be a lot of agreement when it comes to Club Kid: this is one to watch.

The film follows a New York club promoter whose life is upended when a 10-year-old son he never knew he had suddenly shows up.

It’s a premise that immediately opens the door to comedy, drama and some serious character development. Given the strong response coming out of Cannes, I’m very curious to see if it lives up to the hype.

Everest: The Other Side

The award-winning filmmaking team behind Free Solo is back.

Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin return with another documentary about people attempting something that most of us wouldn’t even consider. This time, they follow a couple with the extraordinary dream of climbing and then skiing down the North Face of Mount Everest.

Naturally, Everest: The Other Side will be presented in IMAX, and that feels like the only appropriate way to experience it.

Whether they are taking audiences to El Capitan or Mount Everest, Vasarhelyi and Chin have an incredible ability to capture both the beauty and terror of people attempting the seemingly impossible. I want to see this on the biggest screen possible.

HALF

One item on my TIFF bucket list is attending a Midnight Madness screening.

If you’ve never experienced Midnight Madness, it’s difficult to explain just how enthusiastic these audiences are. These are passionate moviegoers who arrive ready to have a good time, and the movies selected for the program have a lot to live up to.

One of my midnight selections this year is HALF.

The premise? Twin half-blooded vampires wage war against desert highway hijackers.

SAY LESS!

I’m expecting action. I’m expecting gore. I’m expecting the kind of movie that makes perfect sense when watched with hundreds of screaming people around midnight.

Last year, Obsession wowed festival audiences before going on to find commercial success. You never know what hidden gem might emerge from Midnight Madness.

I Play Rocky

A few years ago, TIFF screened Sly, a documentary celebrating the life and career of Sylvester Stallone. The appreciation for Stallone certainly hasn’t diminished, and now Academy Award-winning filmmaker Peter Farrelly (Green Book) is tackling the incredible story behind the development of the original Rocky.

The story of Stallone betting on himself and fighting to play Rocky Balboa despite being an unknown actor has become part of Hollywood lore.

Now we get a movie about how that movie came to be.

That’s an easy sell.

Mistry Green

Chris Rock’s Top Five had its world premiere at TIFF and was extremely well received. It also demonstrated Rock’s maturation as a filmmaker.

Now he’s back behind the camera with Mistry Green, the story of a talented actress looking for a second chance in Hollywood.

Rosalind Eleazar is already generating considerable buzz, including early talk of a potential Best Actress nomination. Rock behind the camera and a performance that could enter the awards conversation makes this one of my more intriguing TIFF screenings.

The Surgeon

Sometimes you don’t need an elaborate sales pitch.

Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh plays a surgeon who is kidnapped and forced to perform an operation.

That’s it. I’m there.

Yeoh has repeatedly demonstrated her versatility, moving effortlessly between drama and action throughout her career. Putting her at the centre of a tense thriller like this immediately has my attention.

Wild Horse Nine

Martin McDonagh just seems to love TIFF and TIFF loves him right back.

His previous films Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, a TIFF People’s Choice Award winner, and The Banshees of Inisherin were festival favourites before becoming major awards contenders. Both eventually received Best Picture nominations.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Wild Horse Nine follows a similar trajectory.

With McDonagh behind the camera and a cast that includes John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell, this is easily one of my most anticipated films of the festival.

Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother

Speaking of people with a strong TIFF connection, Mahershala Ali has two Academy Awards, and both winning performances came in movies that played at TIFF: Moonlight and Green Book.

That’s a pretty impressive track record.

In Bassam Tariq’s Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, Ali plays a hitman dealing with the death of his wife while trying to protect his children.

There are plenty of reasons to be intrigued by that premise, but I really only need one.

You had me at Mahershala Ali.

And those are just 10 films.

With more than 40 screenings ahead of me and countless filmmakers, performances and potential surprises waiting to be discovered there will undoubtedly be movies that aren’t currently on my radar that end up becoming some of my favourites of the festival.

That’s part of the magic of TIFF.

You arrive with a schedule. You arrive with expectations. You arrive thinking you know which movies everyone will be talking about.

Then the lights go down.

And sometimes, you discover something completely unexpected.

See you at TIFF.