The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has expanded its 2026 official selection with a wave of world premieres from high-profile directors including Chris Rock, Peter Farrelly, Lauren Miller Rogen and John Madden, per hollywoodreporter.com.
Organisers unveiled additions to the prestigious Gala and Special Presentations sidebars on July 20, ahead of the festival’s 51st edition running from September 10–20.
Chris Rock will debut “Misty Green,” a drama he wrote and directed starring Rosalind Eleazar as an actress battling personal vices. Lauren Miller Rogen’s comedy-drama “Babies,” featuring an ensemble cast including Seth Rogen and Anna Kendrick, and Courteney Cox’s true-crime thriller “Evil Genius” will also screen in the Gala programme.
Further Gala highlights include John Madden’s BBC feature “Onwards and Sideways,” starring Laura Linney and Rhys Ifans as a couple dealing with Parkinson’s diagnoses. K-pop star Lisa of Blackpink will be the subject of Sue Kim’s documentary “Always Lalisa,” whilst Anton Corbijn’s “A Talent For Murder” features Helen Mirren as author Patricia Highsmith. The sidebar will close with Yan Lanouette’s biopic “Villeneuve: The Rise of a Legend”.
The Special Presentations strand has secured the world premiere of Peter Farrelly’s “I Play Rocky,” an Amazon MGM feature starring Anthony Ippolito as Sylvester Stallone during the creation of the classic boxing film. The section will also host world premieres for Jonathan Schey’s dark comedy thriller “Everybody Wants to F*** Me,” starring Taron Egerton, and Niki Byrne’s coming-of-age drama “The Julia Set”.
The festival will additionally host major regional bows. North American premieres include Florian Zeller’s “Bunker,” starring Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem, and Pedro Almodóvar’s melodrama “Bitter Christmas”. Canadian premieres feature Mike Leigh’s “Tender Loving Care” and the ski descent documentary “Everest: The Other Side” from Oscar winners Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi.
The TIFF is widely regarded as a critical launching pad for Hollywood’s awards season. The new additions join previously announced high-profile titles, including the festival opener *Being Heumann* by Oscar-winning filmmaker Sian Heder, as international cinema markets prepare for the autumn festival circuit.
•Featured image: ‘Onwards and Sideways’ Courtesy of BBC/Hilltop Screen