Full Breakdown
Toronto International Film Festival 2026 Opens with ‘Being Heumann’ and Announces Premieres
7/7/2026, 10:13:01 PM
Opening Night Film and Festival Schedule
The 51st Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 10 to 20, 2026. Its opening-night feature, Being Heumann, will debut on Thursday, September 10 at Roy Thomson Hall. The program also includes world premieres of Prima Facie and The Assassin(s) later in the run.
Festival Context and Attendance
TIFF remains a major launch platform for new cinema. Last year the festival attracted roughly 700,000 attendees. This edition adds the inaugural “TIFF: The Market,” a dedicated marketplace for film sales and financing, and showcases three world-premiere titles.
Principal Filmmakers and Cast
Being Heumann is directed by Oscar-winning CODA filmmaker Siân Heder, who co-adapted Judy Heumann’s memoir with Rebekah Tussing. Ruth Madeley stars as Heumann, joined by Mark Ruffalo, Dylan O’Brien, Jon Beavers and Rob Delaney. Producers include David Permut.
Prima Facie is helmed by Susanna White, starring Cynthia Erivo as a British defence barrister. The screenplay adapts Suzie Miller’s play, originally performed by Jodie Comer. Embankment Films handles global sales.
The Assassin(s), set in 1974, is directed by Hur Jin-ho. It stars Yoo Hae-jin as a police inspector and Lee Min-ho as a journalist who witness the attempted assassination of President Park Chung-hee on August 15, 1974.
Significance of the Selections
Being Heumann dramatizes the 1977 San Francisco sit-in that compelled enforcement of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, highlighting disability activism. Prima Facie presents a courtroom narrative about sexual-assault defense, while The Assassin(s) revisits the 1974 attempt on President Park Chung-hee, underscoring South Korean political history. Together the films illustrate TIFF’s focus on socially relevant storytelling.
Official Statements & Responses
TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey said the festival is “thrilled to open… with Siân Heder’s inspiring follow-up to her Oscar-winning CODA” and called Ruth Madeley’s performance “electric.” He added that Toronto audiences will be the first to see Cynthia Erivo in Prima Facie and that the “South Korean power duo” of Hur Jin-ho and Lee Min-ho will launch The Assassin(s) at the event.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We’re thrilled to open this year’s festival with Siân Heder’s inspiring follow-up to her Oscar-winning CODA,” — Cameron Bailey, TIFF CEO
- “Being Heumann features an electric performance from Ruth Madeley in the story of Judy Heumann, a world-changing advocate for accessibility.” — Cameron Bailey, TIFF CEO
- “We’re also glad to reveal the news that Toronto audiences will be the first to see Cynthia Erivo in Susanna White’s searing legal drama Prima Facie, and that the South Korean power duo of director Hur Jin-ho and superstar Lee Min-ho will launch their thriller The Assassin(s) at our 51st festival.” — Cameron Bailey, TIFF CEO
- “We’re also glad to reveal the news that Toronto audiences will be the first to see Cynthia Erivo in Susanna White’s searing legal drama Prima Facie, and that the South Korean power duo of director Hur Jin-ho and superstar Lee Min-ho will launch their thriller The Assassin(s) at our 51st festival.” — Cameron Bailey, TIFF CEO
Upcoming Screenings and Market
Being Heumann opens the festival on September 10; Prima Facie and The Assassin(s) will follow in the subsequent days. The new “TIFF: The Market” runs alongside the film program, providing a dedicated venue for buyers and sellers.
