#TIFF26: TIFF Docs 2026 spans a global spectrum with World Premieres on Megan Rapinoe, Edward Said, cowgirls, wine makers, alt-country musicians, and more
- Movie Scene Canada
- 7 hours ago
- 3 min read
TIFF Docs 2026 spans a global spectrum with World Premieres on Megan Rapinoe, Edward Said, cowgirls, wine makers, alt-country musicians, and more
TORONTO — The Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, is announcing its 2026 TIFF Docs lineup featuring 21 titles from 20 countries and 18 World Premieres. From archival portraits to dispatches from global front lines, this year’s Official Selection celebrates the art of non-fiction storytelling and its unique power to illuminate untold stories, challenge perspectives, and spark conversation. This year’s lineup includes new work by celebrated directors such as Mila Aung-Thwin, Barry Avrich, Maiken Baird, Lacey Schwartz Delgado, Sophie Fiennes, Alex Gibney, Barbara Kopple, and Sine Plambech, along with several emerging directors with breakthrough works.
The programme will open with Rapinoe, a deeply personal profile of the US soccer star Megan Rapinoe, by Rebeca Huntt (Beba, TIFF ’21). High-profile World Premieres coming to TIFF as sales titles include: Edward Said: Between Worlds, tracing the life of the renowned Palestinian-American writer; Re/Pair, exploring the connections and tensions between American Black and Jewish communities; Bleeding Hearts, portraying the love story of Zella Day and Jesse Woods from the alt-country band Chaparelle; Low Lies the Land, following three winemaking families in Northern Italy; Cheyenne, capturing the world of cowgirls in a bucking horse competition; Rescue, depicting an extraordinary tale of a migrant trying to find his kidnapped wife and children; Black Sunflowers, covering the lives of young Ukrainians against the backdrop of war; The Ultra Runner, examining the extreme ultramarathon runner Tiberiu Uşeriu; and Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been, profiling the acclaimed soul singer.
More than two-thirds of the programme’s films are directed by women, connecting the legacy of visionaries like Barbara Kopple, whose influential Harlan County, U.S.A. screened at the first TIFF in 1976, with a new generation of rising voices. She returns to the Festival this year with Union Town, following three labour battles in New York City. TIFF Docs is programmed by Thom Powers.
2026 TIFF Docs programme (in alphabetical order):
Ba’s Book | Ashley Duong | Canada
World Premiere
Black Sunflowers | James Marcus Haney | Ukraine, USA
World Premiere
Bleeding Hearts | Andrew Morgan | USA
World Premiere
Cheyenne | Taimi Arvidson | USA
World Premiere
Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been | Barry Avrich | Canada
World Premiere
Edward Said: Between Worlds | Maiken Baird | USA
World Premiere
Gail | Michael Maxxis | Canada
World Premiere
Like Magic | Melissa Saavedra Gil | Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay
World Premiere
Low Lies The Land | Emanuele Gerosa | Denmark, Italy
World Premiere
Musk | Alex Gibney | USA
North American Premiere
Rapinoe | Rebeca Huntt | United Kingdom, USA
World Premiere
Re/Pair | Lacey Schwartz Delgado | USA
World Premiere
Rescue | Sine Plambech | Denmark, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Iceland
World Premiere
Still Night, Burning House | Carol Nguyen | Canada
World Premiere
Tehran, Under the Skin | Afsaneh Salari | France, Iran, Sweden
World Premiere
The Final Act | Sophie Deraspe | Canada
World Premiere
The Hummingbird Paints Fragrant Songs | Èlia Gasull Balada, Matteo Norzi | Peru, USA, Qatar
World Premiere
The Pervert’s Guide to Utopias | Sophie Fiennes | Ireland, United Kingdom, Slovenia, Netherlands, Norway
North American Premiere
The Ultra Runner | Mila Aung-Thwin | Canada
World Premiere
Turtle Island Rap | Alexandra Lazarowich | Canada
World Premiere
Union Town | Barbara Kopple | USA
North American Premiere
The 51st edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, runs September 10–20, 2026.
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(Poster/Photo/Video credit: TIFF)
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