{"id":156808,"date":"2026-08-05T17:42:18","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T17:42:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/156808\/"},"modified":"2026-08-05T17:42:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T17:42:18","slug":"toronto-film-festival-announces-2026-tiff-docs-lineup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/156808\/","title":{"rendered":"Toronto Film Festival Announces 2026 TIFF Docs Lineup"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Toronto<\/a> Film Festival announced its TIFF<\/a> Docs slate on Wednesday, a lineup that boasts marquee names in front of and behind the lens.<\/p>\n

The world premiere of Rapinoe, Rebeca Huntt\u2019s film about soccer star Megan Rapinoe \u2013 winner of Olympic and Women\u2019s World Cup titles \u2014 will literally kick things off, as the opening-night selection of the Docs section.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re expecting Megan Rapinoe to be there,\u201d TIFF doc programmer Thom Powers<\/a> assures us. Along with chronicling Rapinoe\u2019s athletic accomplishments, \u201cIt\u2019s also a film about living your most authentic life. So yes, she\u2019s a major sports figure, but this is not in the mold of a typical sports biography.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scroll for the full TIFF Docs lineup.<\/p>\n

\"SingerSinger Darlene Love<\/p>\n

Singer Darlene Love, who appeared in the Oscar-winning documentary 20 Feet from Stardom, moves into the spotlight with a film focused uniquely on her \u2014 Darlene Love: I Know Where I\u2019ve Been<\/a>, directed by Canadian filmmaker Barry Avrich (who was at the festival last year with a more controversial project<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u201cStars like Bruce Springsteen, Cher, and Dionne Warwick sing the praises of an underappreciated musical icon in this high-spirited and warm-hearted portrait,\u201d notes TIFF. Darlene Love: I Know Where I\u2019ve Been is one of several music-driven documentaries that will premiere at TIFF.<\/p>\n

\"ZellaZella Day and Jesse Woods of Chaparelle<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s Bleeding Hearts, which is I think going to be a real discovery of both the filmmaker [Andrew Morgan] and the alternative country band Chaparelle, who\u2019s featured in this film,\u201d Powers observes. \u201cYou don\u2019t get that many documentary love stories, but this is truly one in its portrait of the two main figures in Chaparelle, Zella Day and Jesse Woods. There are times watching this that I felt like it could have been a season of TV\u2019s Nashville, watching a young Rayna and Deacon on their journey in music.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"OurOur Lady Peace<\/p>\n

Gail, meanwhile, a documentary directed by Michael Maxxis and executive produced by Jason Reitman, \u201cis about a super fan of the Canadian band, Our Lady Peace,\u201d Powers says. \u201cThis film has a kind of whimsical quality about it that when you see it, it makes sense \u2014 the connection to Jason Reitman.\u201d<\/p>\n

TIFF Docs will not lack for films that intersect with major global events. Edward Said: Between Worlds, directed by Maiken Baird, examines the life and work of Palestinian-born scholar and activist Edward Said, who argued for the creation of a single Palestinian Israeli state that would be both secular and democratic.<\/p>\n

\"Palestinian-AmericanPalestinian-American academic, literary critic, and political activist Edward Said in 2001<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a super timely film,\u201d Powers affirms. \u201cIt reminds me of I Am Not Your Negro when it premiered at TIFF in 2016. And even though the words of James Baldwin have always been sitting there waiting for us, it took that film to bring them back into people\u2019s lives. And I think for Edward Said, who\u2019s been gone now for 23 years, there\u2019s a whole generation that has grown up without him as an active presence. I\u2019m old enough to remember when he would be on Nightline or otherTV shows regularly or giving lectures in New York City\u2026 But I can\u2019t think of anyone whose voice is more pertinent to the large geopolitical conversations that we\u2019re having today.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the war in Iran continues, TIFF will host the world premiere of a Tehran, Under the Skin, a documentary that offers a remarkable view of an unexpected aspect of Iranian society.<\/p>\n

Tehran \u201cis one of the world\u2019s epicenters in plastic surgery,\u201d Power notes. \u201c[Director] Afsaneh Salari embeds herself in the offices of two plastic surgeons and is interviewing their clientele trying to, in the phrase of the film, \u2018get under the skin\u2019 of what are the motives here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Powers adds, \u201cI think strongly on Afsaneh\u2019s mind are the ripples from the Woman, Life, Freedom Movement from a few years ago and this strong tension in the country that brought hundreds of thousands of people out to the streets in protests over mandatory hijab laws. When you\u2019re in a country that, on the one hand, has this strong religious dictate around appearance, and yet you also have this populace yearning to change your appearance or enhance your appearance, what does that mean? And that\u2019s what she gets at in this film.\u201d<\/p>\n

Powers also highlights Rescue, directed by Sine Plambech, a film that connects to the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean in dramatic ways.<\/p>\n

\u201cSine, who has a background as an anthropologist, captures this scene in the first 10 minutes of the film that\u2019s one of those moments of the documentary that you can\u2019t believe is unfolding in front of the camera. She\u2019s on a boat with Doctors Without Borders doing rescue missions in the Mediterranean of migrants trying to cross over from Africa,\u201d the TIFF programmer explains. \u201cAnd then another boat comes up of Libyan militias who start kidnapping some of the migrants from the water.\u201d<\/p>\n

Powers continues, \u201cThey meet a man who\u2019s just been rescued from the water, and he\u2019s distraught because he says his wife and children have just been kidnapped by these Libyan militia. And so that\u2019s the opening scene of the film. And as it unfolds, it remains at the same kind of level of intensity throughout as this man, Hani, does everything in his power to try to be reunited with his wife and children. So that\u2019s quite an extraordinary film.\u201d<\/p>\n

Low Lies the Land, a world premiere directed by Emanuele Gerosa, set in the Piedmont region of Northern Italy, \u201cimmerses us in the lives of three winemaking families who face an uncertain future, shot in a gorgeous widescreen aspect ratio,\u201d per TIFF. (It might be said to pair well with Burgundy, the documentary by Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw that is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival).<\/p>\n

Heading from Venice to TIFF will be Oscar winner Alex Gibney\u2019s documentary Musk, about the world\u2019s richest man, Elon Musk. It\u2019s sure to be one of the most talked about films in Toronto (with Musk himself likely to chime in via his media platform, X).<\/p>\n

\u201cI went to [Gibney\u2019s] studio to watch the film in rough cut form. And there\u2019s a 10-minute intermission, at least in the way we\u2019ll present it at TIFF. But when we reached that intermission moment, I just needed to refill my water and then wanted to jump right into it because it\u2019s extremely compelling material.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNearly four years in the making,\u201d Powers says of Musk. \u201cAnd it is arguably the most epic documentary that Alex Gibney has ever made.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"'Union\u2018Union Town\u2019<\/p>\n

Two-time Oscar winner Barbara Kopple will cross the Atlantic from Venice for the North American premiere of Union Town.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnion Town completes a thematic trilogy of her work on labor that began with Harlan County, USA, which played at the very first Toronto Film Festival<\/a> in 1976. So it\u2019s an incredible full circle moment to have her returning to Toronto,\u201d Powers comments. \u201cThe title refers to New York City. She\u2019s looking at three labor battles in New York, organizing around UPS workers, Amazon workers, and delivery workers for food apps like DoorDash and Grubhub.\u201d<\/p>\n

No world premiere at TIFF features a more intriguing title than The Hummingbird Paints Fragrant Songs, directed by \u00c8lia Gasull Balada and Matteo Norzi.<\/p>\n

\"AnAn artwork by Sara Flores, displayed at White Cube Bermondsey in 2025.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a film about an indigenous artist named Sara Flores. She right now has an exhibition at New York City\u2019s White Cube Gallery for another week. She comes from a Peruvian Amazon community. And it wasn\u2019t until now in her 70s that she was crossed over into an international art world,\u201d Powers says. \u201cOne of the amazing things about this film is to see these contrasts in the worlds that she moves in. In one scene, she\u2019ll be out with her community, armed with bows and arrows to fight off the existential threat of illegal logging in the Amazon. And in another scene, she\u2019ll be flying to Paris to meet with the team at Dior that wants to adapt her designs into exclusive luxury handbag.\u201d<\/p>\n

Documentaries are sprinkled throughout other sections of TIFF, including Galas, Special Presentations, and Wavelengths. The TIFF Docs section features featuring 21 titles from 20 countries; more than two-thirds of the program\u2019s films are directed by women.<\/p>\n

Below is the TIFF Docs lineup announced Wednesday:<\/p>\n

Ba\u2019s Book | Ashley Duong | Canada<\/p>\n

World Premiere<\/p>\n

A father writes a memoir in the form of letters to his daughter about his harrowing \u00a0experiences of the Vietnam War and Iranian Revolution. The daughter responds by making \u00a0a film. Traveling back to her ancestral village in Vietnam, she recruits her relatives as cast \u00a0and crew to create narrative live-action re-creations, combined with intimate verit\u00e9. Ba\u2019s Book offers a disarming look at the intergenerational legacy of war.<\/p>\n

Black Sunflowers | James Marcus Haney | Ukraine, USA<\/p>\n

World Premiere<\/p>\n

Black Sunflowers is a mosaic of Ukrainian youth, shuttling between the frontlines and civilian life, captured by the gifted American filmmaker James Marcus Haney (No Cameras Allowed) collaborating with an esteemed Ukrainian crew.<\/p>\n

Bleeding Hearts | Andrew Morgan | USA<\/p>\n

World Premiere<\/p>\n

This real-life love story follows the charismatic musicians Zella Day and Jesse Woods as they team to create the alt-country band Chaparelle with collaborator Beau Bedford, in a documentary with as much drama as a season of Nashville. [Chris Albert]<\/p>\n

Cheyenne | Taimi Arvidson | USA<\/p>\n

World Premiere<\/p>\n

Cheyenne follows a group of fearless cowgirls who compete at riding wild horses on the rodeo circuit after nearly a century of women being excluded because of their gender.<\/p>\n

Darlene Love: I Know Where I\u2019ve Been | Barry Avrich | Canada<\/p>\n

World Premiere<\/p>\n

Stars like Bruce Springsteen, Cher, and Dionne Warwick sing the praises of an underappreciated musical icon in this high-spirited and warm-hearted portrait from Canadian director Barry Avrich (Oscar Peterson: Black + White, TIFF \u201921)<\/p>\n

Edward Said: Between Worlds | Maiken Baird | USA<\/p>\n

World Premiere<\/p>\n

Edward Said is profiled in his own words, drawing upon decades of archives, to explore the legacy of his ground-breaking works including Orientalism and The Question of Palestine.<\/p>\n

Gail | Michael Maxxis | Canada<\/p>\n

World Premiere<\/p>\n

This music documentary spotlighting an Our Lady Peace superfan follows her on the band\u2019s 30th anniversary Canadian tour, and boasts an original score by Lesley Barber (Bonjour Tristesse, TIFF \u201924), backed by executive producers Jason Reitman and Jason Blumenfeld.<\/p>\n

Like Magic | Melissa Saavedra Gil | Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay<\/p>\n

World Premiere<\/p>\n

Blending archival footage, testimony, and a decades-long search for answers, Melissa Saavedra Gil transforms a childhood tragedy into a powerful exploration of memory, truth and healing. An intimate and deeply resonant debut that illuminates both a personal story and a generation shaped by violence.<\/p>\n

Low Lies The Land | Emanuele Gerosa | Denmark, Italy<\/p>\n

World Premiere<\/p>\n

Set in the breathtaking landscapes of Piemonte in Northern Italy, Low Lies the Land immerses us in the lives of three winemaking families who face an uncertain future, shot in a gorgeous widescreen aspect ratio.<\/p>\n

Musk | Alex Gibney | USA<\/p>\n

North American Premiere<\/p>\n

The dogged investigative documentary maker Alex Gibney delivers his most ambitious and epic work in exploring the history of the world\u2019s richest man.<\/p>\n

Rapinoe | Rebeca Huntt | United Kingdom, USA<\/p>\n

World Premiere<\/p>\n

Soccer star Megan Rapinoe explores what it means to win and lose in this intimate portrait by Rebeca Huntt (Beba).\u00a0[Chris Albert]<\/p>\n

Re\/Pair | Lacey Schwartz Delgado | USA<\/p>\n

World Premiere<\/p>\n

Lacey Schwartz Delgado (Little White Lie) explores the bonds and tensions between American Blacks and Jews in a series of dialogues with prominent figures from both communities.<\/p>\n

Rescue | Sine Plambech | Denmark, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Iceland<\/p>\n

World Premiere<\/p>\n

Director Sine Plambech documents the kidnapping of a mother and her long quest to be reunited with her husband, illuminating a mass crisis experienced by migrants in the Mediterranean.<\/p>\n

Still Night, Burning House | Carol Nguyen | Canada<\/p>\n

World Premiere<\/p>\n

A once-close family comes together to say goodbye to an uncle that struggled with mental health issues, in award-winning short filmmaker Carol Nguyen\u2019s tender and emotional feature-length documentary debut.<\/p>\n

Tehran, Under the Skin | Afsaneh Salari | France, Iran, Sweden<\/p>\n

World Premiere<\/p>\n

In an age of body anxiety, filmmaker Afsaneh Salari embeds herself in the offices of Iranian plastic surgeons to interview their clients with humor and empathy.<\/p>\n

The Final Act | Sophie Deraspe | Canada<\/p>\n

World Premiere<\/p>\n

Quebec\u2019s Sophie Deraspe returns to the Festival with an extraordinary documentary offering a philosophical and intimate look at the many profound issues surrounding death and medically assisted dying.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Hummingbird Paints Fragrant Songs | \u00c8lia Gasull Balada, Matteo Norzi | Peru, USA, Qatar<\/p>\n

World Premiere<\/p>\n

The indigenous painter Sara Flores gets discovered by the international art world in her 70s traveling from her home in the Peruvian Amazon to be feted in galleries worldwide.<\/p>\n

The Pervert\u2019s Guide to Utopias | Sophie Fiennes | Ireland, United Kingdom, Slovenia, Netherlands, Norway<\/p>\n

North American Premiere<\/p>\n

Twenty years after The Pervert\u2019s Guide to Cinema, the renowned intellectual Slavoj \u017di\u017eek reunites with director Sophie Fiennes for a fresh meditation on movies and ideas that crackles with energy.<\/p>\n

The Ultra Runner | Mila Aung-Thwin | Canada<\/p>\n

World Premiere<\/p>\n

Punishing tests of human endurance become a means of escaping past demons for the unforgettable subject of Mila Aung-Thwin\u2019s superb new film.<\/p>\n

Turtle Island Rap | Alexandra Lazarowich | Canada<\/p>\n

World Premiere<\/p>\n

The bumpy road to success experienced by three aspiring Indigenous hip-hop artists is the focus of Alexandra Lazarowich\u2019s (Fast Horse) verit\u00e9-style feature documentary debut.<\/p>\n

Union Town | Barbara Kopple | USA<\/p>\n

North American PremiereUnion Town is an invigorating look at three crucial labour battles as they unfold in New York City involving the workers of UPS, Amazon, and the deliveristas for the food apps DoorDash and GrubHub.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Toronto Film Festival announced its TIFF Docs slate on Wednesday, a lineup that boasts marquee names in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":156809,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[26526,50571,15609,48,19255],"class_list":["post-156808","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-toronto","tag-elon-musk","tag-thom-powers","tag-tiff","tag-toronto","tag-toronto-film-festival"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156808","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=156808"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156808\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/156809"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=156808"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=156808"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=156808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}