The TIFF market has announced the first slate of projects for its inaugural Innovation Hub, a new section of programming devoted to virtual reality, mixed reality and other immersive formats, presented by the Canada Media Fund.
The first TIFF market runs September 10-16 alongside the 2026 Toronto Film Festival (Sept. 10-20).
The eight selected Hub projects come from creators based in Canada, France, Denmark, the U.S., Germany, Belgium, Taiwan, Greenland and the Netherlands, and include a mix of world, international, North American and Canadian premieres. A nine-member committee reviewed submissions for the inaugural program.
The projects include interactive explorations of indigenous culture, including Mekwâc: Now Is Good, from Quantum Wampum/James Monkman Studio of Canada. The 360-degree interactive projection installation, which draws on Cree cosmology to create a space for reflecting on the relationships between water, land and memory, will have its world premiere at the TIFF market showcase.
Tartupaluk, a VR piece from acclaimed Greenlandic-Canadian artist Laakkuluk Williamson, is set on a small Arctic island within the territorial waters of the two countries. Framed as a tour of a fictional republic, it invites participants to earn citizenship among a community the project describes as a nation of circumpolar lovers, addressing the island’s history of competing territorial claims. It will be distributed by Hubblo and is having its world premiere at TIFF.
