On Monday, the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival announced its hotly anticipated Gala and Special Presentations programs, showcasing feature films from close to 30 countries along with celebrated directors such as Danny Boyle, Pedro Almodóvar, Cristian Mungiu, Chris Rock, Mike Leigh, Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, Hirokazu Kore-eda and many more. The 51st edition of TIFF will run September 10-20, 2026 in Downtown Toronto.
Some of the highlights of the Special Presentations program include “I Play Rocky,” a biographical sports drama about the making of Sylvester Stallone’s 1976 film “Rocky,” starring Anthony Ippolito as the punchy actor/screenwriter and directed by Peter Farrelly, whose film “Green Book” debuted at TIFF and went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture, and “Misty Green,” a drama written, directed by and starring Chris Rock alongside a loaded cast, including Rosalind Eleazar, Adam Driver, Daniel Kaluuya, Anna Kendrick, Topher Grace and Anthony Anderson.
TIFF further announced that its Closing Night Film will be “Villeneuve: The Rise of a Legend,” and no, it’s not about the acclaimed Canadian filmmaker behind “Dune” and “Incendies” but rather a sports drama following the early years of Canadian racer Gilles Villeneuve. That screening will take place on Saturday, Sept. 19.
