“Being Huemann,” the first film from director Siân Heder since her Best Picture Oscar winner “CODA,” will serve as the opening night film at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, TIFF organizers announced Tuesday.
The biographical drama is based on the life of disability rights advocate Judy Heumann, whose story was chronicled in the 2020 documentary “Crip Camp.” Ruth Madeley plays Heumann in a cast that also includes Mark Ruffalo, Dylan O’Brien and Rob Delaney. Heder and Rebekah Taussig wrote the screenplay, based on Heumann’s memoir “Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist.”
The Apple original Film will have its world premiere on Thursday, Sept. 10 at Roy Thomson Hall, the opening night of the 51st TIFF.
“We’re thrilled to open this year’s festival with Siân Heder’s inspiring follow-up to her Oscar-winning ‘CODA,’” TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey said in a statement Tuesday.
The festival also announced additional world premieres as the first of eight programming announcements that will take place over the next month, “Prima Facie” is a new drama from British director Susanna White (“Woman Walks Ahead,” “Jane Eyre” and episodes of “Generation Kill” and “Andor”), based on a stage play by Suzie Miller about a lawyer who defends men accused of sexual assault, but who is herself assaulted. Cynthia Erivo will play the lead role, a part for which Jodie Comer won Tony and Laurence Olivier Awards for the Broadway and London stage productions.
Korean director Hur Jin-ho will also premiere his new film “The Assassin(s)” at TIFF. The director’s previous work includes “A Normal Family” and “Forbidden Dreams.” Lee Min-ho (“Pachinko,” “Boys Over Flowers,” “Gangnam Blues”) stars in the film.
Over the last 10 years, TIFF opening night films have included the comedy “Nutcrackers,” and animated feature “The Boy and the Heron,” the dramas “The Swimmers,” “Outlaw King” and “Borg McEnroe,” the western “The Magnificent Seven,” the musical “Dear Evan Hansen,” the documentary “John Candy: I Like Me” and the musical documentaries “American Utopia” and “Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and the Band.”
The 51st Toronto International Film Festival will run from Sept. 10-20. Additional programming announcements are scheduled to take place the weeks of July 20 and Aug. 4.