Toronto Film Festival Unveils TIFF Docs 2026 Lineup Headlined by Megan Rapinoe Documentary

Rapinoe by Rebeca Huntt
Rapinoe by Rebeca Huntt

Toronto International Film Festival has announced its 2026 TIFF Docs lineup featuring 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.

The program will open with Rapinoe, a deeply personal profile of the US soccer star Megan Rapinoe, by Rebeca Huntt.

Other high-profile World Premieres coming to TIFF 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.

The 51st edition of the Toronto International Film Festival runs September 10–20, 2026.

2026 TIFF Docs program

(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

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