TIFF's Best Hidden Gems
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The Toronto International Film Festival returns from September 10–20, 2026, offering moviegoers the chance to discover exciting films from emerging filmmakers and distinctive voices from around the world. Beyond the festival’s major premieres and high-profile titles, TIFF is also a great place to uncover hidden gems—films that may fly under the radar but deserve a spot on your watchlist!
TOY GUN BANDIT
TOY GUN BANDIT
After bragging about stealing from a convenience store, Félix is pulled in by his new friend Dave into a plan to rob a local bank. Hungry for recognition, he dives in without hesitation. But the thrill fades fast as things unravel, and the guns turn out to be all too real. This is almost a true story.
DIRECTOR: RÉMI ST-MICHEL
WORLD PREMIERE | 102m | CENTREPIECE & TIFF NEXT WAVE SELECTS
BLEEDING HEARTS
BLEEDING HEARTS
A music-driven love story about real-life couple Zella Day and Jesse Woods, the musicians behind Chaparelle. Following their first year together, they chase a shared dream while facing pressures that could spark a breakup—or a breakthrough.
DIRECTOR: ANDREW MORGAN
WORLD PREMIERE | 97m | TIFF DOCS
AH GIRL
AH GIRL
Singapore, 1994. Ah Girl is a curious 7-year-old girl. Since her parents separated, she lives in a small flat with her younger sister, Ah Tian, her easygoing Pa who works nightshifts, and her irritable Grandmother. They see their needy and unreliable Mum on weekends. One weekend, drunk Mum asks if Ah Girl wants to live with her when she gets a bigger flat. This question disrupts Ah Girl’s sense of the world, and the rest of the film unfolds as she struggles with the decision. She becomes increasingly aware that her family life is far from normal.
DIRECTOR: ANG GECK GECK PRSCILLA
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE | 99m | CENTREPIECE & TIFF NEXT WAVE SELECTS
SUNBURN
SUNBURN
When a citywide blackout knocks out the power on one of the hottest days on record, a group of neighborhood kids set out in search of relief, unaware that the day will quietly mark the end of their childhood.
DIRECTOR: SERVILLE POBLETE
WORLD PREMIERE | 82m | CENTREPIECE & TIFF NEXT WAVE SELECTS
ELEPHANTS IN THE FOG
ELEPHANTS IN THE FOG
In a small Nepalese village nestled in the heart of a forest populated by wild elephants, Pirati is the matriarch of a Kinnar community. She dreams of escaping to a “normal” life with the man she is in love with. But when one of her daughters disappears, she must investigate and choose between love and responsibility to her communitY.
DIRECTOR: ABINASH BIKRAM SHAH
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE | 108m | CENTREPIECE
L’AUTRE
L’AUTRE
Bedridden following a severe cancer, a man sees his recovery falter when his young roommate begins to stir up his deepest fears.
DIRECTOR: ALEXANDRE FRANCHI
WORLD PREMIERE | 98m | CENTREPIECE & UNHIDDEN GEMS PRESENTED BY REDBREAST
EVERYTHING ELSE IS NOISE
EVERYTHING ELSE IS NOISE
Lo demás es ruido
Rosa, a contemporary music composer, agrees to give her first television interview at her colleague Tere’s apartment to keep it secret from her husband. What begins as a simple professional conversation turns into an absurd and comic portrait of rivalries and affections among three women.
DIRECTOR: NICOLÁS PEREDA
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE | 71m | WAVELENGTHS
THE DAUGHTERS OF ABRAHAM
THE DAUGHTERS OF ABRAHAM
A young Muslim woman raised in Marseille reunites with a young Jewish woman after a period of estrangement, reconnecting as friends over summer break. When a sudden tragedy disrupts their carefree holiday, the pair face the similarities and differences that strengthen and threaten their relationship together.
DIRECTOR: HANAËL EL YOUSFI
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE | 94m | DISCOVERY
