TIFF Docs 2026 Lineup: Megan Rapinoe, Edward Said, Darlene Love, Cowgirls and 18 World Premieres
TIFF Docs 2026 brings 21 nonfiction films from 20 countries to Toronto, including documentaries about Megan Rapinoe, Edward Said, Darlene Love, labor movements, Indigenous hip-hop, migration, war, winemaking and competitive cowgirls.
The Toronto International Film Festival has unveiled its 2026 TIFF Docs lineup, featuring 21 documentaries from 20 countries and 18 world premieres.
Curated by Thom Powers, the program will open with “Rapinoe,” director Rebeca Huntt’s personal portrait of soccer champion and activist Megan Rapinoe. The documentary looks beyond Rapinoe’s athletic achievements to examine the personal consequences of becoming an international symbol of equal pay, LGBTQ+ rights and racial justice.
The 51st Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, runs September 10–20, 2026.
Megan Rapinoe, Edward Said and Darlene Love Lead TIFF Docs 2026
Among the lineup’s most anticipated films is Maiken Baird’s “Edward Said: Between Worlds,” exploring the life and intellectual legacy of the Palestinian American scholar whose writing reshaped conversations about culture, exile, colonialism and Western representations of the Arab world.
Lacey Schwartz Delgado’s “Re/Pair” examines the historic connections, shared struggles and contemporary tensions between African American and Jewish communities.
Music also plays a major role in the program. Barry Avrich’s “Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been” celebrates the legendary soul singer whose unmistakable voice helped define an era, even when the music industry failed to give her proper recognition.
Andrew Morgan’s “Bleeding Hearts” follows Zella Day and Jesse Woods of the alt-country band Chaparelle, while Alexandra Lazarowich’s “Turtle Island Rap” turns its attention to Indigenous hip-hop artists using music, language and performance to reclaim their narratives.
Cowgirls, Winemakers and Stories of Endurance
Taimi Arvidson’s “Cheyenne” enters the dangerous world of cowgirls competing in a bucking-horse competition, where every ride demands courage and carries the possibility of serious injury.
In “Low Lies the Land,” Emanuele Gerosa follows three winemaking families in Northern Italy, examining land, inheritance, tradition and the labor behind every bottle.
Mila Aung-Thwin’s “The Ultra Runner” profiles extreme ultramarathon athlete Tiberiu Uşeriu as he pushes his body and mind toward their limits.
Other films confront migration, kidnapping, political unrest and war. Sine Plambech’s “Rescue” follows a migrant searching for his kidnapped wife and children, while James Marcus Haney’s “Black Sunflowers” observes young Ukrainians attempting to hold onto their futures during wartime.
Barbara Kopple Returns to Labor Storytelling
Documentary legend Barbara Kopple returns with “Union Town,” following three labor battles in New York City.
Kopple’s landmark film “Harlan County, U.S.A.” screened during the first Toronto International Film Festival in 1976. Her return 50 years later creates a powerful bridge between generations of filmmakers documenting workers, corporate power and economic survival.
More than two-thirds of the films selected for TIFF Docs 2026 are directed by women.
The program also includes Alex Gibney’s “Musk,” about the influential and polarizing technology billionaire, and Sophie Fiennes’ “The Pervert’s Guide to Utopias,” continuing her provocative collaboration with philosopher Slavoj Žižek.
Complete TIFF Docs 2026 Lineup
- “Ba’s Book” — Ashley Duong
- “Black Sunflowers” — James Marcus Haney
- “Bleeding Hearts” — Andrew Morgan
- “Cheyenne” — Taimi Arvidson
- “Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been” — Barry Avrich
- “Edward Said: Between Worlds” — Maiken Baird
- “Gail” — Michael Maxxis
- “Like Magic” — Melissa Saavedra Gil
- “Low Lies the Land” — Emanuele Gerosa
- “Musk” — Alex Gibney
- “Rapinoe” — Rebeca Huntt
- “Re/Pair” — Lacey Schwartz Delgado
- “Rescue” — Sine Plambech
- “Still Night, Burning House” — Carol Nguyen
- “Tehran, Under the Skin” — Afsaneh Salari
- “The Final Act” — Sophie Deraspe
- “The Hummingbird Paints Fragrant Songs” — Èlia Gasull Balada and Matteo Norzi
- “The Pervert’s Guide to Utopias” — Sophie Fiennes
- “The Ultra Runner” — Mila Aung-Thwin
- “Turtle Island Rap” — Alexandra Lazarowich
- “Union Town” — Barbara Kopple
From Megan Rapinoe and Edward Said to Darlene Love, Indigenous rappers, migrants, winemakers and New York labor organizers, TIFF Docs 2026 reflects the enormous range of contemporary nonfiction filmmaking.
The Toronto International Film Festival runs September 10–20, 2026. Follow the festival using #TIFF.
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