TORONTO – The global film industry is coming to Canada’s doorstep for the Toronto International Film Festival amid a trade war that has the United States looking to produce more movies at home.
More than 200 feature-length and short films are screening at TIFF from dozens of countries across six continents, ranging from Iran to Ireland and Rwanda to Romania — and, of course, the United States.
The festival’s opening night film is “Being Heumann,” a biopic about American disability rights activist Judy Heumann, from Oscar-winning filmmaker Sian Heder.
Another hot ticket is “Fjord,” this year’s Palme d’Or winner that dissects what religious tolerance looks like in secular Norway, starring Sebastian Stan as a devoutly Christian father of five.
Stan is among the celebrities expected to walk the red carpet on Thursday, as is Jodie Comer, who plays a mortician-turned-taxidermist in the musical rom-com “Stuffed,” and Naomi Watts, who stars in historical drama “The Housewife” from Canadian director Ben Shirinian.
And for the first time this year, there will be a film marketplace where those in the business can buy and sell projects in various stages of development.
TIFF: The Market comes as Canada and the United States are embroiled in a trade dispute where film and TV are a sticking point.
American negotiators take issue with Canadian rules requiring U.S. streaming companies to make financial contributions toward Canadian content — though the Liberal government has already walked those back, to much uproar from the Canadian industry.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has recently backed a federal tax incentive that would make filming in the country more affordable.
TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey said he understands the protectionist impulse, though he argued that Hollywood is richer for Canada’s contributions.
“Canadians like James Cameron and Denis Villeneuve and Sandra Oh and our two Ryans and all of those people have helped make Hollywood stronger,” he said on a recent video call.
“Hollywood is obviously the leading film industry in the world, but it makes for a stronger industry when it’s able to work with talent from every corner of the planet.”
But as tensions with the United States remain, Canada’s film industry is looking to partner with other so-called “middle powers.”
Julie Roy, executive director and CEO of Telefilm Canada, noted that she was just in France for the Lumiere Summit focused on international cinema, hosted by France and South Korea.
“I feel very energized about that because more and more with this context, international co-operation and collaboration is a necessity,” she said by phone. “And Canada is the leader in that field. I mean, we are having treaties of co-production with 57 different countries.”
Telefilm will have the largest pavilion at TIFF: The Market, where they’ll facilitate meetings between Canadian creators and international financiers.
She likens it to Team Canada at the Olympic Village — but in the audiovisual sector.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2026.
