Musk documentary joins TIFF’s 2026 lineup of 21 films
Developing story first seen 2 hours ago
The Toronto International Film Festival announced its 2026 documentary selection of 21 films, with particular attention drawn to Alex Gibney's lengthy examination of Elon Musk. The billionaire entrepreneur had already labeled the project a hit piece before its completion. Powers, who has overseen TIFF's documentary programming for two decades, defended the inclusion by highlighting Gibney's established credibility as an investigator of controversial figures and corporations, his Oscar credentials, and the legal oversight involved in the film's production.
Powers indicated that scrutiny of Musk—a globally influential figure—was justified and necessary. He cited precedent from a previous Gibney film, The Bibi Files, which Israel's former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempted to block through legal channels without success. The 2026 slate also features documentaries about soccer player Megan Rapinoe and postcolonial theorist Edward Said, alongside other international selections from over 900 submissions received this year.
- TIFF's 2026 documentary slate includes a controversial four-hour film about Elon Musk by Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney, whom Musk pre-emptively dismissed as a 'hit piece.'
- Festival documentary chief Thom Powers expressed confidence in the film's legal and journalistic rigor, citing Gibney's track record with sensitive subjects and previous successes at TIFF.
New here? Start with this
Alex Gibney is a documentary filmmaker known for tackling powerful and controversial subjects, including previous films on figures such as Scientology's leadership and, more recently, Benjamin Netanyahu. His latest project is a documentary examining Elon Musk, the entrepreneur behind companies including Tesla and SpaceX and one of the world's most prominent business figures. Musk has criticised the film before its release, calling it unfair.
The Toronto International Film Festival, known as TIFF, is one of the world's major film festivals, held annually in Canada. Each year it selects a programme of documentaries from hundreds of submissions, and its documentary programming has been overseen for two decades by a figure named Powers. The Musk documentary is part of the 2026 selection of 21 films, alongside other titles covering subjects such as footballer Megan Rapinoe and scholar Edward Said.
The inclusion of the Musk film has drawn attention partly because of Musk's public profile and influence, and partly because of questions about how documentary subjects respond when they are the focus of critical scrutiny. TIFF's organisers have pointed to Gibney's track record and the legal safeguards built into the filmmaking process as reasons for standing by the selection.
More coverage
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Variety as “TIFF Docs Chief Not Worried About Taking on Elon Musk”.