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Toronto: Cate Blanchett, Margaret Qualley, Naomi Watts Films to Get World Premieres
The Toronto Film Festival will showcase several notable productions during its September run, featuring established actors in varied genres. Margaret Qualley stars in Rachel Morrison's directorial feature about personal reinvention following a relationship ending, with production backing from Ryan Gosling. Naomi Watts appears in a psychological thriller grounded in historical events that follows a journalist investigating an alleged war criminal. Mahershala Ali headlines a hitman thriller scheduled for theatrical release immediately after the festival concludes.
The festival programme also includes a science-fiction comedy with Cate Blanchett as leader of an extraterrestrial force disguised as a 1950s motorcycle gang, alongside additional world premieres and international debuts from established and emerging filmmakers. The 51st edition will open with a film centred on disability rights advocacy, whilst productions from British and Korean auteurs complete the marquee offerings. The festival runs from September 10 through September 20.
In short
- Multiple films featuring Cate Blanchett, Margaret Qualley, and Naomi Watts are premiering at the Toronto Film Festival in September
- Slate includes dramas, psychological thrillers, and a science-fiction comedy; festival opens with disability-rights film
- Festival runs September 10–20, 2026
Explained simply
The Toronto International Film Festival is one of the world's largest and most prestigious annual celebrations of cinema, attracting audiences, critics and industry figures from across the globe. Held every September in Canada's largest city, it serves as a crucial platform where new films gain international visibility and move toward theatrical release and wider awards season recognition.
The 51st edition features world premieres from both established and emerging filmmakers, with headline releases led by actors including Margaret Qualley, Naomi Watts, Mahershala Ali and Cate Blanchett spanning genres from psychological thrillers to science-fiction comedies. The festival also includes contributions from British and Korean directors, among many others, reflecting the scope of contemporary international cinema.