The Toronto International Film Festival has confirmed that "Being Heumann," an Apple Studios drama from "CODA" director Sian Heder, will open its 51st edition on 10 September at Roy Thomson Hall. The film stars Ruth Madeley as disability rights advocate Judith Heumann and marks Heder's most significant project since her Oscar-winning 2021 feature, with its selection signalling the calibre of work anchoring this year's programme.

Alongside the opening film, the festival will host two world premieres: "Prima Facie," a legal drama directed by British filmmaker Susanna White and starring three-time Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo, and "The Assassin(s)" from Korean director Hur Jin-ho. The line-up reflects TIFF's continued emphasis on international storytelling drawn from a range of creative traditions.