The Toronto International Film Festival has announced five titles for its Special Presentations section, and the lineup is stacked. Alpha Gang, Glaxo, Love of Your Life, The Housewife and Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother will all screen at the 51st edition of TIFF, running September 10 through 20, 2026.
Leading the announcement is Alpha Gang, the alien invasion comedy from David and Nathan Zellner, the duo behind Sasquatch Sunset. The film follows a gang of humanoid aliens sent to conquer Earth who disguise themselves as 1950s leather-clad bikers, only to have their mission derailed when they succumb to human emotion. Cate Blanchett leads the cast as the gang’s indomitable leader, with Kelvin Harrison Jr., Léa Seydoux, Dave Bautista, Riley Keough, Lily-Rose Depp and Chris Pine rounding out the ensemble. The film makes its international premiere at TIFF.
Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, directed by Bassam Tariq and also written by him, marks one of the most anticipated world premieres of the lineup. Mahershala Ali stars as Latif, a devoutly religious hitman who embarks on a desperate journey across Houston to protect his children after his wife dies, confronting forces closing in from every direction. Giancarlo Esposito, John Cho, Tramell Tillman and Tiffany Boone also star. Tariq, a BAFTA Film Award nominee for Mogul Mowgli, recently directed three episodes of Riz Ahmed’s Prime Video series Bait.
Love of Your Life, the sophomore directorial feature from Rachel Morrison, the first woman ever nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for Mudbound, is a romantic drama produced by Ryan Gosling. Margaret Qualley plays Maya, a smart and wry nurse swept up in an immersive love that sets her life on a trajectory she never imagined. Aaron Pierre, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Gabriel Basso and Catherine Keener also star. The film is an Amazon MGM Studios production set to open in select theaters October 7 before streaming on Prime Video October 14.
The Housewife, the feature directorial debut of Ben Shirinian, follows a young New York Times journalist, played by Tye Sheridan, tracking down a potential Nazi officer living secretly in Queens. When he befriends the suspect’s elegant wife, played by Naomi Watts, the implications of his investigation grow increasingly unsettling. Michael Imperioli and Luke Evans also star.
Rounding out the quintet is Glaxo, from Argentinian filmmaker Benjamín Naishtat, previously seen at TIFF with Rojo in 2018. Set in a provincial factory town, the film follows four friends whose lives unravel after a retired cop and his alluring wife move in, triggering passion and vengeance across Argentina’s transformative decades from the 1950s through the 1980s.
“From debut directors to the most anticipated sophomore films of the year to vanguard voices, this group of films showcase the authenticity, the unexpected, and the ambition of cinema now,” said Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer of TIFF. “They are sure to be among the Festival’s most talked-about titles, captivating audiences and generating buzz long after the credits roll.”
The 51st edition of TIFF, presented by Rogers, runs September 10 through 20, 2026.