Manitoba artists in TIFF spotlight as fest begins

The 2026 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) will showcase Winnipeg film production and Manitoba talent. Ian Bawa, a local filmmaker, is set to make his feature film debut at TIFF. His short film, Imitations, premiered at the festival in 2016, and he later turned it into a feature film exploring the relationship between a bodybuilder and his father after the latter's death.

Another Winnipeg film, Where Our Flowers Grow, is the creation of 24-year-old filmmaker Maxime Kornachuk, who participated in TIFF's inaugural Redefine program. The documentary uses Métis beadwork design to tell the stories of Winnipeg residents about their Métis identity. Kornachuk hopes to see more Métis artists making films, as it creates a space for them.

Winnipeg-born filmmaker Matthew Rankin returns to TIFF with Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney, a humorous documentary about the rise of the former Prime Minister. The film is a compilation of archival clips and photographs, similar to Rankin's previous works about the Winnipeg Jets franchise and a notorious assault in North End Winnipeg. Rankin dismisses any pressure to make a more accessible film for a wider audience, stating that his next project will focus on Brian Mulroney.