The Toronto International Film Festival is beginning to fill out its 2026 lineup, adding five films to its Special Presentations program, including the international premiere of the Zellner brothers’ star-packed alien comedy “Alpha Gang.”
TIFF also unveiled the first image from the film, which stars Cate Blanchett, Riley Keough, Dave Bautista, Chris Pine, and Lily-Rose Depp. David Zellner and Nathan Zellner, the filmmakers behind “Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter” and “Sasquatch Sunset,” direct.
“Alpha Gang” follows a group of aliens who arrive on Earth and begin developing human emotions. Its international-premiere designation means the film will screen somewhere else first, although TIFF’s announcement does not identify its world-premiere venue.
The festival announced four other Special Presentations titles, including Benjamín Naishtat’s “Glaxo.” The Argentine filmmaker’s latest spans the 1950s through the 1980s and follows four male friends whose lives are shattered after a police officer and his wife arrive in their working-class town. “Glaxo” will make its world premiere in Toronto.
Ben Shirinian will also bring the world premiere of “The Housewife,” a fact-based drama set in 1964. Tye Sheridan stars as a New York Times journalist investigating a former Nazi officer living in Queens, only to form an unexpected bond with the suspect’s wife: Naomi Watts, Michael Imperioli, and Luke Evans co-star.
The newly announced lineup also includes Bassam Tariq’s world-premiere action film “Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother.” Mahershala Ali plays a devoutly religious hitman traveling across Houston to protect his family. John Cho, Abubakr Ali, Laith Nakli, Tramell Tillman, Tiffany Boone, and Giancarlo Esposito round out the cast. Orion Pictures begins releasing the film on September 25.
TIFF previously announced Rachel Morrison’s romantic drama “Love of Your Life,” starring Margaret Qualley and Patrick Schwarzenegger, among the same group of Special Presentations titles.
“From debut directors to the most anticipated sophomore films of the year to vanguard voices, this group of films showcases the authenticity, the unexpected, and the ambition of cinema now,” TIFF Chief Programming Officer Anita Lee said. “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 Toronto International Film Festival runs September 10–20, 2026. Additional films from the Official Selection will be announced in the coming days.
