Five African Films Selected for TIFF 2026 Centrepiece Line-Up

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has unveiled the 54 films selected for its 2026 Centrepiece programme, with five African productions and co-productions earning places in one of the festival’s flagship sections. The selection marks one of the continent’s strongest representations in recent editions of the festival and raises the possibility of an African film making history by claiming TIFF’s coveted People’s Choice Award for the first time.

Among the selected titles is Daniel Oriahi’s The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives, which will make its world premiere in Toronto. The Nigerian film joins Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo’s Ben’Imana (Rwanda, Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire), Rafiki Fariala’s Congo Boy (Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo), Jenna Cato Bass’ Future Tense (South Africa), and Mahamat-Saleh Haroun’s Soumsoum, The Night of the Stars (Chad), all of which have been selected for the festival’s Centrepiece programme.

While The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives will receive its first public screening in Toronto, the other four films arrive with significant festival momentum. Ben’Imana won both the Caméra d’Or and the FIPRESCI Prize in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes, Congo Boy earned Bradley Fiomona the Best Actor prize in Un Certain Regard, and Soumsoum, The Night of the Stars received the FIPRESCI Award in Competition at the Berlin International Film Festival.

TIFF also announced its Wavelengths and TIFF Classics line-ups, neither of which features an African title this year, making the Centrepiece selections the continent’s primary presence across the festival’s official programmes.

Founded in 1976, the Toronto International Film Festival has grown into one of the world’s most influential film festivals and is widely regarded as a launchpad for awards-season contenders. Unlike festivals such as Cannes or Berlin, which award top prizes through juries, TIFF’s most prestigious honour is the People’s Choice Award, determined entirely by audience votes. The award has become a reliable indicator of Oscar success, with previous winners including Nomadland, Green Book and 12 Years a Slave.

African cinema has historically maintained only a modest presence in TIFF’s official programmes each year, with selections typically limited to a handful of films despite the continent’s growing international profile. Having five African productions in the Centrepiece section therefore represents a notable showing and reinforces the continent’s increasing visibility of filmmakers on the global festival circuit.

Whether that visibility can translate into TIFF’s biggest prize remains one of the festival’s intriguing storylines. Because the People’s Choice Award is decided by audience enthusiasm rather than a jury, films that generate strong emotional responses and broad word-of-mouth often outperform more traditional awards favourites. With acclaimed festival winners from Rwanda, Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo joining Nigeria’s high-profile world premiere and South Africa’s latest offering, Africa enters TIFF 2026 with one of its strongest chances yet to secure the festival’s most sought-after honour.

The 51st Toronto International Film Festival will run from September 10 to 20, 2026.