Are you ready to catch some of the most buzzed-about films, international hits, and must-see Canadian cinema? The annual Windsor International Film Festival has announced its lineup, bringing films from around the world and close to home. The annual event in Windsor, Ontario, runs from October 29 through November 5, 2026 and this year’s festival once again boasts a lineup of festival favourites, premieres, and hidden gems starting with Paper Tiger and closing with The Debut. There is something for everyone at WIFF this year: Whether you’re a local or visiting for the festival, this is your chance to see some great films.
Not sure what to see this year? Here are 25 exciting titles to put on your radar for the 2026 Windsor International Film Festival.
Paper Tiger
The Windsor International Film Festival kicks things off with the 2026 Opening Night film, Paper Tiger. Directed by James Gray (Ad Astra), the crime drama follows two brothers (Adam Driver and Miles Teller) who get caught up in a scheme that puts them under scrutiny from the Russian mafia.
The Weight
Ethan Hawke and Russell Crowe star in this Depression-era survival-meets-crime drama about a group of desperate convicts on a difficult journey through Oregon’s backcountry. In his review Colin Biggs says the film “steadily ramps up the anxiety to an unbearable degree” as Hawke navigates the perilous journey marked by lush cinematography by Matteo Cocco.
Neverman
Lucia Neverman is a transgender woman in her 70s whose progressive Alzheimer’s has led her to enter a care home. While her memory begins to fade, her sense of self and what she fought for in her years as an activist remain. With a phenomenal turn by Justin Vivian Bond in the lead and a sensitive-yet-compelling story, this Canadian drama is one to watch.
The Sea
This emotional and well-constructed story is about a 12-year-old boy from a Palestinian village who gets turned away from a military checkpoint while on a school trip to visit the sea. Disappointed but determined to finally see the sea, he sets out on his own despite not knowing the way or the language.
Toy Gun Bandit
A prank gone wrong leads a Quebec teenager into an unexpected bank-robbing gang in the fast-paced Toy Gun Bandit. Our review says, “St-Michel has crafted a true coming-of-age story that’s dark, funny, and surprisingly sincere.”
La Gradiva
Buzz has been growing for La Gradiva since its Cannes debut where it won the Grand Prize at Critics’ Week. Directed by Marine Atlan, the coming-of-age drama about a group of French high school students on a trip to Pompeii where big teenage feelings of fear and desire come to a head.
Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!
When Haru’s (Oscar nominee Rinko Kikuchi) beloved husband Luis dies during a ballroom dance competition, she loses her zest for life and retreats into her grief. When her friends convince her to return to the dance studio, she meets an enigmatic dance instructor who rekindles more than just her love of dance in this vibrant comedy.
Nina Roza
This is your chance to see Canada’s Oscar submission! Directed by Geneviève Dulude-de Celles, Nina Roza is a complex and moving portrait about Mihail, a contemporary art expert who traded Bulgaria for Montreal with his young daughter, Roza, nearly 30 years ago. Called to authenticate the works of a young Bulgarian girl named Nina, Mihail faces the ghosts of his past as he contemplates a return to Bulgaria. The film just won Best Canadian Feature at VIFF.
La Bola Negra
TIFF People’s Choice Winner La Bola Negra follows the lives of three men across three different pivotal eras of Spanish history, intertwining them through sexuality, desire, and pain. The film’s directing duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi won the Best Director award at Cannes and the film was recently crowned the audience favourite at TIFF. Pat Mullen calls it, “a film of remarkable power and beauty, an unabashed testament to queer experiences and a celebration of the courage it takes to be true to oneself in the face of adversity.”
I Play Rocky
We all know Rocky, but do you know the story behind it? Peter Farrelly directs newcomer Anthony Ippolito in a star-making performance as a then-unknown Sylvester Stallone and his refusal to take “no” for an answer when it came to making the iconic movie about a boxer.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney
Filmmaker Matthew Rankin (Universal Language) remixes and reimagines the career of Canada’s 18th prime minister, Brian Mulroney through over 80,000 pieces of archival footage. Genre-bending and visually stimulating, That Shelf’s Andrew Roberts calls this look “hallucinatory” and “self-deprecating”.
Club Kid
A hard-partying queer New York City club promoter has his free-wheeling lifestyle turned upside down when the 10-year-old son he never knew he had arrives on his doorstep. Mixing comedy and heart, it’s the modern Gen Z take on Big Daddy and one of the year’s buzziest films.
Fjord
Cannes Palme d’Or winner Fjord stars Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve as a conservative couple who face scrutiny after moving to a progressive Norwegian community. The film is Romania’s entry for the Best International Feature Film at the Oscars.
Run Terry Run
It’s the story of Canadian icon Terry Fox like you’ve never seen before. Drawing from hundreds of hours of archival footage, including personal home video from the Fox family, director Sean Menard crafts a cinematic portrait of the remarkable young man whose dedication and spirit have continued to inspire Canadians in the decades since his 1980 Marathon of Hope.
Coward
Set on the front lines of WWI, Pierre is a sensitive soldier who finds solace and love in his comrade Francis and his theatre troupe. In his review, Pat Mullen says, “Coward deftly examines the mark of bravery when being true to oneself means putting it all on the line.”
Josephine
Eight-year-old Josephine (Mason Reeves) begins acting out after she witnesses a brutal assault in this crime thriller starring Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan. The film won both the Grand Jury Dramatic and Audience Award Dramatic at Sundance. The Toronto Film Critics Association included Josephine among the list of the best films at TIFF.
I Swear
An “undeniable crowd pleaser,” I Swear is a frank, funny, and uplifting look at the story of John Davidson, a British man who turned his Tourette Syndrome diagnosis into a lifelong pursuit of advocacy and compassion for the affliction, played with lots of heart by BAFTA winner Robert Aramayo.
Julián
This is a film the whole family can enjoy. From the animation studio behind Wolfwalkers and Song of the Sea and based on the children’s book by Jessica Love, Julián is about a young boy whose dreams of becoming a mermaid shape his summer vacation, relationship with his grandmother and his own Caribbean heritage. It’s a film our Victor Stiff calls “Gentle, vibrant, and sweet as a cotton-candy rainbow.”
The Delivery Line
In the documentary The Delivery Line, director Nance Ackerman profiles five midwives working on the front lines, from makeshift tents on the US-Mexico border to remote villages in Afghanistan to downtown Toronto. It’s a compelling and compassionate portrait of the women whose quiet strength helps bring new life into the world.
California Schemin’
James McAvoy makes his directorial feature debut with California Schemin’, an unbelievable story that’s just so wild, it must be true. The comedy takes a fresh, funny, and above all, entertaining look at two rappers from Dundee, Scotland who successfully passed themselves off as L.A. bros in order to land a hit record.
Dancing on the Elephant
Canadian acting legends Sheila McCarthy and Mary Walsh star in this comedy-drama about two women in a retirement home who are determined to prove there’s still a lot of life left to live. A life-affirming story about friendship and making every moment count, That Shelf’s Emma Badame says Dancing on the Elephant, “hits all the right beats thanks to its talented leads, its memorable characters, and a heartfelt screenplay.”
Marie Madeleine
A dynamic and bold reimagining of the biblical story of Mary Magdalene, this film centres on a free-spirited Haitian sex worker who meets a repressed preacher’s son. Bright, surreal, and sublime, Marie Madeleine “is a captivating look at identity that ranks among the year’s best works,” according to That Shelf‘s Courtney Small.
You Had To Be There
Director Nick Davis’ documentary explores the groundbreaking Toronto production of Godspell that brought now-household names – like Victor Garber, Gilda Radner, Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Paul Schaffer and more – local and international recognition. Warm and genuine, You Had To Be There is a highly entertaining look at comedy and Canadiana.
All of a Sudden
Two women (Virgine Efira) and Tao Okamoto) come together for profound conversations about life, death, health, art, capitalism and everything in between in the latest drama from Drive My Car director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi. Courtney Small calls it, “An exceptional piece of cinema and one of the year’s best films, All of a Sudden takes a compassionate look into what it means to truly treat each other like human beings.”
Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been
Iconic musical artist Darlene Love shares her story in the new documentary that charts the highs and lows of her personal and professional life, including providing uncredited vocals on the biggest hits of the 1960s and propelling the likes of Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley to new heights with her vocal backing. The film was recently crowned TIFF’s Documentary People’s Choice Winner.
The Windsor International Film Festival runs from October 29 through November 8. Tickets and festivals passes are on sale now.
