TORONTO & SAN SEBASTIAN 2026: Titles Selected From Asia Pacific & Africa

UPDATED AUGUST 11: Below is a list of films selected for the main sections of Toronto and San Sebastian film festivals originating from or mostly filmed in Asia Pacific and Africa (or from filmmakers originating from these regions but based elsewhere) with sales agents and nationalities of co-production partners where known. See here for the Locarno and Venice line-ups. This list is a work in progress so please DM me if you have updates or additions.

TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL [SEPT 10-20]

TORONTO GALA PRESENTATIONS:

The Assassin(s) (South Korea) WP
Dir: Hur Jin-ho
Prod Co: Hive Media Corp

Diary Of A Mad Old Man (US) WP
Dir: Wayne Wang
Int'l sales: Rediance

It’s My Time (China) NAP
Dir: Bai Xue
Int’l sales: Media Asia

Spirit Guardians: The Last Secret Of The First Emperor (Vietnam) IP
Dir: Nguyen Phan Quang Binh
Int’l sales: BHD/Vietnam Media

Tenzing (US, Australia) CP
Dir: Jennifer Peedom
Int’l rights: Apple Original Films

TORONTO SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS:

The Age Of Goodbyes (Taiwan, Malaysia) WP
Dir: Edmund Yeo
Prod Cos: Happy Together Pictures, Renaissance Films

All Of A Sudden (Japan) NAP
Dir: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
Int’l sales: Cinefrance Studios, Bitters End (Asia)
NA distribution: Neon

Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo (US, UK, Japan) WP
Dir: Takashi Miike
Int’l sales: Neon International

Clarissa (US)
Dirs: Arie Esiri & Chuko Esiri
Int’l sales: Neon International

Closing Night (Australia, Canada) WP
Dir: Cody Fern
Int’l sales MK2 Films

Happily Ever After (Taiwan) WP
Dir: Feng-I Fiona Roan
Int’l sales: Moebius Entertainment

Look Back (Japan) NAP
Dir: Hirokazu Kore-eda
Int’l sales: K2 Pictures

Mr. Nelson, Did You Kill People? (Japan)
Dir: Shinya Tsukamoto
Prod Cos: Kinoshita Group, Kino Films

Paradise Lost (South Korea) WP
Dir: Yeon Sang-ho
Int’l sales: CJ ENM

Phoolan (India) WP
Dir: Richie Mehta
Int’l rights: Amazon Prime Video

Possible Love (South Korea)
Dir: Lee Chang-Dong
Int’l rights: Netflix

The Road Not Taken (China) WP
Dir: Peter Ho-Sun Chan
Int’l sales: Moebius Entertainment

TORONTO CENTREPIECE:

A Girl Unknown (China, France) NAP
Dir: Zou Jing
Int’l sales: Pyramide International

Ah Girl (Singapore) NAP
Dir: Ang Geck Geck Priscilla
Int’l sales: Aggregate Films

Benimana (Rawanda, Gabon, France, Norway) NAP
Dir: Marie-Clementine Dusabejambo
Int’l sales: MK2 Films

Congo Boy (Central African Republic, DR Congo, France, Italy) NAP
Dir: Rafiki Fariala
Int’l sales: The Party Film Sales

Conversation With The Sea (Palestine, Qatar) NAP
Dir: Muayad Alayan
Int'l sales: Mad Word

Dorothy (India) WP
Dir: Karthik Subbaraj
Worldwide rights: Jio Studios

Elephants In The Fog (Nepal, Germany) NAP
Dir: Abinash Bikram Shah
Int’l sales: Best Friend Forever

Four Seasons In Java (Indonesia, France, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Singapore) WP
Dir: Kamila Andini
Prod Cos: Forka Films, Ici èt La Productions, Lemming Film, Storm Films, Giraffe Pictures

Furies (Lebanon, Brazil) NAP
Dir: Rami Kodeih
Int’l sales: Le Pacte

Future Tense (South Africa, Australia) WP
Dir: Jenna Cato Bass
Int’l sales: Visit Films

God Bless You, Mr Kopu (New Zealand, Australia) WP
Dir: Alex Liu
Int’l sales: Radiant Films International

Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! (US) CP
Dir: Josef Kubota Wladyka
Worldwide rights: Sony Pictures Classics

Inherit (Thailand) WP
Dir: Banjong Pisanthanakun
Int’l sales: Barunson E&A

Intermission (Hong Kong) NAP
Dir: Yonfan
Prod Co: Yonfan Studio

Light Pillar (China) NAP
Dir: Xu Zao
Int’l sales: Cercamon

Long Long Night (South Korea) WP
Dir: Kyu Bock Youm
Int’l sales: Finecut

Our Loves (Israel) WP
Dir: Avi Nesher
Prod Cos: Sipur Studios, United King Films, Fox Entertainment Studios, Access Entertainment

Rehearsals For A Revolution (Czech Republic, Spain) CP
Dir: Pegah Ahangarani
Int’l sales: The Party Film Sales

Soumsoum, The Night Of The Stars (Chad, France) NAP
Dir: Mahamat-Saleh Haroun
Int’l sales: Films Boutique

The Difficult Bride (France, Bangladesh, Germany, Norway, Portugal) NAP
Dir: Rubaiyat Hossain
Int’l sales: Films Boutique

The Secret Lives Of Baba Segi’s Wives (Nigeria) WP
Dir: Daniel Oriahi
Prod Cos: EbonyLife Films, Genesis Media Group, Nile Media Entertainment Group, Silverbird Group, Flytime Entertainment

The Violinist (Singapore, Spain, Italy) NAP
Dirs: Ervin Han, Raúl García
Int’l sales: France TV Distribution

Thirteen In Gaza (Palestine) WP
Dir: Hosam Abu Dan
Prod Co: New Scene for Media Production

Trees Are Watching (Turkey) WP
Dir: Bahman Ghobadi
Prod Cos: Open The Door, Mij Film

We Are All Strangers (Singapore) NAP
Dir: Anthony Chen
Int’l sales: Paradise City Sales

TORONTO DISCOVERY:

Head To Head (Iran, Germany) WP
Dir: Ghasideh Golmakani

The Daughters Of Abraham (France) IP
Dir: Hanaël El Yousfi
Int’l sales: Les Films du Losange

We Are Born Good (Hong Kong) WP
Dir: Leung Chuen Yeung
Int’l sales: Edko Films

Zjili: A Story Of Sisterhood And The Burdens Of Excess (Ghana) WP
Dir: Christine Boateng, Hajara Musah Chambas

TORONTO PLATFORM:

Angh (India) WP
Dir: Theja Rio
Prod Cos: Winter Hymns Film, Undercover Squirrel
 
Children Untold (Japan) WP [OPENING FILM]
Dir: Miwa Nishikawa
Int’l sales: Intramovies
 
Djinn Wedding (Turkey) WP
Dir: Ferit Karahan
Prod Co: Berton Medya Yapim
 
Silenced Nights (Philippines) WP
Dir: Lawrence Fajardo
Prod Cos: Quantum Films, House On Fire
 
The Smell Of Apples (South Africa, Netherlands, Chile) WP
Dir: John Trengove
Prod Cos: Portobello Productions, Baldr Film, Quijote Film
 
The World Before (South Korea) WP
Dir: Yoon Dan-bi
Int'l sales: M-Appeal 

TORONTO MIDNIGHT MADNESS:

Arrested Memory (Japan, Taiwan) NAP
Dir: Sabu
Int’l sales: Lucky Number

Half (India) WP
Dir: Samjad
Prod Co: Fragrant Nature Film Creations

Kick On (Australia) WP
Dir: Nick Kozakis
Int'l sales: Blue Finch Films

Vintage Violence (US, Japan) WP
Dir: Eugene Kotlyarenko
Prod Cos: Spacemaker Productions, Barravento

TORONTO WAVELENGTHS: 

The Remotes (Philippines) WP
Dir: John Torres
Prod Co: Los Otros

TORONTO PRIMETIME: 

2.6 Seconds: Death In The Outback (Australia)
Dir: Darren Dale
Documentary series

SAN SEBASTIAN FILM FESTIVAL [SEPTEMBER 18-26]

OFFICIAL SELECTION: 

Border (Hong Kong, US, Korea)
Dir: Ah Biao

In My Father’s Room (Japan)
Dir: Maha Harada
Int’l sales: Bitters End

What Remains (Artakalan) (Turkey, France, Luxembourg, Bulgaria)
Dir: Yeşim Ustaoğlu
Int’l sales: The Match Factory

NEW DIRECTORS:

The Ballet Lesson (Japan)
Dir: Kazuya Murayama
Prod: Kazuya Murayama

Lovers Sleep Alone (Germany)
Dir: Massih Parsaei
Prod Co: FilmFive (Germany)

Mugalim (Kazakhstan)
Dir: Ayana Nurdinova
Supported by: Kazakhstan Ministry of Culture & Information

Will You Still Be My Friend (Taiwan, Singapore)
Dir: Lu Po-Shun
Prod Cos: InLight Film Studio, Verdant Peak Films

The World Before (South Korea) WP
Dir: Yoon Dan-bi
Int'l sales: M-Appeal