This year’s Toronto International Film Festival kicks off September 10 with a robust-as-always lineup of new films and awards contenders, but for an inside look at the 2026 festival, “Screen Talk” invited on TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey, one of the few two-time guests to the podcast, to preview some of the films he’s most eager for audiences to see.
Bailey previewed opening night film “Being Heumann” from “CODA” filmmaker Sian Heder, he talked Chris Rock’s return to TIFF after his crowdpleaser “Take Five” with his new film “Misty Green,” and he championed the adaptation of the stage play “Prima Facie” starring Cynthia Erivo.
But he also teased the new TIFF Market, the first time Toronto has introduced a formal marketplace for film buyers and sellers after years of informal dealmaking. Bailey anticipated 6,000 sales reps coming to Toronto for the festival this year (a big jump from past years) and discussed why there was demand for an additional date on the indie film sales calendar between Cannes and the American Film Market and how TIFF hopes to stand out from each of those.
Host Anne Thompson this week was joined by IndieWire Senior Business Reporter Brian Welk filling in for usual co-host Ryan Lattanzio. Elsewhere on the podcast, they waded deeper into the latest goings on with the merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery. They discussed whether Paramount is likely to reach a settlement with the states amid California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s antitrust suit aiming to block the merger, why debate about the lawsuit has been fought in the press, and the breaking news that the DGA and IATSE sent Paramount a list of conditions it would like to see reached before a settlement.
They also weighed in on the summer box office, including the potential for “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” to be the first movie in history to surpass $1 billion domestic, and the early standout performance of A24’s Anthony Bourdain biopic “Tony.” Anne and Brian even briefly weigh in on their wishlist for a potential new James Bond.
Listen to this week’s episode below or on your preferred podcast platform.