Babajide Fadoju
The Toronto International Film Festival has announced two highly anticipated international premieres for its 2026 lineup, showcasing powerful storytelling from India, Taiwan, and Japan.
Phoolan Marks Richie Mehta’s Return with a World Premiere
Acclaimed director Richie Mehta returns to TIFF with the World Premiere of Phoolan, a sweeping drama set in the heartland of India that tells the story of an impoverished 17 year old girl who dared to resist patriarchy and became the most famous outlaw in Indian history. The film captures a brutal 48 hour siege that defies the conventions of action cinema and follows the young woman who became the target of 2,000 heavily armed men sent to kill her.
The film is a Namah Pictures and Amazon MGM Studios production and a Prime Video Original movie. It is produced by Shareen Mantri Kedia, Kishor Arora, Kanwal Kohli, and Richie Mehta.
Phoolan runs 113 minutes, is in Hindi with English subtitles, and will have its World Premiere screening on Wednesday, September 16 at 6:00pm at the Princess of Wales Theatre. A press and market screening is scheduled for Friday, September 11 at 10:45am at TIFF Lightbox, with additional public screenings on Thursday, September 17 at 12:15pm at TIFF Lightbox and Saturday, September 19 at 2:30pm at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto.
SABU’s Arrested Memory Brings Midnight Madness Energy with North American Premiere
Japanese director SABU returns to TIFF with the North American Premiere of Arrested Memory, a gripping crime thriller that blends psychological tension with visceral action. The film follows Lee, a superstar police detective in Taipei who loses his team during a crime investigation. Haunted by guilt and transferred to a rural police station, Lee develops amnesia but is determined to keep his condition a secret. He is soon assigned a new case: the kidnapping of the son of an influential Japanese businessman. As his memory continues to fade, Lee can only rely on his instincts, which against all odds lead him to the criminals.
Arrested Memory is a Taiwan and Japan co-production from LHB Films and Fourier Films Inc., produced by Shozo Ichiyama, Roger Huang, and Justine O. Lucky Number serves as the sales agent.
The film runs 87 minutes, is in Mandarin, Taiwanese, and Japanese with English subtitles, and will have its North American Premiere on Thursday, September 17 at 11:59pm at the Royal Alexandra Theatre as part of the Midnight Madness programme. A press and market screening is scheduled for Thursday, September 10 at 9:35am at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto, with additional public screenings on Friday, September 18 at 3:30pm at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto and Saturday, September 19 at 6:45pm at TIFF Lightbox.