The Windsor International Film Festival (WIFF) has announced its opening and closing night films for the 2026 event, taking place in October and November.
"Paper Tiger" will be the festival's opening night film taking place on Oct. 29 at 6 p.m.
The film, directed by James Gray, premiered in competition at Cannes earlier this year and will premiere in North America at the New York Film Festival before its release later this fall.
"In James Gray’s deeply felt and intense drama, two brothers (Adam Driver, Miles Teller) become entangled in a scheme that turns out to be too good to be true. As they try to navigate their way through the dangerous world of the Russian mafia, family bonds begin to fray with life-altering consequences," the film's description reads.
Closing out the film festival will be the newest film from director Jesse Eisenberg called "The Debut." It stars Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti, and is distributed by A24. It will play on Nov. 8 at 6 p.m.
"When Mona Friedman (Julianne Moore) is cast in a bit part at a small community theater, she transforms from a shy, unassuming housewife into a zealous method actor willing to do anything to protect the artistic integrity of her marginal role—even if it means waging war against the show’s domineering director (Paul Giamatti)," the film's description reads.
Also this year, the Centrepiece selection will be "This Above All: The Theatrical Life of Antoni Cimolino," which is a look-back at Cimolino's legacy as he steps away from the Stratford Festival as its artistic director.
"Antoni Cimolino, the Stratford Festival’s longest-serving artistic director, began his Festival journey as an actor four decades ago. As he prepares for his final season, this documentary offers an exclusive insight as Cimolino reflects on his legacy. With candid and powerful interviews from actors, directors and collaborators, the film presents a raw portrait of a leader closing an extraordinary chapter while paving the way for the Festival’s future," the film's description reads.
“We’re starting our WIFF 2026 announcements on a high note to set the tone of the wonderful Festival that is to come. With major films as tentpoles for the week, we still have so many great films for you to discover,” WIFF Executive Director and Chief Programmer Vincent Georgie said in a statement.
Tickets for the films are on sale now, along with festival passes, general ticket 10-packs and premium ticket 3-packs. WIFF runs Thursday, Oct. 29 through Sunday, Nov. 8. You can learn more and purchase tickets on the festival's website.
