The 14th annual Toronto Black Film Festival – #TBFF26 – celebrates 30 years of Black History Month with bold, diverse, innovative and meaningful programming from
February 11 – 16, 2026.
Films Starring Questlove, George Clinton, Isaach Bankolé, Fred Wesley, Marcus Miller, Nona Hendryx, and David Byrne. And archival footage of legendary artists like James Brown, David Bowie, and Elton John, Imani Perry, Sheldon Gilbert, Wesley Morris, Dr. Beverly Tatum, Patricia Williams, Justin Safari, Moise, Aziza, Ujumbe & Honore.
Full Program, All Access Passes & Single Tickets at TorontoBlackFilm.com
TORONTO, January 16, 2026 – The Toronto Black Film Festival (TBFF), presented by TD Bank Group (TD) in collaboration with Global News, announces the official program and event lineup for its 14th annual edition running February 11 – 16, 2026. Founded by the Fabienne Colas Foundation, the Toronto Black Film Festival will offer up its usual diversified, impactful and captivating program to Toronto audiences.
TBFF is Canada’s largest Black History Month cultural event, engaging thousands of attendees across generations and cultures, in-person and online. Through bold, unique and inclusive programming, the Toronto Black Film Festival has become Toronto’s annual must-attend gathering of film lovers and fans, and is an essential catalyst for Black artists and creatives from throughout the diaspora, amplifying their world-class stories. At its core, TBFF is more than an event – it is a movement that unites diverse communities to foster learning, deep connection, and shared cultural appreciation.
#TBFF26 will present 22 World Premieres, 9 International Premieres, 1 North American Premiere, 13 Canadian Premieres, and 5 Ontario Premieres. #TBFF26, Canada’s largest celebration of Black History Month through film and dynamic multi-disciplinary arts and public programming, showcases over 60 films from 15 countries, including Canada, South Africa, Ghana, Australia, the United States of America, Portugal, Guinea-Bissau, the Democratic Republic of Congo, France, Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom, Uganda, Bermuda, and Nigeria.
OPENING NIGHT GALA: FILM & TRIBUTE
Presented by TD Bank Group
Isabel Bader Theatre – February 11 at 7:30 pm
TBFF kicks off with the Toronto Premiere of Of Mud and Blood, directed by Jean-Gabriel Leynaud. Set in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Of Mud and Blood revolves around the lives of diggers and miners in mineral-rich Numbi, a rural valley with mixed settlements and dirt roads beside an expanse of mountains. Its main character is Ujumbe Sabahutu Claude, a digger who faces significant financial struggles that are only partially alleviated by his work in the mines. Many of the diggers, like Ujumbe, grew up impoverished as child fighters or survivors of the genocide in Rwanda. Their lives are militarised by the conflict and violence of their region. Their lives are also marked by tragedy and suffering, where becoming a digger is their only hope.
The opening film will be preceded by a tribute to iconic filmmaker Stanley Nelson – also recipient of 2013 National Humanities Medal from President Barack Obama.
TRIBUTE TO STANLEY NELSON
Preceding the opening film screening – powered by TD Bank Group – the Festival is honored to present Stanley Nelson, the foremost chronicler of the African American experience working in nonfiction film today, with the Toronto Black Film Festival’s 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award.
Stanley Nelson is a documentary filmmaker, writer, and producer based in Harlem and renowned for his deeply researched films on African American history and culture. A MacArthur Fellow and recipient of the National Humanities Medal from president Obama, he has produced a large body of award-winning work that includes Freedom Riders (2010), The Murder of Emmett Till (2003), Freedom Summer (2014), The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution (2015), Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) (2018).
Also in 2018, Nelson directed a short film, The Story of Access, which examined the history and impact of racial profiling in public spaces. This film was screened as part of a mandatory training exercise for 175,000 Starbucks employees across 8,000 stores. Nelson's film, Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, the definitive look at the life and career of the iconic Miles Davis, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2019. The screening marked Nelson's tenth premiere at the prestigious festival in twenty years, the most premieres of any documentary filmmaker. His 2021 film Attica earned a Directors Guild of America Award and an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature.
His latest film WE WANT THE FUNK! is a syncopated voyage through the history of funk music, spanning from African, soul, and early jazz roots to its rise into the public consciousness. Featuring James Brown's dynamism, the extraterrestrial funk of George Clinton's Parliament Funkadelic, transformed girl group Labelle, and Fela Kuti's Afrobeat, the story also traces funk's influences on both new wave and hip-hop. Since 1998, Nelson has helped lead Firelight Media, a New York–based nonprofit he co-founded with Marcia A. Smith, dedicated to supporting emerging documentarians of color through programs such as the Documentary Lab.
CLOSING NIGHT FILM
Presented by Global News
Carlton Cinema – February 15 at 7 pm
#TBFF26 will close with the Toronto Premiere of Pasa Faho, directed by Kalu Oji
When Azubuike’s 12-year-old son moves in with him, the struggling shoe salesman finds himself balancing fatherhood and the slow collapse of his small shop. As the pair navigate their estrangement, the unspoken becomes a language of its own; one shaped by pride, duty, and the quiet weight of expectation. With the future of both the shop and their relationship hanging in the balance, father and son must find a way to bridge the distance between one another.
The TBFF All Access Pass and individual tickets are on sale now on the Festival’s website.
QUOTES
“The Toronto Black Film Festival is a space of joy, discovery, and powerful storytelling. Year after year, we amplify Black voices, create opportunities, celebrate excellence in film and culture, and enhance the public’s appreciation of the arts through bold, accessible, and meaningful programming. We are deeply grateful to our loyal partners – particularly TD Bank Group and Global News – for their continued support and commitment to amplifying Black stories and voices. This edition is especially meaningful as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of Black History Month – a moment to honor our past, uplift our present, and boldly imagine our future. TBFF is proud to be part of this legacy, bringing audiences together through stories that inspire, challenge, and move us. We can’t wait to welcome everyone to experience the magic of this year’s program and celebrate Black creativity in all its brilliance.” – Fabienne Colas, President and Founder of the TBFF.
"Black stories and culture enrich and help shape our shared experiences. TD is proud to support the Toronto Black Film Festival and help bring people together to celebrate this richness, amplify voices, spark conversations, and strengthen community connections." – TD Bank Group
"Global News is thrilled to once again partner with the Toronto Black Film Festival. We’re honoured to support and spotlight the powerful voices and stories of Black filmmakers and artists in our community." — Sherri Clark, News Director – Global News Toronto.
The fourteenth edition of the festival highlights the Fabienne Colas Foundation’s award-winning Being Black in Canada short film series, the TBFF Black Market, Live Music Series, and Kids Film Festival. It also features special in-person screenings of Of Mud and Blood, Pasa Faho and Muganga, celui qui soigne (Muganga, the One Who Treats) – executive-produced by Angelina Jolie & starring Isaach de Bankolé.
#TBFF26 lineup includes must-see feature films like Snake, The Fisherman, Sabbatical, Sierra’s Gold, Nteregu (A Story to Be Sung), We Want the Funk!, and Black Table.
CANADIAN SPOTLIGHT
Extending this commitment to strong and diverse storytelling, the Canadian Spotlight is a special program created by the Toronto Black Film Festival to highlight landmark works that explore Black experiences from a Canadian perspective. This section is shared with the Montreal International Black Film Festival as well as the Fabienne Colas Foundation’s other Black Film Festivals across Canada (Halifax, Ottawa, Calgary, and Vancouver). The Canadian Spotlight represents a unique cross-country initiative, bringing essential and impactful films to audiences nationwide.
This year’s line-up offers remarkable stories across a wide range of themes, from family, history and traditions, and murder and mystery, to mental health, social issues, racism and discrimination, climate change, politics and resistance, women’s issues and empowerment, music, dance, and art, LGBTQ experiences, Black representation, comedy, migration and displacement, sci-fi and Afrofuturism, and identity.
Additional programming includes:
THE TBFF BLACK MARKET
Presented by Telefilm Canada & Toronto Arts Council
Carlton Cinema – February 15, 2026
The TBFF Black Market series returns in-person and online with an exciting blend of progressive and innovative FREE panel discussions and workshops featuring renowned industry professionals who will share real-world experiences tied to today’s most critical filmmaking and social issues.
In-Person Panels
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11:00 pm – WORKSHOP – Insuring Your Vision: A Practical Workshop on Film Production Insurance for Black Filmmakers
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12:30 pm – SPOTLIGHT STORIES: FILM INDUSTRY Q&A SERIES
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1:30 pm – LOCKED OUT OF THE FRAME: The Commercial Lockout and Its Impact on Black & Racialized Performers (Presented by ACTRA Toronto)
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3:00 pm – FROM FESTIVAL TO MARKET: Navigating Film Distribution Pathways
Online Panel (FB) February 16, 2026
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3:00 pm – WORKSHOP: EXPLORING ANIMATION AS ANOTHER TOOL FOR FILMMAKING
FABIENNE COLAS FOUNDATION’S BEING BLACK IN CANADA
Presented by NETFLIX, in collaboration with the National Bank, and supported by Telefilm Canada
Carlton Cinema – February 13th at 9 pm & ONLINE
Thirty emerging Black filmmakers from Montreal, Toronto, Halifax, Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver – from the Fabienne Colas Foundation’s Being Black in Canada program – will present their WORLD PREMIERE short films in-person at TBFF on Friday, February 13, thanks to the support of Netflix, National Bank, Telefilm Canada, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Creates and various local partners.
TBFF KIDS FILM FESTIVAL – ON FAMILY DAY
Carlton Cinema – February 16 from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
The TBFF Kids Film Festival is back this year – on Family Day – with new and exciting in-person activities for the whole family! Join us on Family Day for an afternoon filled with fun, creativity, and inspiration.
Get ready for a dynamic lineup of workshops and activities designed to engage and delight children aged 4–12 and anyone young at heart. The TBFF Kids Film Festival promises enriching experiences that blend entertainment, education, and imagination.
TBFF LIVE PERFORMANCE SERIES
Venue (TBC) – February 12-16 from 10 pm – 12 am (midnight)
Finally, festivalgoers can cap off their day with the TBFF Live Performance Series, showcasing DJs, multi-genre music and spoken word representing the Afrocentric community. Music performers include Charmie, Rudy Ray, Joseph Callender, and Mel Dubé. Spoken Word artists include Shahaddah Jack, The Wild Woman and more.
#TBFF26 All Access Passes & Individual tickets are available on the Festival’s website.
The All Access Pass (for the Online Program) $129.00 (+ tax & fees), gives access to the festival’s entire online program.
The All Access Pass (for the In-Person Program) is $149 (+ tax & fees) and gives access to all in-person programming.
VIP + In Person All Access: $249 (+ tax & fees), includes admission for two people to the Opening Gala on February 12, access to the Red Carpet, VIP Cocktail, and Priority Seating, & Film at 7:30 pm, and One Access In Person Pass to all festival films.
Individual tickets to the in-person opening film are available for $25, the closing film for $20, and regular films for $12. Film series tickets are also available for $12.
The 14th annual Toronto Black Film Festival, founded by the Fabienne Colas Foundation, is presented by TD Bank Group in collaboration with Global News from February 11 to 16, 2026 – IN PERSON & ONLINE.
For full programming and events, visit TorontoBlackFilm.com
Get Social #TBFF26
ABOUT THE TORONTO BLACK FILM FESTIVAL
Founded by the Fabienne Colas Foundation, the Toronto Black Film Festival is Canada’s largest celebration of Black History Month through films and engaging public programming. TBFF is dedicated to celebrating the very best in cinematic work dealing with the experiences of black people from a diversity of communities. Our mandate is to provide an opportunity for filmmakers from all ethnic backgrounds to shine a spotlight on authentic stories that reflect the realities of black experiences. Along with its sister festivals, the Montreal International Black Film Festival, Halifax Black Film Festival, Ottawa Black Film Festival, Calgary Black Film Festival and Vancouver Black Film Festival, TBFF showcases new voices in cinema and encourages audiences to see the world in new ways. In connecting black films with diverse audiences, we recognize the differences that make us unique while celebrating the shared values that bring us together.
ABOUT THE FABIENNE COLAS FOUNDATION
The Fabienne Colas Foundation is Canada’s largest Black cultural organization. Created in 2005, the FCF is a not-for-profit artistic organization dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion in Cinema, Art, and Culture in Canada and abroad. Along with Zaza production, the Fabienne Colas Foundation is also the creator of Festwave Institute and 12 Festivals, including the highly successful Montreal Black Film Festival, the hugely popular Toronto Black Film Festival, the Halifax Black Film Festival as well as several other successful Festivals in Canada, the USA, Haiti and Brazil. These initiatives/festivals have showcased and supported over 5,000 artists and attracted over 2 million festivalgoers. The Foundation is also the creator of the FCF’s Being Black in Canada program, Canada’s largest incubator dedicated to Black Filmmakers.
