The Toronto International Film Festival has revealed its 2026 documentary lineup, 21 titles spanning the world and led by Alex Gibney's sprawling, nearly four-hour portrait of Elon Musk.

TIFF's documentary programmer Thom Powers, who has curated the section since 2006, sifted through more than 900 submissions — a slight increase over 2025 — to assemble the slate, which the festival describes as taking audiences "from the depths of the ocean to the sky" (TIFF).

The opening night slot goes to Rapinoe, a documentary about the soccer star Megan Rapinoe. Among the other marquee titles is Gibney's Musk, which runs 355 minutes and has been in production since 2023 (ABC News). Musk himself has already weighed in, calling the film "a hit piece" without having seen it (Variety).

Gibney is no stranger to TIFF or to subjects who push back. The festival previously screened The Bibi Files, a Gibney-produced documentary that Benjamin Netanyahu attempted to halt through an Israeli court; the case was dismissed (Variety).

Musk will have its world premiere earlier in the festival circuit, at the Venice Film Festival in September 2026, before screening in Toronto (The Hollywood Reporter). Bleecker Street, a US independent distributor, has scheduled a theatrical release for the film beginning 16 October 2026 (Variety).

The slate reaches well beyond a single headline. Edward Said: Between Worlds, a portrait of the late Palestinian-American literary critic, will have its world premiere in the section. Re/Pair, directed by Lacey Schwartz Delgado, examines tensions between Black and Jewish communities in America. New work by directors Jimmy Chin, Billy Corben, Tamara Kotevska, Lucrecia Martel, and Raoul Peck rounds out the programme (TIFF).

TIFF announced its Docs and Contemporary World Cinema programmes together, covering 35 world premieres across both sections (TIFF). The festival has also named five Special Presentations in its 2026 Official Selection, including David and Nathan Zellner's Alpha Gang, Benjamín Naishtat's Glaxo, Rachel Morrison's Love of Your Life, and Ben Shirinian's The Housewife (TIFF).

The full documentary lineup adds to a festival season already taking shape. Venice confirmed Musk alongside a dark CIA comedy in its 2026 selection, positioning both films on the autumn awards trail (ABC News). For distributors and sales agents, Toronto's documentary section — long a launching pad for non-fiction titles seeking both audiences and awards attention — now has its roadmap for September.