An innovative documentary examining the political career of former Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney is set to make its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) next month. The film, titled Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney, was directed by acclaimed Montreal-based filmmaker Matthew Rankin and will be featured as part of TIFF’s Midnight Madness program, which spotlights unconventional genre films from around the globe.
Produced by the National Film Board of Canada, Rankin’s documentary adopts a distinctive style, employing largely archival footage interwoven with original animation and elements of Canadian pop culture. Peter Kuplowsky, programmer of the Midnight Madness series, described the film as reminiscent of an “Adam Curtis documentary overdosing on Heritage Minutes,” highlighting its irreverent and inventive approach to political history. This marks the first time a documentary has been included in the Midnight Madness lineup under Kuplowsky’s tenure, which began in 2017.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney follows Rankin’s previous success with his 2024 comedy Universal Language, which was shortlisted for Best International Feature at the 2025 Academy Awards. Rankin is also familiar to TIFF audiences from his 2019 debut feature The Twentieth Century, a surreal portrayal of William Lyon Mackenzie King that premiered in the Midnight Madness program and won the Best Canadian First Feature Film award.
The 2026 Midnight Madness slate will feature 10 films, kicking off with the world premiere of River, a slasher directed by Joshua Giuliano and starring Jane Levy. The lineup also includes the North American premiere of Rogue Trooper, an adult animated adaptation of a British comic strip directed by Duncan Jones. Additional highlights are Vintage Violence, an action-comedy set in Japan by Ukrainian-American filmmaker Eugene Kotlyarenko; Half, a Malayalam-language vampire action thriller from director Samjad; and Kick On, an Australian drug-fueled action-horror film directed by Nick Kozakis.
Beyond the official festival dates, TIFF will host two special Midnight Madness events: a Sept. 9 preview screening of Na Hong-jin’s sci-fi action film Hope, following its polarizing reception at Cannes, and a victory lap presentation of Curry Barker’s psychological thriller Obsession, which premiered at TIFF in 2025 before securing a wide theatrical release.
Additionally, Kuplowsky will host the annual Midnight Dankness event on Sept. 8, an unofficial pre-festival showcase of cult cinema and remix video art. Last year’s Midnight Dankness proceeds supported the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund and Islamic Relief Canada’s Orphan Sponsorship program, with details on this year’s charitable recipient forthcoming.
The 51st edition of the Toronto International Film Festival is scheduled to run from Sept. 10 through Sept. 20, 2026.