The Toronto International Film Festival has put a pair of crowd-pleasing films into the early awards-season conversation, with Jesse Eisenberg’s musical comedy “The Debut” and Peter Farrelly’s “I Play Rocky” drawing enthusiastic festival responses.
“The Debut,” starring Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti, follows a New Jersey housewife who discovers a new life through community theater. Eisenberg has described the film as autobiographical in spirit despite its unusual premise.
“I Play Rocky” revisits Sylvester Stallone’s struggle to get the original “Rocky” made and drew a strong reception at its Toronto premiere. The festival has also showcased Siân Heder’s “Being Heumann,” centered on disability-rights pioneer Judy Heumann.
This year’s TIFF is unfolding amid a broader shift in the festival business, with major traditional studios sending fewer films while streamers and independent distributors play a larger role in the fall circuit.
Source: Associated Press coverage from the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival.
