Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna Lead a Strong Latino Presence at TIFF 2026 in Toronto.

TORONTO — Latino and Latin American cinema will have a notable presence at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, with longtime friends and collaborators Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna among the most recognizable names bringing new work to Toronto.

García Bernal will arrive at TIFF with Hombre al agua, the Mexican actor and filmmaker’s third feature as a director. The film, which he also stars in, will receive its North American premiere as part of TIFF’s Special Presentations program. Its ensemble includes Manuel García-Rulfo, Esmeralda Pimentel, Débora Nascimento, Natalia Oreiro, Anna Díaz and Jorge Salinas.

Luna, meanwhile, brings Ashes (Ceniza en la boca) to TIFF’s Centrepiece program following its debut at Cannes. The Mexico-Spain production, directed and co-written by Luna, follows Mexican siblings confronting the difficult realities of migration after reuniting with their mother in Madrid. The cast includes Anna Díaz and Adriana Paz.

Their simultaneous presence in the TIFF lineup carries added significance. García Bernal and Luna emerged internationally with Alfonso Cuarón’s Y Tu Mamá También and later became producing partners, helping build a creative partnership that has championed Mexican and Latin American storytelling for decades.

They’re hardly alone in Toronto.

Argentine filmmaker Benjamín Naishtat’s Glaxo, an Argentina-Brazil production starring Lali Espósito, will receive its world premiere, while TIFF’s expanding 2026 program includes additional films and filmmakers representing Mexico, Argentina and other parts of Latin America.

For an international festival entering a new era, TIFF 2026 is offering more than Hollywood star power.

Latin cinema has a seat at the table — and two of Mexico’s most internationally recognized filmmakers are helping lead the way.