Level 1 — Absolute Beginner
The Toronto Film Festival is a big event where new movies are shown for the first time. This year is its 51st time happening.
The festival announced 64 movies that will be shown. Many famous directors made these movies.
One movie is about the boxer Sylvester Stallone's life. Another movie is by the funny actor Chris Rock.
The festival starts on September 10 and ends on September 20. The first movie is called Being Heumann. The last movie is about a famous race car driver.
- festival
- a special event where many things, like movies, are shown or celebrated together
- premiere
- the first time a movie is shown to the public
- director
- the person in charge of making a movie
- biopic
- a movie based on the true story of a real person's life
- announce
- to tell people about something officially
- opening
- the first event or item at the start of something
- closing
- the last event or item at the end of something
- race car driver
- a person who drives cars very fast in competitions
Level 2 — Elementary
The Toronto International Film Festival announced the lineup for its 51st edition, revealing 64 titles across its Gala and Special Presentations sections.
The lineup includes 32 world premieres from well known filmmakers such as Anton Corbijn, who made A Talent for Murder, John Madden, who made Onwards and Sideways, and Chris Rock, who made a film called Misty Green.
One of the most talked about films is a biopic about boxing legend Sylvester Stallone called I Play Rocky, directed by Peter Farrelly. The festival will open on September 10 with Being Heumann, directed by Sian Heder, who also made the film CODA.
The festival will close on September 19 with Villeneuve: The Rise of a Legend, a sports drama about Canadian racing star Gilles Villeneuve. The 2026 festival runs through September 20 and features films from filmmakers in nearly 30 countries.
- lineup
- a list of items, such as movies, planned for an event
- edition
- one version of a regularly repeated event, such as an annual festival
- filmmaker
- a person who creates movies, often as a director or producer
- legend
- a famous person widely admired for their achievements
- sports drama
- a movie that tells an emotional story centered around sports
- gala
- a special, often formal event, such as a festival screening with celebrities
- feature
- to include or highlight something prominently, such as a film in a festival
- well known
- recognized or famous to many people
Level 3 — Intermediate
The Toronto International Film Festival unveiled the lineup for its 51st edition, revealing 64 titles across its Gala and Special Presentations programs, including 32 world premieres from an internationally diverse slate of filmmakers.
Among the highlighted premieres are Anton Corbijn's A Talent for Murder, John Madden's Onwards and Sideways, and Chris Rock's Misty Green, alongside significant buzz surrounding Peter Farrelly's I Play Rocky, a biopic chronicling the life of boxing icon Sylvester Stallone.
The festival opens on September 10 with Being Heumann, directed by Sian Heder, whose earlier film CODA won the Academy Award for Best Picture. It closes on September 19 with Villeneuve: The Rise of a Legend, Yan Lanouette Turgeon's sports drama about the early career of Canadian Formula One driver Gilles Villeneuve.
This year's sections draw on work from nearly 30 countries, featuring acclaimed directors including Pedro Almodovar, Danny Boyle, Mike Leigh and Hirokazu Kore-eda. The festival is also launching TIFF: The Market, a standalone film industry hub running September 10 through 16 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, marking an expansion of the event's role within the global film industry.
- unveil
- to reveal or make something publicly known for the first time
- slate
- a group or list of planned items, such as films or projects
- chronicle
- to record or tell the story of a series of events over time
- icon
- a person widely recognized and admired as a symbol of excellence in their field
- acclaimed
- praised highly, often by critics or experts
- standalone
- existing or functioning independently, not attached to something else
- hub
- a central place where activity is concentrated
- expansion
- an increase in size, scope, or reach
Level 4 — Advanced
The Toronto International Film Festival unveiled the lineup for its 51st edition, revealing 64 titles across its Gala and Special Presentations programs, including 32 world premieres drawn from an internationally diverse slate of established and emerging filmmakers.
Among the highlighted premieres are Anton Corbijn's A Talent for Murder, John Madden's Onwards and Sideways, and Chris Rock's Misty Green, alongside considerable anticipation surrounding Peter Farrelly's I Play Rocky, a biopic chronicling the life of boxing icon Sylvester Stallone.
The festival opens on September 10 with Being Heumann, directed by Sian Heder, whose earlier feature CODA won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and closes on September 19 with Villeneuve: The Rise of a Legend, Yan Lanouette Turgeon's sports drama chronicling the formative career of Canadian Formula One driver Gilles Villeneuve.
This year's programming draws on work from nearly 30 countries, featuring acclaimed directors including Pedro Almodovar, Danny Boyle, Mike Leigh and Hirokazu Kore-eda. The festival is simultaneously inaugurating TIFF: The Market, a standalone film industry hub operating September 10 through 16 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, a development that signals an expansion of the event's ambitions beyond public screenings into the commercial infrastructure of the global film industry.
- emerging
- newly developing or rising to prominence, especially in a career or field
- anticipation
- excitement or expectation about something that is going to happen
- formative
- relating to a period that has a strong and lasting influence on someone's development
- programming
- the selection and scheduling of content, such as films, for an event
- inaugurate
- to begin or introduce something formally, often for the first time
- infrastructure
- the underlying structures and systems that support an industry or organization
- commercial
- relating to buying, selling, or the business side of an activity
- ambition
- a strong desire to achieve a particular goal or level of success
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