Overview
- TIFF announced Tuesday that Being Heumann will have its world premiere on Sept. 10 at Roy Thomson Hall as the opening-night film of the festival’s 51st edition.
- The film is directed by Siân Heder, who co-wrote the screenplay with Rebekah Taussig, and stars Ruth Madeley with supporting roles from Mark Ruffalo, Dylan O’Brien, Rob Delaney and Ray Fisher; Apple Original Films is the studio behind the project.
- Being Heumann adapts Judy Heumann’s memoir and dramatizes her leadership of a 28-day 1977 sit-in at the San Francisco Federal Building to force enforcement of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, a key moment in U.S. disability-rights history.
- TIFF also confirmed two other gala world premieres—Susanna White’s Prima Facie starring Cynthia Erivo and Hur Jin-ho’s The Assassin(s)—and said more lineup announcements and the inaugural TIFF: The Market will follow ahead of the festival.
- The selection underscores TIFF’s role as a public launchpad for awards-season and studio-backed films while offering renewed visibility to disability-rights history by placing Heumann’s story on a major festival opening night.