Toronto/CMEDIA: The first group of honourees of the annual TIFF Tribute Awards celebrating outstanding contributions to cinema has reportedly been announced by TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey.
“From the captivating performances of Isabelle Huppert, Penélope Cruz, and Rosalind Eleazar to Lee Chang-dong and Siân Heder’s vital filmmaking, each It’s our privilege to recognize their achievements as we gather to celebrate another exceptional year in film and rally support for TIFF’s ongoing work,” Cameron has said.
Celebrating some of cinema’s most exciting artists at an event dedicated to the transformative power of film, TIFF Tribute Awards now in its eighth year has shown a profound impact on screen storytelling.
TIFF Special Tribute Award, presented by CHANEL will be received by the Academy Award–winning actor Penélope Cruz.
TIFF’s largest annual fundraiser and a world-class celebration of cinematic excellence, the Tribute Awards gala’s proceeds support expanded access to cinema, championing artists, strengthening the industry, and bringing communities together through film.
Presented in partnership with Rolex, with support from RBC, Fairmont Royal York Hotel, and Don Julio, 2026 TIFF Tribute Awards honourees are as follows:
Recognizing an individual who has made an extraordinary and unique contribution to the world of film, Academy Award winner Penélope Cruz would get the TIFF Special Tribute Award, presented by CHANEL
Three-time nominee Penélope Cruz has two films premiering at this year’s Festival: Bunker from Oscar-winning writer-director Florian Zeller and La Bola Negra, directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi from a screenplay co-written with Alberto Conejero. Her other starring roles this year include The Bride!, directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, alongside Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, and Peter Sarsgaard, and Olivia Wilde’s The Invite alongside Wilde, Seth Rogen, and Edward Norton.Cruz becomes the first actress from Spain to be nominated for and win an Academy Award. Her acclaimed credits include Volver (TIFF ’06), Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008), Nine (2009), and Parallel Mothers (2021). Previous recipients include Lee Byung Hun, Zacharias Kunuk, and Jafar Panahi (2025), Zhao Tao (2024), Andy Lau (2023), Dionne Warwick (2021), and David Foster (2019).
Named after legendary film critic Roger Ebert, the award recognizes visionary filmmakers who have made a transformative impact on cinema Lee Chang-dong would receive TIFF Ebert Director Award, presented by The Tory Family.
Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong returns to TIFF with the Special Presentations premiere of his anticipated Possible Love, a tale of relationships plus generational and class divides. Beginning his career as a novelist before transitioning into cinema, Chang-dong has built an international reputation through films that contemplate contemporary humanity and society.
Past recipients include Guillermo del Toro (2025), Mike Leigh (2024), Spike Lee (2023), Sam Mendes (2022), Denis Villeneuve (2021), and Chloé Zhao (2020).
Rosalind Eleazar would be honored with TIFF Tribute Performer Award for her performance in Chris Rock’s Misty Green.
Making her return to TIFF following the World Premiere of The Personal History of David Copperfield (TIFF ’19), Eleazar’s screen credits include Rose of Nevada (TIFF ’25), Missing You (2025), for which she was recognized with a Royal Television Society Award, Class of ’09 (2023), Deep Water (2019), Harlots (2017–2019), Rellik (2017), National Treasure (2016), and more. On stage, Eleazar most recently appeared opposite Ralph Fiennes in Small Hotel as part of the Theatre Royal Bath season.
With a career spanning over 100 films, Oscar-nominated Isabelle Huppert would be presented with TIFF Tribute Performer Award.
Re-teaming with Marc Fitoussi (Paris Follies, 2014) in his latest comedy All About Corinne, a TIFF ’26 Gala Presentation, in which Isabelle Huppert plays a background actor who spots a belated chance to break into the fickle family of le cinéma français. Past recipients are Nina Hoss and Channing Tatum (2025), Amy Adams and Jharrel Jerome (2024), Colman Domingo and Vicky Krieps (2023), Brendan Fraser and the ensemble cast of My Policeman (2022), Jessica Chastain and Benedict Cumberbatch (2021), Kate Winslet and Sir Anthony Hopkins (2020), plus Meryl Streep and Joaquin Phoenix (2019).
A defining voice in contemporary cinema, American writer, director, and producer Siân Heder would receive TIFF Tribute Award in Impact Media, presented by Anne-Marie Canning making her Festival debut with the TIFF ’26 World Premiere of Being Heumann,
Siân Heder follows-up to her Oscar-winning CODA (2021 with Opening Night Gala Presentation featuring a breakout performance by Ruth Madeley and Oscar nominee Mark Ruffalo in this inspiring historical drama celebrating the paradigm-shifting activist Judy Heumann, “Mother of the Disability Rights Movement.”
Building on a body of work that includes Tallulah (2016) and TV credits such as Orange Is the New Black and Little America, Heder continues to advance inclusive storytelling and pave the way for a more accessible future on and off screen.Previously bestowed upon Idris Elba, Angelina Jolie, Pedro Almodóvar, Mira Nair, and Alanis Obomsawin, the TIFF Tribute Award in Impact Media is presented by Anne-Marie Canning and recognizes leadership in creating a union between social impact and cinema.
About Rolex and Cinema:
Since 2017, Rolex has supported the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, serving as Proud Sponsor of the Oscars®, hosting the event’s Greenroom, as well as supporting the Governors Awards, which recognize lifetime achievement and humanitarian efforts in the film industry. Rolex also sponsors Film at Lincoln Center as Official Partner and Exclusive Timepiece.
Celebrating human achievement as a journey marked by milestones, emotions, and defining moments. For more than half a century, Rolex has partnered some of the world’s most talented artists and leading cultural institutions to promote excellence and the transmission of artistic heritage, creating a link between the past, present, and future.
A broad portfolio of arts, Perpetual Arts Initiative extends through architecture, cinema, dance, music, literature, theatre, and visual arts, the brand confirms its long-term commitment to global culture. Having
Having had close ties with the film industry for decades, the company has watches playing a role in numerous films, including Oscar®-winning masterpieces, and promoting achievement.
A not-for-profit cultural organization, a global leader in film and entertainment, TIFF has a mission to transform the way people see the world through film. TIFF initiatives include the annual Toronto International Film Festival® in September; TIFF Lightbox, which features five cinemas, plus learning and entertainment facilities; the Donald Shebib TIFF Film Circuit, an innovative national distribution programme; and TIFF: The Market launching in 2026. The organization generates an estimated annual economic impact of $240 million CAD. TIFF Lightbox is generously supported by contributors including the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada, the City of Toronto, the Reitman family (Ivan Reitman, Agi Mandel, and Susan Michaels), The Daniels Corporation, and RBC. For more information, visit tiff.net.
