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Still of The World Before' (provided by Segye Ilbo)

New works by Korean directors have been invited to the 51st Toronto International Film Festival. Yoon Dan-bi's "The World Before" has been selected for the Platform section, the festival's competitive strand, while Lee Chang-dong's "Possible Love" and Yeon Sang-ho's "Paradise Lost" will screen in the Special Presentations section. Hur Jin-ho's "The Assassin(s)" was previously announced as a Gala Presentations title.

TIFF is regarded as the largest film festival in North America. The 51st edition will run from September 10 to 20 in Toronto, Canada.

Yoon Dan-bi's "The World Before" Selected for Platform

Platform is TIFF's competitive section, selecting works based on a director's distinctive vision and singular artistic world. The festival created the section to spotlight directorial voices, and describes this year's selections as a reflection of contemporary auteur cinema.

"The World Before" follows a summer in the life of Jin, a seventeen-year-old living on an island. Doo-jae, a childhood friend from whom she was separated, returns to the island to attend his grandmother's funeral, and as the two reunite, Jin confronts a desire she has never experienced before.

Director Yoon Dan-bi said that "first love is the moment one world ends and another begins." She added that she hopes the film will prompt audiences to recall their own "world before" — the one each of them has passed through.

Lee Chang-dong's and Yeon Sang-ho's New Films Invited to Special Presentations

Still of The ‘Possible Love' (provided by Segye Ilbo)

Special Presentations introduces new works by major directors alongside internationally noted titles. It is a non-competitive section. The list of invited films was released on the 20th.

"Possible Love" is Lee Chang-dong's first feature in eight years, following "Burning." The film centers on a laid-off worker and his wife, and a documentary director and her husband, whose lives intersect during the making of a documentary. It stars Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Jo In-sung, and Jo Yeo-jeong. Lee previously served as a juror at the 43rd Toronto International Film Festival in 2018.

"Paradise Lost" is a psychological thriller directed by Yeon Sang-ho. The story centers on Ryu So-young, a mother who lost her son in a camping-school bus disappearance nine years earlier. The narrative begins when the son, previously believed dead, returns. Ryu So-young is played by Kim Hyun-joo. Yeon was invited to this section last year with "Face," making this his second consecutive year in the program with "Paradise Lost." The film is set for domestic release in October.

"The Assassin(s)," Previously Announced

"The Assassin(s)" is based on the shooting of South Korea's First Lady during the 29th Liberation Day ceremony in 1974. It stars Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il, and Lee Min-ho. Director Hur Jin-ho's new film was invited to the Gala Presentations section ahead of the announcement of the Special Presentations lineup.

A Widening Presence Across Competitive and Non-Competitive Sections

This marks the second consecutive year that a Korean film has appeared in the Platform section, following Yoon Ga-eun's "The World of Love" last year.

Korean cinema's standing at TIFF is no longer confined to a single section and continues to widen. This year, Korean films appear across both competitive and non-competitive sections. With a second consecutive year in the competitive section, and new works by leading directors also invited to a section showcasing major auteurs, attention now turns to how these films will be received when the festival opens on September 10.

Sources

• Segye Ilbo, "Director Yoon Dan-bi's The World Before Invited to Toronto Film Festival Competition Section," 2026.07.22

• Segye Ilbo, "Directors Lee Chang-dong and Yeon Sang-ho Invited to Toronto Film Festival," 2026.07.22

• Yonhap News, "Director Yoon Dan-bi's The World Before Invited to Toronto Film Festival Competition Section," 2026.07.22

• Yonhap News, "Lee Chang-dong's Possible Love Invited to Venice Film Festival Competition Section," 2026.07.23

• Yonhap News (English), "Yoon Dan-bi's The World Before to compete in Toronto film fest," 2026.07.22