River Set to Make a Splash at TIFF 2026 Midnight Madness

TIFF’s Midnight Madness is ready to welcome another wild night of genre cinema as River makes its world premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. Directed by Joshua Giuliano in his feature debut, the survival slasher brings together Don’t Breathe star Jane Levy and Happy Death Day star Jessica Rothe for a tense journey into the wilderness. With its world premiere taking place in front of Toronto’s famously enthusiastic late-night crowd, River has the ingredients to become one of the most talked-about genre titles at this year’s festival.

The film follows three estranged siblings who reunite to scatter their late father’s ashes during a trip along a remote river. What begins as an already complicated family reunion quickly turns into a nightmare when their motorboat breaks down and leaves them stranded without a phone signal. Their isolation becomes even more terrifying when a mysterious figure begins stalking them from the shoreline, forcing the siblings to confront both the threat around them and the tensions within their own family. Alongside Levy and Rothe, the cast includes Max Mattern and Prey actor Dane DiLiegro.

For horror fans, there may be no better setting for River than TIFF Midnight Madness. The programme has built its reputation on packed late-night screenings, enthusiastic audiences and films that aren’t afraid to push genre boundaries. A world premiere in Toronto gives Giuliano the opportunity to introduce his first feature in front of one of the festival circuit’s most passionate genre crowds. FERNTV will be at TIFF 2026 covering the premieres, filmmakers and talent bringing this year’s festival to life, with River firmly on our Midnight Madness watchlist.