Belgian Film ‘Le Faux Soir’ Selected for Toronto Festival

Belgian director Michaël R. Roskam’s fourth feature film, Le Faux Soir, has been selected for the 51st edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), one of North America’s most prestigious cinematic events. The film will have its world premiere in the festival’s Special Presentations programme, which runs from 10 to 20 September 2026, as reported by VRT NWS.

A Daring Act of Resistance

Set in 1943 during the Nazi occupation of Belgium, Le Faux Soir tells the remarkable true story of a group of resistance fighters who printed a fake, satirical edition of the newspaper Le Soir after the Germans had turned it into a propaganda tool. The occupier is ridiculed in the fake edition, which has been described as “the world’s first media hack” by Screen Flanders.

The historical “Faux Soir” was published on 9 November 1943 by the Front de l’Indépendance resistance movement. Some 50,000 copies were distributed across Brussels kiosks, mocking Nazi propaganda and collaborationist journalists. The operation was executed in just 21 days, but it came at a heavy cost: the Gestapo investigation led to arrests, with printer Ferdinand Wellens and resistance member Théo Mullier dying in concentration camps, while originator Marc Aubrion was sentenced to death, later commuted to 15 years in prison.

A Stellar Cast

The film features an impressive ensemble cast led by Belgian actor Arieh Worthalter, winner of the 2024 César Award for Best Actor for Le Procès Goldman. He is joined by acclaimed Belgian actors Bouli Lanners, François Damiens, Mara Taquin, Jean-Benoît Ugeux, Pierre Gervais, Ruth Becquart, and Viviane De Muynck, alongside French actors Karim Leklou and Mélanie Thierry, as detailed by BRUZZ.

Roskam’s Return to TIFF

This selection marks a homecoming for Roskam, who previously premiered The Drop — starring Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, and James Gandolfini in his final on-screen performance — at TIFF in 2014. The Sint-Truiden-born director first gained international acclaim with his debut feature Bullhead (2011), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. He was later invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2012.

Production and Release

Le Faux Soir is produced by Frakas Productions (Belgium) with support from the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, in co-production with Harbor Men Pictures (Roskam’s own company) and Rectangle Productions (France). The screenplay was co-written by Roskam and Bernard Falaise, loosely adapted from the book by Marie Istas. International sales are handled by Goodfellas, with Cinéart releasing the film in the Benelux. The film received support from the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF) and the Screen Flanders Economic Fund, as confirmed by DHnet/Belga.

Belgian audiences can look forward to the film’s theatrical release from 2 December 2026.

A Strong Moment for Belgian Cinema

Le Faux Soir is one of two high-profile Belgian films at TIFF 2026, alongside Lukas Dhont’s Coward, which will have its North American premiere after a successful run at Cannes. This dual presence signals a particularly strong moment for Belgian cinema on the international stage.

The historical event itself remains deeply embedded in Belgian national memory as a symbol of resistance and the characteristic Brussels folk humor known as “zwanze.” The meta-narrative is also notable: Le Soir, the newspaper that was the target of the original resistance stunt, has itself reported on the film about the fake version of its own publication, as noted by Wikipedia.

What to Watch For

With its selection for TIFF’s Special Presentations programme — a section that serves as an important springboard towards the international awards season — Le Faux Soir is well-positioned for global recognition. Whether the film will be considered for the Oscars’ International Feature category remains an open question, but its combination of a compelling true story, an acclaimed director, and a stellar cast makes it one of the most anticipated Belgian films of the year.