The British Film Institute (BFI), is sending a delegation of six UK Black and Global Majority producers to Toronto this September, giving them a seat at the table for TIFF: The Market, the first-ever formal industry market hosted by the Toronto International Film Festival.
The initiative is funded through the BFI National Lottery International Connections Fund and is designed to help UK producers build international networks, secure co-production partners and move active development projects closer to the screen.
Who’s Going: The 2026 BFI TIFF Delegation
Chosen through an open application process, each producer has at least one UK/Canadian feature project already in active development.
The cohort is:
Farah Abushwesha (Rocliffe, London)
BAFTA-nominated. Credits: Lemonade (Barry Keoghan), Testimony, Netflix’s Irreplaceable You, sci-fi feature Woken. TV: Stags (Paramount+), No Return (ITV), The Singapore Grip, The ABC Murders. Founder, BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Competition.
Yemi Adegbulu (Sleepwalker Studios, South West)
British-Nigerian producer across features, docs and shorts. Associate Producer: Dreamers (BBC Films/Quiddity Films), Everybody Wants to Fck Me* (Studiocanal/Film4/LuckyChap/Parkville Pictures). Producing Mother Me (BFI NETWORK), post-production, via Sleepwalker Studios, which she co-founded.
Jumafor Ajogwu (Bold Pictures, Yorkshire & the Humber)
Leeds-based, decade+ working UK/Nigeria. Credits: Lionheart (Nigeria’s first Netflix Original), The Milkmaid (Nigeria’s Oscar submission), My Father’s Shadow (Un Certain Regard, Cannes; Caméra d’Or Special Mention; BAFTA for Outstanding British Debut; multiple AMVCAs). Debut feature Which Way now on the festival/sales circuit. Producing Sleepless — UK-Nigerian supernatural thriller, Screen Yorkshire-backed, BFI-supported, written by Olivier winner Bola Agbaje, directed by Sundance winner CJ “Fiery” Obasi, co-producing with Nigeria, South Africa and Ireland, shooting Feb 2027.
Emma Grazette (Blue J Pictures, Yorkshire & the Humber)
NFTS-trained. Credits: Death in Paradise (BBC/Red Planet, S14–15), The Birthday Party (Locarno 2025), lead producer on two YouTube originals, Student Academy Award and Cannes Lions Gold-winning shorts. Slate includes a Jamaica-set period war film with BBC Film, a Ghana-set thriller, a South Africa-set adventure, and a UK-Canada co-production based on a novel by Alex Wheatle MBE.
Nadine Marsh-Edwards (Greenacre Films, London)
Emmy-nominated, BAFTA and RTS winner. Credits: Riches (ITV/Amazon), Unsaid Stories (ITV), The Ruins of Empire and Joe All Alone (BBC). Features: Been So Long (Netflix/BFI/Film4), BAFTA-nominated Bhaji on the Beach, Hijack Stories, Looking for Langston and Cannes Critics’ Week winner Young Soul Rebels. Founding member, Sankofa Film and Video. Board member, The Film and TV Charity.
Chi Thai (Last Conker, London)
Two-time BIFA-nominated, Screen International Star of Tomorrow. Raging Grace won Best Film and Best Debut at SXSW 2023, now released theatrically in the UK and North America. Other credits: Little Miss Sumo (Netflix), Lullaby (Alter), Automat (Sky), The Promise (BBC). Co-founder, MilkTea.
“We have created a programme that not only enables the delegation to access the multitude of creative and financial opportunities to develop their projects at TIFF, but also the spaces and connections in this global community which will help to enhance and nurture their careers.” Melanie Hoyes, Senior Director of Inclusion, British Film Institute
What to See: Highlights of the BFI Programme at TIFF 2026
Ontario-UK Day
A dedicated day of sessions centring the cohort amongst a wider pool of UK and Canadian producers. Coordinated by Ontario Creates, featuring Black Screen Office, Indigenous Screen Office, a Canadian distribution panel, a networking lunch and curated one-to-one meetings. The BFI’s Director of UK Global Screen Fund & International Funds, Denitsa Yordanova, presents on co-producing with the UK.
The Stories We Tell
Advancing Accessibility Through Inclusive Storytelling”: A BFI-co-presented panel at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Sunday 13th September 2026, exploring how storytelling can drive genuine disability inclusion. Speakers include athlete and activist Rick Hansen, BAFTA-nominated actor Ruth Madeley, filmmaker Matthew Kowalchuk, producer Prasanna Ranganathan, Collective Moxie founder Julie Ann Crommett, and BFI Inclusion Partners Tahliah Simumba and Melissa Allada.
ScreenUK Industry Stand
A dedicated UK presence inside the new Market, alongside the long-running UK Sales Office at the Hyatt.
Why It Matters
TIFF’s decision to launch a formal Market alongside its festival marks a significant expansion for one of the world’s biggest public film events, opening fresh routes for financing, buying and selling projects. For the BFI, sending a producer delegation that reflects the diversity of British storytelling is intended to translate directly into new UK-Canada co-productions and stronger international sales for UK film.
Call to Action
Following these six producers’ journeys through TIFF: The Market? Follow the BFI’s international funding programmes for future delegation opportunities, and keep an eye out for Sleepless, Mother Me, and the slate of UK-Canada, UK-Caribbean and UK-African co-productions taking shape from this year’s cohort.
Producers interested in applying for future BFI National Lottery International Connections Fund opportunities can watch the BFI’s official channels for the next open call.
Visit: https://bfi.org.uk for more information
By Tessa Lwanga