Director Siân Heder, whose feature CODA won best picture at the Academy Awards, premiered her new film Being Heumann at the Toronto International Film Festival on 10 September 2026 as part of a renewed debate about how Hollywood treats disability on- and off-screen, AP reported.
From a watershed moment to fresh questions
CODA — noted for being the first largely deaf-cast film to win the best picture Oscar — was widely hailed as a breakthrough for disability representation. Yet Heder has been reflecting on whether that success has produced lasting change in the industry. The director said a recurring line ran through her mind as she prepared to bring the new project to Toronto:
“What would Judy do?”
The film documents the life and activism of Judy Heumann, a disability rights pioneer whose leadership helped shape the movement that led to the Americans With Disabilities Act. Heder’s choice to centre Heumann’s story comes as questions persist about how stories about disabled people are told, who is given opportunities to tell them, and whether Hollywood has shifted its hiring, casting and storytelling practices in meaningful ways.
What Being Heumann adds
According to AP reporting, Heder premiered Being Heumann at TIFF with cast and crew arriving on the red carpet in Toronto. The film positions Heumann’s activism — including the protests and organising that contributed to legislative change — at the centre of an intimate portrait of modern civil rights history.
While CODA’s awards success pushed the conversation into the mainstream, Heder’s new film interrogates the structural work that underpins change rather than letting a single victory stand as proof that systems have been transformed.
- CODA — credited as the first largely deaf-cast film to win best picture.
- Being Heumann — premiered at TIFF on 10 September 2026 and chronicles Judy Heumann’s role in the disability rights movement and the path to the Americans With Disabilities Act.
- Heder’s reflection focuses attention on industry practices beyond awards: casting, creative leadership and authentic representation.
| Film | Notable fact |
|---|---|
| CODA | First largely deaf-cast film to win best picture at the Oscars |
| Being Heumann | Profiles Judy Heumann and the disability rights movement; premiered at TIFF, 10 September 2026 |
Why this matters for South African and global screens
The questions Heder raises are relevant beyond Hollywood. Filmmakers, casting directors and commissioning editors worldwide are grappling with how to include disabled artists authentically, not only on camera but in writers’ rooms, production teams and leadership roles. In South Africa, where storytelling has a crucial role in shaping public understanding of inclusion and equality, the way international industry leaders address disability representation can influence local commissioning and training priorities.
AP’s coverage underscores that awards can spotlight marginalised communities, but they do not automatically dismantle the structural barriers that limit opportunities for disabled artists. Heder’s film aims to shift the conversation from symbolic wins to the long work of policy, access and equal opportunity — the same work Heumann herself championed.
For audiences and industry professionals watching TIFF’s line-up, Being Heumann offers both a reminder of past victories and a prompt to consider what genuine progress would look like in casting, creative leadership and labour practices across global film industries.
As festival screenings continue, the film is likely to re-energise discussions about authenticity and accountability in storytelling — and about who gets to tell whose story.
