Hudson Williams Project
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It’s official! YAGA is heading to TIFF 2026, and September is already shaping up to be an exciting month for Hudson Williams.
The upcoming Crave Original series will make its World Premiere at the 51st Toronto International Film Festival, where it has been selected as part of the festival’s Primetime programme. Even better, Hudson will have a special TIFF event of his own on the very same day as the YAGA screening. With the festival schedule now out, here’s everything we know about YAGA at TIFF 2026 so far:
YAGA Is Making Its World Premiere at TIFF
YAGA will officially make its World Premiere at TIFF 2026, which takes place in Toronto from September 10 to 18. The series is part of TIFF’s Primetime programme, dedicated to episodic storytelling from Canada and around the world. The selection means TIFF audiences will be among the very first to watch YAGA before the series officially premieres this October.
When Is YAGA Screening at TIFF?
Mark your calendars! YAGA will screen at TIFF on September 17 at 9:00 PM at TIFF Lightbox.
The screening will mark the official World Premiere of the series. TIFF has not yet revealed every detail about the presentation, including how many episodes will be shown, so there is still more information to come as we get closer to the festival.
Hudson Williams Is Getting His Own TIFF Event!
Before YAGA takes over TIFF Lightbox that evening, Hudson will have another very special appearance at the festival.
TIFF announced Making Waves With… Hudson Williams, a special event presented as part of TIFF Next Wave and the festival’s In Conversation With… series. The event takes place on September 17 at 4:00 PM, just five hours before YAGA’s 9:00 PM screening.
During the conversation, Hudson will reflect on his career and the cinematic and cultural inspirations that have shaped him. TIFF says the discussion will touch on his work in Heated Rivalry and YAGA, as well as his upcoming films.
What Is YAGA About?
For anyone just joining the YAGA excitement, the series is a contemporary reimagining of the Baba Yaga legend created, written and showrun by Kat Sandler, who also wrote the original stage play.
At the center of the mystery is Henry Park, played by Hudson Williams, the young heir to a powerful commercial fishery who suddenly disappears. Local detective Carson, played by Clark Backo, reluctantly teams up with private investigator Rapp, played by Noah Reid, who has been hired by the Park family and has a personal connection to the case.
Their investigation eventually leads them to Katherine, played by Carrie-Anne Moss, an enigmatic university professor who may know far more than she lets on. What begins as a missing person investigation quickly becomes something much stranger, bringing together secret lives, suspicious characters and ancient magic.
Will Hudson Attend the YAGA Premiere?
We know Hudson Williams will be at TIFF 2026 thanks to his confirmed Making Waves With… appearance on September 17. With that event happening only hours before the YAGA screening, his presence in Toronto on premiere day is most likely confirmed.
However, TIFF has not yet announced a complete guest list specifically for the YAGA World Premiere. We’ll be keeping an eye out for confirmation regarding Hudson’s participation at the screening itself, as well as appearances from other members of the cast and creative team.
From Comic-Con to TIFF
It has already been a busy few months for YAGA. The series had a major promotional moment at San Diego Comic-Con in July, where the first look teaser and teaser art were revealed during an AMC+ panel featuring Noah Reid, Clark Backo and Kat Sandler.
Now YAGA is heading home to Canada for its World Premiere at one of the biggest film festivals in the world. It’s an especially fitting moment for the series, which was filmed in British Columbia and features an incredible Canadian cast and creative team.
Check out our YAGA SDCC panel recap:
When Does YAGA Premiere?
Following its TIFF World Premiere, YAGA is set to premiere in October 2026. The series consists of eight half hour episodes. An exact October premiere date has not been announced yet, which means there are still plenty of YAGA updates to look forward to.
For now, save the date: September 17, 2026. Hudson takes the stage for Making Waves With… Hudson Williams at 4:00 PM, followed by YAGA’s World Premiere screening at 9:00 PM.
We’ll keep this post updated with everything you need to know about YAGA at TIFF 2026, including new schedule information and everything else announced ahead of the premiere. Stay tuned!
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