Youtube has been the talk of tinseltown as of late, with many of the platform’s creators making the jump from small screen to big. 2026 in particular has seen Youtube talent dominate Hollywood, with Curry Barker’s Obsession and Kane Parson’s Backrooms being two of the most talked about films of the year.
Now, in partnership with Variety, Youtube has found a place at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The Youtube Creator Festival at TIFF: The Market was held on September 10 at TIFF Lightbox on festival street. The first event of its kind, it featured new projects from two major creators Ziwe Fumudoh and Mark Vins. The former premiering two new episodes of her series, You’d Be an Iconic Guest, and the latter premiering a feature-length documentary Reef to Ridge.
Actress and comedian Wanda Sykes, as well as political commentator (and influencer himself,) Hasan Piker were the guest subjects of Fumudoh’s interviews. The screenings of which were followed by a Q&A, moderated by Variety’s Matt Donnelly.
Ziwe at Variety and YouTube Creator Screening Series at TIFF held at TIFF Lightbox on September 10, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario.
“I do believe that digital creators are like the new Hollywood,” Fumudoh commented, “So many of us as artists are gatekept, we’re not able to create…[With Youtube] we have the opportunity to not have to wait.”
Vins’ documentary follows his team on an expedition through the Galápagos Islands, on their mission to document endangered species that survived the 2022 Wolf Volcano eruption. With more than 12 years on the platform, his Brave Wilderness channel has broken out of short-form video. Reef to Ridge is Vins’ first full-length documentary.
Mark Vins at Variety and YouTube Creator Screening Series at TIFF held at TIFF Lightbox on September 10, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario.
Following the premieres in Toronto, and unlike most projects to premiere at TIFF, both Vins’ documentary, as well as the new episodes of Fumudoh’s series, will be released on Youtube-where these creators got their start.
