Onwards and Sideways has its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 13, 2026. John Madden directs Rhys Ifans and Laura Linney as two strangers who receive a Parkinson’s diagnosis at the same clinic on the same morning.
The film opens in UK cinemas on November 6, 2026. BBC One and BBC iPlayer will show it later in the year. A US cinema release is planned, but the producers have not announced an exact US date.
Onwards and Sideways at a glance
- World premiere: September 13, 2026 at TIFF in Toronto.
- Runtime: 110 minutes on the current TIFF event listing.
- UK cinema date: November 6, 2026.
- BBC release: BBC One and BBC iPlayer later in 2026; exact date not announced.
- Main cast: Rhys Ifans, Laura Linney, Monica Dolan and Rory Kinnear.
- Director: John Madden.
- Writer: Paul Mayhew-Archer.
- Content advisory: mature themes on the TIFF event page.
The TIFF world premiere is September 13
TIFF presents Onwards and Sideways as a Gala world premiere at Roy Thomson Hall on September 13. The current event listing identifies it as a 2026 UK film in English with a 110-minute runtime.
The premiere is the first public stop in the release plan. The film then moves to UK cinemas in November. John Gore Studios also says cinemas in the United States are part of the plan, although it has not given the US run a date.
The TIFF listing includes a mature-themes advisory. The official premise centers on Parkinson’s disease, changes in work and family life, and the relationship that develops between Tony and Emma after their diagnoses.
What is Onwards and Sideways about?
Tony Evans and Emma Dretzin do not know each other before they visit the same clinic. Both learn that they have Parkinson’s on the same morning, then begin comparing symptoms and the ways the diagnosis affects their plans.
Tony is a deputy headteacher at a primary school. He wants to keep his condition private because he worries about his job. Emma is a composer, piano teacher and single mother who is more willing to talk openly and raise awareness.
Their lives continue to cross, including at a movement class for people with Parkinson’s. The official description presents the relationship as a friendship that grows through shared appointments, different reactions to the condition, music and dance. It does not describe either character as being cured.
Rhys Ifans plays Tony Evans
Rhys Ifans plays Tony, a deputy headteacher in a North Norfolk primary school. Official images show him at work with pupils as well as in the clinic where his story changes.
Tony initially avoids telling other people about his diagnosis. The TIFF synopsis says he does not have the tremor that Emma notices in herself, which contributes to the different ways they respond during the early part of the story.
The film was set and shot in North Norfolk. That places Tony’s school, home life and medical appointments in the same local community instead of treating the diagnosis as a separate hospital storyline.
Laura Linney plays Emma Dretzin
Laura Linney plays Emma, a pianist, composer and single mother of two daughters. Emma notices a tremor and decides to speak more openly about the condition than Tony does.
Movement and music are part of Emma’s everyday life before and after the diagnosis. The official stills show her in a group class, while the trailer connects that activity with the community she and Tony find.
The producers describe Tony and Emma as friends whose lives become increasingly connected. Their shared condition brings them together, but the current official material also gives them separate families, jobs and reasons for deciding how public to be.
Monica Dolan and Rory Kinnear join the cast
Monica Dolan plays Liz Evans, Tony’s sister, and Rory Kinnear plays Professor Ridge. Paul Mayhew-Archer also appears in the film, although the current official pages do not name his character.
The supporting roles connect the central friendship to family and medical care. John Gore Studios’ images show Liz outdoors with Tony and Professor Ridge speaking with him in a clinic room.
The official cast announcements do not provide complete names for every smaller role. Those details remain unconfirmed instead of being filled from unofficial databases.
John Madden directs Paul Mayhew-Archer’s script
John Madden directs from a screenplay by Paul Mayhew-Archer. Thomas Newman composed the score, continuing his previous work with Madden.
Hilary Bevan Jones and John Gore produced the film. Hilltop Screen made it for John Gore Studios and the BBC. Icon Film Distribution handles the UK theatrical release, while Kaleidoscope Film Distribution represents worldwide sales.
Mayhew-Archer was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2011, when he was 58. The official production announcement says his experience informed his interest in writing the film. The producers describe Tony and Emma as fictional characters rather than presenting the movie as a direct autobiography.
When will Onwards and Sideways be released?
Onwards and Sideways opens in UK cinemas on November 6, 2026. John Gore Studios says the film will also reach US cinemas, but no exact US date is currently listed.
BBC One and BBC iPlayer will carry the film later in 2026 after the cinema release. The announcement does not give a specific television or streaming date, and it does not confirm availability on BBC iPlayer outside the United Kingdom.
The Onwards and Sideways movie page keeps the confirmed dates, trailer and official images together. More upcoming releases are available in the Movies section.
The official trailer introduces Tony and Emma
Icon Film Distribution’s official trailer follows Tony and Emma from their clinic visit into school, family life and the movement class. It establishes their different reactions without revealing a final outcome for the relationship.
The trailer also shows Monica Dolan and Rory Kinnear in their supporting roles. Its November 6 message applies to the UK cinema release. It should not be read as a worldwide theatrical or streaming date.
Onwards and Sideways FAQ
When is Onwards and Sideways coming out?
The film has its world premiere at TIFF on September 13, 2026 and opens in UK cinemas on November 6. BBC One and BBC iPlayer will show it later in 2026, but that date and the US cinema date are not yet confirmed.
Who stars in Onwards and Sideways?
Rhys Ifans plays Tony Evans, Laura Linney plays Emma Dretzin, Monica Dolan plays Liz Evans and Rory Kinnear plays Professor Ridge.
Is Onwards and Sideways based on a true story?
The official announcements describe Tony and Emma as characters in Paul Mayhew-Archer’s script. Mayhew-Archer has Parkinson’s and drew on his experience, but the film is not presented as a direct account of his life.
