Mila Aung-Thwin's The Ultra Runner Premieres at TIFF This September
The Emmy-winning Canadian filmmaker's new documentary follows a Romanian ultramarathoner's unlikely path from a decade in prison to Arctic endurance champion.
The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mila Aung-Thwin's latest documentary, The Ultra Runner, hits TIFF's Docs program this September with a story that sounds too wild to be true—except it is.
The 98-minute film tracks Tibi Ușeriu, a Romanian ultramarathoner who spent ten years in a high-security prison before transforming his life through extreme endurance running. It's the kind of redemption arc that feels scripted, but Aung-Thwin (whose credits include the Emmy-winning Last Train Home and Sundance prize winner Midwives) frames it as something messier: an internal wrestling match with survival, guilt, and willpower.
Ușeriu's story: he fled Romania after 1989, did time for armed robbery, then came home to find his brother Alin had built a social NGO and started the 1,600-kilometre Via Transilvanica trail project on their family land. He found ultrarunning, won four Arctic competitions covering more than 3,000 kilometres, and wrote a bestselling autobiography called 27 Steps.
The film follows him across Transylvania's forests, Arctic tundra, and the Italian Alps—less a sports documentary than a portrait of someone trying to outrun a past he can't fully leave behind.
Ușeriu and his brother Alin will travel from Romania to attend the premiere and do Q&As after screenings. Full TIFF scheduling drops August 11. A Canadian theatrical release is planned for spring 2027.
The Montreal-produced film comes from EYESTEELFILM and Ontario's winterhouse pictures, with support from Telefilm Canada and SODEC Québec.
The details
When does The Ultra Runner premiere at TIFF?
The Ultra Runner premieres at TIFF in September 2026 as part of the festival's Docs program. Full scheduling details will be available August 11, 2026.
Who is the subject of The Ultra Runner?
Tibi Ușeriu, a Romanian ultramarathoner who spent ten years in prison before becoming an Arctic endurance champion and winning four Arctic competitions covering more than 3,000 kilometres.
Will the filmmakers attend the TIFF premiere?
Tibi Ușeriu and his brother Alin will travel from Romania to attend the premiere and participate in Q&As after screenings.
When will The Ultra Runner be released in Canadian theatres?
The Ultra Runner is planned for a Canadian theatrical release in spring 2027.
