Introduction to the film festival
Located in one of North America's 10 Best Cities to Live and Work As a Movie Maker and celebrating its 26th anniversary, the 11-day Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF) has grown to be the biggest film festival in Alberta and the sixth-largest in Canada.
Offering over $60,000 in cash and prizes, the festival awards outstanding films selected by the audience and esteemed juries. Showcasing an average of 200 short and feature length multi-genre films, from Canada and around the world, CIFF is a qualifying, accredited festival for the Academy Awards® and the Canadian Screen Awards.
Taking place on the edge of the world's most dynamic filming locations, the festival is known for its hospitality and has been named one of the “Top 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” by MovieMaker Magazine in 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Awards
Canadian Narrative Feature Award. This juried award is given to the Canadian director who creates the best narrative feature film in this section.
Canadian Documentary Feature Award. This juried award is given to the Canadian director who creates the best documentary in the section.
International Narrative Feature Award. This juried award is given to the international director who creates the best film in the section.
International Documentary Feature Award. This juried award is given to the international director who creates the best documentary in the section.
Short Film Grand Jury Prize. This juried award is given to the best overall short film at the festival and also qualifies the winner for consideration in the appropriate category of the Academy Awards®, without the standard theatrical run that a film typically needs to qualify for an Oscar® nomination.
Additional prizes for short films include:
Alberta Short Film Devon Bolton Memorial Award + $10,000 Gift Card from SUNBELT RENTALS toward the winner's next project
Live Action Short Film
Documentary Short Film
Animated Short Film
Student Short Film
Experimental Short Film
Youth By Youth Cinema International Short Film Award + 50% scholarship to VANCOUVER FILM SCHOOL
Youth By Youth Cinema Canada Short Film Award + 50% scholarship to VANCOUVER FILM SCHOOL + $2,500 Gift Card from SUNBELT RENTALS toward the winner's next project
10 Feature Film Audience Choice Awards:
Alberta Feature
Canadian Narrative
Canadian Documentary
International Narrative
International Documentary
New American Cinema
Late Shift
Music on Screen
Generation Next
Special Presentations
4 Short Film Audience Choice Awards:
Alberta
Documentary
Live Action
Animated
Rules
1) The film must not have been exhibited before June 1, 2024 and not previously submitted to the Calgary International Film Festival.
2) FEATURE FILMS MUST be at minimum a Calgary premiere (i.e. the film cannot have been screened publicly in Calgary prior to the 2025 Festival, including broadcast versions of any length, other local film festivals, and cast/crew screenings.)
3) FEATURE FILMS MUST NOT be or have been available online in any form within Canada (e.g. iTunes, VOD, Netflix, etc.)
4) SHORT FILMS - Priority is given to films that have not yet screened in Calgary and are not yet available online. We do accept competition-based created shorts, where screening online is part of the process (e.g. Telus STORYHIVE).
5) All applicable licenses and waivers of copyrights, moral rights, trademarks, and other such intellectual property rights have been secured by the filmmaker(s).
6) Films not in the English language must be subtitled in English.
7) Films previously submitted to the Festival in any stage of completion (i.e. films that were submitted as rough cuts) will not be reconsidered.
8) Submission fees are NON-REFUNDABLE.
9) Films only need to be submitted in one category. All films submitted will be considered for the category they are best suited by the programming team.
10) Submission deadlines are at 11:59 PM MST of the posted date.
11) Generally, we aim to preview each film a minimum of two times.
| Jury Name | Judge photos | Jury Profile |
|---|
Authorization type
Duration (several sessions)
Film Festival Features
Dates & Deadlines
2025-12-12
Submission start time
2026-02-24
Earlybird Deadline
2026-04-28
Regular Deadline
2026-05-12
Extended Deadline
2026-06-02
Final Deadline
2026-06-02
Submission end time
2026-08-20
Finalist notification start time
2026-08-20
Finalist notification end time
2026-09-24
Award ceremony start time
2026-10-04
Award ceremony end time
Categories and fees
2026/02/24
Earlybird Deadline
Standard: 35 Dollar
Student： 35 Dollar
2026/04/28
Regular Deadline
Standard: 45 Dollar
Student： 45 Dollar
2026/05/12
Extended Deadline
Standard: 55 Dollar
Student： 55 Dollar
2026/06/02
Final Deadline
Standard: 75 Dollar
Student： 75 Dollar
2026/02/24
Earlybird Deadline
Standard: 50 Dollar
Student： 45 Dollar
2026/04/28
Regular Deadline
Standard: 60 Dollar
Student： 60 Dollar
2026/05/12
Extended Deadline
Standard: 70 Dollar
Student： 70 Dollar
2026/06/02
Final Deadline
Standard: 90 Dollar
Student： 90 Dollar
2026/02/24
Earlybird Deadline
Standard: 50 Dollar
Student： 50 Dollar
2026/04/28
Regular Deadline
Standard: 60 Dollar
Student： 60 Dollar
2026/05/12
Extended Deadline
Standard: 70 Dollar
Student： 70 Dollar
2026/06/02
Final Deadline
Standard: 90 Dollar
Student： 90 Dollar
2026/02/24
Earlybird Deadline
Standard: 50 Dollar
Student： 50 Dollar
2026/04/28
Regular Deadline
Standard: 60 Dollar
Student： 60 Dollar
2026/05/12
Extended Deadline
Standard: 70 Dollar
Student： 70 Dollar
2026/06/02
Final Deadline
Standard: 90 Dollar
Student： 90 Dollar
2026/02/24
Earlybird Deadline
Standard: 35 Dollar
Student： 35 Dollar
2026/04/28
Regular Deadline
Standard: 45 Dollar
Student： 45 Dollar
2026/05/12
Extended Deadline
Standard: 55 Dollar
Student： 55 Dollar
2026/06/02
Final Deadline
Standard: 75 Dollar
Student： 75 Dollar
2026/02/24
Earlybird Deadline
Standard: 35 Dollar
Student： 35 Dollar
2026/04/28
Regular Deadline
Standard: 45 Dollar
Student： 45 Dollar
2026/05/12
Extended Deadline
Standard: 55 Dollar
Student： 55 Dollar
2026/06/02
Final Deadline
Standard: 75 Dollar
Student： 75 Dollar
2026/02/24
Earlybird Deadline
Standard: 35 Dollar
Student： 35 Dollar
2026/04/28
Regular Deadline
Standard: 45 Dollar
Student： 45 Dollar
2026/05/12
Extended Deadline
Standard: 55 Dollar
Student： 55 Dollar
2026/06/02
Final Deadline
Standard: 75 Dollar
Student： 75 Dollar
Related film festivalMore
View in the applet
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