

Discover World’s Top Film Festivals


Welcome to the CANADA INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL
The Festival was established to honor the art of filmmaking and the talented individuals who bring it to life.
If you are interested in submitting your project to the Festival, please read the information carefully.
All applications are handled online through FilmFreeway.
The Festival operates in two rounds of judging. In the first round, the jury reviews films and scripts on a broader basis. Selected projects will receive an official selection Laurel.
In the second round, the jury carefully evaluates the chosen films and scripts before deciding on the category winners and special awards.
ONLY THE WINNERS will be invited to attend the AWARDS CEREMONY and the SCREENING OF WINNERS, where they will receive a trophy and certificate.
Please note that trophies and certificates WILL NOT BE MAILED TO ABSENT WINNERS. They will only receive a digital version of the certificate.
WINNERS 2025
Best Student Film
Soul – Directed By Mark Stent
Best Music Video
I Don't Love My Mother – Directed By Gerard Cuq
Best Tv & Web Series
Love is in the Air – By Monica Muller
Best Short Screenplay
Parallel Life – Written By – John P. Brown
Best Feature Screenplay
Text and Die – Written By Vanessa Silva
Best Drama Screenplay
Trust Me – Written By AEG Guaaker
Best Documentary
Antarctica, Secrets Revealed – Directed By Natasha Kolanov
Best Short Film in Portuguese Language
O Palhaço Que Há Em Nós – Directed By Eduardo Robalo
Best Short Film
Vieilles Gâchettes – Directed By Erwan Gobilliard
Best Drama Short Film
Dreams That Come True – Directed By Neusa Maria Pinto De Castro
Best Feature Film
Aquarius – Directed By Gerard Bleau
Honorable Mention
The Onion Seller – Written By Patrick Cormack
The Father – Directed By Doug Rollins
WINNERS 2024
BEST STUDENT FILM
The Red Hoods – Directed By Nicholas Brown
BEST TV & WEB SERIES
The Silent Forest - Directed by Hiroshi Tanaka
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
The Fire Within - Directed by Alejandro García
BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY
The Eternal Night – Written By Lucas Moreau
BEST FEATURE SCREENPLAY
Silent Echoes – Written By Emma Blackwood
BEST DOCUMENTARY
The Last Horizon - Directed by Naomi Sato
BEST SHORT FILM
Whispers in the Wind - Directed by Sarah Kingsley
BEST FEATURE FILM
Shattered Dreams - Directed by Alex Grayson
SPECIAL JURY AWARD
The Lost Symphony - Directed by Isabella Fontana
Beneath the Surface - Directed by Ethan Caldwell
Crimson Skies - Directed by Mia Henderson
The Shadow’s Edge - Directed by Nikolai Ivanov
Midnight Serenade - Directed by Clara Johansson
WINNERS 2023
BEST ANIMATION
A Conclusion – By Sreemon Das
BEST STUDENT FILM
The Gig – By Xander Turian
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
Wildflower – Directed By Jerry Housen – Performed By Hannyta
BEST TV & WEB SERIES
The Mechanic – By Linda Portland
BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY
The Vegetable Garden – By Maria Marinho Moreira
BEST FEATURE SCREENPLAY
The Poster Girl Stewardess – By Peter Gartner
BEST DOCUMENTARY
The Sky Is The Limit – By Mirka Anderson
BEST CANADIAN DOCUMENTARY
Montreal, a city of light – By Manu Charlevoix
BEST SHORT FILM
The Pamphlet – By Justin Heyl
BEST COMEDY SHORT FILM
Follow me or die – By Marcos Torres
BEST DRAMA SHORT FILM
For I Am Dead – By Patricia Delso Lucas
BEST HORROR SHORT FILM
Night of Silence – By Samantha Lewis
BEST CANADIAN SHORT FILM
The Belt – By Greg Muller
BEST ASIAN SHORT FILM
Pattern – By Sachin Karande
BEST FEATURE FILM
Darkness – By James Carver
BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM
Falling Stars – By Nico Resende
BEST ASIAN FEATURE FILM
Happy Ending – By Akira Iwamatsu
BEST PHOTOGRAPHY
The Future Of The Past – By Zoltan Boros
SPECIAL JURY AWARD
Chronos – By João Pico
The Trumps – By Hoyt Hilsman
The Revolution – By Jonathan Verleysen
Like Someone in Love – By Alexandra Billington
The Game The Doubt – By Hamid Reza Mahmoudi Mehrizi
A Handkerchief's Tale – By Jessica Lau
cupid is not a terrorist – By Bellopropello
Legal Passion – By James K Jones
Enter the Room – By Harry Waldman
WINNERS 2022
BEST ANIMATION
My Boy - By Lauren Fripont
BEST STUDENT FILM
A Jag In The Duplex System – By Valerie Knill
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
Straight Into The Ocean – By Carolyn Laws
BEST TV & WEB SERIES
Incompleteness – By David Ash
BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY
Death Offers Life – By Madhu Ramanathan
BEST FEATURE SCREENPLAY
The Valley – By David J Keogh, Douglas G Thomson
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Dreaming An Island – By Andrea Pellerani
BEST ASIAN SHORT FILM
Naan But You – By Paulo Reyes
BEST ASIAN FEATURE FILM
A Song For My Dear – By Chang Yeoul Lee
BEST SHORT FILM – GROUP #1
Nice Suicide – By Mike Baran
BEST SHORT FILM – GROUP #2
Why do you hate your brother? - By Pedro Martins, Inês Marques
BEST CANADIAN SHORT FILM
Nothing to worry - By Ben Smith
BEST CANADIAN DOCUMENTARY
Homeless - By Felipe Leonard
BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM
The Bastards - By Nelia Dejardins & Marcus Miller
BEST FEATURE FILM
Full Circle – By Noel Brady
BEST PHOTOGRAPHY
Golden Era Glamour – By Tiago Mesquita
SPECIAL JURY AWARD
Shadowland – By Bellopropello
To Glory Land – By Fadi Awad
Face Painters – By Giovanni Sanseviero
Cuba The Diva – By Andre Gaumond
Getting The Boot - By James Jones
Lothar from Rascal to World Artist – By Dhiney Ramos
Pessoas – By Arturo Dueñas Herrero
Level 71 – By Peter Salapatas
HONORABLE MENTION
The Mountain - By Ruth Finnegan
Bandidos and Balentes " - By Fabio Manuel Mulas
Sushi and Bagels - By Virginia Mariposa
Dajla: cinema and oblivion - By Arturo Dueñas Herrero
BomPaPa - By Annika Maria Udo Winther
Tell Me Who I Am - By Luca Caserta
A Martyr of the Pen - By Alan Hamwan
Bloodline - Elisa's Story - By Michael Cooper
Arizona 1878 - By Manuel Olaya
Padre - By Ian Davies
Built Lands - By Arturo Dueñas Herrero
Family Tree - By Emmet O'Brien, Nathan Erasmus
WINNERS 2019
BEST ANIMATION
ERASABLE: A VOYAGE THROUGH TIME – BY QUINN LAGUË
BEST STUDENT FILM
MOTHER´S DAY – BY ALEXANDER DESOUZA
BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM
TWO – BY SLAVA MLADENOVA
BEST FIRST-TIME FILMMAKER SHORT FILM
THE LOCAL PEOPLE – BY PAULINE DEVESA
BEST FIRST-TIME FILMMAKER FEATURE FILM
SOLO! - BY NIC CORNWALL
BEST TV & WEB SERIES
CHATEAU LAURIER – BY JAMES STEWART
BEST SCREENPLAY SHORT
THIS TIME TOMORROW – BY MATTHEW MARTINO
BEST SCREENPLAY FEATURE
BLACK GOOSE – BY JANET HETHERINGTON
BEST DOCUMENTARY
COLOURS FROM OUTER SPACE – BY GEORGE KARKOUR
BEST SHORT FILM
SEE NAPLES AND THEN (NOT) DIE – BY FERDINANDO MADDALONI
BEST FEATURE FILM
A ROSE IN WINTER – BY JOSHUA SINCLAIR
BEST CANADIAN STUDENT FILM
CULS-DE-SACS – BY MAXIME S. GIRARD
BEST CANADIAN DOCUMENTARY
10 KM / H – BY MIGUEL SORTO
BEST CANADIAN SHORT FILM
END OF THE NIGHT – BY TAVIT MELIKIAN
BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM
ONLY PEOLPE – BY MARK WEEDEN
SPECIAL JURY AWARDS
MEMORIES FOR SALE – BY MITCH GRASZAT
BLOOD BANK – BY ARTHUR BEAUCHET
DETAINEE X – BY MANEE OSMAN
LOVE, SYLVIA – BY LEE MARSHALL
INDIGOS – BY IAN POZZEBON
TO THE BRINK AND BACK – BY THE CHURCH OF ALMIGHTY GOD
THE PAUL BEARERS – BY JONATHAN HALL
YOUR SECRET ADMIRER – BY PAOLA CETARES
I KILLED VINCENT – BY JEAN-LUC BLANCHET
RISING STAR AWARDS
IMAGINARY FORCES – BY ROBERT POLICICCHIO
FUMUS ET UMBRA – BY CHRISTINA KATSIADAKIS
HOLY SPIRIT – BY MIKE BARAN
THE LAST WITNESS – BY PIOTR SZKOPIAK
EXPERIENCE MACHINE – BY IVANA BITTNEROVA
COUNTER // BALANCE – BY ANURADHA RANA
BALLAD OF A RIGHTEOUS MERCHANT – BY HEBERT GOLDER
WINNERS 2016
BEST SHORT FILM - 47 MINUTES - BY AUSTIN WILSON
BEST CANADIAN SHORT FILM - IRONIED - BY TYLER LIONEL PARR
BEST FEATURE FILM - INTERSECTION - BY TIM FRENCH
BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM - STOLEN PATH - BY GOLDIE SMITLENER
BEST DOCUMENTARY - SANSKRITI - BY MELISSA BALAN
BEST CANADIAN DOCUMENTARY - THE LIMESTONE PLAYERS - BY PAOLA DELLA MALVA
BEST ANIMATION - PAPA PASQUALE - BY JC LITTLE
BEST STUDENT FILM - THANK YOU FOR CALLING - BY MATTHEW READ
BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY - SHADOW OF A SHADOW - BY ALAN REDPATH
BEST FEATURE SCREENPLAY - TANGLED SPIRITS - BY ERIC P. GRANGER
BEST TV-WEB SERIES - THE BRIEF – BY MATT SADOWSKI
JURY SPECIAL AWARD FOR SHORT FILM - IT´S A CRIME – BY MONDO SINGH
JURY SPECIAL AWARD FOR FEATURE FILM - BLUEBIRD - BY MATTEW HARDSTAFF
JURY INNOVATION AWARD - ON THE HORIZON - BY PASCAL PAYANT