Culture

Top Canadian Film Festivals For Fall 2016/Winter 2017

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Photo: viffest on Instagram 

Although another Toronto International Film Festival season has come and gone, Canadians don’t have to wait another year to celebrate exceptional filmmaking and homegrown cinematic talent. Canada is home to a wide variety of film festivals, each offering its own unique draw and niche within the film industry. From Vancouver, British Columbia to Kingston, Ontario, cities all over the country will host film festivals of varying scale throughout the course of this year. Here is our roundup of upcoming Canadian film festivals that you won’t want to miss.

Vancouver International Film Festival: September 29 – October 14 

Beginning shortly after TIFF, the Vancouver Film Festival, or VIFF, is one of the largest film festivals in North America. A truly international festival, VIFF screens films from over 70 countries. What makes this festival unique is its large selection of films from East Asia and its prominent documentary program.

Whistler Film Festival: November 30 – December 4

Referred to as Canada’s “mini-Sundance festival,” the Whistler Film Festival celebrates the best in independent Canadian and international filmmaking. The Whistler Film Festival is known for launching the careers of a number of independent filmmakers, partly due to its sizable cash prizes and prestigious competitions, so attendees of this festival may encounter some of the top up-and-comers in the industry.

Canada’s Top Ten: January, 2017 (Dates TBA)

Run by the team at TIFF, Canada’s Top Ten highlights the best in Canadian cinema each year. The festival’s aim is to raise awareness of Canadian achievements in film. The selected films will screen in Toronto at the TIFF Lightbox in January, but also travel on a country-wide tour, hitting cities such as Vancouver and Calgary throughout the following months.