Overview
The Ottawa International Film Festival (OIFF) was an independent film festival founded in 2010 in Ottawa, Canada. The festival ran annually for three days, screening shorts and feature-length films of any genre and country of origin. OIFF was closely linked to local 72-hour film challenges and programmed a mix of Canadian and international films. The festival was last staged in 2015.
In its place, the Canadian Film Institute (CFI) organized the International Film Festival of Ottawa (IFFO), which launched in 2020. IFFO operates as a curated "festival of festivals," bringing films that have won awards or made waves at Cannes, Berlin, Toronto (TIFF), Venice, and other major festivals to Ottawa audiences. The sixth edition ran March 11 to 22, 2026, screening 22 Canadian and international feature films in its Official Selection, each paired with a new Canadian short film. The seventh edition is scheduled for March 10 to 21, 2027.
IFFO screens at venues across downtown Ottawa, including the Ottawa Art Gallery, ByTowne Cinema, and Mayfair Cinema. Individual tickets cost CAD 15, with discounts for CFI members. The festival's audience-voted CF Rideau Centre People's Choice Award recognizes the top feature and short film each year.
Submission Details
IFFO is primarily a curated festival. The programming team of Tom McSorley, Tish Black, Devin Hartley, Zach Porter, and Kelly Neall screens feature films from international festivals (Cannes, Berlin, TIFF, Venice) and Canadian short films from festivals like VIFF, Whistler, and TIFF to select the Official Selection.
The programming team may consider submissions sent via email. Contact programming@iffo.ca for more information. There is no open submission portal or entry fee system.
For feature films: IFFO typically selects films that have already premiered at major international festivals. If your feature has screened at Cannes, Berlin, TIFF, Venice, or comparable festivals, you can email the programming team with a screening link and festival history.
For short films: IFFO pairs each feature screening with a Canadian short film. Canadian short filmmakers whose work has screened at Canadian festivals (VIFF, Whistler, TIFF) should contact the programming team.
For the defunct OIFF (2010 to 2015): OIFF accepted open submissions through its website and previously used Withoutabox. Films had to be original works that had not yet received distribution, had not screened at any other Ottawa festival, and had been completed within the past two years. OIFF charged no submission fee and programmed approximately 50 projects across 12 screening slots.
Key Sections
- Official Selection - 22 curated Canadian and international feature films, each paired with a new Canadian short film. Only Official Selection films are eligible for the People's Choice Award.
- Canadian Masters - an established CFI series featuring in-depth discussions with some of Canada's most prolific filmmakers
- The Gaze - an IFFO series that brings audiences into discussions about diverse representation on screen
- Screen Summit - a one-day industry event (Friday during the festival) at the Ottawa Art Gallery, dedicated to strengthening Ottawa's screen-based industries. The 2026 edition was sold out. Topics include financing, production, distribution, and networking. Presented in partnership with Ontario Creates and the Canada Media Fund.
- SAVE AS - a one-day annual conference examining preservation, restoration, distribution, and exhibition of cinema heritage, with expert panel discussions and case studies of restored classics
- Ottawa Film Office Career Fair - takes place the day after Screen Summit at the Ottawa Art Gallery
Past Winners
IFFO 2026 (6th edition, March 11 to 22) - CF Rideau Centre People's Choice Award:
- Feature Film: A Sad and Beautiful World directed by Cyril Aris (Lebanon, 110 minutes). The film traces childhood friends Nino and Yasmina across three decades of Lebanese history. It premiered at Venice 2025 (Giornate degli Autori), where it won the People's Choice Award. It was Lebanon's submission for the Academy Awards. Watermelon Pictures released it theatrically in the US starting July 24, 2026. Paradise City Sales handles international sales.
- Short Film: Jazz Infernal directed by Will Niava (Quebec, 16 minutes). A semi-autobiographical story about a young Ivorian trumpeter arriving in Montreal. It premiered at TIFF 2025, was named to Canada's Top Ten for 2025, and won the Short Film Jury Award for International Fiction at Sundance 2026.
- Feature Honourable Mentions: Primavera (dir. Damiano Michieletto, Italy) and The Track (dir. Ryan Sidhoo, Canada). The Track is a documentary about Olympic luge hopefuls training on a crumbling outdoor track in post-war Bosnia, nominated for two Canadian Screen Awards.
- Short Honourable Mentions: Sol vivant (dir. Emile Lavoie, Quebec) and Nancy (dir. Lynda Hall, Ottawa)
IFFO 2024 (4th edition, March 13 to 24) - Audience Award:
- Feature Film: If Only I Could Hibernate directed by Zoljargal Purevdash (Mongolia). The first Mongolian film in Cannes Official Selection (Un Certain Regard 2023). A teenager from a poor Ulaanbaatar neighborhood competes in a physics competition while caring for his siblings.
- Short Film: Dead Cat (Chat mort) directed by Annie-Claude Caron and Danick Audet
IFFO 2023 (2nd in-person edition) - Audience Award:
- Feature Film: I Like Movies directed by Chandler Levack
- Short Film: Adore directed by Beth Warrian
IFFO 2022 - Audience Award:
- Feature Film: Little Palestine, Diary of a Siege directed by Abdallah Al-Khatib
- Short Film: L'un l'autre directed by Clara Prevost
OIFF (defunct, 2010 to 2015):
- 2011 Best Film (Lieutenant's Pump Award): A Violent State directed by Adrian Langley (Ottawa)
Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up
A Sad and Beautiful World (2026 People's Choice winner) premiered at Venice 2025 in the Giornate degli Autori section, winning the audience-voted People's Choice Award. It screened at BFI London, San Francisco, Sydney, Sao Paulo, Red Sea, and Marrakech festivals. Lebanon submitted it for the Academy Awards' Best International Feature Film category. Watermelon Pictures released it in US theaters on July 24, 2026. Paradise City Sales handles international distribution.
Jazz Infernal (2026 People's Choice winner for shorts) premiered at TIFF 2025 in the Short Cuts program. TIFF named it to Canada's Top Ten for 2025. It won the Short Film Jury Award for International Fiction at Sundance 2026. Travelling Distribution handles Canadian distribution.
If Only I Could Hibernate (2024 Audience Award winner) premiered at Cannes 2023 in Un Certain Regard, making history as the first Mongolian film in Cannes Official Selection. Conic Films distributed it theatrically in the UK. Urban Sales handled international distribution.
Submission Tips Specific to This Festival
IFFO is a curated festival, not an open-submission festival. This means the standard FilmFreeway or Withoutabox submission route does not apply. The programming team selects films that have already premiered at major international festivals. If your film has screened at Cannes, Berlin, TIFF, Venice, or comparable A-list festivals, email programming@iffo.ca with a screening link, festival history, and a brief case for why Ottawa audiences would respond to your film.
For Canadian short filmmakers, IFFO offers a unique opportunity: each feature screening is paired with a Canadian short. This guarantees your short screens before a built-in audience. If your short has played at VIFF, Whistler, or TIFF, contact the programming team.
The CF Rideau Centre People's Choice Award is audience-voted. After each screening, attendees receive a virtual ballot to rate the feature and short on a scale from one to five. Films that connect emotionally with general audiences tend to win. The 2026 feature winner was a Lebanese love story, and the 2024 winner was a Mongolian coming-of-age drama. Both are accessible, emotionally resonant films.
The Screen Summit industry event offers networking opportunities with Ontario Creates, the Canada Media Fund, DGC Ontario, and IATSE Local 634. If you attend IFFO as a filmmaker, the Screen Summit is your primary industry networking opportunity.
Industry Reputation Notes
IFFO occupies a specific niche in the Canadian festival landscape: a curated "festival of festivals" in the nation's capital. Compared to TIFF (which is an A-list festival with a market), IFFO is smaller and more audience-focused. Compared to the Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF, run by the same CFI organization), IFFO focuses on live-action fiction and documentary rather than animation.
IFFO's curated model means it does not compete for world premieres. Instead, it brings already-launched films to Ottawa audiences. This positions it alongside festivals like the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) in serving as a second-stop destination for films that premiered at larger festivals.
The Screen Summit gives IFFO an industry dimension. Ottawa's growing production sector, including new soundstage campuses and Algonquin College's film production program, provides a local industry base. The 2026 Screen Summit sold out, indicating strong local demand.
The defunct OIFF (2010 to 2015) filled a different niche: open submissions for independent filmmakers. Its closure left a gap that IFFO does not fully address, since IFFO is curated rather than open-submission. Independent filmmakers in Ottawa seeking a local screening platform may need to look to other regional festivals.
Awards / Accreditation
IFFO is not FIAPF-accredited. The festival is not Academy Award-qualifying.
CF Rideau Centre People's Choice Award:
- Feature Film - audience-voted, selected through online ballot after each screening (scale of 1 to 5)
- Short Film - audience-voted, same system
- Only Official Selection films are eligible
Honourable Mentions:
- Feature Film Honourable Mentions
- Short Film Honourable Mentions
No cash prize is attached to the People's Choice Award. The award is recognition-based.
Historical OIFF Awards (2010 to 2015):
- Lieutenant's Pump Award for Best Film
- Best Narrative Feature, Best Narrative Short, Best Documentary Feature
- Best International Film, Best Animation, Best Film Score
- Best VFX and Technical Achievement in Post-Production
- Audience Award, Best Canadian Film
- Award packages included monetary prizes, software licenses, consultation services, and telecom packages
Watch
What Filmmakers Should Know
IFFO is a curated festival, not an open-submission festival. The programming team selects films that have already premiered at major international festivals. If your film has screened at Cannes, Berlin, TIFF, Venice, or comparable festivals, email programming@iffo.ca with a screening link and festival history. There is no entry fee or submission portal. For Canadian short filmmakers, IFFO pairs each feature with a Canadian short, offering a guaranteed audience. Contact the programming team if your short has played at VIFF, Whistler, or TIFF. The CF Rideau Centre People's Choice Award is audience-voted with no cash prize. IFFO screens at downtown Ottawa venues including the Ottawa Art Gallery, ByTowne Cinema, and Mayfair Cinema. Individual tickets cost CAD 15 with CFI member discounts. The Screen Summit industry event takes place on the Friday of the festival at the Ottawa Art Gallery. The 2026 edition sold out. The key trade-off: IFFO offers a capital-city screening with an engaged audience and industry networking through Screen Summit, but it is not a premiere festival and does not offer open submissions or cash prizes.
Festival History
The Ottawa International Film Festival (OIFF) was founded in 2010 to bring local, national, and international filmmakers together with film enthusiasts in Canada's National Capital Region. The festival ran annually for three days, screening shorts and feature-length films of any genre. The 2011 program presented 24 short films and 7 feature films, including 3 world premieres. Hollywood producer Aaron Ryder provided a Q and A after screening Donnie Darko and Memento. OIFF was last staged in 2015.
The Canadian Film Institute (CFI) organized IFFO as a replacement, with an inaugural edition planned for March 2020. The launch was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first edition took place online in 2021. The first in-person edition followed in 2022. IFFO has since grown into a 12-day festival screening 22 features with paired Canadian shorts, plus the Canadian Masters series, The Gaze series, Screen Summit, and SAVE AS conference.
The 2026 edition (March 11 to 22) was the sixth edition. The seventh edition is scheduled for March 10 to 21, 2027. IFFO is part of the Canadian Film Institute, a registered charitable organization.
See Also
For the Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF), run by the same CFI organization, see OIAF. For Canadian cinema distribution and markets, see International Film Markets. For festival circuit planning, see Film Festival Strategy. To calculate the financial return of festival submissions, see the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator.
