Ottawa International Film Festival (OIFF)

Overview

The Ottawa International Film Festival (OIFF) is Canada's capital city film festival. Founded in 2006 and held annually in September in Ottawa, the festival presents a curated international program alongside Canadian cinema to audiences in the national capital region.

Ottawa's identity as a bilingual (English-French) government city with a large civil service, diplomatic community, and academic population provides a unique audience for film. The festival's programming reflects Ottawa's internationally minded, policy-aware population, with particular strength in documentaries and films addressing social, political, and cultural themes.

The festival's September timing places it immediately before TIFF, allowing Ottawa audiences to see films shortly after their Toronto premieres as films move through the Canadian festival circuit.

Key Sections

• Feature Film Program -- curated international and Canadian films
• Documentary Program -- nonfiction features
• Short Films -- Canadian and international short programs
• Canadian Panorama -- a survey of new Canadian cinema
• Special Screenings -- events and premieres

What Filmmakers Should Know

OIFF accepts submissions. For Canadian filmmakers, the festival provides access to the capital's unique audience of government officials, diplomats, academics, and policy professionals. Films addressing governance, social policy, and public affairs find particularly receptive audiences in Ottawa.

Major Awards

• Audience Award -- across categories
• Best Canadian Film

Festival History

OIFF was founded in 2006 and has grown into the primary film event in Canada's capital region, filling a gap in the Canadian festival landscape between TIFF and the French-language festivals of Quebec.

See Also

For Canadian cinema, see International Film Markets. For festival strategy, see Film Festival Strategy.