Gimli International Film Festival

Overview

The Gimli International Film Festival (GIFF) is Manitoba's largest film festival and Canada's biggest rural film festival. Founded in 2001 and held annually over five days in July in the town of Gimli on the shores of Lake Winnipeg, the 26th edition in 2026 runs July 22 to 26. The festival screens over 100 films including features, documentaries, short films, and experimental media from local, national, and international filmmakers, and receives more than 1,400 film submissions annually.

The festival's signature event is the RBC Beach Screenings, which take place every night of the festival on the beach in Gimli, drawing audiences from across Manitoba and beyond. These free outdoor screenings are the festival's most distinctive programming element and have become one of Manitoba's most unique summer cultural experiences. The festival is run by a team of more than 80 volunteers and 18 employees.

GIFF pays all curated filmmakers minimum IMAA (Independent Media Artists Alliance) fees, and actively works to keep submission fees low to encourage accessibility and inclusion from low-income and marginalized communities. Submission fees are waived entirely for Manitoba-based filmmakers. The festival also hosts the RBC $15,000 Emerging Filmmakers Pitch Competition, now in its 15th year, which provides a $15,000 production grant to an emerging Manitoba filmmaker.

Key Sections

• Canadian and International Features - curated feature films from Canada and around the world
• Documentary Program - nonfiction features and shorts
• Short Film Programs - curated short films across fiction, documentary, and animation
• Manitoba Film Showcase - films by Manitoba-based filmmakers
• RBC Beach Screenings - free outdoor screenings on the beach every night of the festival
• RBC Emerging Filmmakers Pitch Competition - $15,000 production grant competition for emerging Manitoba filmmakers, held on the Saturday of the festival
• 48 Film Festival Partnership - a 48-hour filmmaking challenge where 30+ teams of Manitoba filmmakers create short films, with the best submissions premiered at GIFF

Submission Details

Submissions are made via FilmFreeway.

Submission Deadlines (2026 Edition):

• Early Bird Deadline: December 31, 2025
• Regular Deadline: January 31, 2026
• Last Chance Deadline: March 1, 2026

Submission fees increase at each deadline tier. Specific fee amounts are listed on the FilmFreeway page and are kept intentionally low. Fees are waived for Manitoba-based filmmakers.

Eligibility:

• Films must be completed no earlier than approximately two years before the festival date
• Categories include short films, documentaries, and features
• Narrative, documentary, and experimental films are all accepted
• The festival also welcomes submissions of expanded cinema, media arts installations, and virtual/augmented reality projects

Contact: info@gimlifilm.com

What Filmmakers Should Know

IMAA fee payment: GIFF pays all curated filmmakers minimum IMAA (Independent Media Artists Alliance) fees. This means that if your film is selected, you receive a screening fee in addition to festival exposure. The festival also pays fees dictated by film distributors for distributed works. This is a significant benefit compared to many festivals that do not pay screening fees.

Manitoba filmmaker fee waivers: Submission fees are waived for filmmakers currently living in Manitoba. This applies to both short and feature films. Manitoba filmmakers should contact the programming team to arrange a fee waiver.

RBC Emerging Filmmakers Pitch Competition: The festival hosts the 15th annual RBC $15,000 Emerging Filmmakers Pitch Competition on Saturday, July 25, 2026. The competition is open to Manitoba residents over 18 who can complete a 3 to 5 minute short film within one year. The $15,000 prize is released in four installments: $3,750 on approval of final script, $3,750 on first day of principal photography, $3,750 on completion of photography, and $3,750 on delivery of the finished project. The finished film premieres at the 27th GIFF in 2027. Entry deadline is June 15, 2026 at 12:00pm CDT, with finalists notified by July 12, 2026. All finalists receive an Industry Pass to the festival. The competition is run in partnership with RBC and Film Training Manitoba.

Submission volume and selection: The festival receives more than 1,400 film submissions annually, with the programming team selecting approximately 100 films. The programming team also conducts independent research into additional films beyond the submission pool.

Beach screenings exposure: The free nightly beach screenings are the festival's highest-attendance events, drawing large crowds. Films selected for beach screenings receive significant audience exposure in a unique outdoor setting that is unlike any urban festival venue.

Festival logistics: Gimli is approximately one hour north of Winnipeg by car. The festival operates a round-trip shuttle service from Winnipeg with two pickup stops, plus a stop in Winnipeg Beach. In 2026, GIFF partnered with Peg City Car Co-op to offer discount codes for car co-op members. Tickets for individual screenings and full festival passes are available online, with discounted prices for youth, seniors, and industry members.

Community atmosphere: The festival's small-town lakeside setting creates a community-oriented atmosphere that filmmakers and audiences consistently describe as one of the most enjoyable festival experiences in Canada. The festival's Icelandic-Canadian heritage is reflected in the town of Gimli, which has a population of approximately 2,200 and a strong cultural identity.

Major Awards

• Best Canadian Film - jury prize for the best Canadian feature or short
• Audience Award - voted by festival audiences
• Manitoba Film Award - for the best film by a Manitoba-based filmmaker
• RBC $15,000 Emerging Filmmakers Pitch Competition - $15,000 production grant for an emerging Manitoba filmmaker, with the finished film premiering at the following year's festival

Festival History

The Gimli Film Festival was founded in 2001 and has operated continuously since then, growing from a small community event into Manitoba's largest film festival and Canada's biggest rural film festival. The festival is now known as the Gimli International Film Festival (GIFF). The 26th edition in 2026 marks 25 years of continuous operation.

The festival was created to bring cinema to the small lakeside town of Gimli, which has a proud Icelandic-Canadian heritage and a population of approximately 2,200. The RBC Beach Screenings, the festival's signature outdoor program, have grown into one of Manitoba's most unique summer cultural experiences, drawing audiences from across the province and beyond.

The festival is a nonprofit organization with annual revenue in the $1M to $10M range, employing 18 staff during the festival season and supported by more than 80 volunteers. The current Executive Director is Teya Zuzek. The festival is supported by RBC as a major partner, with additional support from Film Training Manitoba, ChangeMakers, and other organizations.

The RBC Emerging Filmmakers Pitch Competition, now in its 15th year, has become Manitoba's biggest opportunity for emerging filmmakers, providing a $15,000 production grant and a guaranteed festival premiere for the completed film.

See Also

For Canadian cinema, see International Film Markets. For festival strategy, see Film Festival Strategy. To calculate whether festival submission fees are worth it for your budget, use the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator.