Taking place February 11-21, 2027, the 25th annual Available Light Film Festival (ALFF) will feature screenings of contemporary International and Canadian cinema in Whitehorse, Yukon.

ALFF programming includes a special focus on cinema and screen content by Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, and LGBTQ2S+ filmmakers from Northern Canada, Alaska, and other circumpolar regions, as well as Canadian content. The festival will include 100+ shorts, features, and medium-length films from Canada and around the world. Canadian and International filmmakers are invited to submit their work.

Adjacent to the festival is the ALFF Industry Forum: an industry summit organized to address the ever-changing landscape of filmmaking in the digital age.

In the past, the festival has hosted filmmaking and digital media luminaries for an intimate program of screenings, live multi-disciplinary performances, artist talks, and workshops.

If you have any questions or concerns about this, please email Sebastien Lapres at alffoperations@yukonfilmsociety.com.

Awards & Prizes

The Made in the North Award is designed to advance the talent of Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, and LGBTQ2S+ Canadian filmmakers with a focus on those living in northern regions. There are three awards for the Made In the North Award: BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM, BEST NORTHERN SHORT FILM, and BEST CANADIAN SHORT FILM. Eligibility is open to all feature films and short films in Official Selection directed by Canadian resident or citizen filmmakers who self-identify as BIPOC or LGBTQ2S+. Each winner will receive a cash award in celebration of their excellent contribution to Canadian cinema. There are $10,000 in prizes awarded for the Made in the North Award.

The Available Light Film Festival also awards three film accolades: Audience choice awards for ‘Best Canadian Documentary’ and ‘Best Canadian Fiction Film,’ as well as an ‘Overall Audience Choice’ Award.

Available Light Film Festival is a qualifying festival for the Canadian Screen Awards.

Rules & Terms

ELIGIBILITY
All submissions:
- Must have been completed after January 1, 2024
- Must be at minimum Yukon premiere (i.e. cannot have been screened publicly in Yukon prior to the 2027 Festival, including broadcast versions of any length). Exceptions may apply for short films under 30 minutes at the discretion of the festival programming team.
- Must not be available online in any form (this includes DVDs for purchase in any region)
- Must be in English, subtitled in English or English versioned (non-English language films - may be submitted with an English transcript; however, if selected for ALFF, it must be subtitled or dubbed into English at the applicant’s expense)
- Must not have submitted to the Festival previously in any stage of completion (i.e. films that were submitted as rough cuts will not be reconsidered)
-The filmmaker must not have used generative AI in the filmmaking process.

Available Light Film Festival accepts Canadian and international films of medium or feature lengths. We accept short films from filmmakers living in Canada. Filmmaker in this case is defined by the director.

All ALFF screening programs are curated and all submissions will be fully considered by the ALFF programming team.

NORTHERN FILMS ON SCREEN
There is no submission fee for filmmakers based in Northern Canada (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut, Labrador, Northern BC, AB, SK, MB, ON and Nunavik). Contact the festival office (alffoperations@yukonfilmsociety.com) for the waiver code and communities considered 'northern.'

FINANCIAL RELIEF
Available Light is generously supported by many public funders, we strive to remove barriers for independent filmmakers in wishing to submit to our festival. Filmmakers in delicate financial situations should contact the festival office (alffoperations@yukonfilmsociety.com) for a waiver code.

Works selected for presentation at ALFF will be paid a screening/streaming fee (based on IMAA recommended rates) or fee set by a distributor. In some cases, the Festival may request fees be waived if the Festival is providing airfare travel support to filmmakers.

For the purposes of eligibility and awards consideration, ALFF uses the following definitions:
Feature-Length: 60 minutes or longer
Mid-Length: 30 to 59 minutes
Short: under 30 minutes

COUNTRY OF PRODUCTION AND SUBMISSION CATEGORIES
Submissions to the Festival are divided into four categories:

- Canadian Submissions: All films produced in Canada or directed by Canadian filmmakers
- Northern Canada Submissions: Films produced in the Canadian North created by a producer or director who is a resident of one of the Territories or Nunavik.
- International Submissions: All films produced outside of Canada and directed by non-Canadians

COUNTRY OF PRODUCTION
The origin of the majority of the film’s financing and/or the film’s key crew members, which can also include the location of significant production support.

ROUGH CUTS/FINE CUTS
Rough/Fine Cuts: The Festival will only accept one cut of each film for programming consideration. If needed, ALFF will request an updated version and will contact those applicants directly.

PROGRAMMING DECISIONS
Applicants will be notified of programming decisions via email by the end of December 2026. Final programming, categorization and slotting of films will be determined by the Festival programming team. Their decision is final. Successful applicants will receive this information in their official invitation.

No screeners or application materials will be returned. Do not send film prints, master tapes or other originals.
4 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Michelle Muldoon

    A great festival run by an exceptional team that clearly loves film and filmmakers. Thank you for including my film, Unfrayed!

    February 2026
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  • Stan Bush

    I really love this festival. They make every screening a HUGE event. ALFF did a great job at getting our film marketed to the audience and putting it in front of some important voices in the press. There was also a deep variety of films. Every screening had the audience pouring into the venues. I was stunned to see the attendance numbers they were getting. This is a community that really appreciates all movies and the experience of going to them. This festival and this town need to be on your "can't miss" list.

    February 2026
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  • Sean Oliver

    Tremendous festival! Wonderful people. So supportive. Well worth the application, and the experience. This festival is a MUST.

    March 2025
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  • John Dippong

    I had the pleasure of attending the 2025 Available Light Film Festival (ALFF) with a 45-minute documentary I produced. ALFF is a really well organized and well-programmed event that takes place in Whitehorse, Yukon - a small northern city with a disproportionately high number of film-lovers. Local audiences are supportive and articulate, and they seem just as interested in shorts as feature-length work. Festival director Andrew Connors has assembled a top-notch staff who make it all seem effortless (which of course it isn't - particularly with so many sold-out screenings!). ALFF is small enough that one can attend most events, and industry activities are intimate enough to allow filmmakers to build genuine networking relationships. In my prior career, I started and ran a small film festival; worked as a programmer for Canada's third largest festival; and also managed a festival portfolio on behalf of a Canadian funding agency. I can say without reservation that ALFF is one of the best festivals you'll ever attend.

    February 2025
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