The Blood in the Snow Film Festival (BITS) was first created in 2012 with a mandate to highlight the best in contemporary genre filmmaking in Canada.
The 2022 Blood in the Snow Film Festival will take place in-person in Toronto in November 21 to 26, 2022. The theatre is just steps away from the Museum station (across from the ROM) and is fully wheelchair accessible. The theatre seats 500 combined on the floor and balcony and is outfitted with a Christie IMB 2200 Digital Cinema projector.
Blood in the Snow has the reputation of being a "filmmaker’s festival". In 2019 the festival had 50 of the 62 filmmakers featured in attendance from all across Canada. There are activities all weekend long allowing filmmakers to network with other filmmakers and other important industry contacts. Filmmaker activities include a filmmakers brunch (dubbed "Breakfast with the Stars"), industry panels, a VIP industry cocktail social and after parties every night of the festival.
Blood in the Snow is generously funded in part by Telefilm Canada, Ontario Creates and the Independent Production Fund. The Blood in the Snow Film Festival is also on the eligibility list of festivals for the Canadian Screen Awards.
Blood in the Snow works to attract extensive press coverage. Past coverage has included reviews, interviews and profiles by outlets such as CP24, Sirius XM, The Star, NOW Magazine, Newstalk 1010 and Rue Morgue Magazine.
All filmmakers will receive a Filmmaker Pass that will get you into all of the in-person screenings at the festival for free.
For those who don't get in this year, you will still be eligible for a free pair of tickets to a select screening (of our choosing) at the festival in-person as a thank you for applying to the festival.
Awards & Prizes
We give out a series of awards called "The Bloodies" given out during the festival:
- Best Feature
- Best Short
- Best Digital series
- Best Lead Acting Performance in a feature
- Best Supporting Acting Performance in a feature
- Best Lead Acting Performance in a short film
- Best Supporting Acting Performance in a short film
- Best Director
- Best Screenplay
- Best Cinematography
- Best Editing
- Best Special FX
- Best Music Score
- Best Poster