The Canadian Sport Film Festival (CSFF) brings together the theatre of sport and the medium of film to provoke dialogue on the power of sport to inspire social change.

By sharing powerful, personal and political stories about sport from around the world, CSFF aims to educate, engage and entertain audiences and communities throughout Canada.

We envision a global community that embraces sport for all.

Why a sport film festival?

Sport is an integral part of the cultural narrative. It is a common language that has the power to bring people together.

Sharing powerful personal and political stories from around the world through the lens of sport creates an opportunity to learn about one another and gain a deeper understanding of our shared humanity. 

This is the place where inspiration can be found to effect social change.

Our CSFF Purpose:
• To redefine the role of sport in society
• To affirm ethical values in sport
• To normalize equity, diversity and inclusion
• To demonstrate the social value of sport
• To update and expand the existing sport narrative
• To inspire social change through the universal language of sport
• To promote physical activity as a means to achieve physical, emotional and social well-being

If you have a film about sport that explores, supports or reflects our CSFF mission and purpose, we'd love to hear from you.

About the Festival

The 16th annual Canadian Sport Film Festival CSFF 2024 will take place November 7, 8 and 9, 2024 at TIFF Lightbox in Toronto, Canada.

Each evening will be a one-of-a-kind film event, engaging audiences, filmmakers and special guests in interactive post-screening discussions.

CSFF Submissions open March 6 and close May 1, 2024 on FilmFreeway. Late deadline was extended to May 6, 2024.

The Canadian Sport Film Festival encourages submissions of feature-length and short films from across Canada and around the world - including sport films that are not typically screened or widely available. We want to share the stories beyond the scoreboard, behind the camera, and told with a critical lens.

Films about sport produced since January 2022 are encouraged to submit for festival consideration.

Submitting a film to the Canadian Sport Film Festival implies you have read and accept the CSFF Regulations below (Rules & Terms).

Learn more about CSFF submissions, eligibility and regulations below - or visit our website: www.sportfilmfestival.ca

Awards & Prizes

The Canadian Sport Film Festival (CSFF) is a non-competitive film festival.

Entrants will be notified of the decision regarding their film in Summer 2024.

The Festival pays a screening fee to each film selected for the festival:
$250 CAD for a feature film and $75 CAD for a short film.

Filmmakers of selected feature productions will be invited to the Festival and will be the Festival’s guests, including accommodation and/or transportation.

Rules & Terms

Canadian Sport Film Festival (CSFF) - Regulations

Submitting your film to the Canadian Sport Film Festival implies you have read and accept these Regulations.

ELIGIBILITY

Focus: The Canadian Sport Film Festival (CSFF) accepts submissions of films about sport, both feature-length and short films, that explore, support or reflect the CSFF mission and purpose, as defined below.

CSFF Mission:
The Canadian Sport Film Festival (CSFF) aims to provoke dialogue on the power of sport to inspire social change by sharing powerful personal and political stories about sport from around the world to educate, engage and entertain audiences and communities throughout Canada.

CSFF Purpose:
• To redefine the role of sport in society
• To affirm ethical values in sport
• To normalize equity, diversity and inclusion
• To demonstrate the social value of sport
• To update and expand the existing sport narrative
• To inspire social change through the universal language of sport
• To promote physical activity as a means to achieve physical, emotional and social well-being

Date of production: Films must be completed after January 1, 2022 unless solicited by, or having received the approval of, the Canadian Sport Film Festival.

Projects previously submitted to the Festival and not programmed will not be reconsidered.

Language: Films must be in English or have English sub-titles

Categories:
• Documentary feature
• Documentary short
• Fiction (dramatic) feature
• Fiction short
• Animated feature
• Animated short

Duration:
• Feature films are 40 minutes or longer.
• Short films are less than 40 minutes. 

AWARDS & PRIZES

The Canadian Sport Film Festival (CSFF) is a non-competitive film festival.

Entrants will be notified of the decision regarding their film in August 2024.

The Festival pays a screening fee to each film selected for the Festival:
$250 CAD for a feature film and $75 CAD for a short film.

Filmmakers of selected feature productions will be invited to the Festival and will be the Festival’s guests, including accommodation and/or transportation.

SUBMISSIONS

The Canadian Sport Film Festival (CSFF) accepts film submissions online via FilmFreeway.

Entry Fees and Deadlines

Feature films (40 minutes or longer), all categories:
$50 CAD Entry fee until April 10, 2024.
$75 CAD Entry fee until May 1, 2024. (late deadline extended to May 6, 2024)

Short films (less than 40 minutes), all categories:
$25 CAD Entry fee until April 10, 2024.
$40 CAD Entry fee until May 1, 2024. (late deadline extended to May 6, 2024)

Submissions are considered complete once all required details have been submitted and entry fees are paid.

SELECTION

Notification:
-Entrants will be notified of the decision regarding their film in August 2024.
-CSFF will announce our 2024 festival lineup on social media and on our website: www.sportfilmfestival.ca
-No selected film may be withdrawn from the Festival.

Screening fees:
The Festival pays a screening fee to each film selected for the festival:
$250 CAD for a feature film and $75 CAD for a short film.
-For non-Canadian productions, PayPal is the Festival’s preferred method of payment.
-Note: wire transfers will not be sent for fees of less than $200.

Filmmaker attendance:
Filmmakers of some selected productions will be invited to the Festival and will be the Festival’s guests, including accommodation and/or transportation.

PROMOTION

CSFF would like to promote the Festival and all film screenings as widely as possible.

CSFF will announce the festival selections and our film schedule on social media and on our website: www.sportfilmfestival.ca

Selected festival films are also asked to support promotion of the festival and their film screening as follows:

-Provide a trailer CSFF can link to / embed / upload (if not on FilmFreeway)
-Provide high-resolution digital stills for promotion (if not on FilmFreeway)
-Confirm the premiere status for your film at CSFF in November: Is it a North American, Canadian or Toronto premiere?
-Confirm social media channels and accounts that CSFF can tag when promoting your film at the festival.
-Promote your film screening to your networks, on your website and on social media.
-Confirm any groups / individuals / channels that CSFF should include in our promotion.

Note re: Promotion: The Festival and its media partners reserve the right to use excerpts of the production (up to five minutes) and to reproduce photos of the production, for promotion and publicity purposes.

SCREENERS, SHIPPING & RESPONSIBILITY

The Canadian Sport Film Festival prefers to screen from digital, projection-quality screeners.

Digital files:
- The easiest and most cost-effective way is to screen using a digital file, if one can be transferred.
- CSFF will confirm the email address and the deadline to send your digital assets.

Exhibition copies:
- CSFF will confirm the mailing address to send your exhibition screener and the deadline to receive it in Toronto.
- CSFF will notify you when your film arrives.
- We are able to screen from a variety of digital formats.
- We would prefer Blu-ray over DVD, if those are the only options.

Note: All shipping and related costs for exhibition films/videos sent to the Festival must be borne by the owner.

Each film/video sent to the Festival is entered in Canada on a temporary duty free and GST exempt basis, which means that all films must leave Canada following the Festival.

To prevent delays and duty at customs, please:
• Mark all packages with “Film/Video for Festival to be returned to owner – No Commercial Value”.
• Include an invoice containing title of film, format, and fair market value (cost of print only)

All exhibition videos and film prints will be returned by regular mail (unless specified otherwise and paid for by the entrant).

The Festival is not responsible in case of accidental damage or loss of entries, except when in the Festival’s possession.

Liability: in case of loss or damage to a print, the obligation of the Festival is limited to compensating the filmmakers for the cost of making a new print.

Note: The Festival has the power to decide on any matters not specifically dealt with in these regulations. Participation in the Festival implies acceptance of these regulations. In any dispute, the decision of the Festival will be final.