The Canadian Sport Film Festival (CSFF) brings together the theatre of sport and the medium of film to tell unique, provocative, and passionate human stories from around the world. We envision a global community that embraces sport for all. 

Each November, CSFF brings compelling films about the power of sport to in-person audiences in Toronto and viewers across Canada from coast to coast to coast. 

The Canadian Sport Film Festival has a mission to provoke dialogue on the power of sport to inspire social change. 

CSFF encourages submissions of Canadian and international films about sport 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.

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 affect social change.

CSFF Purpose / Themes:
• 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

If you have a film about sport that explores or reflects these themes, we'd love to hear from you.

The 15th annual Canadian Sport Film Festival will take place November 17-18, 2023 in person at TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto. CSFF digital programs will also be available across Canada via digital TIFF Bell Lightbox from November 17-23, 2023.

All in-person screenings are followed by interactive Q&A sessions engaging audiences and filmmakers in dialogue and idea-sharing. CSFF also hosts a free youth screening and workshop during festival weekend to engage local youth in film and sport.

We hope you’ll submit your film and join us.

Learn more about submissions, eligibility and regulations below and on our website: www.sportfilmfestival.ca

Awards & Prizes

CSFF is a non-competitive film festival.

Entrants will be notified of the decision regarding their film by July 14, 2023.

For selected films, the Festival pays screening fees of $200 CDN for a feature film and $50 CDN for a short film.

Filmmakers of some selected 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: Submissions to the Canadian Sport Film Festival (CSFF) should be films about sport and may explore or reflect the CSFF mission, purpose and themes, including:
• To provoke dialogue on the power of sport to inspire social change
• 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

Date of production: Films must be completed after January 1, 2021 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. 

Type of film festival: Non-competitive

Submit your Film to CSFF 2023

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

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

Entry Fees and Deadlines

Short films (under 40 minutes), all categories:
$25 CDN Entry fee until April 10, 2023.
$40 CDN Entry fee until May 1, 2023.

Feature films (40 minutes or longer), all categories:
$50 CDN Entry fee until April 10, 2023.
$75 CDN Entry fee until May 1, 2023.

Selection

Notification: Entrants will be notified of the decision regarding their film by July 14, 2023. No selected film or video may be withdrawn from the Festival.

Screening fees: The Festival pays screening fees of $200 CDN for a feature film and $50 CDN for a short film. For non-Canadian productions, PayPal is the Festival’s preferred method of payment. NB: wire transfers will not be sent for fees of less than $200.

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.

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.

Shipping and Responsibility

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

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 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.

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.