The Montreal International History Film Festival (FIFHM) is an annual cultural event devoted to history cinema. Its founders, one filmmaker and two historians, are passionate about the expression of history through cinema.

Our Mission
FIFHM’s mission is to spread films and media productions that focus on the treatment of history, be it personal or collective history. The festival’s organizers wish to bring forward the dialogue between history and cinema for the better comprehension of current social issues, in Quebec, Canada and throughout the world.

The festival is interested in the diffusion, popularization and transmission of historical knowledge through film, be it fictional, animation or documentary. The festival’s aim is to promote exchanges between filmmakers, historians and the general public, offering a showcase of films of any genre or other media products (especially television series or, eventually, video games) where history is presented and represented. In the future, the festival intends to develop a youth section to promote contact between the younger generations and the representations of historical content.

The Event
The festival will hold its third edition from May 12 to 16 2021. Film and history professionals are welcome to join the public in a wide discussion about cinema as a medium of historical knowledge. Workshops will also be held for film professionals.

Best Feature Film
Best Short Film

RULES AND REGULATIONS
The fourth edition of the Montréal International History Film Festival (FIFHM) will be held at the Cinémathèque québécoise, in Montréal, from May 11th to 15th 2022, in a hybrid formula to be determined according to the regulations regarding cinemas and theatres at that time. For this fourth edition, the Festival will award two prizes: Best feature film and Best short film. No monetary sum will be awarded with the prizes.

Article 1: Registrationʼs requirements
Films submitted to the Festival can be of any genre (fiction, non-fiction, animation, etc.) and of any length, but should relate to a historical subject or character, heritage issues, or the relationships society builds with historical knowledge. Films of a duration from 1 to 40 minutes (including credits) will be considered short films. Films of a longer duration will be considered feature films. For its fourth edition, the Festival will accept films terminated on or after January 1st, 2017.

Article 2: Translations
Films may be submitted with French subtitled versions, French versions, or English versions or subtitles (the producer will undertake to make a French subtitled version of the film if selected).

Article 3: Number of films submitted
Directors are allowed to submit several films to the selection, but only one can be selected.

Article 4: Programming committee
The programming committee is chosen by the Board of directors. Its decisions are final.

Article 5: Prize award
A jury will be chosen by the Board of directors and will award the 2022 FIFHM Prizes to the directors of the winning films. Eventually, other special prizes may be awarded by the jury.

Article 6: Deadline and fees for submission
Entry forms and viewing links should be received at the Festivalʼs office no later than February 15th, 2022, with the registration fee ($50 USD for a feature film, $30 USD for a short film). Once submitted, films cannot be withdrawn.

Article 7: Decisions of the programming committee
The programming committee will unveil the selection on March 25, 2022

Article 8: Viewing links for selection
Films must be submitted via a viewing link on a recognized platform (Vimeo, YouTube, etc.), accompanied by the password if applicable. The films must be downloadable to facilitate the work of the programming committee.

Article 9: Shipping charges of screening copies
The shipping costs are the responsibility of the sender. The Festival will only support the return costs of the screening copies of the selected films. Screening copies must be received by April 8, 2022.

Article 10: Film screening format
For the screening of selected films, producers must provide DCP copies or a high quality digital file on digital media.

Article 11: Screening of the selected films
The producer, director and distributor of the film agree that the film will be screened during the Festival if it is selected, completely free of charges and rights. Screenings could be before a live audience or online, depending on the hybrid formula that will be adopted.

Article 12: Festival promotion
The producer and director of the selected film agree that the Festival uses an excerpt of a maximum of 30 seconds to make a trailer of the Festival and to promote its activities.

Article 13: Presence of the director
The presence of the director of a selected work, if screened before a live audience, is not mandatory but appreciated. Directors of selected works will be able to attend all the sessions of the Festival free of charge and will be able to exchange with the audience after the screening of their film.

Article 14: Unforeseen cases
The FIFHM Chair has the power to resolve all cases not provided for in the regulation.

Article 15: Adherence to the regulation
The inscription of a film at the FIFHM implies acceptance of and adherence to this regulation.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Carolyn Saul

    It was a great honour and privilege to have our short documentary film, “this bond i and Bondi” selected to screen in FIFHM 2022, and a wonderful acknowledgement that this film has captured a part of Sydney’s history. Thanks to Richard for being responsive and always making communication easy and smooth.

    June 2022
  • Dennis Ford

    The event shown in our documentary: Firestorm ’77 The True Story of the Honda Canyon Fire was essentially erased from history. As filmmakers, we wanted to assure this important event was not forgotten. So, to have the Montreal International History Film Festival select our film for its prestigious History Film Festival, in Montreal, was indeed an honor.

    May 2022
  • Marijn Liek

    Sadly they had to go online because of Corona, but they were very clear with their communication. Very happy our film was included and proud that we won best short.

    June 2020
  • Dennis Mohr

    Kudos for continuing the festival online this year! Great job! Great festival! Looking forward to many more, and in person. Thank you!

    June 2020
  • I applaud the festival for dealing with the Covid situation and pivoting to an on line festival. I'm sure it wasn't an easy task. My co-producer and I were looking forward to attending and enjoying the hospitality of Montreal but that will have to wait for our next historical film.

    June 2020