The Female Eye is a competitive international women directors’ film festival that was established in 2001, as a not-for-profit organization. The 20th anniversary returned LIVE at TIFF Bell Lightbox, June 2022. We look forward to the 21st edition!

The Female Eye showcases high-calibre independent films that illuminate the best of debut, emerging, and established women directors from around the globe. Our Script Development Program is open to both men and women.

FeFF is big on audience engagement and networking. Audience Q&As follow each film program. All festival delegates receive a VIP All Access Pass to the festival (screenings, script development, FeFF Photo Exhibit, happy hour, industry panels, tributes, workshops, and the closing awards ceremony), where networking with attendees, festival participants, and industry members is key. The Female Eye, noted for its intimate atmosphere and accessibility, attracts film enthusiasts, emerging and internationally recognized directors, screenwriters, seasoned industry professionals, celebrities, and decision-makers in the film and television industry.

The Female Eye serves to bridge the gap between the written and film arts. We produce a robust Industry Initiatives Program consisting of panels, masterclasses, workshops, script development, and pitch and networking sessions. Annually, FeFF honours an Honorary Director and Honorary Maverick with a Best in the Biz Tribute, an “intimate conversation with” and award presentation. Script Development is a three-tier program comprising the Good to Go, a closed-door session with decision-makers for screenwriters with scripts that are “good to go”; the Script-Reading Series, where main scenes are read by ACTRA members before a live audience and industry guests who provide feedback to the writers; and the Live Pitch, where writers and their team members pitch to a live audience and an industry-led jury. The winner takes home a $2,500 cash prize.

For ten consecutive years (2013–2022), the Female Eye Film Festival has been voted one of the “Top 50 film festivals in the world worth the entry fee” by MovieMaker magazine. FeFF is an accredited festival by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television and a Telefilm Talent to Watch partner.

Awards & Prizes

Awards are presented for best films and best screenplays at the closing awards ceremony. Film award categories: Best of Show, Best Foreign Feature, Best Canadian Feature, Best Debut Feature, Best Feature Documentary, Best Short Documentary, Best Short Film, Best Animation, and Best Experimental. Screenplay award categories: Best Screenplay, Best Foreign, Best Canadian, Best Comedy, Best Drama, and the Audience Choice Award. Awards are hand-welded one-of-a-kind engraved statuettes. Development and equipment grants augment the film awards annually.

The seventh annual Live Pitch is a juried industry event and is sponsored by Cinespace Film Studios. One lucky winner takes home $2,500 for Best Live Pitch!

Rules & Terms

Films must be directed by women. The Script Development Program is open to both men and women. Screenplays written by men must feature a female protagonist. Films must be produced within two years of the festival, and they cannot be streaming, televised, or playing theatrically in Canada. We give priority to films that have not yet screened in Toronto. The fee for the competition is applicable to all deadlines. Filmmakers and screenwriters must elect to compete for an award. The flat fee to enter the competition is $100 regardless of the deadline, genre, or project duration. FeFF programmers can also choose to nominate a project into the competition if they feel a project is award-worthy.

Please note, there are no refunds for submission fees.
33 Reviews
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  • Kelly Abbott

    In June 2022, my animated feature screenplay, ‘The Life of a Raindrop’ was featured as a part of the script reading series. I flew from Vancouver to Toronto to attend and I am so glad I did. 20 pages of my screenplay were read aloud by talented actors and then time was spent with judges and peers, analyzing and helping me improve; an invaluable experience. Everyone I met was so welcoming, kind, helpful, and supportive, I attended the event (5 days) alone and felt completely surrounded by friends. So far this festival has been the most enjoyable, educational, uplifting festival of my career, and I came away from the festival feeling completely motivated and inspired. I met some amazing women, writers, directors, producers, that I will keep in contact with professionally and socially, and I can’t thank the Leslie-Ann, CK Love, Lia, and the team for hosting such an incredible event. The VIP pass was also wonderful, I was able to catch quite a few movies, as they ran until midnight. Some were truly fantastic and thought-provoking with discussions and a Q and A session afterwards. I also loved listening to the different script readings and partaking in an open-analysis, and I look forward to attending the next festival! See you there!

    August 2022
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  • Larissa James

    I highly recommend applying to the Female Eye Film Festival (FeFF)! Selected films screen in the beautiful TIFF theater and it was a great networking opportunity. I met some amazing women film makers and future collaborators!

    July 2022
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  • Elisabeth Möhlmann

    Such great experience. Thank you for the invitation to FeFF and for nominating our feature documentary MAMA IRENE, Healer of the Andes, as one of the best documentaries. We were thrilled!! Leslie Ann and the entire FeFF Programme team and volunteers were kind and helpful. Our co-director and producer Elisabeth made long lasting connections. Overall FeFF was inspirational to say the least!

    June 2022
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  • Roxanne Stam

    Honoured to be part of FeFF 20th anniversary edition. It was such a great experience, I have seen wonderful films and met great people. Hope to attend again!!!

    June 2022
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  • Edie Steiner

    Excellent festival, great films. Seeing the films in a live audience context on great screens at the TIFF Lightbox was so exciting after the pandemic years of online screenings. The festival hosts were always available to keep things running smoothly between events and filmmakers.

    June 2022
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