Loon International Film Festival

Loon International Film Festival (LOONIFF)

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
September 29- October 3, 2026

The Loon International Film Festival — LOONIFF is now accepting submissions for its second edition, taking place in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, from September 29- October 3, 2026.

For its second edition, LOONIFF expands its program to include both short films and feature films, with a central focus on Nature, Peace, and Animal Rights.

LOONIFF is more than a film festival. It is a cinematic platform dedicated to discovering bold, original, and emerging voices from around the world. The festival celebrates films that inspire, challenge conventions, cross borders, and connect cultures through the power of cinema.

Committed to creativity without limits, LOONIFF welcomes narrative, documentary, animation, and experimental works that carry artistic vision, emotional truth, and a distinctive cinematic voice.

The festival aims to provide emerging filmmakers with international visibility while creating a meaningful experience for audiences, artists, and industry professionals alike.

More than an event, LOONIFF is a launchpad — where passion becomes recognition, and emerging filmmakers become unforgettable.

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Why “Loon”?

The loon, an iconic bird of Canada, is known for its hauntingly poetic call echoing across lakes and forests. It has become a timeless symbol of tranquillity, purity, and the deep connection between humanity, nature, and animals.

By choosing the loon as its symbol, LOONIFF embraces a message of peace, respect, compassion, and harmony — values that form the soul of the festival.

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Festival Theme

Nature. Peace. Animal Rights.

LOONIFF 2026 is dedicated to films that reflect, question, or connect with the spirit of nature, peace, animal rights, compassion, equality, kindness, and the relationship between human beings and the living world.

Films do not need to be directly about these themes to be considered. However, works that carry emotional, ethical, social, environmental, or humanistic depth are strongly encouraged.

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Competition Section - *Updated

LOONIFF 2026 Competition Pathway Update
Second Edition Update

LOONIFF 2026 has updated its pathway to the Official Competition for the Second Edition.

This pathway applies to both selected short films and selected feature films.

LOONIFF’s competition structure is based on premiere status, cinema screening, audience response, and the LOONEGGS audience scoring system.

1. World Premiere Pathway

Films selected with World Premiere status may enter the Official Competition directly.

2. North American Premiere & Canadian Premiere Pathway

Films selected with North American Premiere or Canadian Premiere status may enter the LOONEGGS Audience Qualification Pathway.

In this pathway, selected films will be screened for festival audiences and evaluated through direct audience voting using the LOONEGGS scoring system inside the cinema hall.

Based on audience response, a selected number of films may advance from the LOONEGGS Audience Qualification Pathway into the Official Competition.

The advancing films from this pathway are planned to follow an approximate 70% / 30% balance:
around 70% from the North American Premiere section and around 30% from the Canadian Premiere section may advance into the Official Competition.

The final number of advancing films may depend on the final program structure, screening schedule, and festival requirements.

LOONIFF’s pathway is designed to create a clear, dynamic, and audience-connected route into the Official Competition while maintaining a curated festival standard.

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Categories

LOONIFF 2026 accepts submissions in the following categories:

Short Films: Films under 30 minutes, including credits.

Feature Films: Films 70 minutes or longer.

Accepted genres include:

Narrative
Documentary
Animation
Experimental