Montreal Independent Film Festival has turned into one of the most popular visionary festivals on FilmFreeway. Cannes award winners, Oscar nominees and emerging independent film projects have competed in our IMDb qualifying monthly and annual festival.

All the award winners of each edition are nominated for the annual festival. All the winners are promoted on Film Daily, TFM, our online magazine and social media to thousands of film industry professionals and artists. The winners can also request for online promotion and screening of projects through Toronto Film Channel.

MIFF started with live events and screenings of international and Canadian indie films by Baraheni Films in various art cinemas and universities of Montreal. Since 2020 and because of the pandemic, a new form of a very successfull virtual event was formed with ongoing online promotion and screening options for the official selections and award winners. MIFF screened over 260 independent features and shorts throughout 2020. Some of our films had thousands of views.

MIFF will continue screening features and shorts of all genres throughout the year online. The festival also has a publicity and online screening department for artists to promote, market, distribute and screen independent film projects of all genres from all over the world.

MIFF is a hybrid event which is a blending of traditional forms of festivals with a new form of an online virtual festival that could create further opportunities for independent film projects to be noticed, awarded, screened and recognized in the film industry. 

Screening is only mandatory in our annual festival. In our monthly editions, film projects and artists can compete through private screening to jury members and programmers who vote for the best in each category. 

We are an organization committed to selecting, awarding, promoting, featuring and screening international and Canadian projects of all genres.

Awards & Prizes

Annual Festival:
$10,000 in cash prizes, promotions, bonuses and services are shared with the winners in various categories of the annual festival.

$1,000  is awarded to Best Narrative Feature of the year
$1,000 is awarded to Best Narrative Short of the year
$1,000 is awarded to Best Documentary of the year
$1,000 is awarded to Best Canadian Film of the year
$1,000 is awarded to Best Female Director of the year
Rest of the award winners recieve bonuses in our annual event.

Annual award event and screenings are postponed from August to November due to the pandemic restrictions in Canada. The annual festival will be a hybird event with online and live screening of films and an award ceremony.

Monthly Festival:
$6000 is available in bonuses. We have 30 categories in our monthly festival and each winner can request for a $200 Bonus from our publicity and screening department.
All the award winners are also credited on IMDb, promoted through social media and our online magazine. Award winners can also request for certificates, laurels, etc.

Best Narrative Feature
Best Narrative short
Best Feature Documentary
Best Short Documentary
Best Canadian Film
Best Horror
Best Comedy
Best Animation
Best Science Fiction
Best Web Series/TV Pilot
Best Experimental
Best Human Rights
Best Environmental
Best Female Director
Best First Time Filmmaker
Best Independent Film
Best Student Film
Best LGBTQ
Best Music Video
Best Unproduced Script
Best Thriller
Best Trailer
Best Director
Best Script
Best Producer
Best Cinematographer
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Editor
Best Composer

Rules & Terms

Films must have been completed in the past 3 years.
Premier status is not required for monthly editions.
Montreal premier is required for the annual event.
International and Canadian productions are accepted.
The festival has the right to use a trailer, stills and posters from for promotional purposes.
Entry fees are non refundable since our programmers need to evaluate each project twice.
English or French subtitles are required for non English and non French films.
Shorts must be less than 50 minutes. All projects over 50 minutes should submit to the feature category.

300 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
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Hospitality
Networking
  • Claudia Miatello

    Thank you for celebrating the art of film and for supporting filmmakers from around the world! I was honoured to be selected for this festival. Thank you so much for the invitation to participate!

    June 2021
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  • Francisco Javier Fernández Bordonada

    Thanks so much. It is an honour for me to be awarded this medal for my contribution with the Documentary "Spanish Olive grove"

    June 2021
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  • Colin Sanders

    It was such an honor to be selected by this festival! Huge thanks to all of you!!

    June 2021
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  • Lallan Samaroo

    We are very pleased that our film FRUITVILLE has been included in this fine festival. The organizers have done an excellent job. Worth it!

    June 2021
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  • Jamie Norrie

    I was thrilled to be a part of this festival and to have been selected as an award winner for my comedy short!! Looking forward to checking out the annual festival :)

    May 2021
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