From the moment you arrive, you will understand why this hybrid online and live events festival is so loved by filmmakers. In its 9th year, the social-issues-oriented Oakville Film Festival gives local, Canadian and international filmmakers a chance to participate in a truly community-oriented festival. The 2022 festival will be hybrid, offering mostly live events, with some virtual screenings.

We offer an intimate and effective networking event for filmmakers (conducted through digital and live networking events and workshops, panels, and Master Classes), as well as an immersive experience for our audiences. We recognize filmmakers in all genres who tell great stories, celebrate diversity and explore social issues, while sparking meaningful discussion.

Our thought-provoking films about the human condition, speak to the diverse social issues that impact our community, including women’s issues, environmental issues, Indigenous issues, issues that affect BIPOC communities, family stories, ageism, addiction and mental illness, as well as topics such as bullying, or human trafficking. Our selections include Canadian and international feature films, short films, documentaries, and webisodes.

From our opening live gala celebration to our director Q&A sessions, from filmmaker socials to our engaging live and virtual workshops, you will soon discover why Oakville Festivals of Film and Art has become an important stop on the festival circuit. We welcome you to a small community that has a big heart!

We have a strong history of attracting diverse filmmakers from around the world, who attend the event to talk directly with audiences about their work, in a friendly, intimate and inspirational environment. Our Industry Days, which have expanded to a monthly event, bring filmmakers together to learn, collaborate and socialize with like-minded individuals who share the same passion for films.

Supporting local filmmakers and giving them an opportunity to showcase their films in front of a supportive audience is very important to us. We also encourage women, indigenous and BIPOC filmmaker to submit their films to this inclusive event. The juried competitive festival awards programme includes 10 different prizes, including cash prizes, in kind prizing for filmmakers, and a beautiful, glass custom-designed trophy.

Our website is ‪www.offa.ca‬.

Awards & Prizes

1. Best Feature Film or Documentary Award: features a cash prize, as well as a beautiful engraved glass trophy.

2. Best International Short Film: features a cash prize, as well as a beautiful engraved glass trophy.

3. Best Canadian Feature film or documentary: Features a cash prize, in-kind prizing, as well as a beautiful engraved glass trophy.

4. Best Canadian short film: features a cash prize, in-kind prizing, as well as a beautiful engraved glass trophy.

5. Best Student film: features a cash prize, in kind prizing, as well as a beautiful engraved glass trophy.

6. Best Canadian Director: features a cash prize, in-kind prizing, as well as a beautiful engraved glass trophy.

7. Best International Director: features a cash prize as well as a beautiful engraved glass trophy.

8. Audience Choice Award (audience chooses) Best Short Film: features a cash prize, as well as a beautiful engraved glass trophy.

9. Audience Choice Award (audience chooses) Best Feature or Documentary: features a cash prize, as well as a beautiful engraved glass trophy.

Rules & Terms

We do not accept features longer than two hours, feature films must be 90 minutes or more, and documentaries can be feature length, or 45 minutes or more. If you submit a ONE HOUR or ONE HOUR 20 minutes documentary and we accept it, it will be programmed with another short documentary. We accept short films up to 20 minutes long, We do not accept pornography.

If accepted, your film could be screened either live, or in a digital format, or both. At this time, due to the COVID 19 pandemic, OFFA reserves the right to modify the delivery of its festival programming based on government rules and regulations related to the pandemic. At this time, our festival is planned as a hybrid event, with both digital and live screenings.

If you are successful with features or doc submissions and we do a live screening, we would prefer delivery of a DCP for the festival screening. HOWEVER, if you have a short film we accept any HD Quality digital file delivery. If the film is to be screened online, we would require an HD quality video file. We also have a deal with Film.ca, our lead venue partner and for the creation of DCPs at heavily discounted rates for our filmmakers, which you have access to if your film is accepted.

46 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
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Networking
  • Alexis Duran

    Phenomenal festival! I had the pleasure of virtually attending OFFA last year. Wendy and her team did an incredible job organizing and communicating with us. I felt very welcomed and included throughout the festival. It's beautiful when you truly feel supported and nurtured by a festival. Thank you, OFFA!

    February 2022
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    Response from festival:

    Thanks Alexis, for a great review! We want to be nuturing so glad we were able to do that for you. We are hoping to be mostly live this year - but will continue to do some virtual events. Hope to see you again soon.

  • Cate Carson

    We loved being a part of Oakville this year and were thrilled to win best international short film! For being online, Wendy and the team put on a wonderful program. Anything else was outside their control as there's only so much that can be done with virtual networking and geoblocking. I would have loved to see more of the films in the U.S. and wish there were more opportunities to connect with my fellow filmmakers. I think this festival will be a great return to in-person and hope to come back in the future - the folx there are lovely and care about their team and filmmakers.

    July 2021
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    Response from festival:

    Thanks so much Cate for coming to the festival and bringing The Plumber which won Best International Short film! hope to see you again in the future at our live event!

  • Christine Jezior

    What a fantastic festival! Wonderful lineup, great communications, and very welcoming organizers. They managed to put together an extraordinary festival even in the midst of a pandemic. I can't recommend this festival enough and very much hope we can experience it in person someday soon! -- Team Gosia@Tomek

    July 2021
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you Christine for bringing Gosia@Tomek to the festival for your Canadian Premiere! and for joining our Q&A virtually from overseas. Hope to see you again soon!

  • Joe Chang

    Thank you so much for selecting my film I am not an Angel! Love Oakville Film Festival very much!

    July 2021
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    Response from festival:

    Thanks Joe for bringing I Am Not an Angel to OFFA!

  • Cynthia Crofoot

    This was an amazing experience and I am so proud to have had my short film Obdurate as part of the wonderful festival. We were a finalist in the short film category and that was a true honor. The festival is well run, they communicate effectively and answer any questions you might have. Looking forward to participating in next year's festival IN PERSON. :-)

    July 2021
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you Cynthia! Obdurate is great film and happy to have you as part of our festival and as a finalist for the awards as well!