Stratford Film Festival

The Stratford Film Festival celebrates innovative films and filmmakers from around the world, around the country, and around the corner. Join us in for four nights and three days of screenings, filmmaker Q&As, and special events in the culturally vibrant, picturesque community of Stratford, Ontario. Hidden gems, foreign cinema, indie darlings, and more —memorable films you likely won’t see anywhere else.

We do it right. As filmmakers ourselves, we've had the opportunity to attend many festivals — large, small, prestigious, hole-in-the-wall, emerging — and we took note of all the great aspects of a well-run, engaging film festival. Our goal is to make SFF a great experience for both filmmakers and film lovers.

Programming includes a thoughtful selection of features, shorts, animation, and documentaries—films that entertain and inspire moviegoers through compelling visual storytelling.

The inaugural four-day Stratford Film Festival premieres on Thursday, November 6 and runs through Sunday, November 9, 2025, offering an exceptional roster of films, intriguing industry guests, panel discussions, and nightly parties. Films will be screened in the iconic Stratford City Hall Auditorium Theatre and the newly opened Here for Now Theatre both located in the heart of downtown Stratford.

We also run a monthly film series showcasing festival favorites and new discoveries. (details on website)

SFF is a filmmaker friendly festival, dedicated to making film professionals — directors, writers, producers, cinematographers, actors, editors, designers, and crew members — feel welcome. And we'll work with you to help market and promote your film.

SFF is proud to be a 50/50 filmmaker gender parity festival that is fully committed to equity, diversity, access, and inclusion.

All entries are screened/read and selected by a team of dedicated filmmakers and experienced viewers with an eye to discovering extraordinary films. Entries are judged on a point system for craft, originality, and storytelling.

Stratford is a charming and sophisticated town of 32,000, that within a 50 km/ 30 mile radius expands to 1,000,000 people. We are located just 120 km / 80 miles from Toronto and easily accessible via car, train or bus.

Stratford is a cultural hub, attracting 500,000 visitors annually, so the city has excellent amenities such as charming hotels, B&Bs, and airbnbs; great restaurants, cool bars, and a wealth of independently owned stores and boutiques.

With the Avon River and beautifully maintained parks and historical buildings, Stratford is the ultimate in a walkable community. You'll always find a warm welcome here.