Untagged Film Festival – British Columbia, Canada
Presented by BC Minorities for Film & TV Society (NPO)
Redefining Storytelling. Reclaiming Space.

The Untagged Film Festival is a bold, grassroots initiative launched by the BC Minorities for Film & TV Society, a registered nonprofit committed to empowering underrepresented voices in front of and behind the camera.

Held in British Columbia, Canada, this groundbreaking festival showcases boundary-pushing, genre-defying, and label-free works by BIPOC, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, disabled, immigrant, and emerging filmmakers from around the world.

Untagged is more than a film festival — it’s a cultural reclamation. We welcome creators who have been sidelined, misrepresented, or overlooked by mainstream gatekeepers. Whether your work is raw, poetic, experimental, political, or deeply personal, Untagged is your space to be seen and heard without compromise.

The program features short and feature films, interdisciplinary performances, immersive panels, and interactive community gatherings — all centered around story, identity, and innovation. We prioritize accessibility, dialogue, and international exchange.

Submissions are open to those ready to break rules, reject labels, and shift the cinematic landscape.

This is Untagged. No labels. No filters. Just truth.

Awards & Prizes

Untagged Film Festival — Award Categories
Core Awards

Best Untagged Film (Grand Jury Prize)
Celebrates the most powerful and label-defying work of the festival.

Audience Choice Award
Selected by public vote for the film that resonated most with the audience.

Best Feature Film
Recognizes an outstanding narrative or documentary feature over 40 minutes.

Best Short Film
Honors an exceptional film under 25 minutes.

Diversity & Inclusion Awards

Best International Feature – Diverse Team
Awarded to a feature-length film made by or with significant involvement from a diverse, multicultural, or cross-border team.

Best International Short – Diverse Team
Celebrates an international short film with strong representation from marginalized or underrepresented communities.

Best BIPOC Storytelling
Recognizes excellence in storytelling from Black, Indigenous, or People of Color creators.

Best LGBTQIA+ Representation
For authentic and impactful representation of queer experiences on screen.

Best Female or Non-Binary Director
Honoring visionary direction from women and non-binary creators.

Best Emerging Filmmaker
Spotlighting a bold voice from a first-time or early-career filmmaker.

Special Awards

Disruptor Award (Experimental/Hybrid Film)
For films that break boundaries in form, medium, or method.

Community Impact Award
Given to a film that meaningfully engages with social justice, healing, or local communities.

Untold Story Award
For surfacing stories, histories, or voices not often seen in mainstream media.

Rules & Terms

Rules & Terms

Untagged Film Festival
Presented by BC Minorities for Film & TV Society (Registered Non-Profit)

1. Eligibility

Submissions are open to all creators worldwide.

Films must have been completed after January 1, 2023.

All genres and languages are accepted. Non-English films must include English subtitles.

Works-in-progress are accepted only if a final version is submitted before screening.

2. Categories

We accept submissions in the following categories:

Narrative Short / Feature

Documentary Short / Feature

Experimental Short

Animation Short

AI Animation

Student Film

Music Video

Web / New Media

Performance

Virtual Reality

360 Video

Please refer to the submission portal for full category descriptions and runtime requirements.

3. Student Submissions

Student filmmakers must provide proof of enrollment (valid student ID or letter from an institution) upon selection.

4. AI Animation & AI-Assisted Submissions

AI-generated films must be original works.

Filmmakers must clearly disclose which AI tools or software were used (e.g., Runway, Kaiber, Pika, AnimateDiff).

Use of copyrighted, unlicensed, or plagiarized content is prohibited.

The festival may request clarification on authorship, prompt design, or licensing of AI-generated assets.

5. Submission Requirements

Each submission must include:

A logline

A short synopsis

A filmmaker bio

A secure online screener (via FilmFreeway, Vimeo, or YouTube with password)

Incomplete submissions may not be considered.

6. Screening Format

Untagged Film Festival will be held virtually from April 13–17, 2026.

Films will be screened online via a secure, DRM-enabled platform accessible globally.

Select works may be invited to in-person encore screenings (TBA, Summer/Fall 2026).

Selected filmmakers will be contacted with upload instructions and additional screening details.

7. Selection & Notification – Our Film First Policy

All films are reviewed by the Untagged programming team under our Film First Policy.

Films are evaluated without reference to the filmmaker’s name, identity, pronouns, or ethnicity. No bios or tags are reviewed before programming decisions are made.

This blind review process ensures fairness, artistic focus, and aligns with our mission to dismantle bias in gatekeeping.

If selected, filmmakers will be contacted directly with next steps.

Notification Date: See list of dates.

8. Rights & Permissions

By submitting, you confirm you hold all necessary rights to screen your film, including music, archival footage, third-party media, and likeness releases.

For AI-generated or AI-assisted films, you must also hold the rights to any datasets, tools, or outputs used in production.

9. Accessibility & Inclusion

Untagged is committed to accessibility, both in our screening formats and submission process.

We encourage the use of closed captions, alt-text, and multilingual formats where possible.

We prioritize storytelling from BIPOC, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, disabled, immigrant, women, and non-binary creators.

We invite both BC-based and global filmmakers to submit. Whether emerging, independent, grassroots, or established—do not shy away from submitting. Your story matters. This platform was built for you.

10. Entry Fees

All submission fees are non-refundable.

Fee discounts are available for students, FilmFreeway Gold members, and in specific spotlight categories.

Fee waivers are available for artists in financial need or from underserved regions. Please email us a short request and screener link before the final deadline.

11. Awards & Recognition

Selected films will be considered for the following awards:

Best Untagged Film (Grand Jury Prize)

Audience Choice Award

Best Short / Best Feature

Best International Feature (Diverse Team)

Best International Short (Diverse Team)

Best BIPOC Storytelling

Best LGBTQIA+ Representation

Best Experimental / Disruptor Award

Best Student Film

Best Music Video

Best AI Animation

Community Impact Award

Untold Story Award

Prizes may include digital certificates, mentorships, features on partner platforms, in-kind services, and modest cash or production awards depending on available partnerships.