Vancouver Independent Film Festival

Vancouver is a beautiful city that cultivates talent, friendships, and relationships within the entertainment arts industry. More than 60,000 direct and indirect jobs are generated by film and TV production in B.C.; more than 80 percent of these are in Metro Vancouver. Vancouver has the largest cluster of top VFX and Animation studios in the world, including Sony Pictures Imageworks, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Animal Logic and others. All of this means that Vancouver is the ideal location to take the next step in your filmmaking career. Inspired by this infrastructure, the Vancouver Independent Film Festival was created with both a seasonal and yearly structure. The festvial has both online and physical screenings. At the end of each season, the jury selects the winners of each category through private screenings. The winners of each season will be then considered for online screening. Furthermore, each year we will choose a few films from the winners for the yearly competition; if they get selected by the programming committee, they will be shown and compete with other films-winners at the annual event. The official selection nominees are more than welcome to attend our yearly screening event and red carpet ceremony. Winners will be announced on our website every season.

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Recent report on Festival:
https://universalcinema.ca/vancouver-independent-film-festival/

https://universalcinema.ca/festival-review-the-vancouver-independent-film-festival/

Best International Narrative Short
Best Canadian Narrative Short
Best Documentary Short
Best Animated Short
Best Experimental Short
Best Micro Short
Best Covid 19 Film
Best Student Short Film
Best Music Video
Best Actor in Short
Best Actress in Short
Best Ensemble Acting in Short
Best Female Directing in Short
Best Male Directing in Short
Best Script in Short
Best Editing in Short
Best Music in Short
Best Canadian Feature Film
Best Canadian Documentary
Best International Feature Film
Best Human Right's Film
Best Female Directing in Feature Film
Best Male Directing in Feature Film
Best Actor in Feature Film
Best Actress in Feature Film
Best Music in Feature Film
Best Cinematography in Feature Film
Best Long Feature Script
Best Human Right's Film
Best Social Justice Film
Best LGBT'S Film
Best Environmentalist Film
Best Women's issue Film
Best Culinary Film
Best First Time Filmmaker
Best Horror
Best Comedy
Best Dark Comedy
Best Animation
Best Action
Best Web Series
Best TV Pilot

A) Eligibility Requirements
1. Films completed on or after Jan 1, 2017 are eligible for consideration
2. Feature-length films that are available for public online viewing are not eligible.
3. Films shown at private screenings not open to the public (for crew, investors, etc.) are eligible.
4. All entries must be either in English or subtitled in English. Dialogue lists are not accepted.
5. Entrant confirms and warrants required legal authority to submit the entry to the Festival and to use all music, images, and content in the entry.

B) Submission Guidelines
1. Feature-length films must be submitted via online screener hosted by Vimeo, on DVD or on Blu-ray disc.
2. Only complete entries (including fee payment and screener) will be considered.
3. Entrants are permitted to submit works-in-progress (i.e., without final color correction or sound mixing), but please note that the programming committee will only consider the version submitted. Subsequent cuts or replacement copies will only be accepted at the request of the programming committee.
4. To qualify for student entry fee rates, entrant must include proof of student status at the time of production (copy of student ID, transcript, etc.)
5. All films selected for the Festival will screen on Bluray/DCP unless otherwise arranged by the submitting filmmaker and programming team.

C) Shipping
The cost of shipping an entry to the Festival must be paid by the entrant. Collect or COD shipments will not be accepted. All international entries must be sent “free domicile” to the Festival office with all transportation charges, duties, and taxes prepaid by the shipper.

D) Judging & Selection
If a film is selected, the Festival office will contact the entrant by phone or email. The Festival does not provide feedback or screening notes to entries that are not selected.

E) The festvial organizers reserve the rights to change, cancel or re-schedule the dates, venue, awards & categories without consent or information to contestants.

F) The organizers reserve the right not to award any or all of the prizes.

G) Entry Fees
Each entry must be accompanied by the appropriate entry fee. Entry fees are not refundable. Fees cover registration, registration notification, consideration by the programming department, and notification of the results. These fees may be paid by credit card (VISA, MasterCard, or American Express).

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Dates & Deadlines

January 10, 2023
Opening Date
February 3, 2023
Early Bird Deadline
February 24, 2023
Regular Deadline
April 21, 2023
Late Deadline
May 11, 2023
Notification Date
May 29, 2023
Event Date

Categories & Fees

Best International Narrative Short
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Gold Members: $45
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $57
- Gold Members: $50
Best Canadian Narrative Short
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Gold Members: $45
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $57
- Gold Members: $50
Best Documentary Short
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Gold Members: $45
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $57
- Gold Members: $50
Best Animated Short
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Gold Members: $45
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $57
- Gold Members: $50
Best Micro Short
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Gold Members: $30
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $45
- Gold Members: $40
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $57
- Gold Members: $50
Best Horror (Short)
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Gold Members: $45
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $57
- Gold Members: $50
Best Thriller (Short)
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Gold Members: $45
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $57
- Gold Members: $50
Best Sci-fi (Short)
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Gold Members: $45
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $57
- Gold Members: $50
Best Comedy (Short)
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Gold Members: $45
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $57
- Gold Members: $50
Best Experimental Short
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Gold Members: $45
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $57
- Gold Members: $50
Best Covid19 Short
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Gold Members: $45
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $57
- Gold Members: $50
Best Student Short Film
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $30
- Gold Members: $25
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $35
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $57
- Gold Members: $50
Best Music Video
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Gold Members: $45
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $57
- Gold Members: $50
Best Actor in Short
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Gold Members: $45
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $57
- Gold Members: $50
Best Actress in Short
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Gold Members: $45
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $57
- Gold Members: $50
Best Ensemble Acting in Short
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Gold Members: $45
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $57
- Gold Members: $50
Best Female Directing in Short
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Gold Members: $45
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $57
- Gold Members: $50
Best Male Directing in Short
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Gold Members: $45
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $57
- Gold Members: $50
Best First Time Director (Short)
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Gold Members: $45
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $57
- Gold Members: $50
Best Human Right's Short Film
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Gold Members: $45
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $57
- Gold Members: $50
Best Script in Short
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Gold Members: $45
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $57
- Gold Members: $50
Best Unproduced Script (Short Feature)
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Gold Members: $45
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $57
- Gold Members: $50
Best Editing in Short
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Gold Members: $45
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $57
- Gold Members: $50
Best Music in Short
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Gold Members: $45
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $57
- Gold Members: $50
Best Cinematography in Short
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Gold Members: $45
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $57
- Gold Members: $50
All Categories (Short)
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $140
- Gold Members: $120
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $160
- Gold Members: $140
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $180
- Gold Members: $160
Best Canadian Feature Film
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $80
- Gold Members: $70
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $90
- Gold Members: $80
Best Canadian Documentary
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Gold Members: $40
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $50
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $70
- Gold Members: $60
Best International Feature Film
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $70
- Gold Members: $60
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $80
- Gold Members: $70
Best International Documentary
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $70
- Gold Members: $60
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $80
- Gold Members: $70
Best Female Directing in Feature Film
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $70
- Gold Members: $60
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $80
- Gold Members: $70
Best Male Directing in Feature Film
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $70
- Gold Members: $60
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $80
- Gold Members: $70
Best Actor in Feature Film
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $70
- Gold Members: $60
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $80
- Gold Members: $70
Best Actress in Feature Film
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $70
- Gold Members: $60
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $80
- Gold Members: $70
Best Acting Ensemble (Feature Film)
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $70
- Gold Members: $60
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $80
- Gold Members: $70
Best Music in Feature Film
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $70
- Gold Members: $60
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $80
- Gold Members: $70
Best Cinematography in Feature Film
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $70
- Gold Members: $60
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $80
- Gold Members: $70
Best Script (Long Feature Film)
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $70
- Gold Members: $60
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $80
- Gold Members: $70
Best Unproduced Script (Feature Film)
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $70
- Gold Members: $60
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $80
- Gold Members: $70
All Categories (Feature Film)
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $150
- Gold Members: $130
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $170
- Gold Members: $150
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $180
- Gold Members: $162
Best Human Right's Film
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $70
- Gold Members: $60
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $80
- Gold Members: $70
Best Social Justice Film
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $70
- Gold Members: $60
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $80
- Gold Members: $70
Best LGBT'S Film
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $70
- Gold Members: $60
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $80
- Gold Members: $70
Best Environmentalist Film
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $70
- Gold Members: $60
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $80
- Gold Members: $70
Best Women's Issue Film
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $70
- Gold Members: $60
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $80
- Gold Members: $70
Best Culinary Film
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $70
- Gold Members: $60
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $80
- Gold Members: $70
Best First Time Filmmaker
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $70
- Gold Members: $60
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $80
- Gold Members: $70
Best Horror Film (Long Feature)
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $70
- Gold Members: $60
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $80
- Gold Members: $70
Best Comedy Film (Long Feature)
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $70
- Gold Members: $60
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $80
- Gold Members: $70
Best Action Film (Long Feature)
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $70
- Gold Members: $60
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $80
- Gold Members: $70
Best Sci-fi Film (Long Feature)
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $70
- Gold Members: $60
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $80
- Gold Members: $70
Best Thriller Film (Long Feature)
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $70
- Gold Members: $60
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $80
- Gold Members: $70
Best Animation (Long Feature)
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $70
- Gold Members: $60
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $80
- Gold Members: $70
Best Web Series
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $70
- Gold Members: $60
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $80
- Gold Members: $70
Best TV Pilot
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $60
- Gold Members: $50
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $70
- Gold Members: $60
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $80
- Gold Members: $70
Best Trailer
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $30
- Gold Members: $20
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Gold Members: $25
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Gold Members: $30
Best Poster
- Early Bird Deadline
- Standard: $25
- Gold Members: $20
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $30
- Gold Members: $25
- Late Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Gold Members: $30

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