Not Your Average Film Festival — It’s an Experience

The Canadian Vertical Film Festival is a high-energy, celebration built specifically for vertical storytelling. Featuring a custom-built outdoor vertical screen, offering a one-of-a-kind viewing experience designed for the way films are being watched today.

Although the festival is being held in Canada, on Vancouver Island. Submissions are welcome from filmmakers and production companies worldwide, inviting talent from all over the world to join this new creative movement.

Hosted at Magic Box Studios on beautiful Vancouver Island, British Columbia, the festival blends film, community, and creativity into a full-scale event. Attendees can enjoy local food vendors, live DJs between screening sessions, and a lively festival atmosphere that keeps the energy flowing all day.

Beyond the screenings, the festival features a live vertical-filmed podcast area, guest speakers, event sponsors, and a professional photography booth led by an experienced actor headshot photographer. Filmmakers and attendees alike will have opportunities to connect, create content, and be part of something fresh, forward-thinking, and truly immersive.

CVFF is Canada’s premiere festival dedicated to the art of vertical filmmaking, and vertical shorts— showcasing everything from short-form dramas and fast-paced narratives to vertical series and bold cinematic experiments designed for the 9:16 era.

Whether you’re an emerging creator or an experienced filmmaker exploring new mediums, CVFF is your stage to showcase originality, artistry, and vertical vision.

Awards & Prizes

Prizes include, cash, awards, submission fee and Sponsor packages.

🎬 Winning films will be featured at CVFF’s exclusive in-person screenings and across our digital highlights campaigns, on our website, and social media accounts. We will also feature them beyond the event on a Youtube channel with ongoing marketing efforts. Giving creators exposure to audiences, media, and industry professionals across Canada.

Rules & Terms

ENTRY FEE:
All submissions require a non-refundable entry fee per category. This fee helps sustain local screenings, event operations, and promotional support for participating filmmakers.

ELIGIBILITY:
The festival is open to worldwide filmmakers. Eligible films must be in English.

Projects MUST be shot and or formatted exclusively for a vertical (9:16) aspect ratio.
**Existing films re-cropped into vertical ratio will not be accepted.

Films must have been completed after January 1, 2023.

All genres are welcome — including drama, rom com, action, adventure, sci-fi, horror, thriller, comedy, experimental, documentary, and social storytelling.

PLEASE NOTE:
CVFF welcomes bold, sensual, and flirtatious storytelling, including romantic tension, intimacy, and suggestive moments, provided content remains non-explicit.

While we recognize that heightened drama can sometimes include moments of physical conflict, CVFF does not condone or promote violence. The festival reserves the right to deny submissions that depict excessive or gratuitous violence, particularly against women or children, whether real or implied.

In short: keep it stylish, creative, and tasteful.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS;

Required format: Vertical (9:16) ONLY
Accepted resolutions:
1080 × 1920 (Full HD Vertical)
2160 × 3840 (4K Vertical)
Codec: H.264 (.mp4 or .mov preferred)
Frame rate: 23.98 / 24 / 25 / 30 / 60 fps
Final export must be upright vertical — no horizontal black bars or letterboxing.

SELECTION & SCREENINGS:
Selected films will be screened in person at a festival on Vancouver Island British Columbia.

Filmmakers will be notified via email if their submission is selected.
CVFF reserves the right to use short excerpts, stills, and promotional clips (under 30 seconds) for festival marketing purposes.

RIGHTS & OWNERSHIP:
By submitting a film, creators affirm that they possess all required rights for exhibition, or have received proper authorization from the relevant platforms, producers, or rights holders. Submission also constitutes permission for CVFF to screen and promote the work for festival-related purposes only.