Okotoks Film Festival

Okotoks Film Festival

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The Okotoks Film Festival pairs international cinema with a focus on filmmakers from Alberta’s Foothills. Run by the Okotoks Film Society in Okotoks, Canada, it presents short and feature films across genres at Okotoks Cinemas. Its programme includes children’s shorts, a country spotlight and a youth screening with industry mentorship. Workshops, networking events and a 48-hour filmmaking challenge complement the screenings.

The 2027 festival dates are 3–12 June, with an in-person screening for every selected film. The country highlight focuses on the Philippines. Selected filmmakers receive two artist passes and six tickets to their film’s screening, alongside access to professional and social events.

Country

Canada

Categories

Animation, Documentary, Experimental, Feature, Music Video, Short

Dates

3 June 2027 — 12 June 2027

Awards and prizes

Best Picture — CAD 1,000; Audience Choice — CAD 1,000. Additional awards: Best Cinematography, Best Performance, Best Art Direction, Best Overall Sound, Best Editing, Best Screenplay, Best Animation, Best Visual/Special Effects, Best Documentary and Best Foothills Youth.

Festival rules

2027 submissions Filmmakers must clear all rights to their film’s content. Films must be completed after 1 January 2022. The festival website specifies completed works only and requires the screened version to be the same version submitted. No premiere status is required; previously screened films and films available online are eligible. Non-English films need English subtitles. Programmers consider no more than three films per director. If more are submitted, films are randomly disqualified until three remain. Pornographic and illegal content is prohibited. Filmmakers are responsible for playable screeners or DVDs and accurate submission materials. Entry fees are non-refundable, and submitted DVDs are not returned. Categories Short Films: any genre, under 45 minutes, completed after 1 January 2022; narrative, documentary, art films and music videos are eligible. Feature Films: any genre, 60–150 minutes, completed after 1 January 2022. KinderReels — Children’s Short Films: under 45 minutes, completed after 1 January 2022, with content made for young audiences. Country Highlight — Philippines: shorts under 45 minutes, completed after 1 January 2022, made in, by or about the Philippines. Foothills Films: films made in or by filmmakers from Municipal District of Foothills No. 31, Alberta. Request a submission password from info@okotoksfilmfestival.ca. These films are judged within their appropriate category; a second category submission is unnecessary. Foothills Youth Films: films by directors under 18 who are in or connected to Alberta. Request the submission password from info@okotoksfilmfestival.ca. The festival describes a dedicated youth screening, industry mentorship and a red-carpet awards gala. Deadlines and fees (Canadian dollars) Submissions open 1 September 2026. Earlybird deadline: 15 September 2026. Regular deadline: 31 October 2026. Late deadline: 31 January 2027. Late Late deadline: 15 March 2027. Notification: 1 May 2027. Short Films, KinderReels and Country Highlight — Philippines: earlybird free; regular CAD 5 (FilmFreeway Gold CAD 3); late CAD 10 (Gold CAD 5); late late CAD 20 (Gold CAD 15). Feature Films: earlybird CAD 5 (Gold CAD 3); regular CAD 10 (Gold CAD 5); late CAD 20 (Gold CAD 15); late late CAD 30 (Gold CAD 25). Foothills Films and Foothills Youth Films: free at all deadlines. The festival website separately describes VR/360 films under 10 minutes, with no completion-date restriction, shown free in the theatre lobby. VR/360 is absent from the 2027 FilmFreeway category list; availability requires confirmation with the festival.

Contacts

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