The time has come! We’ve been quiet for long enough. We’ve got some big news!
Our submissions season has reopened – if you have submitted already, your film is still in the running! Submission fees will remain at $8 for the whole season, no matter what you submit! Final deadline is December 31, 2022.
This is because our 8th festival year has been pushed forward to 2023 – and will be our last festival for the foreseeable future. It is a bittersweet development for us, as the festival has been an absolute project of passion and community for our small team. We’ve met so many great filmmakers and film enthusiasts, learned so much, and gained a tremendous amount of appreciation for all of the different kinds of storytelling coming from every corner of this country. We’re going to miss it a lot!
But before we say goodbye, our final year is going to be a bright, shining star! We’re going to be throwing a gigantic celebration – for our filmmakers, our audience, our supporters – to celebrate all the blood, sweat, and tears that is poured into making independent cinema in Canada. There’s going to be movies, music, panels, lovely faces – it’s going to be a wonderful gathering of creativity and support!
Since the beginning, we’ve been a festival run by filmmakers for filmmakers – we know what it takes to get movies made! Our goal has always been to get more eyes on independent projects. We’ll be throwing a hybrid in-person and virtual event for 2023, to be enjoyed no matter where you are in Canada – coast to coast to coast.
Interested in sponsoring or helping out? Get in touch! This festival runs on wonderful volunteers and generous contributions from local businesses, and this year we’ll be pulling out all of the stops.
I am tremendously thankful for the support we have received since the inception of this festival in 2014. I have loved putting on this event and seeing it grow in weird and wonderful ways. It has always been an immensely important and personal project to me, and has been a vessel to express my love of the craft and those who make it happen. Thank you for sharing your films, sharing your stories, and we will continue to carry the spirit of love local cinema forward in any way we can.
If you have any questions or comments, please send them our way!
Laurel K Brown
hello@cinemaspectacular.com
Founder – Director
Cinema Spectacular