Canadian Film Fest (CFF), the indie-spirited festival dedicated to celebrating Canadian filmmakers, marks a milestone with their 20th anniversary edition. Celebrating two decades of bringing Canadian stories to Canadian audiences, CFF will present 16 features and 40 shorts from filmmakers across the country continuing its mission to showcase homegrown voices on the big screen.
This year’s festival unfolds under its latest campaign, Eyeballs Up, a call for audiences to look up, lean in and recognize the bold creativity of Canadian film.
Interview with Ashleigh Rains, Festival Director and Head Programmer
CFF Festival Director and Head Programmer Ashleigh Rains returns to chat all things CFF in this exclusive interview.
Ashleigh discusses this landmark anniversary and lists a few film titles premiering at this year’s festival. She also provides great insights into the Industry Programming which is available for filmmakers and others working in the film industry.
Festival Highlights
Below is a list of some of the films Ashleigh and I talked about during our interview.
- PLAN C – Director Scott Anthony Cavalheiro
- AKASHI – Director Mayumi Yoshida
- MIHNEA – Director Mike Doaga
- NESTING – Director Chloé Cinq-Mars
- A BREED APART – Director Adam Belanger & David Lafontaine
- LOS RIOS – Directors Ryan Fyfe-Brown & Dale Bailey
- A FAREWELL TO YOUTH – Director Adam Jack
Additional Festival Details
There are many other feature and short films premiering at CFF this year. I strongly encourage you to add one of the Homegrown Shorts screenings to your lists; you will not be disappointed.
All CFF screenings take place at Cineplex’s Scotiabank Theatre in Toronto from March 24 – 29, 2026. Festival details including industry programming, film times and tickets are available at CanFilmFest.ca.
