The Okotoks Film Festival is an international film spectacle showcasing artists from around the globe. Every year we see a magnitude of films submitted to the festival, and we are thrilled to bring the very best to Okotoks.
The Festival includes two weeks of online screenings and several days of in-person film events for all audience types, workshops with industry professionals, and the screening of our popular 48-Hour Filmmaking Challenge!
Unless stated otherwise, all events are held at the Okotoks Cinemas.
General Screening
Short films created throughout the world in any genre. These screenings are not created with family friendly content in mind but will be of a reasonable content for all audiences. Spotlight will be given to films created by artists local to Okotoks and the surrounding area. Following the screenings film makers present will be invited to the front of the auditorium for a question and answer period.
Photo from Rustic Oracle, screened during our 2020 Festival
KinderReels
This screening will consist of all family friendly films with an emphasis on content children will enjoy. The Family screening will be entirely short films. Following the screenings film makers will be invited to the front of the auditorium for a question and answer period with children present.
Photo from Balance, screened during our 2020 Festival
48 Hour Screening
This screening is designed to showcase local talent. Prior to the Festival, film makers in Okotoks and the surrounding area will be participating in a 48-hour film making challenge. Teams will be given a genre, prop, and line of dialogue then they will then have 48 hours to write, shoot and edit their film. All films handed in before the deadline that meet the guidelines of the challenge will be screened. Come see the excitement that ensues!
Interested in signing up? Head over to our 48 Hour Challenge page for more information!
Next-Gen
Join us to celebrate the next generation of filmmakers!
The Next-Gen screening is a collection of awesome short films created by young Foothills and Calgary filmmakers. See the films they have created, enjoy our networking gala, and learn who to watch as these filmmakers head to adulthood.
All filmmakers in the Youth category will receive a one-on-one adjudication from professionals in the industry and all are in consideration for the Best Youth Film Award.
Originally the Zooom Youth Festival, this idea was conceptualized by the Okotoks Arts Council in 2016 and is now a favorite part of the Okotoks Film Festival.
Virtual Reality
Along with our regular scheduled screenings, we will also have a selection of short VR films for you to immerse yourself in! These films won’t be specific to any genre (you’ll get to choose what you watch), and will be playing for free throughout the Festival in the theatre lobby. Films will be shown to one audience member at a time as systems are limited.