22nd Annual Vancouver Island Short Film Festival is open for submissions!

The Vancouver Island Short Film Festival (VISFF) is accepting submissions beginning on September 1st, 2026 for the 22nd annual VISFF to be held in March 2027. Local and international filmmakers are invited to submit short films up to 20 minutes in length, including credits, by November 20th, 2026. The festival welcomes all genres and styles and seeks to promote the work of filmmakers of diverse backgrounds and identities.

The selected short films will be screened for an audience on March 26th and 27th at VIU’s Malaspina Theatre in Nanaimo. The two-day screening will also be simultaneously streamed online so viewers can watch from anywhere in the world. The livestream will be available online for 48 hours after the festival.

In addition to screening two lineups of short films, VISFF 2027 will feature Q&A sessions with the filmmakers and an award ceremony where the festival’s coveted Goldies will be presented to the best short films in several categories, including: Best Film, Best Performance, and People’s Choice.

In its continued support of local filmmakers, VISFF reserves two spots of its program for Vancouver Island filmmakers and invites local filmmakers to submit their films for free.

Entry waivers for Vancouver Island filmmakers may be obtained by emailing submissions@visff.com. For all other filmmakers, the entry fee of $25 USD per film is in effect until the midnight deadline on November 20th, 2026.

Films can be submitted through FilmFreeway at www.filmfreeway.com/visff

VISFF Contact: Caileigh Broatch, Show Coordinator – submissions@visff.com