OFFA (Oakville Festivals of Film and Art) is proud to celebrate 11 years in 2024, with our week-long festival happening June 19th - 25th. From the moment you arrive, you will understand why this social issues and event-oriented festival is so loved by filmmakers. We offer an intimate and effective networking opportunity for filmmakers (conducted through a full Industry Summit that accompanies the festival), as well as an immersive, film screening and arts experience for our audiences. We recognize filmmakers in all genres who tell great stories, celebrate diversity and explore social issues, while sparking meaningful discussion.

For over a decade, we have been bringing the social-issues-oriented Oakville Film Festival to local, Canadian and international filmmakers, giving them a chance to participate in a truly community-oriented festival with national and international appeal. The 2024 festival will be mostly live, with some virtual screenings. From our live gala premiere film screenings that encompass the work of passionate musicians, dancers, and artists; to our full week of festival screenings at our local independent cinema, drive-In theatre and professional, performing arts centre; to our enlightening Q&A sessions; from collaborative networking socials to our professional live and virtual workshops, Master Classes, and panels, you will soon discover why the Oakville Film Festival has become an important stop on the festival circuit. We welcome you to a small community that has a big heart!

Good story-telling is paramount: our thought-provoking features and documentaries about the human condition, speak to the diverse social issues that impact our community, and the world. Festival highlights include issues that are predominant in our community, such as those impacting women, families, immigrants, and Indigenous and BIPOC communities. We value inspiring stories that reveal the indomitable nature of the human spirit, as well as those that highlight difficult issues such as mental illness, addiction, and ageism, bullying, or human trafficking. Our selections include Canadian and international feature films, short films, documentaries, and webisodes.

We have a strong history of attracting diverse filmmakers from around the world, who attend the event to talk directly with audiences about their work, in a friendly, intimate and inspirational environment. Our Industry Summit brings filmmakers together to learn, collaborate and socialize with like-minded individuals who share the same passion for films. Supporting local filmmakers and giving them an opportunity to showcase their films in front of a supportive audience is as key part of our mission. The juried competitive festival awards programme includes 10 different prizes, including cash, in kind prizing for filmmakers, and a beautiful, glass custom-designed trophy.

Check us out at ‪www.offa.ca‬

1. Best Feature Film or Documentary Award: features a cash prize, as well as a beautiful engraved glass trophy.

2. Best International Short Film: features a cash prize, as well as a beautiful engraved glass trophy.

3. Best Canadian Feature film or documentary: Features a cash prize, in-kind prizing, as well as a beautiful engraved glass trophy.

4. Best Canadian short film: features a cash prize, in-kind prizing, as well as a beautiful engraved glass trophy.

5. Best Student film: features a cash prize, in kind prizing, as well as a beautiful engraved glass trophy.

6. Best Canadian Director: features a cash prize, in-kind prizing, as well as a beautiful engraved glass trophy.

7. Best International Director: features a cash prize as well as a beautiful engraved glass trophy.

8. Audience Choice Award (audience chooses) Best Short Film: features a cash prize, as well as a beautiful engraved glass trophy.

9. Audience Choice Award (audience chooses) Best Feature or Documentary: features a cash prize, as well as a beautiful engraved glass trophy.

10. Best Indigenous Film: features a cash prize as well as a beautiful engraved glass trophy.

We do not accept features longer than two hours, feature films must be 90 minutes or more, and documentaries can be feature length, or 45 minutes or more. If you submit a ONE HOUR or ONE HOUR 20 minutes documentary and we accept it, it will be programmed with another short documentary. We accept short films up to 20 minutes long, We do not accept pornography.

If accepted, your film could be screened either live, or in a digital format, or both. At this time, due to the COVID 19 pandemic, OFFA reserves the right to modify the delivery of its festival programming based on government rules and regulations related to the pandemic. At this time, our festival is planned as a hybrid event, with both digital and live screenings.

If you are successful with features or doc submissions and we do a live screening, we would prefer delivery of a DCP for the festival screening. HOWEVER, if you have a short film we accept any HD Quality digital file delivery. If the film is to be screened online, we would require an HD quality video file. We also have a deal with Film.ca, our lead venue partner and for the creation of DCPs at heavily discounted rates for our filmmakers, which you have access to if your film is accepted.