Submissions

Submissions Are Open for OFFA 2023! Help us celebrate 10 years with our Hybrid Event: June 21st to 27th 2023

OFFA (Oakville Festivals of Film and Art) is proud to celebrate 10 years in 2023.   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 2023 festival  will be hybrid, consisting of mostly live, but also virtual screenings.  From our live gala film screenings that encorporate film with music, dance, and art; 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 filmmaker 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!

From the moment you arrive, you will understand why this hybrid live and online 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, which consists of live and virtual networking events and workshops, panels, and Master Classes), as well as an immersive, film screenings 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.

Our thought-provoking films about the human condition, speak to the diverse social issues that impact our community, but also the world. Festival highlights include stories that impact women, families, and Indigenous and BIPOC communities, and also issues that are predominant in our community.  We value good storytelling: from inspiring stories that reveal the indomitable nature of the human spirit,  to those that highlight difficult issues such as mental illness, addiction, and ageism,  bullying, or human trafficking. For 2023, our festival launches on National Indigenous People’s Day, so we encourage submissions from Canadian Indigenous filmmakers. 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 very important to us. We also encourage women, Indigenous and BIPOC filmmakers to submit their films to this inclusive event. 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

Location: Oakville, Ontario, Canada and some events online (hybrid festival mainly live and some virtual events)

2023 Submission Guidelines

The festival proudly accepts entries via FilmFreeway as its submission platform. Please provide a screener link to a Vimeo, YouTube, or other online screening platform.

DCP

If your film is selected, you must provide EITHER a Digital Cinema Package (DCP) of your film for a LIVE festival screening, or a high-resolution digital file will work for virtual screenings, or live screenings. If you do not have DCP and need one, Oakville Festivals of Film & Art has arranged a discounted rate with film.ca for DCP creation.

Short Films

Short Films (up to and including 20 minutes) that are chosen for the festival must be delivered via an acceptable format digital LINK for screening at the 2023 festival.

Languages

If your film is in a foreign language, we require either English subtitles or an English dubbed soundtrack.

Criteria

Length

Features
Maximum 120 minutes (two hours)

Documentaries
45 minutes up to two hours. Shorter documentaries are twin-billed.

Short Films
Up to and including 20 minutes

Short Web Series
Maximum 30 minutes

Ratings

We do not accept films with an “Adult” rating

Dates & Deadlines

Opening Date: November 1 2023
Early bird Deadline: March 6, 2023
Regular Deadline: April 10, 2022
Notification Date: May 15, 2022
Event Date: June 21^st – 27^th 2023

Festival Categories & Fees

See our Film Freeway Page for more details about categories and fees.