Event Details

Founded and incorporated in 2005, the Windsor International Film Festival (WIFF) is a cultural, not-for-profit organization that celebrates the art of cinema by showcasing Canadian and international film and filmmakers. Delivering exceptional experiences through film, WIFF strengthens and enriches community while promoting the creative economy. WIFF curates annual programs, develops year-round community initiatives and partnerships, and presents a signature film festival every fall.

This application is for the “20th Anniversary of the Windsor International Film Festival” taking place October 22 to November 3, 2024. To celebrate the anniversary WIFF is planning a grand celebratory four-day opening weekend beginning with an opening film and formal catered gala in downtown Windsor’s Skyline Ballroom, at St. Clair College’s Centre for the Arts. Other opening weekend specials events will include celebrity appearances, film screenings, and the launch of the 20-Year WIFF Retrospective exhibition which will feature past WIFF memorabilia, a sea of movie posters, screenings of WIFF Local shorts, and a public talk by WIFF’s Executive Director and Head Programmer Vincent Georgie. In the spirit of a retrospective, WIFF will re-screen 20 years of local filmmaking, spanning feature films and short films. The program will comprise 10 feature films and 18 short films. Selected filmmakers will be present for the program. WIFF will also host its first masterclass of the Festival (accompanied by a special film screening) which will be hosted by Jesse Wente, an Ojibwe broadcaster, curator, producer, activist, and public speaker. Returning film programs to launch during the opening weekend include:

(1) Francophone Film Program (sponsored by ICI Radio-Canada);

(2) WIFF Prize in Canadian Film (awarded filmmaker will receive a $25,000 cash prize);

(3) WIFF Local;

(4) Women of WIFF;

(5) The LGBTQ+ Film Program;

(6) The Mark Boscariol 48-Hour FlickFest;

(7) Spotlight in Architecture; and

(8) Spotlight on Detroit