St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival is one of the longest-running women’s film festivals in the world.

St. John's International Women's Film Festival (SJIWFF) is Canada's longest-running women's film festival. Established in 1989 with a bold vision of supporting and promoting women's creative work in local and international screen-based industries, SJIWFF has grown in submissions and accolades for over three decades. A respected leader in the Canadian film circuit and movement for gender equity in the sector, SJIWFF brings critical artist development and creative vitality to Newfoundland and Labrador. SJIWFF is a registered charity and not-for-profit organization.

Our mission is to create an equitable screen-based industry by increasing awareness of women and gender-diverse artists' contributions to the sector and providing platforms for them to expand their craft through exhibition, opportunity, creation, and education. By fostering this development and advancement, we can achieve balanced representation in front of and behind the camera. 

Our mandate is to increase the exposure of new works directed or written by women and gender-diverse filmmakers. We do this by producing a unique cultural event that exhibits outstanding films, fosters artist and community advancement, and celebrates a love of cinema. We deliver programs to grow the next generation of filmmakers and provide professional development and market access to filmmakers at all levels, increasing the national and international profile of St. John's and the province as a vibrant cultural site and place to create new works. 

ABOUT US

The St. John's International Women's Film Festival screens films written or directed by women and programs several screenings, workshops and other events throughout the year, culminating in a five-day annual film festival held each October in St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada. 

Festival week also features the Film Industry Forum, consisting of panels, workshops and face-to-face meetings for filmmakers, producers, and interactive creators.

In addition to the annual Festival and Forum, throughout the year we organize a series of projects aimed at supporting local emerging filmmakers and growing local film audiences:

RBC Michelle Jackson Emerging Filmmaker Award: an annual peer-juried award for the production of a six-minute film by a new, promising female director. This award was established in memory of friend, filmmaker, and youth mentor, Michelle Jackson (1972-2008).

Our FRAMED film education series puts the camera in young people’s hands to help them develop, shoot, and edit a short film through five-day film camps. Films On The Go is a provincial film screening tour. Scene and Heard is our film industry conference, offering in-depth masterclasses and workshops each spring.