On the sandy shores of Lake Winnipeg, in the lakeside town of Gimli, Manitoba, one of Canada’s most distinctive film festivals unfolds every summer. The Gimli International Film Festival (GIFF) is Manitoba’s largest film festival and the largest rural film festival in all of Canada, drawing filmmakers and audiences from across the country and around the world.
Origins
The Gimli International Film Festival began in 2001, originally launched as an outgrowth of the town’s Islendingadagurinn festival of Icelandic Canadian culture. Gimli, founded in 1875 as the centre of “New Iceland,” remains the largest Icelandic community outside of Iceland itself, and that heritage still shapes the festival’s programming.
A festival with strong Icelandic ties, GIFF is proud to highlight Icelandic film, but also be representative of the diverse communities that make up Manitoba.
The Festival Today
GIFF has grown well beyond its origins. The festival showcases a mix of narrative, documentary and experimental feature films and short films, and takes place annually on the last weekend of July. It has grown to include four indoor venues (three of which are built inside community churches), industry workshops and events, an annual $10,000 emerging filmmaker pitch competition, a 48 Hour Filmmaking Challenge, and a variety of awards and parties.
Its signature attraction, however, is open to the sky. The festival is also known for its free outdoor beach film screenings, where films are projected on an 11-meter-tall screen erected annually in the waters of Lake Winnipeg. Audiences spread blankets and lawn chairs along the beach as the sun sets, watching films float just offshore.
Programming and Awards
GIFF’s slate is ambitious for a rural festival. Recent editions have featured curated programs including the Icelandic Film Series, the Circumpolar Film Series, the Made in MB Film Series, the Social Justice Series, the Indigenous Film Series, the Environmental Film Series, the LGBTQ2SIA+ Film Series, the Future is Ours Film Series, and the IBPOC Film Series.
Awards include the Grand Jury Prize for feature films, the “Best of Fest” Audience Choice Award, the Indigenous Spirit Award, Best Manitoba Filmmaker, and best short film prizes for Manitoban, Canadian, and international entries.
A Milestone and What’s Next
In 2025, GIFF marked its 25th anniversary with a celebration held July 23 to 27, with executive director Teya Zuzek noting the festival’s quarter-century of championing regional, national, and international cinema on the shores of Lake Winnipeg. The 2026 edition is scheduled for July 22 to 26, continuing the late-July tradition that ties the festival to Gimli’s busiest tourist season.
For five summer nights, a small Interlake town becomes a meeting place for global cinema, prairie storytelling, and the simple magic of watching a film with your toes in the sand.
Sources
- Gimli Film Festival, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimli_Film_Festival
- About GIFF, Gimli International Film Festival: https://www.gimlifilm.com/aboutus
- 25th Edition Program: NOW LIVE, Gimli International Film Festival (1 July 2025): https://www.gimlifilm.com/news/25th-edition-program-now-live
- Gimli International Film Festival, FilmFreeway (GIFF 2026 submission page): https://filmfreeway.com/GIFF2026
- Rural Municipality of Gimli, Gimli Festivals: https://www.gimli.ca/p/gimli-festivals
- Gimli International Film Festival, Travel Manitoba: https://www.travelmanitoba.com/directory/gimli-international-film-festival/
- Gimli International Film Festival, Official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/gimliIFF/
