The annual and IMDb qualifying seasonal competition of Montreal Women Film Festival is devoted to the promotion, screening, publicity and distribution of women in media.

The first edition of Montreal Women Film Festival kicked off at the Cinema du Parc for the International Women's Day on March 8th when Linda Serpone, the President of Montreal Council of Women spoke about the importance of the festival and its role in recognizing and screening films dealing with women's rights and promoting women directors.

Every season, we nominate projects in various categories of our seasonal competition, and we promote the winners who are forwarded to our annual programming team to be considered for the annual screening of March 8th for International Women's Day. Every season, we promote the award winners and nominate projects for our annual live screening, red carpet ceremony and networking events.

We have partnered up with event organizers, digital platforms and various magazines in order to promote female talents in media and offer both digital and cinema screening to women directors.

Our team will focus on both emerging and established international and Canadian female filmmakers with fiction, documentary, animation, experimental and all genres which can inspire the world and promote female voices.

Awards & Prizes

Best Feature Narrative
Best Feature Documentary
Best Short Narrative
Best Short Documentary
Best Animation
Best Experimental
Best Student Film
Best Director
Best Actress
Best Producer
Best Editor
Best Cinematographer
Best Feature Screenplay
Best Short Screenplay
Best Environmental
Best Human rights
Best Composer

Rules & Terms

International and Canadian features and shorts are qualified to submit.
No premiere status is required for the seasonal competition. Films available online may compete in the festival as well.
Montreal premiere is required for cinema screening. North American and world premiere is preferred for the annual screening.
We can only communicate with the submitter of the project.

12 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Janna Jones

    Thank you for your first rate festival, great communication and selecting Cheap, Sexy, and Shocking!

    February 2024
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  • Paula Rossman

    A very supportive team. Thank you for the opportunity to share my script with you!

    February 2024
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  • Courtney Sanello

    As a female director and that my mother is from Montreal, getting nominated for FIRST REFUSAL for best experimental means a great deal. Can't wait to attend the annual gala! Thank you!

    February 2024
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  • Rose Patterson

    I was told I was excepted for this, but I never heard any email back from the festival. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend but I heard great reviews from those that did attend. I’m hoping to hear from the company to see how they felt my documentary went. I got the announcement from film freeway, but the agency themselves did not email me to update me on the event and the time. I’m looking forward to hearing from them and how they felt it went.

    November 2023
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  • Rachel Pearl

    This was my very first festival entry and I was very proud to have our team get a nomination for "Lullaby". I think it's so important to raise up women's voices and I feel honored to be included.
    The communication was just as they said it would be. Thank you.

    November 2023
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