When the sun sets on our beautiful prairie town, hundreds of people will make their way down to Gimli beach with their blankets and chairs. There, under the stars and the northern lights we will be transported into new worlds and new experiences. The Gimli Film Festival is dedicated to celebrating the art, education and entertainment of film!

10 Year Anniversary

The Gimli Film Festival (GFF) will celebrate its’ 10th year in the summer of 2010. As a non-profit charitable organization the festival is dedicated to providing quality entertainment and to stimulate an enthusiasm for a world of new and exceptional films. The Gimli Film Festival is a five-day Festival set on the shores of Lake Winnipeg in Gimli, Manitoba. Our Festival attracts a dedicated and enthusiastic audience. In addition to being treated to award-winning local, national and international productions, film buffs can view movies from the beach on a 35-foot screen that rises out of the water in one of the most scenic regions in Canada. Audiences can also choose from over 80 features, shorts and documentaries at the indoor venues.

Audience members and film industry professionals recognize the Gimli Film Festival as an important and integral part of the artistic and cultural landscape of Gimli, Manitoba and Canada. In our future programs we will include Panel Discussions, Master Classes and Question and Answer sessions. Our goal is to bring relevant topics and current issues up for discussion for the enlightenment of fellow filmmakers and a movie-loving audience. 

We also capitalize on the natural splendors of the area; Gimli is a vibrant and picturesque lakeside town 1 hour north of Winnipeg. Outdoor screenings, daily receptions and lake side parties all add up to a sophisticated dialogue and focused collection of events to enhance the film festival experience in Gimli.

A Great Place to Visit 

The town of Gimli is a premier tourist destination in Manitoba. Visitors to Gimli enjoy the beaches, the shops, restaurants and a laid back “always on holiday” ambience. The area is rich in cultural diversity, but is known for it’s Icelandic cultural influence. The GFF always strives to present the most interesting Icelandic films and films from other circumpolar nations.

Past Highlights

2009

Premieres of Prom Night in Mississippi (Can), Dirt! The Movie (USA), Kraftur (Iceland), From Turf Cottage to the Cover of TIME (Iceland). Hosted guest filmmakers from Canada, the US and Iceland who attended screenings and industry event

2008

Guy Maddin  introduces My Winnipeg to a sold out screening at the Gimli Theatre. The Stone Angel screens to a sold out audience in the Gimli theatre followed by a Q& A session with Liz Jarvis and Sarah Jane Cundell.  Paul Gross attends a Panel Discussion and introduces a preview of Passchendaele.

2007

150% increase in attendance at indoor screenings.

2006

Introduced the First Annual CanWest Best Manitoba Short Film Award

2005 

Our Fifth Anniversary! Introduced Audience Awards for Features and  Documentaries. New full color 24-page program. Canadian Premiere of “Running with the Herd”

2004

Guy Maddin introduces his critically acclaimed film “The Saddest Music in the World”.  Featured Leif Bristow’s Canadian Family films.

2003

Director Agust Gudmundsson introduces his film “Seagull’s Laughter”.
The 20th anniversary of The Gimli Glider; the Landing of a Boeing 767 on the Gimli airstrip; we screened “Falling from the Sky: Flight 174”.

2002

Screened  “K-19 the Widowmaker” Producer Sigurjon Sighvatsson, Starring Harrison Ford. Some scenes shot on location in Gimli. Opening night screening of “Rare Birds”, director: Sturla Gunnarsson, starring William Hurt.

2001

Opening night;  Guy Maddin's “Tales From The Gimli Hospital”. Director Sturla  Gunnarsson  introduced  “Such a Long Journey”. Fridrik Thor  Fridriksson  introduced  “Angels of the Universe”.