GIFF 2026 Program Unveiling
Gimli International Film Festival releases its 2026 film lineup, program, and new activations
WINNIPEG, June 24, 2026 — Gimli International Film Festival 2026 runs from June 22-26, and features a well-rounded film line-up, industry and community-based programming, and brand new beach events.
RBC Emerging Filmmaker Pitch Competition is celebrating its 15th anniversary with GIFF, and the winner will receive $15 000 and in-kind support from industry partners. Last year’s winner, Ande Brown, is returning to GIFF this summer to premiere his film, Half-Naked.
Screening alongside Brown’s film are a number of award-winning feature, animation, and short films. The GIFF programming team presents their hand-picked shortlist:
Blood Lines is a touching queer Indigenous love story set amongst a small Métis community, with much dialogue spoken in Michif, which has less than 1500 living speakers. The film's director Gail Maurice will be in attendance.
Dreams in Nightmares is a new take on the road movie wherein three thirty-something black queer femmes travel across the Midwestern US in search of their friend who has gone off-grid.
Late Shift, a tribute to the heroism of nurses, finds Floria, a tireless and dedicated nurse doing everything she can to hold things together through the night shift in an understaffed and under-resourced hospital.
Cactus Pears explores the relatable tension between choosing one's own path versus meeting the expectations of family and community with tender sensuality.
Time and Water is an emotional call to maintain what is left; blending the intimacy of family archives with the global consequences of climate change.
Black Zombie is a journey through cinema and history that reveals how zombies evolved from Haitian spiritual traditions into Hollywood horror, exploring their deeper cultural significance as powerful symbols of resilience.
Cookie Queens shows just how cutthroat the high-stakes world of Girl Scout cookie sales truly can be when ambition and innocence collide.
Steal This Story, Please! is an urgent clarion call documenting folk hero of independent American media, Amy Goodman, and her lifelong battle for truth.
These films, among dozens more, make up GIFF’s film series that are carefully curated to highlight IBPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+, local prairie talent, and more.
GIFF’s annual raffle is a big one this year; an expenses-paid trip to Iceland with no set dates, just the promise of a good time when it works.
Our top prize, the Alda Award, this year goes to Hlynur Pálmason. An Icelandic filmmaker whose distinct visual language and fearless storytelling continue to captivate audiences worldwide we're honored to celebrate his artistry at GIFF this year.
New on the beach this summer, GIFF is having a Beverage Garden and Sobr Patio. The GIFF Sobr Patio will be at the beach screening location to set a vibe before the beach screenings, and it will have a variety of non alcoholic beverages available for purchase. The GIFF Beverage Garden will be at the Welcome Centre location and will serve as a general hub for mingling. It will feature products from Interlake Brewing Co., Dead Horse, Bratcat, and Patent 5.
GIFF strives to create options to accommodate everyone, whether festival-goers enjoy a fruity mocktail or local craft mead.
GIFF has also made adjustments to the shuttle schedule and festival passes to best fit both long-time fans and newcomers. Three stops in Winnipeg Beach are now included on the shuttle route, and this year’s festival ticket bundles feature a reworked Festival Pass, 5-ticket bundle, and a 10-ticket bundle. More details can be found at gimlifilm.com.
On Friday, July 24, Real Love Winnipeg, Long and McQuade, and GIFF are teaming up to host an afterparty with a live band and DJs to keep the vibes going till late.
Another addition to the GIFF program is the OurToba Cold Read. In partnership with ACTRA Manitoba, Fairpoint Films, and Riparian, the event features talented performers bringing a selected script to life for a live audience.
The free fan favourite RBC Sunset Screenings on the beach will return every night of the festival to show cinema classics. Bring your snacks and a chair or a shovel and beach blanket, kick back and enjoy the 25th anniversary of Shrek, back-to-back cult classics Raising Arizona and Jaws, the 10th anniversary of the Tragically Hip’s concert documentary: Long Time Running, and a SUnday night thrill with the original Night of the Living Dead.
Media kit can be accessed here