AltFF Alternative Film Festival is a Toronto competition that runs four editions a year — spring, summer, fall and winter — and is open to filmmakers at every level, beginners included. It accepts narrative, documentary, animated and experimental films of any genre and production date, divided by running time into ultra short (under a minute), super short, short, long short and feature categories, alongside a poster contest. Its category awards are IMDb-eligible.
Each edition releases its category winners online over several days and closes with a live screening of the ten Best Film of the Festival finalists, where the top awards, including an audience choice prize, are announced. The festival lists the House of Culture – Naturlandia on Dundas Street West as its venue. The screening of the winter edition is on 12 January 2027.
Awards and prizes
Ten Best Film of the Festival Finalists are chosen per edition, and each receives one of these IMDb-eligible awards with free entry waivers to future AltFF editions: Best Film of the Festival (2 waivers), 1st Runner Up, 2nd Runner Up, Best Director, Best Writer, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Cast, Best Cinematography and Best Editing of the Festival (1 waiver each).
One of the ten also wins the Audience Choice award, voted by the event audience.
Category awards for nominees include Best Drama, Best Comedy, Best Animation, Best Experimental, Best Documentary, Best Horror, Best Sci-Fi, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Cast, Best Writer, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Music, and Best Poster in the photography contest.
Winners receive printable PDF certificates and laurels by email.
Festival rules
AltFF accepts narrative, documentary, animated and experimental films in all genres, with no limit on the number of submissions or on production date.
Categories: Feature Films (45 minutes and over), Long Short Films (20 to 45 minutes), Short Films (5 to 20 minutes), Super Short Films (1 to 5 minutes), Ultra Short Films (15 to 59 seconds; not eligible for Best Film of the Festival, but eligible for category awards), and Posters.
All films must be in English or have English subtitles, and must have an online screener.
The festival does not pay screening fees. Filmmakers keep the rights to their films and are responsible for all copyrights, licences and releases.
Entry fees are non-refundable. Judges' decisions are final.
Notification: Finalists are the 10 Best Film of the Festival Finalists screened at the edition's event; Nominees are in the running for awards in their submitted category.
