Canadian entertainment news — Edmonton’s biggest screen party turns 40 today. The Edmonton International Film Festival opens Thursday with its 40th edition, running September 24 to October 3 across two venues — Landmark Cinemas 9 City Centre downtown and Metro Cinema at the Garneau in Old Strathcona. More than 160 films from over 40 countries are on the slate, and this is no mere local showcase: EIFF is an Oscar-qualifying festival for live-action, documentary and animated short films, which means a win here can start a filmmaker’s road to the Academy Awards.
By Maplestime Entertainment Desk | Winnipeg, Manitoba | September 24, 2026
Sources: EIFF (official) | ToDoCanada | Last updated: September 24, 2026
Key Takeaways
- The 40th EIFF runs September 24 to October 3 at Landmark Cinemas 9 City Centre and Metro Cinema at the Garneau Theatre.
- The festival is Oscar-qualifying for short films — short-film award winners will be announced by October 1, in time for Academy Awards consideration.
- Opening gala: Cody Lightning’s Smudge the Blades, with an after-party to launch the festival. Closing gala: Adam Scorgie’s Funny Money: The Dane Cook Story.
- Canadian highlights include Run Terry Run, Queens for a Day, Marie Clements’ How We Stand, and James McAvoy’s California Schemin’.
- A new Creative Screen Business Summit runs September 25-26 at the Delta Edmonton for film, TV and digital media professionals.
The galas bookend a big lineup
Cody Lightning — the Cree filmmaker behind Hey Viktor!, which played EIFF in 2023 — returns to open the festival with Smudge the Blades, followed by a kickoff after-party celebrating the festival’s history. The closing night belongs to producer Adam Scorgie’s Funny Money: The Dane Cook Story, a documentary that closes the 40th edition on October 3 with another after-party sendoff.
Between the galas: over 65 screenings, filmmaker Q&As, and programs spanning Canadian cinema, Alberta-made films, music documentaries and international titles — from Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Mike Leigh to Pedro Almodovar and Cristian Mungiu.
The Oscar connection matters
Here is what separates EIFF from a pleasant regional festival: winning filmmakers in the short categories can use it as part of their route to Academy Awards consideration, with winners announced by October 1. For Edmonton audiences, that means a genuine first look at films that may be on much bigger stages within months. Every title is an Edmonton premiere, so nobody has seen these before — you will.
Canadian films to watch
The Canadian program is stacked: Queens for a Day, Sean Menard’s Run Terry Run, Marie Clements’ How We Stand, Alexandra Lazarowich’s Turtle Island Rap. Alberta gets its own spotlight with Andrew Haigh’s A Long Winter and The Meteorite Gang. And the Music on Film strand brings Barry Avrich’s Darlene Love documentary and California Schemin’, directed by James McAvoy.
New this year: the Creative Screen Business Summit (September 25-26), presented with Edmonton Screen, covering the business side — marketing, legal, tax credits, pitching — for screen professionals across Edmonton and Northern Alberta.
Tickets: single screenings $15, 6-packs $75, all-access passes $199 (which include the business summit). Phone 1.780.423.0844 or buy online.
Forty years in, EIFF has earned its place on the fall festival map — and with an Oscar lane attached, this year’s shorts could be next year’s nominees. See them first.
Photo credits: Wikimedia Commons / TagaSanPedroAko (CC BY-SA 4.0); Georg Pik (CC0); Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).
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