OUR MISSION STATEMENT:
The Edmonton International Film Festival (EIFF)... international, independent and eye-opening. Our festival’s primary objective is to encourage and support the appreciation of cinema as art. To achieve this, our mandate is to present the most outstanding films produced from as many countries as possible. And we sprinkle it all with a generous dose of film maker chats, Q&A's,
gala screenings, a local filmmaker spotlight, 'buzzy' films that are travelling the festival circuit, shorts with lunch, and more. Films are selected on the basis of story, quality and originality. ABOUT EIFF:
EIFF is a charitable, non-profit, cultural organization whose mission is to present an annual multi-day celebration of cinema as a means to transform the way people see the world. Whatever the genre, we're looking for films with strong story lines. Movies that make you question your own values, move you in some mysterious way, or leave you laughing out loud. Located just a couple of hours from the majestic Rocky Mountains, Edmonton is THE heart of the Canadian Prairies, the largest northern city in North America and home to the Edmonton International Film Festival (EIFF). And each autumn, we hoist the curtains on a cinematic feast that celebrates the power of film. The menu consists of more than 150 films from 50+ countries, ranging from short to feature-length, dramatic to documentary, comedy to gut-wrenching and studio to independent. We are also fascinated by a creative groundswell which we fondly refer to as “RENEGADES”. These are filmmakers who are re-defining HOW we tell our cinematic stories... 3-D, VR, cellphones, carbon-neutral shoots, squirrel cams, etc. RENEGADES are also filmmakers whose VOICES demand our attention – re-calibrating WHO is creating movies. Our audiences love it when they can meet the people behind, and in front of, the camera. Over the years, we've had the pleasure of hosting these established artists: John Waters, Norman Jewison, Academy Award© winner Brenda Fricker, Deepa Mehta, Arthur Hiller, Werner Herzog, Paul Gross, Naomi Klein, Avi Lewis, Don McKellar, Albert Maysles, Jon Cryer, Bruce McDonald, Patrick Warburton, Rita Chiarelli, Shea Whigham, Gabriel Sunday, Jesse James Miller, Kris Holden-Ried, Zoie Palmer, Academy Award© winner, Luke Matheny... the list goes on! And countless emerging filmmakers, actors, writers and producers.
