Written By James Matthews

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Shelburne and surrounding municipalities will have its own place in celebrating independent filmmakers next fall.

The lights will go up on the Dufferin Film Festival (DFF) on Aug. 9-10, 2024.

Kelly McDowell, the festival's director, said the event will celebrate Canadian independent filmmakers through a curated selection of films, educational opportunities, industry forums, and networking events.

The festival will foster filmmakers, film enthusiasts, and audiences while raising the profile of Canadian talent. Filmmakers can enter their films through FilmFreeway.

“DFF will be showcasing the best of Canadian films of all genres,” McDowell said.

She has an ambitious program for the two-day festival but is inspired to bring the best film experience possible to the community.

“Dufferin County is not only full of many talented artists and art lovers, but is also an incredible landscape for film production. It is the perfect community to launch a film festival and continue to put Dufferin County on the map for filmmakers and film enthusiasts,” said McDowell.

The festival will host a myriad of creative forums, workshops, and networking opportunities. The opening night will include a presentation of the Screenwriting Competition winners' films and an evening feature film, followed by a question-and-answer session with the filmmakers.

The night will commence with a red carpet, complete with filmmakers and photographers. The celebration continues at the opening night social, hosted at the Bluebird Cafe and Grill, which will be transformed into a Filmmaker and Film Enthusiast Hub, complete with entertainment, networking opportunities, and food.

The second day of DFF includes more film programming from prominent and emerging filmmakers.

More information on the schedule, films and events will be available in the weeks leading up to the festival.

As part of the launch of DFF, the festival is hosting a Headwaters region community-wide screenwriting contest. Applicants can submit their microfilm scripts of five minutes or less, and two winners will be selected, one from a youth category of ages 12 to 18 and the other from an all-ages category.

Rose Digital Media Group, in partnership with DFF, will acquire the scripts and work with the writer on-set in the production of the screenplay. The films will debut at DFF as part of the film selections.

The application portal opened on Oct. 10 and will close on Dec. 31.

Winners will be announced in February 2024.