AIFF'S CO-PRODUCTION MARKET ANNOUNCES ARCTIC LENS: A CIRCUMPOLAR SPOTLIGHT FOR 2026
(Delegates at the 2025 edition of AIFF Partners, on the dock of the market venue: RNSYS, Saraguay Club. Image courtesy of AIFF.)
Discover the cinematic grandeur and distinctive voices of the Circumpolar Region at the 29th edition of AIFF Partners.
August 5, 2026 (Halifax, NS) – Celebrating its 29th year, the Atlantic International Film Festival's co-production market, AIFF Partners, announces Arctic Lens: A Circumpolar Spotlight, a thematic focus which will bring together producers, financiers, distributors, broadcasters, sales agents, film commissions, streamers and industry leaders from across Canada and around the world. This year’s resource delegation already confirmed includes executives from: Netflix, Crave, CBC, RBC, NFB, Telefilm, CMF, and VVS Films. Taking place September 16–18, 2026, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, AIFF Partners programming this year will shine a spotlight on the distinctive voices and stories emerging from the Circumpolar Region, with a particular emphasis on Indigenous storytelling and the evolving environmental and geopolitical realities shaping the North.
"Our focus this year on the Circumpolar Region recognizes the importance of northern stories at a time when global attention is increasingly turning to the Arctic," says Executive Director Martha Cooley. “We're excited to convene filmmakers, financiers, broadcasters, and industry leaders in Halifax to spark conversations and partnerships that will shape the next generation of co-productions and industry collaborations."
Programming for the 2026 market day on September 17th will include a full day of networking with 1-2-1 meetings and Buzz Sessions at the Saraguay House at the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron. The first day will also host a Fireside Conversation: Life of an Iceberg, with Executive Producer Greg Hemmings and Director Christine McLean, focused on an international documentary co-production involving Greenland and Canada.
Following Market Day on September 18th, the program will include panels Framing the North: Filmmaking, Geopolitics, and Arctic Sovereignty, examining the opportunities and challenges shaping storytelling across the Circumpolar Region, and a Case Study: 111: Echoes from Halifax – A Swiss-Canadian Co-Production, which will explore the nuances of international co-productions where both countries were affected by the weight of the real events which inspired the film’s narrative.
Returning this year is the AIFF Partners Pitch Competition, which will showcase selected Atlantic Canadian projects in front of a live jury, all vying for a prize package from Sunbelt Rentals.
Beyond the meeting room, delegates will enjoy AIFF Partners' signature networking experiences, including a sunset harbour tour aboard the historic Tall Ship Silva and the Partners Closing Cocktail Reception on the Stewart McKelvey rooftop patio.
Registration for Producer Delegates and Resource Delegates has a final Drop Dead Deadline of August 12th.
Further programming and delegate announcements will be made in the coming months.
More about AIFF Partners:
Designed to foster meaningful international and interprovincial partnerships, AIFF Partners offers a highly curated boutique market experience where relationships are built, projects advance and conversations continue well beyond the event itself. Through pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings, networking events, buzz sessions, roundtables and industry programming, delegates gain direct access to decision-makers and opportunities for collaboration.
AIFF Partners will also launch a new personalized scheduling model for 2026. Delegates will have the opportunity to request meetings and sessions in advance, with each participant receiving a tailored market schedule designed to foster strategic introductions, meaningful collaboration, and productive business development opportunities.
Representatives from AIFF are available for interview.
Media Contact:
Amy Saunders, AlphaPR
amy@wearealphapr.com
