AIFF KIDS
AIFF Kids Youth Film Competition
The AIFF Kids Youth Film Competition is a film festival celebrating the work of young Atlantic Canadian filmmakers, and a fun and exciting opportunity for selected participants to showcase their work on the big screen and the official AIFF YouTube channel. Finalists will have a chance to win fantastic awards and prizes, including Best Fiction Film, Best Documentary, and Audience Choice Award.
2025 Submissions
As Atlantic Canada’s largest youth film competition, the AIFF Kids Youth Film Competition is a free challenge for youth to develop skills as a filmmaker, regardless of previous filmmaking experience. The Competition celebrates short films being created across the Atlantic Canadian provinces and provides a platform for finalist films to be celebrated. Youth can participate individually or as a group/class.
The AIFF Kids Youth Film Competition will take place in Spring 2025. Finalist films are shown in-cinema at Cineplex to a public audience in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and are presented on the AIFF YouTube channel. All finalist films are also eligible for juried prizes, in varying categories.
Key rules for submissions and to be considered for entry:
Filmmakers MUST be a resident of one of the four Atlantic Canadian Provinces (NB, NS, NFLD and PEI).
Filmmakers must be 18 or under.
Film submissions must be under 5 minutes.
Dates & Deadlines
Submissions Open: January 6, 2025
Regular Deadline: April 14, 2025
Notification Date: May 9, 2025
Event Date: May 25 - June 1, 2025
Full details, rules & regulations and submissions info available here: www.filmfreeway.com/AIFFKidsYouthFilmCompetition
How to Get Started Making an AIFF Kids Movie
Visit the AIFF YouTube Channel above or below to see what other youth have submitted in the past.
Download the AIFF Kids Production Notebook here or below, a youth-focused guide to filmmaking.
Review the Rules and Terms at the bottom of this page.
Start filming!
AIFF Kids Movie Production Notebook
“Why do I need a storyboard?” “What’s a Director of Photography?” “Where do I put this light?”
Whether you’re just starting out, or have already lost count of the number of movies you’ve made, our Production Notebook will answer all your questions and make you a pro in no time.
From developing your concept all the way to distributing your masterpiece, we’ve got you covered. Download our Production Notebook and get started today!
2024 Winners
Award for Best Fiction Film
Winner: ROSES: A VISUAL POEM
Directed by Rae Steeves
Honorable Mention for Best Fiction Film
Winner: WELCOME TO OUR PLANET
Directed by Finn Paster
Audience Choice Award
Winner: ROSES: A VISUAL POEM
Directed by Rae Steeves
Audience Choice Award Runner Up
Winner: THE ABSENCE
Directed by Desmond Henry Robert Smyth
Award for Best Documentary
Winner: VISIBLE
Directed by Eli Izaak Arsenault
Honorable Mention for Best Documentary
Winner: ZORA
Directed by Kiya Wing-Matier