IGNITING CONVERSATIONS

Social Justice | The Environment | Community Building

This year’s festival focuses on renewal. We live in a time of immense and rapid change. How might we lead with our values—burn it down, compost it up, and redefine our future? A future that nourishes and empowers us all. Documentary filmmaking opens up conversations about our world and relationships, allowing us to draw on the past, be inspired by present-day activists, and conjure better ways forward. Magic happens when we come together to understand one another, expand our perspectives, and support the complex human (and nonhuman) communities that sustain us.

We curate events to provoke thought, encourage play, and weave a wide range of viewpoints into the conversational threads of our community. We are delighted to be able to continue to offer the 2025 festival for free to folks under 30. And when we say “Pay What You Want” we really mean it. If you want to come, we want you here!

On opening night, River of Grass will immerse you in the wetlands of the Florida Everglades, an endemic ecosystem that supports an abundance of interconnected life. Closing night will strut the runway of sustainable fashion with Dust to Dust. Our short documentary collections—Culture & Belonging and Art & Impact—each invite you on a journey through diverse views on a theme. Along the way, we will celebrate Black and queer cultures, imagine new possibilities for post-life planning, fight for the rights of nature, demand inclusive narratives, and build community through basketball. Sharing stories that matter is at the heart of what we do.

The festival will be lighting up screens across downtown Guelph (and beyond!) to showcase artful nonfiction films that explore the themes of social justice, the environment, and community building. You never know which story will ignite something in you or change the world.

November 7 - 15 2025 (In Person)

Tickets

Admission

Daytime screenings: $12/PWYW*
Evening screenings: $15/PWYW*
Closing Night Event : $20/PWYW*
Children’s screening: $5 per Adult
Under 30 years old: FREE
Pocket Series Films: FREE
*PWYW—Pay What You Want

Note: A limited number of Free Under 30 & PWYW Tickets are available online. So claim your tickets early!

Free tickets give access to screenings, but do not guarantee entrance if space is limited. We encourage folks with free tickets to arrive at least 15 minutes before any event to claim their seats.