The International Film Festival of Ottawa (IFFO) brings the world’s best cinema to our city. The Festival’s fifth edition takes place in downtown Ottawa from March 12 to 23, at the theatres in the Ottawa Art Gallery and Bytowne Cinema.
This year’s Festival provides cinephiles with an eclectic mix of films that have won awards and made waves in the international film circuit over the past year. In IFFO’s Official Selection, programmers curated 22 Canadian and international feature films and select a new Canadian short film to accompany each feature screening.
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This year’s Official Selection includes short films from two Ottawa-based filmmakers.
A chronicle on Super 8 of the closure, abandonment, and demolition of Ottawa’s Greyhound bus station, Buses Don’t Stop Here Anymore directed by Penny McCann, is paired with Grand Tour (dir. Miguel Gomes) and will screen on March 15 at the ByTowne Cinema. Returning to IFFO with his latest short film is Maziyar Khatam. Khatam’s The Sweater screens before Ciao Bambino (dir. Edgardo Pistone) on March 16, at the Ottawa Art Gallery.
You will find films from Canada, France, Lebanon, the UK, Iran, Georgia, Germany, Finland, Costa Rica, Palestine and Italy – and that is only naming half.
If you are looking to dig deeper into film, the festival is also offering special events for all film lovers.
Opening Night: Celebrate the Opening Night of IFFO 2025 on March 12, 2025, with Ann Marie Fleming’s latest feature Can I Get a Witness? and a post-screening celebration, with Ann Marie Fleming in attendance.
Film Club: Meet the Programmers: On Friday March 14 meet the IFFO programming team who curated the Festival’s features, shorts, and industry events. Film Club is the place to talk with programmers and fellow cinephiles about the films you’ve seen so far and the films you’re looking forward to seeing.
Canadian Masters: An annual celebration of excellence in Canadian filmmaking, Canadian Masters features extensive onstage interviews, special screenings, and audience discussions with some of the greatest names in Canadian film history. On Wednesday March 19 join Clement Virgo for this year’s edition of Canadian Masters.
SAVE AS 2025: An ongoing and key part of IFFO’s celebration of Canadian and world cinema, SAVE AS is dedicated to examining issues of preservation, restoration, distribution, and exhibition of the always-endangered world cinema heritage. SAVE AS returns on March 20.
Screen Summit 2025: Dedicated to strengthening and inspiring Ottawa’s growing screen-based industries while addressing topics relevant to all film industry professionals, join thought leaders for an insightful and inspirational series of panels on March 21. There will be a related job fair at City Hall on March 22 for the film industry in Ottawa.
Film Club: Meet the Filmmakers: Film Club on March 21 is your chance to meet the special guests and filmmakers who are in town for the Festival.
The Gaze: Created along with IFFO in 2020 by IFFO programmer Tish Black, The Gaze series brings the audience into the screening experience to discuss films from underrepresented filmmakers. Join Tish and this year’s special guest on Saturday March 22 for an interactive discussion about Wild Diamond.
The International Film Festival of Ottawa takes place at the Ottawa Art Gallery, with some screenings at the Bytowne Cinema. The OAG is a fully accessible venue. Individual tickets for films are $15 each and can be purchased in advance online. A full pass for all events and screenings is $200, and a six-pack of tickets is $75.
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