St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival
October 20 – 24, 2026
St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival (SJIWFF) was established in 1989 with a bold vision of advancing gender equity in the screen industries by championing the creative work of women and gender-diverse artists worldwide. Join one of the province’s most anticipated cultural events from October 20-24 for the 37th annual Festival, featuring an incredible showcase of local and international short and feature-length films, industry events, and celebrations.
With screenings and industry events at various locations, please visit www.womensfilmfestival.com for a full list of events and additional information.
Festival Screening Passes – SOLD OUT
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SJIWFF
SJIWFF37 Opening Gala: Purgatory
Set in the early 1980s, the film follows thirteen-year-old Beatrice Gravel, whose comfortable world—family, school, and church—fractures when her mother moves out to “self actualize,” leaving Beatrice and her sister with their devastated father.
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SJIWFF
SJIWFF37 Wednesday Evening Feature: Seahorse
Nola, a sous chef searching for stability, is barely holding her life together. She crashes her bike and wakes to find her estranged father, Cyrus, standing over her.
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SJIWFF
SJIWFF37 Wednesday Late Feature: Captain Newfoundland
When Geoff Stirling set about pioneering 24 hour television broadcasting, he filled the late-night hours when other stations went off the air with his own fantastical creations – visions of crop circles, pyramids, and his own comic book superhero, Captain Newfoundland.
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SJIWFF
SJIWFF37 Thursday Evening Feature: Whatcha Want
When a young trophy wife and recent immigrant from Hong Kong uncovers her wealthy husband's betrayal, she reignites her passion for dance, forcing her to choose between the life she was given and the liberation she longs for.
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SJIWFF
SJIWFF37 Thursday Late Shorts: A Home
This collection of shorts explores the ways we come to understand ourselves, or choose not to, through art, motherhood, place, and memory.
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SJIWFF
SJIWFF37 Friday Evening Shorts: I Can Love You Better
This collection of shorts explores the messy, tender, and sometimes monstrous ways we relate to ourselves and each other, reminding us that there’s always room to love a little better.
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SJIWFF
SJIWFF37 Friday Late Feature: In the Heart of the South
Yura, an ambitious Inuk multi-media artist, starts to spiral out of control when an estranged childhood friend Sesi resurfaces, forcing Yura to confront the trauma she’s built her career on.
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SJIWFF
SJIWFF37 Saturday Noon Shorts: Wide Open Spaces
This collection of shorts explores the many ways we relate to water, inviting us to weather the storm, and ride that wave as far as possible.
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SJIWFF
SJIWFF37 Saturday Afternoon Shorts: Not Ready to Make Nice
From a vampire protecting their land by any means necessary to women learning to demand more, killing them with kindness isn’t always the answer.
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SJIWFF
SJIWFF37 Closing Gala: The Snake
When Jamie collides with her venomous mother, her life blows up spectacularly, leaving her unhoused and single.