The Barrie Film Festival is a not for profit organization that provides film fans unique experiences through year-round programming.
Catering to a broader audience to create a special and accessible venue on the waterfront, with family-friendly films and presented free-of-charge to the Barrie community. These screenings are a good fit in collaboration with the Lawn Chair Luminata: Waterfront series, which bring together theatre, music, film and art set in the downtown parks.
This year-round series started in 1995 and is where it all began for the BFF. We show a selection of Canadian, Independent and World cinema to a loyal and ever building audience on the first Wednesday and Thursday of every month from January through to December.
This monthly series started in 2014 and is another exciting addition to our monthly offering so that we can bring you more screening opportunities and also have a time slot where we can add a variety of genres from more challenging, thought-provoking features to documentaries and there may even be some lighthearted selections in the mix. We guarantee we will showcase a wide variety of material from Canada and around the world.
The festival began in 1997 and over the years has grown to a multifaceted ten-day event. The line-up is a showcase of award-winning independent feature films from all over the globe with a significant emphasis on Canadian content as well as the screening of short films and a short film competition. The number of offsite additions has expanded over the years to include, galas, educational workshops and guest Q&As to further enhance the excitement of the festival.
The socially conscious Reel Stories program is primarily concerned with raising awareness and highlighting current issues in the world. It began in 2005 and continues to screen approximately 10 films over three to four days. This annual mini-film festival takes place in February.
The Barrie Film Festival group is proud of our association with The Film Circuit, a division of the Toronto International Film Festival Group, a body that is responsible for supplying films outside of traditional urban centers; we work together to bring critically acclaimed major and independent films to our city from Canada and around the world. The Film Circuit provides invaluable guidance and support to countless film groups both nationally and abroad.