THE BEST OF CIFF: OUR Awards
Going into its 21st year, the 11-day Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF) has grown to be the biggest film festival in Alberta and the sixth-largest in Canada. CIFF showcases 175+ short and feature-length multi-genre films, from Canada and around the world.
With Academy Award® accreditation and juried cash prizes, CIFF is a world-class celebration of cinema’s best and brightest.
MEET THE JURY or scroll on to read about the awards.
2020 CIFF AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS - PRESENTED BY CTV
The best of the fest decided by the fans themselves! Most films at the festival are eligible for our Audience Awards and are based on the collective score of the audience ballots collected at each screening online and in-cinema.
Audience Choice Award, Alberta Feature
Cheryl Foggo, JOHN WARE RECLAIMED
Audience Choice Award, Alberta Short or Mid-Length
Victoria McFadyen TRUE WEST: THE JOHN SCOTT STORY
Audience Choice Award, Canadian Narrative Feature
Clark Johnson: PERCY
Audience Choice Award, Canadian Documentary
Kim O'Bomsawin, CALL ME HUMAN
Audience Choice Award, International Documentary
Ryan White, ASSASSINS
Audience Choice Award, International Narrative
Mohammad Rasoulof, THERE IS NO EVIL
Audience Choice Award, Special Presentations
Florian Zeller, THE FATHER
Audience Choice Award, Late Shift
Zoé Wittock, JUMBO
Audience Choice Award, Music on Screen
Mary Wharton, JIMMY CARTER: ROCK & ROLL PRESIDENT
Audience Choice Award, Generation Next
Shalini Kantayya, CODED BIAS
Audience Choice Award, Narrative Short (Live Action or Animated)
Kargo Chen, CHEN CHEN
Audience Choice Award, Documentary Short
Lese Skidmore: (RE)CLAIMING INDIAN STATUS
Audience Choice Award, Animated
Taylor Meacham, TO GERARD
2020 FESTIVAL JURY AWARDS
$10,000 CAD: RBC Emerging Canadian Artist Award. This juried award is given to the Canadian director who creates the best first or second narrative feature film.
Madeleine Sims-Fewer & Dusty Mancinelli, VIOLATION
Honourable Mention Emerging Artist: Pascal Plante, NADIA, BUTTERFLY
$5,000 CAD: DGC Best Canadian Documentary Award. This juried award is given to the Canadian director who creates the best documentary in the section.
Kim O'Bomsawin, CALL ME HUMAN
Lulu Wei, THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE THIS PLACE, ANYPLACE
$1,000 CAD: Best International Narrative Feature. This juried award is given to the international director who creates the best film in the section.
Srdan Golubović, FATHER (OTAC)
Samuel Kishi Leopo, THE WOLVES (LOS LOBOS)
$1,000 CAD: Best International Documentary Feature. This juried award is given to the international director who creates the best documentary in the section.
Shalini Kantayya, CODED BIAS
Ala'A Mohsen, A NEW BEGINNING
$2,500 CAD: Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Short (Live-Action or Animated)
This juried award also qualifies the winner for consideration in the Animated Short Film / Live Action Short Film category of the Academy Awards®, without the standard theatrical run that a film typically needs to qualify for an Oscar® nomination.
Francesca Canepa, THE SILENCE OF THE RIVER
Additional prizes for short films include:
$1,000 CAD: Best Live Action Short Film Award
Camille Hollett-French, FREYA
$1,000 CAD: Best Documentary Short Film Award
Julia Jansch, MY FATHER THE MOVER
$1,000 CAD: Best Animated Short Film Award
Catherine Lepage, THE GREAT MALAISE
$1,000 CAD: Best Alberta Short Film Award + $5,000 CAD Gift Certificate from William F. White International
Weston Snider, DICHROME
$1,000 CAD: Best Student Short Film Award