The Gimli International Film Festival is celebrating its 25th anniversary this summer with a full slate of film screenings, special events and its signature beachfront cinema experience.
Running July 23 to 27, the festival will showcase more than 100 films, including international features, documentaries, short films and regional premieres. Programming will span themes such as social justice, climate action, Indigenous storytelling and LGBTQ2SIA+ voices.
Among the most anticipated titles is Agatha’s Almanac, a Western Canada premiere that follows a 90-year-old woman’s efforts to save her family farm in southern Manitoba. Other feature highlights include The Teacher, a Palestinian drama set in the West Bank, and U Are the Universe, a Ukrainian-French sci-fi about a space-truck driver navigating distant worlds.
Festivalgoers can also expect animated fare like Endless Cookie, which tells the story of mixed-heritage siblings on a journey from Toronto to Shamattawa, and How to Live, a documentary spotlighting Nairobi’s queer ballroom scene. Rounding out the lineup are Tight Lines, a story of female fishing guides in Iceland, and When We Became Folk Fest, a new film documenting the roots of the Winnipeg Folk Festival.
The ever-popular RBC Sunset Screenings will return each evening with free films projected on a giant screen at Gimli Beach. This year’s beachside lineup includes Best in Show (2000), Space Jam (1996), Stop Making Sense (1984, newly restored), Almost Famous (2000) and The Thing (1982).
In addition to film screenings, the festival will host the RBC Emerging Filmmaker Pitch Competition on July 26, where five finalists will present their ideas for a chance to win $15,000 in production funding. Other events include the 48-Hour Film Challenge, a new Global Industry Summit, and a 25th anniversary awards gala.
Sunday morning is the family friendly screenings with the All-You-Can-Eat Cereal Cartoon Party for $20.
Short film packages will highlight works from across the globe, with dedicated programs for circumpolar cinema, environmental storytelling and Manitoba-made films.
A special shuttle service between Winnipeg and Gimli will run daily during the festival to help attendees make the trip to the lakeside community.
Full program details and screening schedules are available at www.gimlifilm.com.
