Emerging Filmmaker Incubator Winner Announcement!
Whitby-raised emerging filmmaker wins Durham Region International Film Festival’s $10,000 incubator prize.
Whitby, ON: Durham Region International Film Festival (DRIFF) is proud to announce Mitchell Jaramillo and Siddharth Sharma, of Hold the Sauce Films, and their short film ‘Unfamily’ as the winning submission in its $10,000 incubator contest.
The Emerging Filmmaker Incubator will provide producer Jaramillo, Sharma—the film’s writer and director—and their team with $10,000 cash, mentoring and in-kind services to produce theirfilm and have it screened at DRIFF from October 24 to 26, 2024.
To read the full press release and see more information about the winner, click here
Next Screening: May 1 at Whitby Public Library
Join us at the Whitby Public Library for a screening of Reel Injun Directed by Catherine Bainbridge, Jeremiah Hayes and Neil Diamond!
In this feature-length documentary, Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond takes an entertaining and insightful look at the portrayal of North American Indigenous people throughout a century of cinema. Featuring hundreds of clips from old classics as well as recent releases, the film traces the evolution of the “Hollywood Indian.” Diamond guides the audience on a journey across America to some of cinema’s most iconic landscapes and conducts candid interviews with celebrities like Clint Eastwood, Robbie Robertson and Jim Jarmusch. The film is a loving look at cinema through the eyes of the people who appeared in its very first flickering images and have survived to tell their stories in their own way.
Click here for a link to the trailer.
Total run time: 1 hour 28 minutes.
Location: Whitby Public Library (Central Library) | Meeting Room 1 | 405 Dundas St West.
Screening: May 3
Join us at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery for a screening of Frida in the Sky Directed by Dani Sudan.
Frida, an 8-year-old engineering prodigy, builds an airplane behind her mother’s back to follow in her Abuela’s legacy.
Total run time: 6:14 Minutes.
Meet our new Director of Programming!
Jessica Smith is an arts professional with more than twenty years of international film and events programming experience. She is currently serving as both the Programming and Projects Producer for TIFF Lightbox and the Director of Programming for the Durham Region International Film Festival (DRIFF). Throughout her career, Jessica has worked for many esteemed festivals and media organizations including the Tribeca Film Festival, BAMcinématek, the BFI London Film Festival, Sky Cinema, Sky Arts and the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival. Prior to rejoining TIFF in 2022, first as the interim Manager of TIFF Cinematheque, Jessica served as the Director of Programming for Toronto’s restored Paradise Theatre where she curated a diverse range of film, music, comedy and multi-arts events.
Submissions are open!
Submissions are now open for our 2024 film festival!
Click here to submit your film on Film Freeway.
Top Films of 2023
Winners for DRIFF 2023 Fall Festival, including the People’s Choice Award, are now posted on our Awards page.
Dive into the DRIFF Archives
If you've ever been curious about which films have screened at DRIFF, the full catalogue is now available!
Visit the DRIFF archives to see film synopses, trailers and even links to watch films dating back to DRIFF’s inception in 2017.
Connecting communities by the power of film
Since 2017, DRIFF has been dedicated to promoting arts, culture, and community from within the Durham Region. Program offerings have included an annual film festival, monthly shorts programs, a high school film program and outdoor drive-in film screenings. DRIFF recently embarked on a strategic planning process which will serve as a guidepost for the organization in years to come. We hope you join us on this exciting new journey.
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