Meaford International Film Festival will celebrate its 20th edition September 25 – 27, 2026.
Join us at Meaford Hall!
For two decades, MIFF has been a cultural escape meant to challenge, inspire, and connect us.
The true beauty of this cinematic weekend lies in stepping outside your comfort zone to celebrate film, ideas and stories together. Enjoy 6 international, award-winning films, evening dinners from top local restaurants, and student films showcasing emerging local talent. Stay for the afterparties in the galleries and join the conversation.
MIFF is a fundraiser for the Meaford Arts and Culture Foundation and every ticket sold supports arts and culture initiatives in the community.
To purchase tickets: CLICK HERE
Friday September 25
1:30pm – Still Mine
2012 – 1h 42m – Drama/True Story – English
Director – Michael McGowan
Stars – James Cromwell, Ronan Rees, Geneviève Bujold
Awards – 4 wins including Best Director from Directors Guild of Canada and Best Actor for James Cromwell at the Canadian Screen Awards
Based on true events and laced with wry humour, Still Mine is a heartfelt love story about an 89-year-old New Brunswicker who comes up against the system when he sets out to build a more suitable house for his wife.
Student film: A Day in the Life of a Pencil by Madelyn Nowack
To purchase tickets: CLICK HERE
5:15pm – MIFF dinner by Brasserie Lovebird
7:00pm – The President’s Cake
2025 – 1h 45m – Drama – Arabic/English
Director – Hasan Hadi
Stars – Baneen Ahmed Nayyef, Waheeda Thabet, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Awards – 11 wins including 2 at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. Official Iraq entry for Best International Feature Oscar 2025
Special Guest – Tudor Vladimir Panduru, Cinematogrpher, The President’s Cake
To purchase tickets: CLICK HERE
While people across 1990s Iraq struggle to survive the war and food shortages, President Saddam Hussein requires each school in the country to prepare a cake to celebrate his birthday. 9-year-old Lamia must bake the President’s birthday cake and is forced to scramble to find the ingredients or face punishment if she fails.
Student film: The Other Side of the Screen by Charlotte Hilier, Loralei Nielsen and Grace Schnieder
Special Guest: Tudor Vladimir Panduru
Tudor Vladimir Panduru is the acclaimed Romanian cinematographer who served as the director of photography for the award-winning 2025 feature film The President’s Cake. He joins MIFF via zoom to talk about the unique challenges of working on location in Iraq.
Saturday September 26
1.30pm – Sentimental Value
2025 – 2h 13m – Drama – English/Norwegian
Director – Joachim Trier
Stars – Stellan Skarsgard, Elle Fanning, Renate Reinsve
Awards – 72 wins including 2026 Oscar for Best Foreign Picture
After the death of their mother, two sisters must contend with the return of their estranged father, celebrated filmmaker Gustav Borg (Stellan Skarsgård). An intimate exploration of family, memories, and the reconciliatory power of art.
Student film: Feathers in the Wind by students at the Alexandra Community School
5:15pm – MIFF dinner by The Nomad Home Chef
7:00 pm – Mr. Nobody Against Putin
2025 – 1h 30m – Documentary – Russian
Director – Pavel Talankin, David Borenstein
Stars – Pavel Talankin, Vladimir Putin
Awards – 14 wins including 2026 Oscar for Best Documentary
Special Guest – Helle Faber, Producer, Mr. Nobody Against Putin
A Russian teacher/videographer is forced to document his school’s teachers delivering the new government-mandated propaganda curriculum about the Ukraine war and upload it to government servers.
Student film: Fountain Finders by Haidyn Ruthven
Special Guest: Helle Faber
Helle Faber is a Danish film producer and the founder and CEO of the production company Made in Copenhagen. She won the best Documentary Feature Oscar for Mr. Nobody Against Putin. Helle joins MIFF via zoom to discuss the necessary secrecy required during the production of the film.
Sunday September 27
1:30 pm – No Other Land
2024 – 1h 35m – Documentary – English, Arabic, Hebrew
Director – Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Hamdan Ballal
Stars – Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Hamdan Ballal
Awards – 69 wins including 2025 Oscar for Best Documentary
For half a decade, Basel Adra, a Palestinian activist, films his community being destroyed by Israel’s occupation, as he builds an unlikely friendship with an Israeli journalist who joins his fight.
Student film: The Adventure Beyond by Calissa Curry
5:15pm – MIFF dinner by Station 87
7:00 pm – I Swear
2025 – 2h – Drama/Biography/Comedy – English
Director – Kirk Jones
Stars – Robert Aramayo, Maxine Peake
Awards – 6 wins including 2026 BAFTA Award for Best Leading Actor
Special Guest – Kirk Jones, Writer/Director of I Swear
The inspiring life story of John Davidson, notable Tourette’s Syndrome campaigner. Davidson was diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome, a condition few people had witnessed, at a young age. His struggle alienated him from his peers.
Student film: Brozempic: What Went Wrong by Johnny Ballard, TJ Barker, Ben Charbonneau and Anthony Protasenko
Special Guest: Kirk Jones
Kirk Jones, writer and director of I Swear, will discuss via Zoom the making of the film, including working with non-actors and individual’s living with Tourettes. Jones’ other work includes Everybody’s Fine, What to Expect When You’re Expecting, and Waking Ned Devine, which was the second highest grossing film compared to budget after The Blair Witch Project in 1999.
To purchase tickets: CLICK HERE
MIFF is a fundraiser for the Meaford Culture Foundation, which supports arts and culture programming in the community. On behalf of the Meaford Culture Foundation, thank you to our sponsors who make this event possible.
