Small File Media Festival 2025
Submit moving-image artworks with small digital file sizes for screening at the Sixth Annual Small File Media Festival in Vancouver and online.
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Get matched →- Deadline
- deadline unknown, verify at source
- Entry fee
- Not listed - check the source
- Location
- Online · organized from The Cinematheque, 1131 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7; online streaming
- Exhibition window
- Oct 17, 2025 → Nov 9, 2025
About
Overview
The Sixth Annual Small File Media Festival celebrates eco-conscious moving-image artistry from around the globe. Works are characterized by their small digital footprint and environmental impact, embracing the aesthetics of file compression and low resolution as part of a new experimental film movement in the digital age.
Festival Dates & Venues
- In-person: October 17–18, 2025 at The Cinematheque in downtown Vancouver
- Online streaming: November 3–9, 2025 via Small File TV on the festival website
Programming
The festival features jewel-like works from over sixty artists and filmmakers globally. Programming includes post-screening discussions with artists in attendance. Friday, October 17 kicks off at 7pm with international Small File shorts and greatest hits from the first five years. Saturday, October 18 continues with a second program of international works and a premiere of a brand new feature film by 2024 Audience Award Winners Liam and Will Riley, followed by a Q&A. A cocktail reception follows Friday's screenings.
Thematic Focus
This year's programming grows from festival founder Dr. Laura Marks' Guggenheim Fellowship, Small Files for a Small World. Marks and the Small File team trained media artists from Mexico City, Tehran, Dhaka, and Cairo in small-file artistry. The resulting films reflect on place through surprising aesthetics and moving storylines, demonstrating that cinema doesn't have to be big to be beautiful.
Accessibility
The Cinematheque is fully accessible.
Contact & Information
- Website: 2025.smallfile.ca
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @smallfile
- Venue: thecinematheque.ca
- Theme
- Eco-conscious moving-image artistry emphasizing small digital file sizes and sustainability, exploring how small-file media thrive in places with limited electricity and internet access.
- Contact
- [email protected]
Every listing links to the organizer's official page. Always confirm deadlines, fees, and entry rules there before you apply.