Short Film Face Off Opens Submissions for 19th Season on CBC with $30,000 Prize Up for Grabs

Filmmakers across Canada are being invited to bring their work to a national audience.

Credit: Short Film Face Off

Short Film Face Off is now accepting submissions for its 19th season, set to air in August and September 2026 on CBC and CBC GEM. The Halifax-produced series will return with four one-hour episodes, continuing its long-running national showcase of short films.

Series producer Bill Niven says the goal is to highlight new Canadian talent. “Our aim is to discover and promote emerging Canadian filmmakers,” he said, describing the program as one of the country’s most visible platforms for short-form work.

There is also a financial incentive. Telefilm Canada will award $30,000 in cash to the top filmmaker, determined by votes from home audiences.

Submissions are free. Films must be dramas or comedies and run no longer than 12 minutes. Applicants must be Canadian citizens and at least 19 years old. Entries also need to be appropriate for a family audience, given the 7:00 p.m. broadcast slot, with final suitability determined by CBC. The deadline to apply is Friday, March 20, 2026.

Amanda Parris returns as host for the upcoming season. The panel will again include cultural commentator Eli Glasner and content curator Mohit Rajhans. Joining them this year is Jessica Gibson, NSI’s Manager of Programs and Development.

Short Film Face Off Ltd operates as a division of Halifax-based Idlewild Films Ltd in association with CBC. Idlewild was founded by Bill Niven in 2001 and develops film and television programming for Canadian and international markets.