Welcome to the 10th Annual Breakthroughs Film Festival!
The 10th Annual Breakthroughs Film Festival will run from June 16-20 with film screenings, talkbacks with participating filmmakers and industry programs. We’re thrilled to share the line-up this year programmed under the theme of VISIBLE INVISIBLE: exploring the stories of marginalized identities, that are both highly visible and yet seemingly invisible at the same time. The stories of traditions and rituals, parenthood and generational solidarity, along with a multifaceted look into our homes - whether that’s a shared space like a big city or as intimate a space as your own body.
During the 5 days of the festival you will be able to watch all 26 films in the program from the comfort of your own home. Films will be available to watch on-demand from June 16-20. All screenings will include Q&As with participating filmmakers. Please see the program descriptions for more information.
**Please note that our festival is geo-blocked to Canada, which means you will need to be in Canada to watch the films.**
2021 FESTIVAL PASS
An easy way to see more films while saving money! Single tickets to screening blocks are $5, with the online pass you get access to all the films available at BFF 2021 for $23. Pass is valid to use from June 16-20, 2021.
SHORTS PROGRAM: BEST OF BFF
Missed out on watching any of BFF’s shorts from the past decade? Look no further, this program is a blast from BFF past, showcasing the festival’s evolution and rich history. These 6 shorts celebrate the creators who have paved the way for filmmakers today and who continue to make waves since their very first screenings with us.
SHORTS PROGRAM: THROUGH OUR RITUALS
What rituals and traditions do you hold close to your heart? Have they been passed down to you or ones you created for yourself? Do they include your friends or family (blood or chosen)? This program examines the ideas around sustaining customs as we’ve come to know them, and the kinship, understanding and healing they bring to our lives.
SHORTS PROGRAM: THROUGH THE GENERATIONS
This collection of shorts considers the process of family planning, preservation, and betterment for generations to come. From the ways we grow our families, the language and heritage we pass on, and how we come together in the face of trials. This program highlights how we celebrate, grieve and display resilience through shared experience.
SHORTS PROGRAM: IN THE CITY
What does living and growing in a city like Toronto mean to you? Urban centres are not only home to talented emerging filmmakers but are chock-full of people with various lived experiences and multi-faceted identities. This program pays homage to the spaces, people, and movements that shape city dwellers through times of trial, injustice, and change.
SHORTS PROGRAM: IN MY BODY
Our bodies are our most intimate space, a vessel that grows and changes as we do. Who we choose to share it with should be our choice and yet, those who inhabit marginalized bodies are often at the centre of destructive public discourse. While these lived experiences may rarely receive external validation, these stories affirm that self acceptance is the most important form of healing there is.
2021 INDUSTRY PROGRAM
To commemorate our 10th Annual Festival, BFF is proud to present industry programming that includes panel discussions, workshops and a very special pitch competition. All industry programs are FREE and happening during our festival on June 16-20.