SIGN UP HERE (OPENS DECEMBER 11)

COSTS  

  • Entry fee is $150.00 per film

  • Sign-ups open on December 11, 2025, on FilmFreeway

  • Sign-ups close on January 29, 2026, on FilmFreeway

  • All submission fees include 2 x CFF Festival Passes (worth $500+, with a maximum of 2 passes per team)

Notes on the fees:

  • This cost covers one film per team.

  • Please have your full team confirmed before signing up.

  • Each team will need one point of contact responsible for receiving all challenge information, laising with program managers, and submitting the final film for consideration to the Igniter Showcase.

  • Unfortunately, we’re not able to offer fee waivers or refunds.

PARTICIPANT KEY DATES

Thursday, December 11, 2025
SIGN-UPS OPEN

  • Sign-up on FilmFreeway is per film project, not per person. Please designate one point of contact responsible for signing up, receiving and distributing program materials, and managing all communication throughout the challenge.

Thursday, January 15, 2026 - Time TBD
EVENT: Igniter Community Meet & Greet

  • Whether you’re hunting for teammates or just curious about the challenge, come and meet other potential participants and chat with CFF and Firecracker Department about the process.

  • Register for this event to reserve a spot (opening soon).

Thursday, January 29, 2026 - 11:59 pm ET
SIGN-UPS CLOSE

  • Deadline to sign up for the 2026 Canadian Comedy Film Igniter

Sunday, February 1, 2026 – 10:00 am ET
PROMPT: DELIVERED

  • Check those inboxes, refresh the FD Community Page, and grab your coffee – your spicy, silly, surprise comedy prompt is coming in hot. GO!

Monday, February 2, 2026 – 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm ET
EVENT: IGNITER INDUSTRY DAY

  • An afternoon of panel conversations with industry professionals where you can ask anything, get experienced guidance, and navigate your steps ahead. Details TBA. 

  • This event will be on Zoom and will be recorded.

Sunday, February 8, 2025 - 2:00 pm ET
EVENT: Community

  • Meet fellow 2026 Igniters IRL in Toronto. All participants receive comp tickets to the Firecracker Brunch.

Thursday, February 12, 2026 – 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm ET
EVENT: Community Check-in

  • A virtual check-in to connect with your community of Igniters and ask questions.

Sunday, March 1, 2026 – 11:59 pm (in your timezone)
FINAL DEADLINE

  • This is it – the finish line. Upload your final film to your FilmFreeway. Give yourself and your teammates a celebratory high-five… then sleep.
    You did it!

Wednesday, March 18, 2026
NOTIFICATIONS

  • All teams are notified about the 2026 Igniter Showcase selections.

March 23 - 28, 2026
CANADIAN FILM FEST

  • The Canadian Film Fest & Firecracker Department Present: The Comedy Film Igniter Showcase (exact date TBC)

  • With every project sign-up, each team receives two (2) festival passes to the 2026 Canadian Film Fest (valued at $500+), which includes access to film programming and industry events (excluding the Masterclass).

  • And whether your film is selected or not, definitely plan to meet and support your fellow Igniters IRL at the Comedy Film Igniter Showcase (exact date TBD). Join us in the lounge afterwards for an Igniter Reception networking event.

*All workshops and dates are subject to change on short notice due to the unpredictable nature of our industry.

ELIGIBILITY & REGULATIONS

  1. Key applicants must self-identify as female or gender diverse and be 18+. 

  2. Key applicants must be the writer, director, and/or producer of the project. We don’t care who comes on to support you, but we want to see female/non-binary names taking up those key credits and starring roles. 

  3. Key applicants must be Canadian citizens or have permanent resident status. 

  4. The final film must be a maximum of 6 minutes in length, including end credits. 

  5. All films must include the specific prompts or risk ineligibility. Prompts will be presented to applicants on February 1, 2026. 

  6. All creativity and principal photography (writing/shot-listing/designing/shooting/editing/post-production/delivery) must occur during the official filming period, February 1 - February 28, 2026. The majority of each film must contain footage shot or created within these dates.

  7. The project must fit the comedy genre, but is not limited to a genre hybrid, so long as the work is intended to be humorous by eliciting laughter from the audience.

  8. The jury's focus on the films will be on story, comedy and execution of vision. We recognize that all teams have various access to resources, so production quality will not be the priority for assessment and consideration. Teams are encouraged to be creative with the resources available to them. Any type of video or film camera may be used.

  9. The project can be in any language; however, English subtitles must be provided for dialogue other than English.

  10. Applicants must have the rights to any music and clearance for the art used in the film. 

  11. Final films must be uploaded to FilmFreeway in its media format requirements. 

  12. Candian Film Fest/Firecracker Dept reserve the right to disqualify entries deemed to be inappropriate or otherwise non-compliant. Content involving nudity, minors, guns, sexual violence, or other offensive material will not be accepted.

  13. Top films selected for screening will be determined at the jury’s discretion based on the number of submissions.

  14. The Canadian Film Fest and Firecracker Department require that you acknowledge Comedy Igniter’s support by including our company logos in the end credits of the project. Logos and specifications will be provided to you. 

  15. The protagonist must be female or non-binary (we want to see stories from these perspectives). 

  16. More questions? Check out this FAQ.

SIGN UP INFO

  1. Select a lead point-person who will be designated the key responsibilities of receiving information, signing up and uploading project information on FilmFreeway, and distributing materials and communication to the rest of the team.

  2. Sign up/login to FilmFreeway and create a new film project - ensure that your lead point-person email and contact info are correctly labelled. 

  3. Label the project title COMEDY IGNITER for now (applicants are encouraged to change the title and update synopsis/film info upon delivery). 

  4. Enter the main point of contact under “Submitter Information”.

  5. Tell us who your key applicants are under “credits” (writer/director/producer/main cast). This can be updated/changed later. Key applicants must identify as female or gender diverse.

  6. No specifications or screenings/distribution needed at this time.

  7. Save project.

  8. Go to FILMFREEWAY LINK, and hit the green “submit now” button with your selected “Comedy Igniter” project. Add to cart and checkout. The $150 payment covers all your program fees; you’re officially an Igniter!

  9. Please note that your judging status will remain “undecided” until after the final films have been submitted and juried in early March.

  10. A CFF representative will be in contact with your lead point-person via the email listed in your profile regarding next steps and workshop details.


    If you have further questions, please contact the Director of Industry, Jen Pogue, jen@canfilmfest.ca

SIGN UP HERE (OPENS DECEMBER 11)