The Vancouver Women Film Festival held its live event on June 6, 2026, at the Dunbar Theatre in Vancouver, bringing together filmmakers, guests, and cinema lovers for a curated celebration of women’s voices and women-centered stories in film.

Formerly known as Phoenix Shorts, the Vancouver Women Film Festival has evolved into a platform dedicated to celebrating women’s visions, creativity, and presence in cinema. Set in one of North America’s most diverse and culturally vibrant cities, the festival continues to support bold, innovative, and inspiring films directed by women, as well as works by male filmmakers that engage deeply with women’s stories, experiences, and perspectives from around the world.

The June 6 live event presented a selection of top-scoring projects from the festival’s seasonal competition. These films were chosen by the programming team from among the seasonal winners and offered audiences a chance to experience some of the most compelling women-centered works of the year on the big screen. The screening at Dunbar Theatre created an intimate and engaged atmosphere, allowing filmmakers and audiences to connect through stories of identity, resilience, memory, justice, vulnerability, and imagination.

Each season, the VWFF jury conducts private screenings to evaluate submissions across multiple categories. Every submitted film has the opportunity to be recognized in the seasonal competition, with winners announced through the festival’s website and social media platforms. The live event adds another important layer to this mission by giving selected filmmakers visibility in Vancouver and helping them build momentum in their creative careers.

Festival Highlights

This year’s award winners reflected the range and diversity of contemporary independent cinema. Forsythian Dwellers Club received Best Feature, while Allowed to Birth: The Journey of a Global Midwife was recognized as Best Documentary. Second Chance won Best Narrative Short, and Shapes in Between: Norman Takeuchi’s Journey received Best Documentary Short.

The festival also recognized excellence across craft and performance categories, including How To Bury A Dog for Best Directing, When the Door Opens for Best Script, Mirror for Best Cinematography, Bench, Blindness, and the Blade for Best Editing, and A Vote of Her Own for Best Original Score. The acting awards went to Rory McCallum for Maya and Erin Morgan for SUBTEXT.

The Vancouver Women Film Festival remains committed to championing diverse cinematic visions and supporting promising emerging filmmakers. By creating a space where women’s stories and women-centered films can be seen, discussed, and celebrated, VWFF continues to contribute to a broader cultural conversation about representation, creativity, and the future of independent cinema.

Winner List