News

YFS ANNOUNCES ALFF 2026 FULL PROGRAM LINEUP

February 3, 2026

Canada's largest film festival north of 60° showcases Yukon, Indigenous and Canadian films at unique Northern festival.

The Yukon Film Society (YFS) announces the complete lineup for the 24th annual Available Light Film Festival (ALFF), taking place from February 6-15, 2026. Canada's largest film festival north of 60° features 10 jam-packed days with 90 films, ALFF LIVE music events, media art, engaging Q&As, panels and workshops with 60+ guest filmmakers and industry delegates, and the five-day ALFF Industry Forum at three beloved venues: the iconic Yukon Theatre, the historic Old Fire Hall, and the grand Yukon Arts Centre. The festival celebrates the talent of Canadian, Indigenous, international, and Northern creators. It provides a dynamic space for filmmakers and audiences to build community and dialogue to explore the stories and experiences shared on-screen more deeply.

The festival kicks off with the Western Canada premiere of Tracy & Martina: Goin' Out West, a hilarious, unpredictable and charming Nova Scotia feature film, with the director and actors in attendance. The filmmakers will join CBC Commotion’s Elamin Abdelmahmoud on-stage at the Yukon Arts Centre Friday February 6 at 4pm to talk about the evolution of their filmmaking collaboration. Don’t miss your one chance to see Tracy and Martina IRL at the pre-festival kick-off event Thursday February 5: Tracy and Martina LIVE!

Many Yukon-made films will be screened at the festival, showcasing diverse stories and characters from across the Territory. Here are highlights having their note-worthy premiere at ALFF 2026:

Beyond the Left Hand Path (Dir. Jessica Hall) - World premiere

My Knitting Circle (Dir. Alexandra Knowles) - World premiere

Mammoth Hunters (Dir. Fritz Mueller) - Canadian premiere

Tel père tel fils (Dir. Florian Bosc) - World premiere

Right Side of You (Dir. Thomas Bullen) - World premiere

The Dead Horse Trail (Dir. Allan Code) - World premiere

Hyperborea (Dir. Dan Sokolowski) - World premiere

Back to the Sun (Dir. Marty O'Brien) - World premiere

NEW THIS YEAR: RITUALS LATE NIGHT FILM SERIES ALFF 2026 introduces the Rituals late-night film series at the Yukon Cinema, featuring cult and genre films, new and old. The series includes a screening of the 1977 Canadian cult-horror film Rituals with a live musical score by Yukon musicians Hannah Mazurek, Rob Jones and Andy Slade. The series also includes Dead Lover and $Positions.

ALFF LIVE: ALFF 2026 includes three concerts at the Yukon Cinema: Rituals Live Musical Score on February 7, Cinematic Night Music with Bria Rose, Morningcloak, Jordy Walker with Rob Dickson and Luka Kuplowsky on February 10 and Kevan Byrne (Cut Flowers) with Jordy Walker on February 13. Elamin Abdelmahmoud will host three ALFF Creators Talks on the opening weekend Feb 6 to 8 with filmmakers behind the films Tracy and Martina: Goin’ Out West, Modern Whore, Beyond the Left Hand Path, My Knitting Circle and The Fast and the RCurious.

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHT FILMS

Tracy & Martina: Goin' Out West - Western Canada premiere. Hilarious Nova Scotia feature.

Light Through the Blindfold - World premiere. An Iranian-Canadian goalball athlete with only five percent vision, is offered a surgery that could partially restore her sight.

The Last Whale Singer - Canadian premiere. A teenage humpback whale, is the orphaned son of the last Whale Singer, whose magical song once protected the oceans.

Wədzįh Nəne' (Caribou Country) (Dir. Luke Gleeson)

Modern Whore (Dir. Nicole Bazuin), cast and crew in attendance

Saints and Warriors (Dir. Patrick Shannon) - powerful doc about All-Native West Coast Basketball Tournament and the resilient legacy of the Skidegate Saints team from Haida Gwaii.

Amour Apocalypse (Peak Everything) (Dir. Anne Émond) – Canadian festivals hit.

Waiting For Guffman (Dir. Christopher Guest) - ALFF tribute to comedy icon, Catherine O’Hara!

TIFF's Top 10 Canadian Films of 2025 selected for ALFF 2026:

Agatha's Almanac (Dir. Amalie Atkins) - A spirited, nonagenarian subject.

Mile End Kicks (Dir. Chandler Levack) - Highly-anticipated indie music scene second feature.

Uiksaringitara (Wrong Husband) (Dir. Zacharias Kunuk) - Magic-filled Arctic tale by celebrated Inuk filmmaker.

Sk+te'kmujue'katik (At the Place of Ghosts) (Dir. Brettan Hannam) - Genre-bending otherworldly drama from two-spirited L’nu filmmaker based in Halifax.

Blue Heron (Dir. Sophie Romvari) - A Hungarian family adapts to 1990s life on Vancouver Island.

Nirvanna The Band, The Show, The Movie (Dir. Matt Johnson) - Cult comedy series comes to the big screen as Matt and Jay travel back to 2008 to book that gig at The Rivoli.

Oscar Contenders, International Highlights:

Sentimental Value (Dir. Joachim Trier) - Norway, Oscar contender, 9 nominations

It Was Just An Accident (Dir. Jafar Panahi) - Oscar contender.

Mr. Nobody Against Putin (Dir. Pavel Talankin, David Borenstein) - Oscar contender.

The Secret Agent (Dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho) - Oscar contender.

No Other Choice (Dir. Park Chan-wook) - Festival hit from South Korean master.

Dead Man's Wire (Dir. Gus Van Sant) - Last Days and Milk director’s first film in nine years.

Forty- eight features and forty- three short and mid-length films will screen at this year’s ALFF. Twenty-four of the films are directed by Indigenous, Inuit or Métis filmmakers. Forty films are directed by women or non-binary filmmakers.

MEDIA ART GALLERY EXHIBITION: ALFF 2026 features two works in the Yukon Arts Centre Community Gallery: Particulate Matter x Midge Swarm is a collaboration with Christina Dovolis, Jorge De Oliveira, Luka Kuplowsky, Dolleen Tisawii’ashii Manning, and Mary Bunch. Remote Sensibility VIII VR: Inner Reality is by Marten Berkman.

Guest filmmakers attending screenings in-person include:

Brendan Lyle, Greg Vardy, Justine Williams, Luke Gleeson, Andrea Werhun, Nicole Bazuin, Lauren Grant, Walter Forsyth, Alexandra Knowles, Teri Snelgrove, Marty O’Brien, Matthew Lien, Thomas Bullen, Jessica Hall, Fritz Mueller, Teresa Earle, Rhayne Vermette, Evan Dubinsky, Allan Code, Agnieska Pajor, Lancelot Burton, Kevin Eastwood, Jenn Strom, Justin Oakey, Tim Kowalski, Kevan Byrne, Stan Bush, Devon Cooke, Sina Nazarian, Sepehr Samimi, John Bolton, Niall McNeil, Marcus Youssef, Alison Reid. Special guest ALFF Creator Talk host: Elamin Abdelmahmoud (host of Commotion on CBC Radio One)

ALFF INDUSTRY FORUM 2026

Designed for both emerging and established filmmakers, the ALFF 2026 Industry Forum is a five-day event featuring workshops, panels, networking opportunities, and programs designed to support filmmakers at all career stages. ALFF Industry is supported by Yukon Media Development through the Yukon Film Training Fund, Canada Media Fund and Telefilm Canada.

Industry Forum Highlights:

Film & Television Business Affairs Essentials - A three-hour workshop instructed by producer Kevin Eastwood covering core business affairs knowledge every creator needs.

Music in Motion: Music Supervision 101 - One full day focused on music supervision with three of Canada's top music supervisors, great for musicians, artists, filmmakers, and producers looking for more insight into the world of music supervision and rights. In partnership with Music Yukon.

Discussions with Canadian Broadcasters and Distributors

Telefilm's Talent to Watch Program - Panel featuring alumni filmmakers.

Roundtable Discussions and One-on-One Meetings - Exclusive to Industry Passholders. Meet representatives from organizations including the CBC, Telefilm Canada, Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, Game Theory Films and other prominent industry organizations.

Festival and Cinematheque Programmers - Film festival and cinematheque programmers from across the country converge in Whitehorse.

A limited number of complimentary Industry Passes are available for Indigenous, Black, Persons of Colour, disabled and LGBTQ2S+ creatives in Yukon, NWT, and BC. Contact ald@yukonfilmsociety.com for more information. Thanks to CMF for supporting this initiative.

ALFF '26 PITCH EVENT (Saturday February 8, 2026) - Free Event! Public Welcome

Yukon filmmakers who have a short film concept in development can pitch their idea for the chance to win over $14,000 in cash and support towards their production. Three teams will pitch for the ALFF Fiction Pitch Prize and three will pitch for the new this year, Tracey Friesen Documentary Pitch Prize. Past filmmakers who have won the ALFF Pitch Prize include: Tova Krentzman (Fire Tower), Jessica Hall (Left Hand Path), Marty O'Brien & Naomi Mark (Grey Mountain), Jayden Soroka & Gary Sidney (The Provider), Robert Joe (Fistful of Vodka), and Douglas Joe (Datrin), among others. ALFF Pitch Prizes are supported by Northwestel Community TV, Canadian Media Producers Association BC, Screen Production Yukon Association, and Yukon Film Society.

MADE IN THE NORTH AWARDS

For the sixth year, Available Light Film Festival spotlights Indigenous, Black, Persons of Colour, and LGBTQ2S+ filmmakers with the Made in the North Award, designed to advance the talent of underrepresented Canadian filmmakers. ALFF awards cash prizes to three outstanding films by underrepresented filmmakers in the ALFF Official Selection. There are three categories:

BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM - $2,000 prize presented by Kobayashi and Zedda Architects (Director is citizen or permanent resident of Canada)

BEST NORTHERN SHORT FILM - $1,000 prize presented by Yukon Film Society (Director resides in Yukon, Northwest Territories, Labrador, Nunavik & Nunavut and northern regions of BC, AB, SK, MB and ON)

BEST CANADIAN SHORT FILM - $1,000 prize presented by Canada Media Fund (Director resides outside the North)

The festival also awards three additional accolades: Audience Choice Awards for 'Best Canadian Documentary' and 'Best Canadian Fiction Film,' as well as an 'Overall Audience Choice' Award.

TICKETING INFORMATION

Learn more about the festival at alff.ca. Tickets and passes are available at yukontickets.com or contact the box office by phone: (867) 667-8574 or Email: boxoffice@yac.ca.

Venue-specific ticket packs are available this year – mix and match to create your ultimate 10-day festival experience. 10 Film Ticket Packs: $165, 5 Film Ticket packs: $85

YFS gratefully acknowledges the annual public support of Telefilm Canada, Yukon Arts Operating Fund, Yukon Media Development, Lotteries Yukon, City of Whitehorse, and Canada Council for the Arts. Additional thanks to presenting sponsors Air North, Yukon’s Airline and Sternwheeler Hotel and Conference Centre. We could not present this multifaceted festival without the continuous and generous support of numerous Yukon businesses and partner non-profits. Shäw níthän, gunalchîsh, mahsi cho, merci, gracias, chi miigwech, Qujannamiik, and thank you to all the sponsors, community partners, artists, audiences, filmmakers, distributors, boosters, industry presenters, festival staff, venue staff and volunteers who participate and support cinema and film creation in the Yukon.

For more information, please contact: ALFF 2026 media coordinator: Selene Vakharia at selene@smrtpopups.com or Andrew Connors, ALFF festival director: alff@yukonfilmsociety.com or 867-393-3456.