Ashleigh Rains’ favourite memory at Canadian Film Fest didn’t happen inside a cinema. 

In March 2020, when the pandemic struck, CFF was the first film festival in Toronto forced to pivot to a virtual edition. There was fear, confusion, uncertainty, and no template for how a film festival that is so community-based could work online. But somehow, it did.

“We had a Zoom party on opening night, and it was attended by, like, 300 people. It went from 8:00 at night to, I’m not kidding, 4:00 in the morning,” Rains recalls. “It was such a beautiful moment of the community coming together to support each other and celebrate film.” 

When Rains first entered CFF as a filmmaker 10 years ago, she instantly admired the strong sense of community around the festival. Now, as she begins her fifth year as Festival Director, the Canadian film community is uniting in the face of crisis once again. 

As Canada finds itself amidst a trade war with the U.S., instigated by Donald Trump’s tariffs, the “buy Canadian” movement is sweeping across the country, shifting the choices Canadians make in the grocery store, when shopping online or travel planning, and of course, in the content we choose to consume.

For CFF, supporting Canadian content isn’t new—the festival has championed exclusively Canadian filmmakers for nearly two decades. But with the moment our country is in right now, there’s perhaps no better time for an all-Canadian film festival. The 19th edition of Canadian Film Fest kicks off next week, running from March 24-29 at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto, showcasing 16 features and 50 shorts—all from Canadian filmmakers.

Rains believes that the current political climate will play a pivotal role in the festival this year. Audiences were reaching out to her before CFF tickets even went on sale, eager to support Canadian film. And in her conversations with filmmakers and industry friends, she thinks Canadian creators are ready to step up and make themselves heard.

​​“What’s demanded of us as artists in this moment is to have a voice,” says Rains. “That’s going to be a really big part of the festival this year. Taking our space and using our voices and saying, here we are. We’re great filmmakers. We have strong voices, we have strong points of view. We have the stories to tell.”

Rains is confident that this year’s diverse selection of films will draw new audiences to CFF. This year’s offerings include drama, comedy, horror, thrillers, and documentaries, with filmmaking teams from British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia. “I truly believe there’s going to be films that speak to everyone,” she says.

If you’re looking for recommendations, Rains suggests two standout, women-led projects. The festival’s opening night film is Naomi Jaye’s Darkest Miriam, starring Severance’s Britt Lower as a librarian working at the Allen Gardens branch of the Toronto Public Libraries. The closing night film, Lunatic: The Luna Vachon Story, tells the story of WWF villain Luna Vachon reaching the peak of her fame in the 90s and her struggles with mental health. “They’re both so distinct and unique, but truly have such strong directorial voices and visions,” says Rains.

In her own work as a writer and producer, Rains focuses on telling female-centric stories and primarily works with female directors and creatives. She recalls the exact moment when this became a priority in her career. She was cast, yet again, in a less-than-inspired role—a woman who dies violently at the beginning of the story.

“I was lying on a cold dirt ground in a forest with all these prosthetic guts hanging out of me, and three push-up bras…even though I was dead. My scene partner was looking over at me, and she was like, ‘They always do this to us.’ I knew exactly what she was saying,” Rains says. “This is not how I want to move through my career. I have more to say than playing this type of character on repeat.”

After this epiphany, she realized she wanted to have a greater stake in the stories she put out into the world. This led her to start producing and eventually writing shorts, feature films, and a TV series, alongside her work at Canadian Film Fest.

As a programmer at CFF, Rains receives hundreds upon hundreds of film submissions. But she noticed a glaring gap in the type of films that would come her way. “It’s not often that I get a comedy feature film directed by a woman coming through the festival,” she says.

It was from that realization that The Comedy Igniter, a partnership between CFF and The Firecracker Department, was born. The program invites Canadian women and non-binary creatives to create a comedic short film in one month, with the support of workshops and mentorship opportunities. All participants walk away with a completed project, and the winning films are showcased to a live audience at Canadian Film Fest. 

Rains shares that the program received more than double the number of submissions this year compared to its launch in 2024. “It was so hard to decide on the showcase winners,” Rains says. “What this process is telling me is that it’s not a lack of talent. It’s not because women aren’t funny. It’s a lack of opportunity.” This year, 53% of the films at CFF are created by female or non-binary filmmakers—and Rains hopes that number will include some Comedy Igniter alums next year.

 As CFF kicks off next week, Rains has high hopes for the future of the festival and its role in the Canadian film industry.

“I want to see the festival continue to grow and flourish,” she says. “My hope is that we can engage a national audience for the festival and raise the consciousness of the festival in the average Canadian’s mind. So when they think of film festivals in Canada—Canadian Film Fest is top of mind.”

Canadian Film Fest runs from March 24-29 at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto. Tickets are available now.