West Coast Film Festival is a Vancouver-based film and arts festival connecting local and international filmmakers, artists and audiences. It is presented by West Coast Cultural Lab.
From the beginning, our festival has brought together more than film.
We combine thoughtfully curated screenings with music, artist collaborations, audience participation and community impact — creating a shared cultural experience where different creative voices can meet.
[Explore Visual Letter To Your Animals: mini film festival →]
[Explore West Coast Mini Film Festival 2026 →]
[Partner With Us →]
More Than a Film Festival
West Coast Film Festival is shaped by a multidisciplinary creative perspective.
Our Festival Director, Yukko Chan works across film, visual art, performing arts, publishing, design and community-based projects, and that experience influences how we think about the festival itself.
We know that creative work rarely exists in just one form. A filmmaker may also be a musician. An illustrator may be a storyteller. A designer may become a performer, and one collaboration can easily lead to another.
That is why we want West Coast Film Festival to create space not only for films, but for the wider creative community around them.
Through music, artist collaborations, publishing, conversations and community partnerships, we hope more creative voices can be discovered and have a moment to shine.
For us, the festival is not simply a place to screen films.
It is a place where different art forms, ideas and people can meet.
Our first editions included:
- Independent films from Canada and around the world
- Community-selected music and the stories behind each song
- Collaborative artwork created with local artists
- Vancouver On Ink, our community publication
- Audience voting and participation
- Fundraising and nonprofit partnerships
- Opportunities for different creative communities to meet
For us, these are not side activities.
They are part of the festival experience.
Curated With Intention
Curation is at the heart of West Coast Film Festival.
We think carefully about how films speak to one another, how the program flows, and how music, art and conversation can become part of the same journey.
Rather than simply presenting a collection of selected films, we want each edition to feel thoughtfully shaped as a whole.
Our goal is to create something welcoming, surprising and worth remembering.
Our Story
Our festival journey began in May 2026 with an animal rescue documentary film, we invited animal lovers to create a visual letter for their beloved animals, this was how we start our first mini film festival.
Film was connected with community partners, fundraising and a shared social purpose from the very beginning.
In August 2026, we presented the West Coast Mini Film Festival at The Cinematheque in Vancouver to celebrate the first anniversary of West Coast Cultural Lab.
That edition brought together international independent films, a feature presentation, our Community Picks Playlist, collaborative artwork, Vancouver On Ink, audience participation and community partnerships.
The word “mini” was meant to describe the intimate scale of the festival.
However, we discovered that many filmmakers and audiences interpreted the name as meaning a short-film-only festival.
Beginning in 2027, we are continuing as the West Coast Film Festival so the name better reflects what we actually do.
The name is changing. The idea behind the festival has been there from the beginning.
[Read the Full 2026 Festival Story →]
Community Impact
Community impact is built into how we create our events.
Our 2026 festival supported All Bodies Dance Project through 15% of ticket sales, while related fundraising initiatives supported RAPS — Regional Animal Protection Society and Endless Pawsabilities Rescue Society.
We continue to look for ways to connect cultural experiences with organizations doing meaningful work in our community.
West Coast Film Festival 2027
Planning for West Coast Film Festival 2027 is now underway.
Our next edition will continue building on the festival model we started in 2026:
- Film
- Music
- Artist collaboration
- Conversation
- Audience participation
- Community impact
As the festival grows, we hope to deepen these elements through live performances, filmmaker Q&As, new creative collaborations and stronger partnerships across Vancouver’s arts and cultural community.
Festival dates, venue details and submission information will be announced soon.
Partner With Us
West Coast Film Festival grows through collaboration.
We welcome conversations with cinemas, cultural venues, nonprofit organizations, businesses, sponsors, musicians, artists, filmmakers, media partners and creative communities.
We are especially interested in partnerships that become part of the festival experience, whether through programming, community engagement, audience experiences or creative collaborations.
We’re also open to new ideas. If you have an interesting way to work together, we’d love to hear it.
Support can take many forms, including:
- Cash donations
- Prize donations
- Media and marketing support
- Venue or equipment support
- Food, beverage or hospitality contributions
- Professional services
- Other in-kind support
Every partnership can look different. We’re happy to explore what makes sense for both sides.
Explore Our Work
West Coast Mini Film Festival 2026
Our anniversary edition at The Cinematheque in Vancouver.
Community Art Jam 2026
Participatory art, live music and creative connection in Vancouver.
Vancouver On Ink
Our free community publication sharing stories, artwork and diverse creative voices.
Follow us on Instagram @vancouveronink | @wcculturallab for our latest open calls.
Join our creative community to be the first to receive open calls, collaboration invitations and exclusive discount.
West Coast Film Festival
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Presented by West Coast Cultural Lab
Film | Music | Conversation | Community