National Canadian Film Day returns on April 15, and the 2026 edition is the biggest the event has ever been. This year brings 2,000 free screenings in every province and territory across Canada, plus nearly 150 screenings in 49 countries internationally, a 62% increase over last year. The theme is Let’s Dream Together, and the programming assembled under that banner is genuinely remarkable in its range and ambition.
National Canadian Film Day. April 15th. Free movies. Everywhere. For everyone.
Programming highlights across the country include:
- A tribute to incomparable Oneida actor the late Graham Greene, with screenings of his work taking place across the country, including at the Woodland Cultural Centre in his home community of Six Nations.
- Over 40 film premiere and sneak preview screenings of 11 films, including a pre-release launch of Mile End Kicks in theatres across the country, plus participation from filmmakers and stars such as Chandler Levack, Allan Hawco, Bretten Hannam (L’nu), Robert Bateman, and many others.
- 30th anniversary screenings of Hard Core Logo across the country, including a three-day retrospective at the Calgary Underground Film Festival with director Bruce McDonald and star Callum Keith Rennie in attendance; and a screening in Toronto with Victoria Beard, Peter Dreimanis, and Thyrone Tommy, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television.
- A two-week Canadian Film Showcase by the Vancouver International Film Festival, with more than 50 screenings, and special guests Carl Bessai, Sook-Yin Lee, and Bruce Sweeney, among many others.
- A massive event hub at the Scotiabank and Carlton theatres in downtown Toronto, featuring over 20 screenings, and special guests such as Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs (Mohawk), Philippe Falardeau, Sherry White, Colm Feore, 2026 Oscar winner Chris Lavis, and many more.
- RCtv, our annual livestream for over 10,000 high school students, will showcase the brand new release Youngblood, and an interactive Q&A with director Hubert Davis and star Ashton James, hosted by programmer Aisha Jamal.
- 150 international screenings in nearly 50 countries around the world in partnership with Global Affairs Canada and film festivals and cultural organizations worldwide.
- Over 150 screenings of 23 of this year’s Canadian Screen Award nominees, including all eight Best Picture nominees.
Other special guests confirmed to participate in this year’s CanFilmDay include:
Neil Affleck, Eric K. Boulianne, Miryam Charles, Richard Crouse, Miranda de Pencier, Mathieu Denis, Sophie Deraspe, Jayne Eastwood, Ann Marie Fleming, Piers Handling, Ali Hassan, Andy Hines, Kaniehtiio Horn (Mohawk), Emma Hunter, Zacharias Kunuk (Inuk), Micheline Lanctôt, Ron Mann, Graeme Manson, Diana Matheson, Stephen McHattie, Don McKellar, Kevin McMahon, Michael McMahon, George Mihalka, Moze Mossanen, Jennifer Podemski (Anishinaabe), Alison Reid, Mary Beth Rubens, Eva Thomas (Ojibwe), R.T. Thorne, Auden Thornton, D. W. Waterson, Larry Weinstein and Mary Young Leckie.
National Canadian Film Day is free, it is everywhere, and it is one of the most straightforward expressions of what Canadian culture looks like when it decides to show up for itself. Visit canfilmday.ca to find screenings near you or to register your own free community event.