WIFF Under the Stars is our way of giving back to the community that has supported us for over two decades. By offering free outdoor screenings for movie lovers of all ages, we remove financial barriers, create shared experiences, and transform a parkland in Downtown Windsor into a vibrant gathering place where everyone can experience the joy of movies together. Programs like WIFF Under the Stars are made possible through the generosity of donors, sponsors, and community partners who believe everyone should have access to exceptional film experiences.
WIFF is a proud champion of Francophone cinema and celebrates the richness of French-language storytelling. By presenting Canada’s largest Francophone film program (including dedicated screenings for more than 1,200 Francophone students each year), we strengthen cultural connections, support language learning, and ensure Francophone audiences and filmmakers see their stories reflected on the big screen.
WIFF plays a central role in Windsor-Essex’s cultural ecosystem alongside partners like the Windsor Symphony Orchestra and Art Windsor-Essex. Through year-round programming, education initiatives, and our annual festival, we contribute to a vibrant downtown core, support local artists and venues, and help position Windsor as a destination for world-class cultural experiences that enrich quality of life across the region.
WIFF is powered by its volunteers, including a dedicated Board of Directors and more than 200 community volunteers each year. We create meaningful opportunities for people to contribute their time and skills to a major cultural event, build connections, and play a direct role in delivering a nationally recognized film festival in their own community.
WIFF is a key economic driver in Downtown Windsor by welcoming over 50,000 thousand visitors into the core each year. Through our festival and year-round programming, we support local businesses, activate public spaces, and contribute directly to the City of Windsor’s downtown revitalization priorities.
We generate meaningful economic activity by driving consistent foot traffic to restaurants, hotels, retail, and service businesses. Our audiences contribute directly to the local economy before, during, and after festival events, extending impact beyond the theatre experience.
WIFF strengthens Windsor-Essex as a cultural tourism destination by attracting audiences from across Canada and the United States. Our programming encourages overnight stays, increases visitor spending, and positions the region as a vibrant hub for film and cultural experiences.
Your support helps WIFF create an economic impact that extends far beyond the theatre. In 2025, WIFF generated an estimated $2.4 million in regional tourism impact, welcomed more than 50,000 attendees, and attracted approximately 8,250 visitors from outside the region. By bringing audiences downtown, supporting and investing in local vendors and suppliers, and partnering with hotels, WIFF strengthens Windsor’s economy while establishing film as a key tourism and cultural driver.
WIFF is proud to present the Healthy Minds Youth Education Initiative, which provides children and youth in Windsor-Essex with transformative arts experiences. Research shows that engagement in arts and cultural experiences can significantly improve mental health outcomes, reduce stress, and foster social connection. WIFF’s Healthy Minds Youth Education Initiative is designed to do just that—leveraging the power of film to engage young minds, encourage meaningful conversation, and create a shared sense of belonging. This initiative features specially curated films addressing the root causes of mental health challenges. While attending the film screening, the students receive a healthy meal and a guided post-film discussion, ensuring a holistic and immersive learning experience.
WIFF helps strengthen French-language education by welcoming more than 1,200 Francophone students to the Festival each year through partnerships with Windsor-Essex’s French-language school boards. In a region where over 39,000 residents are bilingual in English and French, these shared cultural experiences celebrate Francophone identity, enrich classroom learning, and inspire the next generation of Francophone speakers through the power of Canadian and international cinema.
We bring learning beyond the classroom by partnering with the Greater Essex County District School Board and Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board to welcome more than 1,500 elementary and secondary students to WIFF each year. Through curated film screenings, post-film discussions, and specially developed curriculum-connected educational resources, we help educators engage students with new perspectives while fostering creativity, critical thinking, and media literacy inside and outside the classroom.
WIFF is passionate about ensuring the films that are being programmed at the festival are accessible to students. Thanks to the tremendous support from Desjardins, all college and university student tickets are subsidized for the 2026 festival and during WIFF Presents year-round programs. While a valid student ID is required, tickets will be available for $5.
WIFF creates meaningful opportunities for older adults to connect through the shared experience of film. Through our partnership with the Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility, ACFO-WECK, and Elder College, we help combat social isolation by bringing Francophone and bilingual seniors together for film screenings, social gatherings, and creating connections to community resources that support healthy and active aging.
WIFF connects passionate film lovers with exceptional films from around the world, right here in Downtown Windsor. Our dedicated Passholders watch an average of more than 35 films during the festival (some seeing more than 80), demonstrating the demand for diverse, Canadian, and international films that would otherwise be inaccessible in our region.
WIFF opens doors to the world through the power of film, bringing stories, cultures, and perspectives from across Canada and around the globe to our audiences. Each screening is an opportunity to step beyond our day-to-day lives, discover new voices, and build a greater understanding of lives and experiences from around the world.
WIFF works hard to ensure that Downtown Windsor remains a place where audiences can experience the power of film. As the only downtown film exhibitor, WIFF fills a critical cultural gap by bringing diverse, independent, Canadian, and international films to the heart of the city, and supports the downtown revitalization while ensuring our community has access to meaningful stories on the big screen.
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