WIFF ANNOUNCES 2025 PRIZE IN CANADIAN FILM NOMINEES

We are thrilled to be sharing the 2025 nominees for the WIFF Prize in Canadian Film! The award carries a cash value of $25,000, and the winner will be selected by an independent jury of industry professionals. WIFF takes place October 23 to November 2, 2025.

All 10 nominated films will be screened during WIFF’s Opening Weekend and the Winner of the Prize will be announced at a special event on Sunday, October 26, 2025. New this year, we’ll be hosting a free community screening of the winning film on Tuesday, October 28.

This year’s ten nominees for the WIFF Prize in Canadian Film are:

COMPULSIVE LIAR 2, directed by Émile Gaudreault

THE COST OF HEAVEN, directed by Mathieu Denis

IN COLD LIGHT, directed by Maxime Giroux 

LOVELY DAY, directed by Philippe Falardeau

MONTREAL, MY BEAUTIFUL, directed by Xiodan He

PEAK EVERYTHING, directed by Anne Émond

THE PITCH, directed by Michèle Hozer

SHAMED, directed by Matt Gallagher

TWO WOMEN, directed by Chloé Robichaud

WHERE SOULS GO, directed by Brigitte Poupart

“This year’s nominated films showcase the remarkable breadth of Canadian talent, from powerful storytelling to striking visual artistry,” said Vincent Georgie, Executive Director and Chief Programmer, WIFF. “We’re honoured to showcase these compelling works and look forward to presenting these films to our audience as part of the WIFF Prize in Canadian Film.”

Past recipients of the WIFF Prize in Canadian Film include Who Do I Belong To directed by Meryam Joobeur, 2024; Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person directed by Ariane Louis-Seize, 2023; Riceboy Sleeps directed by Anthony Shim, 2022; and Kuessipan directed by Myriam Verreault, 2019.

Learn more about this year’s nominees:

compulsive liar 2, directed by Émile Gaudreault

Compulsive Liar 2 (Menteuse) is Émile Gaudreault’s latest comedy. Driven by the desire to make those around her happy, Virginie lies constantly. As her partner Phil fears, her many lies start becoming reality, shaping multiverses that completely upend their lives and those of their loved ones. Having spent her life lying about her true nature, will Virginie find her way back to the truth?

the cost of heaven, directed by mathieu denis

Over the years, Nacer Belkacem has built an enviable position: loving father, happy husband, model employee, and respected citizen of his community. But under the clean surface, something is cracking. Nacer has racked up expenses, made some questionable investments, and fallen deep into debt. As his world unravels, he hatches a desperate plan to stay afloat. One life, one shot at heaven. But you must pay the price.

in cold light, directed by maxime giroux

The city crackles with the energy of a chaotic urban rodeo. Fresh out of prison, Ava’s attempt to take back her burgeoning drug operation is obliterated when she witnesses a brutal crime, forcing Ava to run for her life.

lovely day, directed by philippe falardeau

Alain is getting married to Virginie. The day will be magnificent, the day will be perfect, and Alain’s Lebanese aunts will talk about this wedding for years to come. But Alain has a stomach ache. A dull anger is brewing inside him. He fears the reunion of his parents, whose stormy divorce troubled his childhood. He fears the return of his anxiety attacks, he fears his addiction to medication, into which he is about to fall again. His cousin Édouard, a real brother, has promised to parade the bride and groom in a convertible Mustang. Except that on the wedding day, Édouard’s mind is elsewhere. He hatches a nebulous plan and absolutely wants to talk to Alain about it. In doing so, Édouard summons the ghosts of the past and plunges Alain into an anguish bordering on delirium. Alain now has only one ambition: to survive the most beautiful day of his life.

montreal, my beautiful, directed by xiaodan he

Feng Xia, a 53-year-old Chinese immigrant and mother living in Montreal, has spent her life shaped by duty — to her family, her culture, and a loveless marriage. But when she meets Camille, a spirited young Québécoise, a long-buried desire is awakened. In the balmy and joyful Montreal summer, Feng Xia takes the radical step of choosing herself — embarking on a journey of forbidden love and long-overdue self- discovery. Her awakening becomes a profound reckoning with identity, exile, and the steep cost of liberation.

peak everything, directed by Anne Émond

Adam is a kind-hearted kennel-owner. Hypersensitive and borderline depressed, he hides his existential fears from his affection-avoidant father, and lets his young assistant take advantage of his good nature. To help combat his eco-anxiety, Adam orders a therapeutic solar lamp. Through the lamp’s supplier’s technical support line, he meets Tina, a radiant woman with a voice that soothes all of his worries. This unexpected encounter changes everything: Earth trembles, and hearts explode… It’s love!

the pitch, directed by Michèle Hozer

The Pitch follows Diana Matheson as she leads a bold effort to build something that should have existed long ago — a professional women’s soccer league in Canada.

Working alongside fellow players, advisors, and allies, Matheson confronts an entrenched system that has long sidelined women — one that capitalized on their global success but failed to invest in their future at home. With no league, no blueprint, and little institutional support, they push forward against inertia, resistance, and a culture shaped by doubters and naysayers.

Filmed over two years, the documentary offers rare access to a high-stakes, history-making effort. Through backroom negotiations, quiet setbacks, and surprising breakthroughs, The Pitch captures a movement that is as much about justice as it is about sport.

It’s a story of legacy, leadership, and the will to rewrite the rules.

shamed, directed by matt gallagher

Through its five-year reign, Creeper Hunter TV exposed over 100 men identifying themselves as child predators, tossing the suspect’s name and image into a court of public opinion regardless of the evidence. It made for dramatic videos but was ultimately proven ineffective, for only a small percentage of the men accused will see the inside of a courtroom. 

At the centre is Jason Nassr, the self-described “Creeper Hunter” from Windsor, Ontario. Nassr maintains he is a journalist and an educator who is motivated by his desire to protect children. 

After the death by suicide of one of the Creeper Hunter TV ‘catches’, it is Nassr himself who ends up in court where he is tried and convicted. 

Blurring the line between justice and entertainment, Nassr and other vigilantes like him have increasingly become a serious cause for concern for law enforcement and have spawned a dark and committed online fanbase who seem to relish in the shaming and destroying of people.  Encouraged by clicks and likes, the original purpose of protecting children from predators is seemingly lost in the pursuit of increasing the shock value and satisfying the audience. 

two women, directed by Chloé Robichaud

Two struggling mothers are grappling with unfulfilled expectations and societal pressures when one’s unexpected affair sparks a reevaluation of their lives and priorities. 

Violette and Florence no longer understand what is happening to them. Respectively, on maternity leave and off work, one is on edge, the other no longer feels anything. The neighbours are both filled with a feeling of failure — despite their careers and families, they are not happy. Florence’s first infidelity comes as a revelation. In a context where having fun is very low on the list of priorities, sleeping with a delivery guy is perhaps downright revolutionary. For Violette and Florence, it will be the breath of fresh air they were hoping for.

where souls go, directed by brigitte poupart

Anna is eighteen years old and requests medical assistance in dying. The date she sets for herself gives her only two weeks to fulfill her wish to see her half-sisters again before passing away. Separated by events related to their shared father, Eve and Eléonore are forced to reconnect with Anna, who has put public pressure on them, thwarting their anonymity. The strength of each is revealed through this epic, which requires them to overcome their fears and limitations. By allowing themselves to be permeable to the complex life that is each of their stories, they will find a sisterhood beyond the disagreements regarding their father, convicted of rape. What place can we make for love after the stigma?

Tickets are available online now and in person at our box office on October 16, 2025.

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