The 21st annual Gender Equity in Media Festival (GEMFest) returns to Vancouver at the VIFF Centre from March 5–8, 2026, with a lineup of 5 films from 13 countries.
GEMFest
Gender Equity in Media Festival (GEMFest), formerly Vancouver International Women in Film Festival (VIWFF), showcases an impressive line-up of short and feature-length films (narrative, documentary, experimental and animation) by established and emerging women and gender diverse filmmakers from around the world.
GEMFest is organized by Gender Equity in Media Society Vancouver (GEMS), a member-based organization committed to creating gender equity in film and television, previously named Women in Film and Television Vancouver (WIFTV). By addressing systemic barriers, GEMS works towards supporting more inclusive, representative media.
GEMFest started in 2003 and takes place in Vancouver, Canada
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‘Village Keeper’ ‘Inay (Mama)’ ‘Singing Back the Buffalo’ Win Top Awards at 20th GEMFest
Village Keeper directed by Karen Chapman The Canadian drama film Village Keeper directed by Karen Chapman has won Best Feature at Gender Equity in Media Society (GEMS)’s 20th annual GEMFest. It stars Oluniké Adeliyi (who won the award for Best Performance) as a widow living in the Lawrence Heights, Toronto, where she tries to protect her children from neighborhood violence.
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‘I Have Electric Dreams’ and ‘Blue Id’ Win Top Prizes at 19th GEMFest
I Have Electric Dreams (courtesy GEMS) I Have Electric Dreams directed by Valentina Maurel won the award for Best Feature Film at Gender Equity in Media Society (GEMS)’s 2024 GEMFest in Vancouver, Canada. The film also won Best Performance in a Feature for Daniela Marín Navarro, and Best Feature Screenplay for Valentina Maurel.
