HIFF 2026 GUIDE: How to HIFF

HIFF is almost here!

Halifax's annual celebration of independent cinema kicks on Wednesday! Join us May 27–30 in the Bus Stop Theatre on Gottingen Street.

You can see it all with a $50 HIFF Festival Pass or catch films with single tickets for $15 (see links on film pages).

Here's everything you need to know to get the most out of this year's fest:

HIFF TIPS

• Picking up your pass: HIFF passholders can pick up their passes at the box office in the lobby of the Bus Stop Theatre on your way into your first screening. They'll be available for pick-up for the duration of the fest.

• Arrive Early: HIFF 2026 includes some SOLD OUT to near-full screenings. Rush tickets for sold-out screenings will be available 10 minutes before showtime. Pass holders: to ensure you get a seat, please arrive at least 15 minutes before your film begins.

• Q+As and Panels: Our post-screening Q+As give us a chance to hear from filmmakers immediately after seeing their work—be sure to stick around after the screenings for films with a Q+A marked on their film page. This year, we’re also pleased to present a FREE panel on Saturday, May 30, at 11 a.m.: Dreamcasting, in which visiting filmmakers Rhayne Vermette (Levers) and J.D. Fernández Molero (Punku) break down their atypical narrative approaches, celluloid practices, and process of getting the ineffable on screen. Moderated by HIFF programmer Tori Fleming, with complimentary coffee from Uncommon Grounds.

See our full film lineup here!