OIAF 2026 Schedule
Plan your OIAF visit. Read the schedule to learn more about programs and to book your tickets.
Save on tickets and ticket six-packs with a Canadian Film Institute membership.
Learn more about our VENUES, PARKING TIPS, and our RECOMMENDED RESTAURANTS. All OIAF venues are close to transit!
Wednesday, September 23
8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
TAC: The Animation Conference
OIAF’s industry conference brings creators, producers, buyers and decision-makers together for three days of business and connection.
TAC Passholders only
National Arts Centre
National Arts Centre
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
All Ages Drop-in Workshop: Character Design
Drop in, get creative and try your hand at animation-inspired artmaking.
OAG: Studio
3:30 PM
TAC: Boat Cruise
Set sail with the animation industry for an afternoon of networking, conversation and Ottawa views.
Shuttle leaves at 3:30 PM
11:00 AM
Kids Day @ OIAF (Elementary School Screening)
A special school-day screening introducing elementary students to the creativity and possibilities of animation.
OAG: Alma Duncan Salon
1:00 PM
Kids Day @ OIAF (Elementary School Screening)
A special school-day screening introducing elementary students to the creativity and possibilities of animation.
OAG: Alma Duncan Salon
4:45 PM
DreamWorks Animation’s dazzling new adventure about two lifelong best friends transported to a fantastical island inspired by Filipino mythology.
ByTowne Cinema
5:00 PM
Explore the early history of NFB animation in Ottawa through films from the war years.
Arts Court Theatre
7:00 PM
A collection of the year’s best new animated shorts, selected from over 2,000 entries from around the world.
ByTowne Cinema
9:00 PM
One of seven bold new animated features selected for OIAF’s 2026 Official Competition.
ByTowne Cinema
10:00 PM
Celebrate the start of OIAF’s 50th anniversary with filmmakers, friends and the animation community.
Lowertown Brewery
Passholders Only
Thursday, September 24
8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
TAC: The Animation Conference
OIAF’s industry conference brings creators, producers, buyers and decision-makers together for three days of business and connection.
TAC Passholders only
National Arts Centre
National Arts Centre
9:30 AM
Meet the filmmakers behind the Short Film Competition and hear more about the ideas and craft behind their films.
Arts Court Theatre
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Drop-in Workshop: Character Design
Drop in, get creative and try your hand at animation-inspired artmaking.
OAG: Studio
10:30 AM
One of seven bold new animated features selected for OIAF’s 2026 Official Competition.
ByTowne Cinema
11:00 AM
Celebrate 50 years of OIAF with favourites chosen from more than 700 Canadian films screened at the Festival since 1976.
Arts Court Theatre
Discover the next generation of Canadian animation talent in this showcase of outstanding student films.
OAG: Alma Duncan Salon
1:00 PM
A snapshot of outstanding new work from Canada’s animation community.
ByTowne Cinema
Take a trip off the beaten path and discover new animation from around the world.
Arts Court Theatre
Discover standout new episodic and platform animation in OIAF’s Official Competition.
OAG: Alma Duncan Salon
3:00 PM
A collection of the year’s best new animated shorts, selected from over 2,000 entries from around the world.
ByTowne Cinema
Celebrate 50 years of OIAF with favourites chosen from more than 700 Canadian films screened at the Festival since 1976.
Arts Court Theatre
4:45 PM
One of seven bold new animated features selected for OIAF’s 2026 Official Competition.
ByTowne Cinema
5:00 PM
Discover Philip Ragan and the fascinating, little-known history of pictographic animation.
Arts Court Theatre
7:00 PM
A collection of the year’s best new animated shorts, selected from over 2,000 entries from around the world.
ByTowne Cinema
Celebrate 50 years of OIAF with favourites chosen from more than 700 Canadian films screened at the Festival since 1976.
Arts Court Theatre
Frame by Frame: A History of Animation in Ottawa Public Opening
Explore more than 80 years of Ottawa animation history in this major exhibition presented by OAG and OIAF.
OAG: Spencerville Gallery, OAG: Alma Duncan Salon
9:00 PM
One of seven bold new animated features selected for OIAF’s 2026 Official Competition.
ByTowne Cinema
Celebrate 50 years of OIAF with favourites chosen from more than 700 Canadian films screened at the Festival since 1976.
Arts Court Theatre
9:30 PM
A late-night OIAF tradition celebrating the films that didn’t make the official cut.
Club SAW
Passholders Only
Friday, September 25
8:00 AM – 12:15 PM
TAC: Art + Biz Day
A morning of industry insight, creative conversation and practical business know-how for animation professionals.
Passholders only
National Arts Centre
National Arts Centre
9:30 AM
Meet the filmmakers behind the Short Film Competition and hear more about the ideas and craft behind their films.
Arts Court Theatre
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Drop-in Workshop: Make a Movable Sculpture
Drop in, get creative and try your hand at animation-inspired artmaking.
OAG: Studio
10:00 AM and 12:30 PM
Teens @ OIAF (for high school students)
A special festival experience for high school students, with animation screenings created with teen audiences in mind.
National Gallery of Canada: Auditorium
11:00 AM
One of seven bold new animated features selected for OIAF’s 2026 Official Competition.
OAG: Alma Duncan Salon
A collection of the year’s best new animated shorts, selected from over 2,000 entries from around the world.
ByTowne Cinema
12:00 PM to 4 PM
Picnic Shuttle Bus service begins from the ByTowne, followed by Arts Court
Hop on the free shuttle to the Animators’ Picnic at Strathcona Park.
12:30 PM
OIAF’s legendary Friday afternoon tradition: food, drinks, pumpkin carving and a park full of animators.
Strathcona Park
Passholders Only
1:00 PM
A competition screening created with teen audiences in mind, followed by a filmmaker Q&A and Teen Vote.
OAG: Alma Duncan Salon
3:00 PM
Discover standout new episodic and platform animation in OIAF’s Official Competition.
OAG: Alma Duncan Salon
Celebrate 50 years of OIAF with favourites chosen from more than 700 Canadian films screened at the Festival since 1976.
Arts Court Theatre
One of seven bold new animated features selected for OIAF’s 2026 Official Competition.
ByTowne Cinema
Celebrate 50 years of OIAF with favourites chosen from more than 700 Canadian films screened at the Festival since 1976.
National Gallery of Canada: Auditorium
5:00 PM
Celebrate 50 years of OIAF with favourites chosen from more than 700 Canadian films screened at the Festival since 1976.
National Gallery of Canada: Auditorium
Celebrate 50 years of OIAF with favourites chosen from more than 700 Canadian films screened at the Festival since 1976.
Arts Court Theatre
Enter the calm, hypnotic and deeply emotional worlds of visionary animator Sumito Sakakibara.
OAG: Alma Duncan Salon
One of seven bold new animated features selected for OIAF’s 2026 Official Competition.
ByTowne Cinema
7:00 PM
A collection of the year’s best new animated shorts, selected from over 2,000 entries from around the world.
ByTowne Cinema
Celebrate 50 years of OIAF with favourites chosen from more than 700 Canadian films screened at the Festival since 1976.
Arts Court Theatre
One of seven bold new animated features selected for OIAF’s 2026 Official Competition.
OAG: Alma Duncan Salon
Celebrate 50 years of OIAF with favourites chosen from more than 700 Canadian films screened at the Festival since 1976.
National Gallery of Canada: Auditorium
9:00 PM
Netflix’s first Korean original animated feature is a visually stunning romance set in a beautifully animated retro-futurist Seoul.
National Gallery of Canada: Auditorium
A dreamlike collection celebrating the luminous colours, soft edges and tactile beauty of pastel animation.
Arts Court Theatre
One of seven bold new animated features selected for OIAF’s 2026 Official Competition.
ByTowne Cinema
A snapshot of outstanding new work from Canada’s animation community.
OAG: Alma Duncan Salon
9:30 PM
Keep Friday night going with DJs, dancing and the OIAF crowd at Club SAW.
Club SAW
Passholders Only
Saturday, September 26
9:30 AM
A colourful collection of animated films selected especially for young audiences, followed by a filmmaker Q&A.
OAG: Alma Duncan Salon
Meet the filmmakers behind the Short Film Competition and hear more about the ideas and craft behind their films.
Arts Court Theatre
Meet representatives from animation schools, studios and companies and explore education and career opportunities in animation.
NAC: Rossy Pavilion
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Drop-in Workshop: Make a Stop-Motion Animation!
Drop in, get creative and try your hand at animation-inspired artmaking.
OAG: Studio
10:00 AM
Brad Bird and key collaborators reveal the creative journey, retro-futuristic look and technical craft behind the long-awaited Ray Gunn.
NAC: O’Born Room
10:30 AM
See how Moho combines rigs, vector drawing and traditional animation to open up new possibilities for 2D artists.
NAC: Le Salon
11:00 AM
Meet the filmmakers behind the Short Film Competition and hear more about the ideas and craft behind their films.
Arts Court Theatre
One of seven bold new animated features selected for OIAF’s 2026 Official Competition.
ByTowne Cinema
11:15 AM
Animation Exposé – Cosplay Live Drawing
Grab a pencil and draw along with live cosplay models in this informal, all-levels sketching session.
NAC: Lantern Room
Animation Exposé – Ray Gunn Lithograph Signing with Brad Bird, Adel Abada, Jason Ryan, and Neysa Bové
Meet the creative team behind Ray Gunn at this special lithograph signing.
12:00 PM
Go behind the scenes with the DreamWorks team who brought the Filipino mythology-inspired world of Forgotten Island to life.
NAC: O’Born Room
12:30 PM
A competition screening created with teen audiences in mind, followed by a filmmaker Q&A and Teen Vote.
OAG: Alma Duncan Salon
Canadian animation legend Cordell Barker shares stories from his celebrated career and insights into his creative process, craft and the future of animation.
NAC: Le Salon
1:00 PM
A collection of the year’s best new animated shorts, selected from over 2,000 entries from around the world.
ByTowne Cinema
A dreamlike collection celebrating the luminous colours, soft edges and tactile beauty of pastel animation.
Arts Court Theatre
1:15 PM
Animation Exposé – Cosplay Live Drawing
Grab a pencil and draw along with live cosplay models in this informal, all-levels sketching session.
NAC: Lantern Room
Animation Exposé – Forgotten Island Lithograph Signing with Januel Mercado, Sean Sexton, Ryan Carlson, and Scott Cullen
Meet members of the DreamWorks creative team behind Forgotten Island at this special lithograph signing.
1:30 PM
Discover Odyssey, a free plugin that brings storyboarding, 2D animation, VFX and game workflows directly into Unreal Engine.
2:00 PM
Meet filmmakers from OIAF’s Feature Competition for a conversation about their creative processes, storytelling and the challenges of making animated features.
NAC: O’Born Room
2:45 PM
Learn about early-career opportunities at Walt Disney Animation Studios, get advice for future applicants and stick around for networking and sweet treats.
NAC: Le Salon
3:00 PM
A collection of the year’s best new animated shorts, selected from over 2,000 entries from around the world.
ByTowne Cinema
3:30 PM
Animation Exposé – Cosplay Live Drawing
Grab a pencil and draw along with live cosplay models in this informal, all-levels sketching session.
NAC: Lantern Room
Celebrate OIAF’s 50th with a once-in-a-lifetime gathering of artists behind Canada’s Top 50 Animated Films—stories, debates, memories and a little chaos included.
NAC: O’Born Room
5:00 PM
A collection of the year’s best new animated shorts, selected from over 2,000 entries from around the world.
ByTowne Cinema
7:00 PM
One of seven bold new animated features selected for OIAF’s 2026 Official Competition.
ByTowne Cinema
7:30 PM
Join us as OIAF reveals the award-winning films and filmmakers of its 50th anniversary edition.
NAC: O’Born Room
9:00 PM
OIAF’s big Saturday-night celebration, with Drink & Draw, music, dancing and 50th-anniversary revelry.
NAC: O’Born Room, Lantern Room, and Rossy Pavilion featuring Drink and Draw and Dance Party
Passholders Only
9:15 PM
One of seven bold new animated features selected for OIAF’s 2026 Official Competition.
ByTowne Cinema
Sunday, September 27
9:30 AM
Meet the filmmakers behind the Short Film Competition and hear more about the ideas and craft behind their films.
Arts Court Theatre
11:00 AM
A conversation exploring new ways to connect Japanese independent animators with audiences and opportunities around the world.
Arts Court Theatre
Discover the next generation of Canadian animation talent in this showcase of outstanding student films.
OAG: Alma Duncan Salon
One of seven bold new animated features selected for OIAF’s 2026 Official Competition.
ByTowne Cinema
1:00 PM
A collection of the year’s best new animated shorts, selected from over 2,000 entries from around the world.
ByTowne Cinema
One of seven bold new animated features selected for OIAF’s 2026 Official Competition.
OAG: Alma Duncan Salon
Enter the calm, hypnotic and deeply emotional worlds of visionary animator Sumito Sakakibara.
Arts Court Theatre
3:00 PM
A collection of the year’s best new animated shorts, selected from over 2,000 entries from around the world.
ByTowne Cinema
Take a trip off the beaten path and discover new animation from around the world.
OAG: Alma Duncan Salon
Celebrate 50 years of OIAF with favourites chosen from more than 700 Canadian films screened at the Festival since 1976.
Arts Court Theatre
5:00 PM
See the winner of OIAF 2026’s Grand Prize for Feature Animation.
ByTowne Cinema
Celebrate 50 years of OIAF with favourites chosen from more than 700 Canadian films screened at the Festival since 1976.
Arts Court Theatre
7:00 PM
One last chance to celebrate OIAF 2026 with filmmakers, friends and festival favourites.
Arts Court Studio
Catch a selection of OIAF 2026 award winners and audience favourites from the Short Film Competition.
ByTowne Cinema
9:00 PM
Catch a selection of OIAF 2026 award winners and audience favourites from the Short Film Competition.
ByTowne Cinema