Nickel Independent Film Festival 2026

🚀 The legendary DIY SCI-FI returns! A free, open-to-all challenge to create a sci-fi short in in ten days, between June 11–21, 2026. Free, open to all, and not a contest. SIGN UP TODAY - LINK IN BIO! Finish a film and receive two free passes to the festival happening June 22–28 at the LSPU Hall. Join us for a full week of amazing films, workshops, Q&As and parties. Festival details coming June 1.

Want to work a film festival this summer? The Nickel is looking for a Community Engagement Assistant to join us for our busiest season. You'll help us put the festival together by helping with filmmaker scheduling and hospitality, social media, screening operations, and post-festival reporting. A good entry-level role for anyone into festival work, arts administration, or communications. June 1 – late July · $17/hr · 35 hrs/wk Deadline: May 28 Apply by email at info@nickelfestival.com Funded through Canada Summer Jobs. Must be eligible and between 15–30.

(Thanks everyone for the overwhelming response! This call is now closed!) The Nickel Independent Film Festival is happening in St. John's June 22-28, and we're looking for local cartoonists, illustrators, and comic artists to serve on our team of Cartoonists in Residence! The assignment: we'll have you watch a handful of films from our lineup, you'll watch them in advance and create work in response. The Nickel will share your work on social media before and during the fest. Selected participants will receive a fee of $500. To apply, email info@nickelfestival.com with • A few examples of your work • A few words about why you're interested Applications due by Friday, May 15

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This week the Nickel is visiting the beautiful community of Hopedale, Nunatsiavut! We'll be giving workshops and making short films with youth and others in the community. To kick things off we're presenting a screening of Uiksaringitara (Wrong Husband) a new film from legendary Inuk Canadian director Zacharias Kunuk. Free screening at the Hopedale Nanuk Center at 6:30pm! Monday, May 11. Free snacks and drinks! Big thank you to @nl.arts.council and @picturenl.ig for their funding for our school visits and the Right Here in Labrador project this year. SYNOPSIS: In a remote Arctic village, two young lovers are promised to each other from birth. When the girl’s father suddenly dies, however, her mother remarries a man from another camp, forcing her to leave her betrothed and upsetting the balance of their lives.

📹️ HOME MADE MUSIC VIDEO CHALLENGE 📹️ An open challenge to create a homemade music video featuring music by Lawnya Vawnya 16 artists. THE CHALLENGE: Friday, May 15 to Monday, May 25. Sign up at nickelfestival.com THE SCREENING: Friday, June 5 at LSPU Hall Second Space / Doors 5:30pm / Screening 6pm Lawnya Vawnya 16 / FREE

Such a great time! Thanks to Dana Puddicombe, Mike Hammond, Jeremy Nolan and Veronica Dymond for their help reading scripts from this year's Nickel Script Writing Challenge! Did you miss the show? We recorded it and it's available to stream on YouTube! See link in bio. (The audio quality isn't as good as I would have liked, but it's listenable!) SCRIPTS READ: RITUAL — Nora Lakhani ECLECTIC — Susan Kelsey BETWEEN THEN AND NOW — Mason Woodward BURNING SECRETS — Jen Fleming ROSEBUSH — Peter Elliott STARGIRL — Helena Elueme LET'S DANCE — Paul Whittle ON THE LINE — Tzu-Hao Hsu JUST AN ECHO — Cullam Bruce-Lockhart PROJECTOR — Melissa Wong and Evan Maddick SAVE STORY — Michelle Clemens OUT OF ORDER — Evan Butler THE OVERLOOKED MOTEL — Katie Vautour THE INFINITYNAUTS PART IV — Mike Feehan Cheers! - Elling at the Nickel