The Abbotsford Film Festival (AFF) returned for its sixth edition this month. Launching on Sept. 4 at the Matsqui Centennial Auditorium, as part of the City of Abbotsford’s “Culture City” programming series, the festival boasts a local, national, and international film showcase.
Sponsored by several community partners such as Oldhand Coffee, Cassiar Film Co., Tourism Abbotsford, and the University of the Fraser Valley, three nights of cinema magic and five industry events were open to the public for around $6 per ticket.
Festival Director Daniel Sparrow said that it all started with a core group of friends who initially wanted to produce both a film and music festival. Since then, it’s evolved into a primarily film-focused event. Sparrow emphasized the importance of having small festivals like this one.
“There was no home base for the Fraser Valley to screen our stuff because festivals are tough to get into … It’s not to say we don’t go through a pretty rigorous programming effort, but at the same time … we’re open and excited for local pieces.”
Night one featured two blocks of both documentary and local spotlights including four different Abbotsford films; Noah’s Story, Illa Peutus (2024), One Good Thing (2025), and We Live in the Dark (2025). The night ended with a Q&A with filmmakers, including local filmmaker Aaron Dawson, who took home the audience award that night for his production of We Live in the Dark (2025). Dawson produced the film with just $500 which he received back in full from the prize money.
“One of the things that is both great and frustrating about filmmaking is that you need a community to pull it off … It takes a lot of very talented artists and a lot of different forms of art … to make something good.”
The Reach Gallery Museum has been in partnership with the AFF since its inception, offering their space for the second and third night of films this year, which Sparrow expressed his appreciation for.
“They have been so giving and so helpful to our festival …The festival would not exist without The Reach, so I have nothing but love and respect for them.”
Surrounded by local art, a full room gathered in the centre of the gallery for night two. The “Horizon’s” film block featured shorts about immigration, LGBTQIA+ rights, and social justice. A stand out from the night was Mercenaire (2024), directed by Pier-Philippe Chevigny, which made the Toronto International Film Fest’s Canada’s Top Ten list. The night ended with comedy short films and another Q&A with some of the filmmakers.
When listening to filmmakers and speaking with organizers, community seemed to be a common theme. The AFF isn’t as large-scale an event as some of the major festivals out there, but it is a big event for a small community like Abbotsford. It gives people in the Fraser Valley an opportunity to be creative and celebrated for it, like the 48 hour film competition — a challenge to local filmmakers to create and execute a film of no more than five minutes and 30 seconds, all in the span of 48 hours. The competition films were screened on the final night of this year’s festival, and a $1000 award was given to Zakiah Shana Dumansky for GRWM (Get Ready With Me)(2025). Dumansky acted and filmed the short entirely by herself, a creative feat that Dawson emphasized as a salient part of the event.
“I think having this festival and having the Chilliwack festival, it’s kind of given people an opportunity to create things … there’s a small community here, but it’s growing and growing each year.”
Sparrow hopes that having festivals in the valley can encourage filmmakers in our own community.
“If you’re an up-and-coming filmmaker or even just interested in making films, it’s kind of the best place to come and just see a little bit of everything…to get a taste of all the worlds of filmmaking and hopefully get inspired.”
If you missed the Abbotsford Film Festival, keep an eye out for the upcoming Chilliwack Independent Film Festival, which kicks off for five days of film on Oct. 22 this year.
Darien Johnsen is a UFV alumni who obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree with double extended minors in Global Development Studies and Sociology in 2020. She started writing for The Cascade in 2018, taking on the role of features editor shortly after. She’s passionate about justice, sustainable development, and education.