Winnipeg’s Reel Pride Film Festival is returning this September for five days of independent 2SLGBTQIA+ cinema, bringing films from Canada and around the world to local audiences.
The 41st annual festival will take place from September 16 to 20, 2026, with most screenings held at the Gas Station Arts Centre in Osborne Village. The festival will also present programming at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
Reel Pride is Canada’s oldest 2SLGBTQ+ film festival and has been bringing queer films and underrepresented voices to Winnipeg audiences since the organization was founded in 1985. The volunteer-driven, non-profit festival has screened nearly 1,000 films over the years.
Five Days of Queer Cinema
This year’s festival is built around the theme “Reveal Your True Colours” and will feature nine feature films from Canada, the United States, Japan, Chile, France and Spain, along with the festival’s long-running Canadian Short Film Celebration.
The festival opens Wednesday, September 16 with Barbara Forever, a documentary exploring the life and work of lesbian experimental filmmaker Barbara Hammer, followed by Uncle Roy, a documentary about the life of 93-year-old former figure skater and photographer Roy Blakey.
Thursday’s program includes the Canadian film Solo, centred on a Montreal drag performer navigating romance and family relationships, and the French film Amantes.
On Friday, the festival will present Iván and Hadoum, a Spanish film about a trans man and a Spanish-Moroccan woman whose relationship is complicated by family expectations, identity and class. The evening will also include Tiger, set in Tokyo’s queer nightlife scene.
Canadian Short Films Take Centre Stage
One of the highlights of the annual festival is the Canadian Short Film Celebration, which returns on Saturday, September 19.
The competition, described by Reel Pride as Canada’s longest-running 2SLGBTQ+ short film competition, has selected 15 films from 75 submissions for its 2026 program. The event will also include a discussion panel about the issues and challenges facing emerging filmmakers, hosted by Film Training Manitoba.
Awards will include Best Short Film, Best Manitoba Short Film, Emerging Short Filmmaker and a 2SLGBTQ+ storytelling award, while audiences will also have the opportunity to vote for the Audience Choice Award.
Festival Reception and Free Art Show
Saturday evening will feature the festival reception, sponsored and hosted by RBC, between screenings. The night’s programming will include the Canadian documentary Re-Emergence, which explores the origins of the term
Two-Spirit in Manitoba, followed by Montreal, Ma Belle and the American film Plainclothes. A discussion with Montreal, Ma Belle director Xiaodan He is also planned following the screening.
Throughout the festival, visitors can also attend a free art show at the Gas Station Arts Centre featuring work by local artists. The exhibit will be open daily from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., with proceeds from artwork sales going directly to the creators.
The festival wraps up Sunday, September 20 at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights with The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo, a Chilean film set in a remote mining town and centred on an 11-year-old girl living with her queer family.
Tickets and Festival Passes
Early bird festival passes are currently available for $50 until August 31, according to Reel Pride. Individual ticket information and the complete festival schedule are available through the festival’s website.
For more information about the 2026 Reel Pride Film Festival, including the full lineup and ticket details, visit Reel Pride Film Festival.