Join the 2025 Waterloo Region Global Migration Film Festival!
Each year the Waterloo Region Immigration Partnership and its member organizations come together to share films in the Waterloo Region Migration Film Festival. The goal of this festival is to capture the promise and challenges of migration, celebrate the contributions that migrants make to their new communities, and to help our community better understand the challenges our newcomer neighbours overcome as they make our region our home.
We are welcoming organizations interested in collaborating and supporting this event. If you or your organization would like to get involved in the 2025 edition, we’d love to hear from you! Our goal is to foster open discussions and promote a sense of belonging and community through respectful dialogues. Storytelling is a powerful tool for addressing social issues, and the Waterloo Region Migration Film Festival serves as an educational platform to influence perceptions and advocate for basic human rights.
For more information or to express your interest, please reach out to Abiha Syed at asyed@regionofwaterloo.ca
More details to come - Stay tuned!
| Waterloo Region Migration Film Festival - 2024 |
The 2024 Waterloo Region Migration Film Festival ran from August 20 to September 20, featuring over 11 screenings in collaboration with our local partners. This year's festival showcased two impactful films. From Far Away follows a young girl as she navigates her new life in Canada after fleeing her war-torn homeland, offering a heartfelt look into the emotional journey of newcomers; and A Passage Beyond Fortune, which pays tribute to the hidden history of Chinese-Canadian communities and underscores the significance of reclaiming immigrant narratives. Huge thanks to our partners and participants for making this event a success. Together, we’ve celebrated resilience and strengthened our commitment to fostering a more inclusive and diverse Waterloo Region. |
| Waterloo Region Migration Film Festival - 2023 |
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With over 12 screenings hosted by our partners, the 7th Waterloo Region Migration Film Festival concluded on December 18, marking International Migrants Day. This occasion honoured the invaluable contributions of migrants and recognizes the challenges they face globally. The festival provided attendees with a space to discuss how to shape Waterloo Region into a community that embraces diversity and change. We are deeply grateful to our partners and attendees for their incredible support. Together, we've shared stories, celebrated cultures, and reflected on global migration, building a community that values diversity.| Waterloo Region Migration Film Festival - 2022 |
The Waterloo Region Immigration Partnership and its partners hosted the 6th Waterloo Region Migration Film Festival (WRMigFest) from December 1st to 18th, coinciding with International Migrants Day. Residents of Waterloo Region and beyond were invited to participate in the festival either in-person or virtually. We curated a series of films to learn about and reflect on migration, a topic that continues to attract the attention of media, governments, and communities around the world. In addition to showcasing a diverse spectrum of films, the festival offered post-screening conversations with filmmakers and writers, as well as Q&A sessions. |
| Waterloo Region Migration Film Festival - 2021 |
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We joined forces with nine community partners to organize the 5th Annual Waterloo Region Migration Film Festival in December 2021. The festival featured 8 films, with discussions led by filmmakers, academics, and many residents on various aspects of immigration in Canada and around the world. The festival concluded on December 17 with Tiffany Hsiung, the writer, producer, and director of "Sing Me A Lullaby." She shared her top moments from making the film and answered questions from the audience. |
| Waterloo Region Global Migration Film Festival - 2020 |
 We joined forces with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and ten community partners to bring the Global Migration Film Festival to Waterloo Region. The festival featured seven films, with discussions led by filmmakers, academics, and many residents about various aspects of immigration in Canada. |
| Waterloo Region Global Migration Film Festival - 2019 |
 The Immigration Partnership and local partners organized the 3rd Annual Waterloo Region Global Migration Film Festival. The festival featured nine films screened across various locations in Waterloo Region. Each film was followed by a post-screening discussion with local community members about the experiences and challenges of migration. |
| Global Migration Film Festival - 2018 |
 The Belong Steering Group organized the first-ever Waterloo Region Global Migration Film Festival in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The IOM launched the Festival in 2016 and in 2017 Waterloo Region was part of this worldwide initiative in over 100 countries. From December 5-18, 10 films were screened at nine locations in Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo. The films captured the promise and challenges of global migration. Each film was followed by a post-screening discussion about what migration means in our communities. We are grateful to everyone who supported this initiative and, in particular, to BSG members who volunteered on the Waterloo Region Global Migration Film Festival organizing committee. |
| Global Migration Film Festival - 2017 |
 We were proud to be part of the first-ever Global Migration Film Festival (GMFF) in Waterloo Region. Hosted in partnership with the United Nations Migration Agency (International Organization for Migration), the GMFF featured films and documentaries that captured the promise and challenges of migration for those who leave their homes in search of a better life and the contributions they make to their new communities.
Ten films were screened in Waterloo Region from December 5-18, followed by post-screening discussions. |
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