NorthwestFest: Edmonton's Documentary Film Festival
NorthwestFest is all about featuring real life on the big screen. This festival is Canada’s longest-running documentary film festival, popping up every spring at Metro Cinema. At the festival, you can expect to see Canada’s best non-fiction and truth-inspired features and shorts from Edmonton and around the globe. Indie films, documentary screenings and a full week of documentaries.
Event Details
Dates: Spring 2027
Location: Metro Cinema at the Garneau Theatre
Admission: Ticketed with all access passes and single tickets
Tickets & lineup:northwestfest.ca
About NorthwestFest
Around since 1983 (back then it was the Third World Film Festival, then Global Visions, before landing on NorthwestFest in 2015), it's Western Canada's home for documentary. Over about a week, you'll get dozens of features and shorts — music docs, social-issue films, hometown stories — from a festival that's premiered the likes of Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, RBG, and Three Identical Strangers in Edmonton.
Highlights
Documentary features & shorts with dozens of films across the festival
Alberta stories with a spotlight on local filmmakers and subjects
Opening night and special event featuring screenings plus talks and classes
Intimate venue with all films at the beloved Metro Cinema
Tickets & Passes
Spring 2027 tickets will be on sale via the ticketing website.
Getting There
Metro Cinema sits in Old Strathcona on 109 Street — easily reached by ETS bus, bike, or a short walk from Whyte Avenue. Paid street and lot parking is available nearby, but transit is simplest during busy screening nights.