Regard – Saguenay International Short Film Festival ( or Festival international du court métrage au Saguenay), also known as the Saguenay International Short Film Festival, or simply Regard (stylized as REGARD; "Look"), is a short film festival taking place annually in March in the city of Saguenay, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1995 by Caravane Films Productions, it is one of the largest film festivals dedicated exclusively to short films in North America, and serves as both a gateway to the Americas for international short cinema and a launch pad for Canadian filmmakers seeking international recognition.
The festival has been Academy Award-qualifying since 2017, meaning winners of its top prizes are automatically eligible for Oscar nominations in the short film categories. It is also recognized by the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI). The festival typically screens approximately 200 short films from over 50 countries during its five-day run and distributes over CAD$120,000 in prizes and grants to winning filmmakers.
Since 2024, Marie-Michèle Plante has served as the festival's general director.
History
Founding and early years (1995–2001) Regard was founded in 1995 by Éric Bachand, a recently graduated art student from the University of Quebec in Chicoutimi. Bachand conceived the idea for the festival while volunteering for the Festival du nouveau cinéma in Montreal.
The festival was initially called "Regard sur la relève du cinéma québécois" ( "Look on the next generation of Quebec cinema"), and was later renamed "Regard sur le court métrage au Saguenay" ( "Look on the short film in Saguenay") before adopting its current name. The first edition took place in the Le Ménestrel room of the Cégep de Chicoutimi; it screened both feature-length and short films and received an audience of approximately 30 people per projection.
In Regard's second year, filmmaker Sébastien Pilote—who would later become an acclaimed Quebec director known for films such as The Salesman (2011) and The Fireflies Are Gone (2018)—joined Bachand in developing the festival. Bachand and Pilote conceived of the festival as a cultural bridge between the cities of Jonquière and Chicoutimi, which were subsequently merged into the city of Saguenay in 2002. The two founders drew inspiration from the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival in France, as well as the Abitibi-Témiscamingue International Film Festival in Quebec.
Growth and development (2001–2016) The 6th edition of Regard marked a pivotal transition when the festival became exclusively focused on short films, abandoning feature-length programming. The initial editions of the festival were also non-competitive, with awards being introduced at the 12th edition in 2008.
By the 10th edition in 2006, Regard had grown significantly, receiving 10,000 audience members. Under the leadership of general director Ian Gailer, the festival continued to expand, growing by approximately 4–5% annually through 2015.
In 2015, Marie-Elaine Riou succeeded Gailer as general director, bringing international experience from her work in Barcelona and fluency in five languages to the role.
International recognition (2017–present) The year 2017 marked a significant milestone when two of the festival's awards—the Grand Prize and the Canadian Grand Prize—were designated as Academy Award-qualifying by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This status means that films winning these prizes are automatically eligible for nomination for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film, Best Documentary Short Film, or Best Animated Short Film.
That same year, Regard became the third North American festival—after the Palm Springs International Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival—to host a jury from the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI). The festival was also named one of the "25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World" by MovieMaker magazine.
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the festival. The 2020 edition was cancelled on its second day due to the pandemic's progression in Canada. The 2021 edition, celebrating the festival's 25th anniversary, was postponed to June and made innovative use of drive-in theaters and outdoor screenings.
In 2023, the 27th edition of Regard achieved record attendance with 30,000 audience members, cementing its position as the cultural event attracting the most tourists annually to the Saguenay region.
Programming
Official Competition The Official Competition is open to all Canadian and international short film directors and producers. Films must be under 40 minutes in length, with priority given to works completed after March of the previous year, independently-produced auteur films, and national, North American, and world premieres. All genres—fiction, animation, documentary, and experimental—are eligible.
Focus Competition The Focus Competition encompasses several specialized sections: Tourner à tout prix! (Shoot No Matter What) – showcases films by promising Quebec filmmakers 100% Régions (Philippe Belley Award) – highlights regional filmmaking Americana – features first and second films from filmmakers across the Americas Short & Queer – LGBTQ+-focused programming Indigenous Perspectives (Alanis-Obomsawin Award) – celebrates Indigenous filmmakers
Youth Competition The Youth Competition presents programming tailored to various age groups from preschool through high school: Regarderie – cultural outings for daycare centres P'tites vues (ages 3–7) – programs for preschool to 2nd grade Grandes vues (ages 8+) – programs for 3rd to 6th grade High school programs for junior and senior cycles #13-17 – teen-curated programming
The festival's youth section reaches approximately 12,000–17,000 students annually through school screenings.
Additional Programming The festival also features carte blanche programs given to foreign festivals, retrospectives, panorama screenings, and various thematic programs. Special outdoor activities include the traditional sugaring-off party and community events in the "Ruelle du court métrage" (Short Film Alley).
Short Film Market Regard hosts Quebec's only short film market, an industry event that gathers approximately 400 professionals annually, including directors, producers, distributors, domestic and international buyers, journalists, and screenwriters. The market provides networking opportunities through discussion workshops, roundtables, forums, master classes, and a video library containing all films submitted to the festival. Activities are free and open to both professionals and the general public.
Awards The festival has been competitive since its 12th edition in 2008. As of 2025, 15 awards are presented:
Academy Award-Qualifying Awards Grand Prize – CAD$5,000 cash plus post-production services Canadian Grand Prize – CAD$5,000 cash plus production services
Jury Awards Jury Prize – CAD$3,000 cash plus post-production services Best Animation Short Film Award Best Documentary Short Film Award International FIPRESCI Critic's Award Quebec Critics Award (AQCC)
Focus Competition Awards Tourner à tout prix! Award (Shoot No Matter What) Philippe Belley Award (100% Régions) Americana Award Short & Queer Award Indigenous Perspectives Award (Alanis-Obomsawin Award)
Audience and Youth Awards Public Award – Official Competition Public Award – Focus Competition Best Youth Short Film
Award winners Grand Prize The Grand Prize has been awarded since the 12th edition in 2008. It became Academy Award-qualifying in 2017.
Year Edition Film Director(s) Country 2008 12th Don't Let It All Unravel Sarah Cox United Kingdom 2009 13th Two Birds (Smáfuglar) Rúnar Rúnarsson Iceland 2010 14th The Ballad of Marie Nord and Her Clients (Balladen om Marie Nord och hennes klienter) Alexander Onofri Sweden 2011 15th Garagouz Abdenour Zahzah Algeria 2012 16th Silent River Anca Miruna Lazarescu Germany, Romania 2013 17th On Suffocation Jenifer Malmqvist Sweden 2014 18th The Mass of Men Gabriel Gauchet United Kingdom 2015 19th Listen Hamy Ramezan, Rungano Nyoni Finland, Zambia 2016 20th Everything Will Be Okay (Alles wird gut) Patrick Vollrath Austria, Germany 2017 21st Home Daniel Mulloy United Kingdom 2018 22nd Black Line (Ligne Noire) Mark Olexa, Francesca Scalisi Switzerland 2019 23rd Riviera Jonas Schloesing France 2020 24th Atkurimas Laurynas Bareiša Lithuania 2021 25th Free Fall Emmanuel Tenenbaum France 2022 26th Vlekkloos Emma Branderhorst Netherlands 2023 27th Natureza Humana Mónica Lima Portugal, Germany 2024 28th Cross My Heart and Hope To Die Sam Manacsa Philippines 2025 29th Shadows Rand Beiruty France, Jordan 2026 30th A Shot at Art Ilke Paddenburg Netherlands
Canadian Grand Prize The Canadian Grand Prize has been awarded since 2008, and is Academy Award-qualifying.
Year Film Director(s) Country 2008 My Name Is Victor Gazon (Mon nom est Victor Gazon) Patrick Gazé Canada 2009 Rains (L'Ondée) David Coquard-Dassault Canada, France 2010 Danse Macabre Pedro Pires Canada 2011 Mokhtar Halima Ouardiri Canada 2012 The Near Future (Le futur proche) Sophie Goyette Canada 2013 Edmond Was a Donkey (Edmond était un âne) Franck Dion Canada, France 2014 An Extraordinary Person (Quelqu'un d'extraordinaire) Monia Chokri Canada 2015 On Cement (Sur le ciment) Robin Aubert Canada 2016 The Voice (La Voce) David Uloth Canada 2017 My Last Summer (Mon dernier été) Claude Demers Canada 2018 Fauve Jérémy Comte Canada 2019 Just Me and You (Juste moi et toi) Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers Canada 2020 Cayenne Simon Gionet Canada 2021 Like the Ones I Used to Know (Les Grandes Claques) Annie St-Pierre Canada 2022 Sikiitu Gabriel Allard Canada 2023 Thirty-Second Season (La trente-deuxième saison) Charles-Émile Lafrance Canada 2024 EarthWorm Phillip Barker Canada Losing Your Home (Juste un toit) Emmanuel Rioux 2025 Orbits (Orbites) Sarah Seené Canada 2026 A Wolf in the Suburbs Amélie Hardy Canada
Jury Prize Year Film Director(s) Country 2018 Sovdagari Tamta Cabrichidze Georgia 2019 A Sister (Une sœur) Delphine Girard Belgium 2020 Postcards from the End of the World Konstantinos Antonopoulos Greece 2021 White Eye Tomer Shushan Israel 2022 Warsha Dania Bdeir France, Lebanon 2023 Invincible Vincent René-Lortie Canada 2024 An Example (Et eksempel: Dem på gulvet) Selma Sunniva Denmark 2025 What If They Bomb Here Tonight Samir Syriani Lebanon 2026 Les Âmes du Fouta Alpha Diallo France, Senegal
Best Animation Short Film Year Film Director(s) Country 2009 Skhizein Jérémy Clapin France 2010 Logorama François Alaux, Ludovic Houplain, Hervé de Crécy France 2011 White Tape Michelle and Uri Kranot Denmark 2012 Not presented 2013 2014 Supervenus Frédéric Doazan France 2015 Hipopotamy Piotr Dumala Poland 2016 Sunday Lunch (Le repas dominical) Céline Devaux France 2017 Cipka Renata Gasiorowska Poland 2018 The Burden (Min Börda) Niki Lindroth von Bahr Sweden 2019 Riviera Jonas Schloesing France 2020 Girl in the Hallway Valerie Barnhart Canada 2021 The Passerby Pieter Coudyzer Belgium 2022 Night Ahmad Saleh Jordan, Palestine, Germany, Qatar 2023 Ice Merchants João Gonzalez Portugal, United Kingdom, France 2024 A Kind of Testament Stephen Vuillemin France 2025 Sans voix Samuel Patthey Switzerland 2026 Boundaries Seun Yee South Korea
Best Documentary Short Film