Dawson City, Yukon, a town nestled at the confluence of the Yukon and Klondike Rivers on the traditional territory of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in. Where young, old, artist, labourer, professional and slacker intermingle — dressed in gumboots, long johns, and parkas.
Among the most northern competitive film festivals in the world, the Dawson City International Short Film Festival (DCISFF) has been showing short films of all genres every Easter weekend since 2000. The festival also includes special events such as master classes with exciting guests, meet and greets, workshops, filmmaking challenges, and awards.
The Dawson City International Short Film Festival sprang into action in 2000, as a project of the Klondike Institute of Art and Culture (KIAC) and a few ambitious and creative film enthusiasts from the community. KIAC is an arts centre founded and governed by the Dawson City Arts Society (DCAS) that offers a range of programming; including community courses in visual and performing arts, an arts festival, a print and publishing festival, an art camp for kids, a contemporary art gallery, an artist in residence program and more.
Most recently KIAC was gifted a Hän Language name for our building. The Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in elders council chose the new name, Dënäkär Zho, which means a “house of mixed colours”.
The festival has hosted many notable guests including The Artless Collective, Christina Battle, Dave Bidini, Caroline Christie, Mike Clattenburg, Van Cooper, Denis Coté, Deco Dawson, Lee Demarbre, Andrea Dorfman, Guy Edoin, Carol Geddes, Sarah Gignac, Cari Green, Terry Greenlaw, Michael Greyeyes, Flick Harrison, Karen Hines, Phil Hoffman, Chris Landreth, Michelle Latimer, Brenda Longfellow, Peter Lynch, Gail Maurice, Bill MacGillivray, Ron Mann, Mike Maryniuk, Brenda Matthews, Bruce McDonald, Don McKellar, Peter Mettler, Peter Lynch, Marv Newland, Brianne Nord-Stewart, Matthew Rankin, Jerri Thrasher, Ingrid Venninger, John Walker, Klyle Whitehead, Nettie Wild, and Gerald Wexler. In addition our Filmmaker-in-Residence program hosts 2 guest filmmakers every year.
An initiative of the Klondike Institute of Art and Culture, the festival has 1 full time employee (Producer Dan Sokolowski) and is managed by a volunteer committee made up of Suzanne Crocker, Danny Dowhal, Cynthia Hunt, Lulu Keating, Annie Kierans, Bill Kendrick, Karen MacKay, Erika Marzinotto, Gaby Sgaga, Brian Stethem, Meg Walker and Debbie Wight.
