our 2026 partners
festival quick links
VOLUNTEER
feature film presentations
feature film presentations
thursday night
world premiere
to save the music, she has to face the noise.
Jamey is a sarcastic misfit. Her band fell apart a year ago. Now, she has a desperate plan to get them back together and win battle of the bands. But she has to fix the friendships she broke first. It’s a story about mending the past and stepping into the light.
PRODUCTION:
This wasn't a typical school project. Students ran the show from the script to the final edit. With guidance from Jarico Films for Youth and Centennial staff, they made a real feature film. and it looks amazing.
friday night
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
A washed-up screenwriter, desperately clinging to his fading youth, is forced to confront the realities of fatherhood when his estranged, pregnant teenaged daughter unexpectedly appears on his doorstep, seeking his help and support through the adoption process.
saturday night
special sneak preview
A man learns that his immortality comes with severe mental consequences.
Presented with
sunday night
special presentation
scenes from a place where rails and water meet
Dee wanders through the place that he calls home, taking in his surroundings and contemplating life. Consumed by an ambient sadness, Dee bears witness to many strange sights, culminating in a chance encounter with another soul that is just as lost and lonesome as he is.
SHORT FILM screenings
& awards cOMPETITION
A cornerstone of the RUSH Youth Film Festival, the Short Film Screenings & Awards Competition showcases short films from emerging filmmakers around the world. Films are screened in the FilmHouse at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in Downtown St. Catharine, and compete for a range of awards and prizes, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Performances, and more, giving young filmmakers meaningful recognition, exposure, and a true festival experience.
New this year, RUSH is also accepting screenplays in competition for the Best Original Screenplay Award. Selected scripts will be eligible for live table reads during the festival, giving writers the rare opportunity to hear their work performed in front of an audience and receive real-time feedback, expanding RUSH beyond the screen and into the heart of storytelling.
“Truly a fantastic festival to get to know filmmakers of similar calibre and talent.”
— Éric Arsenault, It Takes Two
after dark FILMs & nightmare alley vendor market
plus
after dark FILM SCREENINGS
& awards COMPETITION
The RUSH After Dark Festival is a, celebration of horror, grindhouse, and genre films that live on the edge of mainstream cinema. The festival invites audiences and filmmakers into a late-night world of fearless storytelling, and cinematic chaos, showcasing films from psychological thrillers, the surreal experimental and potential cult-classic B-movies. And while you’re here, visit Nightmare Alley; horror art, retro VHS, handmade merch, collectibles, clothes and more…
our 2026 partners
partnership opportunities
partnership opportunities
Your support helps provide festival programming, while aligning your company with a creative cultural movement. As a sponsor, you don’t just support the festival; you connect with future creators, decision-makers, and audiences in an authentic, impactful way that builds lasting brand awareness and community loyalty.
RUSH offers a unique opportunity to support emerging filmmakers while directly engaging with a highly engaged audience of creatives, educators, families, and film enthusiasts from around the world.
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Your logo featured on promotional materials, social media, and event signage.
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Support local talent and help develop the next generation of filmmakers.
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Connect with influential members of the film industry and regional businesses.
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Mentions in event speeches, printed programs, and festival communications.
“Loved the location and the award ceremony. Great place to network with young film makers.”
- Brooklynn Prince, Happy Thanksgiving, The Florida Project
festival locations & venues
(still more to be added)
downtown st. catharines
Attending a film festival in the Niagara Region means more than watching great films — it’s about connection, access, and experience. With intimate venues, engaged audiences, and direct access to filmmakers and industry professionals, Niagara offers a welcoming, community-driven alternative to larger festivals. Surrounded by iconic landscapes, vibrant arts spaces, and a growing film scene, RUSH creates meaningful opportunities to network, showcase work, and be part of a festival that genuinely champions emerging voices in independent cinema.
the film house
AT THE FIRSTONTARIO PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
The FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre is a 95,000 square foot cultural complex comprised of four state-of-the-art performance venues that host a signature presentation of international and local performing artists. The Film House can accommodate 199 people. A full cinematic experience, with surround sound in a licensed venue!
“Absolutely incredible! From start to finish, the Rush Film Festival never disappointed.”
- Cohen Hulcoop, Patient 45, Therion
RUSH 2025 re/wind
In 2025, we screened 30 short films from around the world, including 8 films made by Niagara-based filmmakers, and presented 18 awards celebrating storytelling, performance, and filmmaking craft. The festival welcomed over 200 attendees to screenings, workshops, panels, and special events, creating an atmosphere that felt celebratory, inclusive, and electric.
RUSH also featured a 48-Hour Short Film Challenge, where six teams competed to write, shoot, and edit a film in just two days, pushing creativity to its limits and showcasing the passion of emerging filmmakers.And this was just the beginning.
Now heading into the next chapter, the RUSH Youth Film Festival is expanding into a multi-event festival season, welcoming filmmakers from around the world to submit films, attend screenings, and be part of a growing creative community.
thank you to our partners & friends
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RUSH was proudly supported by FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre’s FilmHouse who provides professional screening spaces and creative environments where films can be experienced the way they’re meant to be together, on the big screen.
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Educational partners Welland Centennial Studios and Notre Dame College School helped connect students to meaningful filmmaking opportunities, while community partners Murray Media, Eat Your Eggs Productions, Wandering Spirits, Christopher’s Café, and Fourgrounds Media contributed mentorship, technical support, and belief in the next generation of storytellers.
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Thanks to Cool Koala Rentals, The Bank Art House / Femmes du Feu Creations, Improv Niagara, and Lester D’s Reel Diner, RUSH was able to offer awards and prizes that truly honored the work of participating filmmakers.