CASCADIA Celebrates 10th Anniversary With 2026 Festival
10th Anniversary Festival Dates April 30-May 3, 2026
CASCADIA International Women's Film Festival is excited to announce its 10th anniversary and with it an exciting line up of special events leading up to their 2026 festival April 30-May 3.
The events kick off Friday, December 12, with a collaborative poetry book launch celebration at Aslan Depot followed by special film screenings throughout the year, Women In Film Trivia Nights at local establishments, a Women’s History Month event at Western Washington University, their 3rd Annual Women’s Art Exhibit and a Big Birthday Bash ticketed event open to the public during the festival.
For 10 years, CASCADIA has been showcasing the exceptional work of women directors from around the world. To date, CASCADIA has proudly presented the work of 300 women directors worldwide. Local directors, considered to be those working in the region extending from Vancouver B.C., Canada to the Seattle metropolitan area, are also featured in the festival. Approximately 30-40 films will be screened over the course of this year’s four-day in person festival. An online festival version afterwards will be May 7 – May 17.
“This year marks a big milestone for the festival,” says CASCADIA’s Executive Director Cheryl Crooks. “CASCADIA has developed and grown into a well-respected and highly-selective festival that, for a decade, has brought women’s stories to the screen and inspired heartfelt conversations between filmmakers and audiences. Nearly 300 women directors have shared their work here, making CASCADIA one of the few festivals in the nation dedicated exclusively to honoring women’s films. CASCADIA is more than a festival—it is a celebration of women, creativity, and the stories that bind us together.”
Short film submissions are open now through November on FilmFreeway for the 2026 festival. CASCADIA presents programs for short subject films, feature narrative and documentary films. CASCADIA also searches for films by Indigenous women filmmakers and encourages emerging and student filmmakers to submit. Please let us know if you qualify for consideration in this area. The festival’s feature films are curated by Program Director Claudia Puig.
Each festival screening is followed by lively Q&As with filmmakers or industry panels, while networking events—from the spirited Saturday night party to the exclusive Honored Guest reception—bring the community together. Past Honored Guests include the legendary Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke, award-winning producer-director Yvonne Russo, Academy Award-winning Documentary Director Barbara Kopple; first woman Directors Guild of America president, director Martha Coolidge; Cheryl Boone Isaacs, past president of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and Oscar-winning Documentary Director Freida Lee Mock.
The online version of the festival takes place after the in person festival to provide accessibility for those unable to attend an in-person screening and promote our filmmakers with greater audience exposure.
More About CASCADIA
Located in beautiful Bellingham, WA, USA. in the Pacific Northwest, it is an ideal location for both film making and viewing. Bellingham is a city of 100,000 situated on the shores of Puget Sound and lies halfway between Seattle, WA. and Vancouver, BC, Canada. Now entering its 10th year, CASCADIA is dedicated to discovering, developing and showcasing emergent and expert women filmmakers. It is one of only a handful of festivals in the U.S. currently dedicated to this purpose. Our annual film festival and cultural and educational programs throughout the year champion the arts, community and diverse perspectives.
Since its first festival in 2017, CASCADIA has presented films by 300 women directors from around the world. More than one-third half of the films shown at the 2025 festival were made by women of color. Films by students, emerging directors and Indigenous women are also in the mix.
More information is on our website at www.cascadiafilmfest.org.
