National vs. International: How the Two Main Sections Actually Differ

It's a common assumption that a National section is somehow the "home team" division and International is the bigger stage. That's not quite how the sections are actually built. National films follow a distinctive provincial/territorial → national progression — recognized locally first, then competing at the national level — a structure International films don't go through at all, since International submissions arrive from anywhere in the world and compete directly within that section.

Neither section outranks the other; they're simply organized around different realities. National programming is partly about building festival presence province by province, territory by territory, across the country — which is why growing to screenings in every province and territory by 2030 is a stated goal, not just a nice-to-have.

For filmmakers deciding where their submission fits: a Canadian production enters National, full stop — International isn't a "bigger" alternative to opt into instead, it's a section for productions from anywhere else in the world.