The Whistler Film Festival (WFF) has introduced a new annual award for its 25th edition along with its first wave of film selections.

The Haebler Award will honour two directors who identify as women or non-binary. A cash prize of $5,000 will be split between a feature film category ($3,500) and a short film category ($1,500).

The initial slate of programming for WFF’s 2025 edition features a selection of films from B.C. and Indigenous creators.

The B.C. contingent includes the world premiere of Kate Green’s Telus original documentary Menopause: Coming in Hot (Coming in Hot Productions); Marlene Rodgers’ short eco-documentary The Rewilders; and Kurtis David Harder’s genre sequel Influencers (Jackrabbit Media), which will arrive at WFF following its world premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival.

Indigenous film selections include Luke Gleeson’s nature welfare documentary Wədzįh Nəne’ | Caribou Country and Corey Payette‘s Indigi-queer musical Starwalker (Urban Ink Productions; pictured), which recently made its B.C. debut at the Vancouver Queer Film Festival.

Nic Collar’s feature documentary Forward is an early addition to the festival’s Mountain Culture programme, alongside the short films Let Me Chase This Dream by Cristobal Ruiz, Embers by Trixie Pacis, Airtime by Alex Clapin and Peruvian Ascents by Vincent LaPointe, which is making its world debut.

Other shorts announced for the program include Sebastian Ortiz Wilkins’ Blue For You, Michael Makaroff’s Animals, Tamara Black’s The After School Club, Milton Ng’s Dinner Rush and King Louie Palomo’s Queen Mother.

The festival also unveiled its jury for the annual Borsos Competition, which recognizes Canadian feature films across multiple categories. This year’s jury members are producer lori lozinski (Little Bird), filmmaker and actor Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers (The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open) and director Karen Chapman (Village Keeper).

The full lineup of films will be announced on Nov. 5.

WFF runs from Dec. 3 to 7.

Photo by Syd Wong