Mar 1, 2023 | Announcements and updates Festival News

The International Film Festival of Ottawa opens on March 8, 2023, with I Like Movies, the debut feature from Canadian writer and director, Chandler Levack.
OTTAWA, 1 March 2023 – The International Film Festival of Ottawa (IFFO) returns for its 3rd edition on March 8, opening with I Like Movies, the debut feature from Canadian writer and director, Chandler Levack. Passes are now on sale for this year’s festival, which runs from March 8 to March 19, 2023.
Having premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival and garnered Levack the 2022 RBC Emerging Canadian Artist Award at the Calgary International Film Festival, I Like Movies is a coming-of-age tale ripe with 2003 nostalgia centered on film- and self-obsessed teenager Lawrence. With big dreams of NYU film school, Lawrence gets a part-time job at his local video store in Burlington and a hard dose of reality that comes with growing up.
“We are absolutely thrilled to open our third annual IFFO with Chandler Levack’s hilarious, delightful comedy set in the early 2000s. Her irresistibly funny first feature film reveals her to be a multi-talented young Canadian director,” says IFFO Executive Director, Tom McSorley. “As our festival opens on International Women’s Day, we think it’s both fitting and exciting that our opening night film be written and directed by a Canadian woman film artist. And, after two years of pandemic-related adjustments, we are so happy to finally bring IFFO 2023 to Ottawa as a full-capacity in-person event. In so many ways, I Like Movies could not be more perfect as an IFFO opener: it’s intelligent, independent, joyful, and utterly entertaining. The film’s story even has an intriguing and, yes, very funny Ottawa connection, but no spoilers!”
A spring attraction for Ottawa locals and those looking for a cinematic escape, IFFO showcases the best of contemporary Canadian and international cinema from prestigious film festivals around the world. The features and shorts programming will be rolled out on an ongoing basis with the full screening schedule available in February.
Festival passes provide access to all screenings and are currently priced at $200. Passes can be ordered on the IFFO website. Individual tickets and 6-Film Packs are also available.
About the International Film Festival of Ottawa
The International Film Festival of Ottawa (IFFO) brings an eclectic mix of shorts and features from around the globe to Canada’s capital. Held annually in March by the Canadian Film Institute, IFFO is hosted at the Ottawa Art Gallery, the ByTowne Cinema and other venues all within the Ottawa downtown core. In addition to its screenings, the Festival offers professional development programming tailored to Ottawa’s growing film production industry.
IFFO 2023 runs from March 8 to March 19. Further information about the Festival is available on the IFFO website.
For additional information, accreditation, interviews, press materials, and photos, please contact:
Christina Frolova-Gregory, Communications Manager
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 613-232-8769 (Main Office line)