Anchor Fest

For its 12th year, the Charlottetown Film Festival will relaunch as Anchor Fest, expanding beyond film to include television, comedy, music, and podcast programming. The five-day festival will take place in Charlottetown from October 14–18.

Organizers say the change was inspired by multi-arts festivals such as South By Southwest in Austin, Texas, with the goal of connecting emerging and established artists with industry professionals across Canada.

Programming will include Canadian and select international films with “a bold, defiant, and comedic lens,” more world premieres, and interactive screenings. The festival will invite actors and directors connected to the films to give festival goers a unique experience at the movies. The first wave of films will be announced on June 23.

New to Anchor Fest in 2026, audiences can expect nightly live music and comedy performances in venues across Charlottetown. These hand-picked showcases will combine headline performers and acts alongside some of the most exciting new talents from the Atlantic and across Canada. The first wave of performers was announced in late May.

Returning in 2026 is a revitalized Anchor Industry conference, with experts and decision makers joining for three days of lively and insightful conversations across film, television, and music industries. Also new for 2026 is a $75 price for access to the entire conference.

Anchor Fest is run by Anchor Motion Picture Alliance (AMPA), a newly founded not-for-profit organization. In addition to promoting and executing the festival, AMPA is a representative and advocacy body for producers and professionals working in film, television and digital media on Prince Edward Island, and is a unified voice for such producers and professionals in industry and policy discussions.

Jenna MacMillan, director of Anchor Fest, says audiences in Atlantic Canada are “hungry for innovative, cutting-edge, and comedic content.”