Nicole Mitchell

Welcome to the Canberra International Film Festival — a 12-day showcase of the best films from around the globe.

The CIFF team passionately believes in the power of cinema to communicate and to share universal stories from different cultures. For artists, film offers unique opportunities for the expression and blending of the literary, visual and performing arts. For audiences, it is able to both reflect and enrich the diverse lives and experiences of those that inhabit the multicultural city of Canberra.

Canberra has such a rich culture and at CIFF we're proud to play our part in making this city so vibrant. There is no other festival in Canberra that showcases the range of international art house films from around the globe in such a unique environment.

While film itself is core to the CIFF experience, we go beyond simply screening the films. Each year CIFF plays host to numerous national and international filmmakers, including directors, actors and writers. We also hold the popular 'Chats in the Festival Lounge', which gives our audience the opportunity to chat with leading experts in an informal and relaxed setting.

CIFF is brought to you by our dedicated board, staff, volunteers and partner organisations and I thank each of them for their enormous enthusiasm and ongoing support. Special thanks to the ACT Government for their ongoing commitment to CIFF through artsACT, ACT Festivals, and of course Centenary 100.

I look forwards to seeing you in 2013, when CIFF will have something very special as part of the Centenary of Canberra.