| Opening film | Sharp Corner by Jason Buxton |
|---|---|
| Closing film | Anora by Sean Baker |
| Location | Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Festival date | September 11–18, 2024 |
| Website | atlanticfilmfestival |
The 2024 edition of the Atlantic International Film Festival, the 44th edition in the event's history, took place from September 11 to 18, 2024 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.[1] The first films in the program were announced on July 25,[2] with the full program announced on August 14.[1]
The event was scaled back to an extent from previous years, with a program of 96 features and shorts compared to almost 200 in the years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] Festival chief Martha Cooley attributed this decision both to residents of the Halifax area still having a greater reticence in returning to large scale public events after the pandemic than people in other parts of Canada, and to the perception that as Halifax has a smaller population than cities like Toronto or Vancouver, audiences were being "pulled too thin" by past programs that were approaching the size of TIFF or VIFF.[3]
The festival opened with Jason Buxton's film Sharp Corner, and closed with Sean Baker's Anora. The Atlantic Gala slot featured Melanie Oates's film Sweet Angel Baby.