Subscribe to get notified about new events!

Jarico Films for Youth

Jarico Films for Youth empowers young filmmakers through hands-on experience in film production. They create collaborative projects that inspire creativity, build skills, and provide a platform for youth voices in the arts.

Step into the shadows of RUSH After Dark, where horror fans, creators, and collectors collide.&nbsp;This year, we&rsquo;re expanding the madness with our first-ever Market Space; a late-night vendor zone built for the strange, the spooky, and the spectacularly weird. Whether you sell horror art, retro VHS, handmade merch, collectibles, clothes, or creature masks, this is your chance to showcase your weird wares to festival goers who live for the macabre.&nbsp;Connect with fans, meet filmmakers, and turn your table into part of the show. Spaces are limited and in high demand &mdash; join us as the RUSH After Dark Vendor Market pulses with eerie energy all weekend long. Festival Dates: July 23&ndash;26, 2026Location: FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre

Nightmare Alley: After Dark Vendor Booth

The Festival pass gives you access to all workshops, discussion panels, Short Films and After Dark Screenings. Full details here:&nbsp;<a fr-original-style="" href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GDONuJnbZcH-izT5o_NO17KFWJU9OzKRjbgs1q0dx6w/edit?usp=sharing" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GDONuJnbZcH-izT5o_NO17KFWJU9OzKRjbgs1q0dx6w/edit?usp=sharing</a>

Niagara Local Festival Pass

The Festival pass gives you access to all workshops, discussion panels, short film and After Dark Screenings, plus admission to the Special Sneak Preview of the feature film Jesus Cop on Saturday night. Also access passes for the Press Junket Lounge.

AFTER DARK Festival Pass

The Festival pass gives you access to all workshops, discussion panels, short film and After Dark Screenings, plus your choice of one of four Feature Film Presentations. Also one free pass for the Press Junket Lounge, and admission to the Wrap Party &amp; Awards Gala.

RUSH Festival Pass

Looking for the ultimate Sunday plans in downtown St. Catharines? Look no further.&nbsp; We&rsquo;re transforming one of the city&#39;s coolest, most atmospheric venues into a comedy club and living-room cinema for Lunch &amp; Laugh.&nbsp; Whether you&#39;re a die-hard comedy fan or just looking for a fun, weekend experience with friends, this is where you want to be. Hosted by local favourite David Green, the afternoon kicks off with standup comedy from some of Niagara&#39;s best comics. Between the laughs, we&rsquo;ll be dimming the lights to screen some fantastic, crowd-pleasing comedic short films. Choose your Sunday experience:<ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">$15 Ticket: Show Admission Only</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">$30 Ticket: Show Admission + a delicious choice of meal &amp; a RUSH signature cocktail (or mocktail!).</li></ul>Doors open at 11:30 AM. Come hungry, leave laughing, and experience downtown&rsquo;s favourite hidden gem.

Lunch & Laugh

Filmmaking can feel incredibly lonely once the festival lights go down and everyone goes home. The future of independent film shouldn&#39;t depend on faceless algorithms or distant gatekeepers; it should rely on the networks we build right here in the room. This panel is an open brainstorming session on how we can create regional, decentralized support systems to share resources, crew, and emotional support year-round. Hosted by Jarico Films for Youth, this conversation connects our mission; empowering young storytellers, with real strategies for setting boundaries, building community, and keeping your craft alive for the long run.

Sticking Together: Building Film Communities That Outlast the Festival Circuit

Our Saturday After Dark screenings wrap up with Noir &amp; Nightcaps in the speakeasy. This is a late-night social geared toward genre filmmakers, writers, and fans of late-night cinema to hang out, grab a drink, and connect on future projects.

Noir & Nightcaps

Traditional film sets are notoriously hierarchical and high-stress. As indie filmmakers, we have the unique power to throw out the old Hollywood rulebook and build a completely new culture from scratch. Using projects like RUSH&#39;s own What We Had Was Noise as a collaborative blueprint, this conversation explores how to build sets rooted in kindness, equity, and mutual respect without sacrificing artistic quality. Hosted by Jarico Films for Youth, this conversation connects our mission; empowering young storytellers, with real strategies for setting boundaries, building community, and keeping your craft alive for the long run.

The Safe Set Experiment: Co-Creating a Non-Toxic Production Culture

Big thrills don&rsquo;t need big runtimes. Step into the shadows with our After Dark collection. From spine-chilling horror and psychological thrillers to bizarre sci-fi and dark comedy, experience the best of global midnight cinema right here. FRIDAY NIGHT FILMSStimulantThe Donut HoleBirdcallPainted DevilTHE DEVIL&#39;S KISS

After Dark Short Films Block 2

To celebrate the Niagara homecoming premiere of A Farewell To Youth, we&rsquo;re hosting Fade To: The Wrap Party back at the speakeasy. This is a relaxed, wrap-party-style gathering meant for local filmmakers, regional crew, and creatives to connect, talk shop, and wind down after the screening.

FADE TO: The After Party

The indie film industry has long romanticized the &quot;tortured artist&quot; and the 18-hour-day hustle. But the reality for young creators is a quiet epidemic of burnout, isolation, and anxiety. This panel is an open space to admit that filmmaking is hard on our minds, and to figure out how we can look after ourselves while still making uncompromising art. Hosted by Jarico Films for Youth, this conversation connects our mission; empowering young storytellers, with real strategies for setting boundaries, building community, and keeping your craft alive for the long run.

Beyond the Burnout: Reimagining "The Grind" in Independent Film

Head back to the Speakeasy Cinema at Wandering Spirits immediately following the world premiere of What We Had Was Noise. The B-Roll Social is our official space to ditch the industry pretense, grab a drink, and connect with the filmmakers, cast, and creatives who made the magic happen. Whether you&rsquo;re here to dissect the sound design, find your next collaborator, or just ride the high of a world premiere, this is where the real night begins.

The B-Roll Social

Big thrills don&rsquo;t need big runtimes. Step into the shadows with our After Dark collection, screening live and open-air at the Niagara Artists Centre. From spine-chilling horror to bizarre sci-fi, experience the best of global midnight cinema right here on the <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.nac.org/site/event-space/tco-rooftop-terrace" rel="noopener" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">TCO Rooftop Terrace</a>. THURSDAY NIGHT FILMSProject Ascension12 O&#39;clockFuntime with FlippyThreads of LifeDance!The EntrywayUmbraSteel

After Dark Short Films Block 1

The Ultimate Short Film Challenge is a filmmaking competition where teams race against the clock to create a short film from scratch in just four days. Whether you&#39;re a first-time filmmaker or an experienced creator, this challenge is your chance to showcase your storytelling skills and compete for awards, prizes and cash money. Early Bird registration gives your team full access to the Ultimate Short Film Challenge at a discounted rate. Register early to secure your spot, gain access to the members area, compete for cash prizes and awards, and be eligible for live screening at the RUSH Youth Film Festival. ✓ REGISTER BEFORE MARCH 10 FOR $50 OFF✓ Access to the Community Hub✓ A Growing Cash Prize Pool✓ Awards &amp; Recognition + Festival Screening at RUSH 2026✓ Mentor Support &amp; Global Network of Filmmakers

Ultimate Film Challenge 2026

DOORS OPEN AT 6PM. SHOW STARTS AT 7PM.THIS IS A LICENSED EVENT/VENUE Break out the skinny jeans, stud belts, band tees, and eyeliner &mdash; this is a full-on Y2K pop-punk throwback night in support of the feature film What We Had Was Noise, with special guests MAGE. This isn&rsquo;t just a concert &mdash; it&rsquo;s a movie set. We&rsquo;ll be filming the final Battle of the Bands concert scene for What We Had Was Noise, a feature film created in collaboration with Jarico Films for Youth and the students of Centennial High School, who&rsquo;ve been writing, producing, and building this film since September. That means the crowd, the chaos, the outfits, the noise &mdash; that&rsquo;s all part of the film. Support youth filmmakers. Support live music. And yeah &mdash; you might just end up on screen.

Jarico Films for Youth

Jarico Films for Youth

Past events

Past events

Nightmare Alley: After Dark Vendor Booth

Niagara Local Festival Pass

AFTER DARK Festival Pass

RUSH Festival Pass

Lunch & Laugh

Sticking Together: Building Film Communities That Outlast the Festival Circuit

Noir & Nightcaps

The Safe Set Experiment: Co-Creating a Non-Toxic Production Culture

After Dark Short Films Block 2

FADE TO: The After Party

Beyond the Burnout: Reimagining "The Grind" in Independent Film

The B-Roll Social

After Dark Short Films Block 1

Ultimate Film Challenge 2026

It's a Fundraiser Not a Phase

Powered by