ABOUT
About IVFF
Since its inception in 2018, The International Vegan Film Festival (IVFF) has established itself as a pioneering event in the vegan movement, celebrating the intersection of art and advocacy. The annual festival in Toronto not only showcases a range of compelling narratives—from heartwarming rescue stories to enlightening documentaries, engaging animations and even impactful social media content—but also offers workshops aimed at equipping creatives with the skills to champion change through their art. The annual festival also features a vegan cookbook competition, giving our audiences a taste of practical vegan cooking, offering further empowerment to embrace a vegan lifestyle. Following the annual festival, our World Tour program takes these powerful stories worldwide, expanding our impact to diverse communities and fostering global conversations about compassion, sustainability, and art as advocacy. IVFF stands as a testament to the transformative power of art, inspiring a shift towards compassionate and sustainable living across the globe.
Mission Statement
The International Vegan Film Festival elevates advocacy to an art form, inspires audiences to embrace a vegan lifestyle, and empowers mission-driven creatives through championing art as a powerful form of advocacy.
Vision Statement
The International Vegan Film festival envisions becoming a leading force in the evolution of vegan activism, championing art and storytelling to broaden audiences and catalyze societal change towards compassion, sustainability, and vegan lifestyles.
Emma Schwarz
Executive Director
Emma Schwarz is an award-winning filmmaker, animal photographer, author, and dedicated vegan activist. Since becoming vegan in 2017, she has committed herself to using art as activism to advocate for the animals, the planet, and a more sustainable future for humanity.
In addition to her role at the International Vegan Film Festival, Emma is the Co-Founder of Veganography, a film production and media company dedicated to creating content which inspires the public to embrace a vegan lifestyle and empowers vegans in their own activism. Veganography specializes in 3D animation; their work synthesizes traditional filmmaking and 3D animation to create uniquely engaging content that advocates for a kinder world for all. Veganography's films have been screened at dozens of international film festivals, and have garnered 10+ awards including "Best Documentary Short," "Special Jury Changemaker," and "Audience Choice." Veganography's work has also been featured on prominent streaming platforms and social media channels such as PBS, UnChainedTV, and Vegan FTA.
Previously, Emma served as the Director of Advancement for a large farmed animal sanctuary, where she oversaw the organization's educational programming and contributed to fundraising strategy and donor stewardship. Before finding her true passion in vegan advocacy, Emma began her professional career as a classical cellist. In addition to advanced degrees in cello performance and pedagogy, Emma holds the Plant Based Nutrition Certificate from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies at Cornell University and has completed the Solutionary Micro-Credential Program from the Institute for Humane Education at Antioch University.
Driven by a passion to amplify the voices advocating for change, Emma is honored to serve her fellow filmmakers and artists at IVFF. Her passion lies in supporting innovative, creative approaches to advocacy, firmly believing that all forms of activism work synergistically to effect meaningful, lasting change.