ShowCanada

ShowCanada 2026 marked the convention's 40th anniversary. It ran from 19 to 21 May at the Fairmont Banff Springs in Banff, Alberta, with screenings at the Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity.

Nine studios and distributors presented: Amazon MGM Studios, Paramount, VVS Films, Cineplex Pictures, MUBI, Game Theory, Universal, Warner Bros. and Disney. Universal hosted the closing night on Thursday 21 May.

The education sessions covered independent cinemas, community engagement, marketing and premium formats. At the State of the Industry lunch, Dave Cohen of Landmark Cinemas and Kevin Watts of Cineplex discussed the Canadian market, with Brooks LeBoeuf of Regal moderating.

Cineplex's Ellis Jacob was honoured ahead of his retirement. The Showmanship Awards recognised people from Canadian exhibition and distribution, including theatre managers and staff nominated by their circuits.

Delegate registration for 2026 cost $1,375 before 20 February and $1,575 after, plus tax and hotel.

ShowCanada is produced by the Movie Theatre Association of Canada and brings exhibitors and distributors from Canada and the USA together for screenings of upcoming product, seminars, networking and a trade show. It is the Canadian counterpart to CinemaCon in function, at a much more personal scale.

The awards are aimed squarely at operators: Recognition Awards for theatre managers and staff nominated with the circuits, an Independent Theatre Spotlight chosen by a studio and industry jury, the Eugene Amodeo Showman of the Year, a Rob Stewart Sustainability Award for a theatre's environmental and social initiatives, and the Hector Ross Award for the top-grossing Canadian film.

The convention moves every year — Victoria in 2025, Banff in 2026 — and 2027 goes to Montreal, based at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth. MTAC's site lists 2027 registration, schedule and hotel booking as coming soon.

For reference, the 2026 delegate fee was $1,375 plus tax with early-bird registration and $1,575 after the early deadline, excluding accommodation. A trade-show booth (about 8 by 10 feet) was $1,575 early and $1,775 later, including one full registration. Expect 2027 pricing to be published on the same page.