SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, Photo: VIFF
Cinema lovers are invited to the movies for the 43rd annual Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) when it takes place from September 26 to October 6. Gather together to watch hundreds of acclaimed local, Canadian, and international arthouse films at one of North America’s most prominent film festivals.
Not just about the movies, VIFF always offers an exciting blend of diverse multimedia live entertainment programming curated by different artists and talented creators, including its emerging slate of VIFF Live, Creator Talks, Signals (digital), Industry, and Amp (live music) events.
Five Films
Emily Lê & Dan Beirne in Paying for It, Photo: Wildling Pictures/Hawkeye Pictures
Thanks to a selection of nearly 150 feature films, choosing what to see at VIFF can be a handful. Dive into the full program guide and make note of these five highly-anticipated presentations at the festival:
Anora – Acclaimed indie filmmaker Sean Baker returns to VIFF with his latest Palme d’Or-winning drama about a New York stripper’s whirlwind romance with the son of a Russian oligarch.
Emilia Pérez – French director Jacques Audiard‘s award-winning crime musical comedy follows an escaped cartel leader undergoing sex reassignment surgery as she tries to both evade authorities and affirm her gender in Mexico City.
Paying for It – Vancouver-born former MuchMusic VJ and CBC Radio host Sook-Yin Lee directs an adaptation of her ex-boyfriend Chester Smith‘s graphic novel about his decision to give up on romantic love after their real-life breakup.
Rumours – Winnipeg’s Guy Maddin and the Johnson brothers are back with their audaciously fantastical political satire set at a disastrous G7 meeting as it descends into supernatural chaos.
The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal – Get a first look at the intimate docuseries chronicling the legendary Kingston rock band directed by Mike Downie, brother of late lead singer Gord Downie.
Movie Theatres
VIFF Centre, Rick Chung/YVArcade
VIFF screenings take place all over the city from Yaletown to East Vancouver. Major gala premieres will be held at the Vancouver Playhouse, including the opening (local filmmakers Jeff Lee Petry and Nathan Drillot’s moving documentary Ari’s Theme) and closing (the aforementioned Emilia Pérez) films.
Hundreds of other showings will held downtown at The Cinematheque, International Village, SFU Woodward’s, and the VIFF Centre. There will also be plenty of screenings at the Rio Theatre on Commercial Drive and Fifth Avenue Cinemas in Kitsilano.
No matter which theatre your screening is at, there are plenty of fine restaurants and bars near all the VIFF venues. At the main downtown theatres, you have Minami, Homer St. Cafe, Per Se Social Corner, Devil’s Elbow, and Chambar all close by.
At the Rio, there’s a rich neighbourhood on Commercial full of great spots like St. Augustine’s, Social, and many more. In Kits near Fifth, visit Bimini’s Pub, Las Margaritas, or Novo Italian next door for some great food and drinks.
VIFF Live Events
SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, Photo: Christopher Edmonstone/VIFF
Check out these exciting VIFF Live events mixing film, music, and live performance:
Uvattini @ UBC Chan Centre – Sept. 28
Trailblazing artist Elisapie returns for an immersive multimedia concert combining music, narration, video, and performance to reveal the intimacies of her Salluit community from the very north of Nunavik.
Gift @ Rio Theatre – Oct. 1
Japanese multi-instrumentalist and composer Eiko Ishibashi will perform her musical score live at the Canadian premiere of the new silent film directed by Oscar-winning Drive My Car director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi.
Arcadia Archive @ Rio Theatre – Oct. 2
Acclaimed ambient and experimental composer William Basinski presents the Canadian premiere of a transcendent live performance that combines immersive music drawn from his extensive archival work with forty-year-old tape loops.
VIFF 2024 Facts
VIFF Centre, Photo: Rick Chung/YVArcade
This year’s VIFF program includes 350 screenings of 221 films including:
- 140 features – 97 narratives / 43 documentaries
- 81 shorts – 55 narratives / 26 documentaries
- 72 countries represented / 75 languages represented
- 92 female directors represented
- 29 world premieres / 10 international premieres
- 44 North American premieres / 45 Canadian premieres
- 32 Canadian features / 24 Canadian shorts
- 7 venues / 4,321 total submissions
Photo: VIFF
Outside of its film presentations, VIFF strives to engage and empower diverse artistic communities by encouraging dialogue. Through their decades of experience and commitment to engaging artists, it has transformed into a highly esteemed festival for arthouse cinema.
VIFF produces various screenings, talks, conferences, and events throughout the year that act as a catalyst for the community to discover the creativity and craft of storytelling on screen.
To browse the full lineup and purchase tickets/passes, visit VIFF’s website.
Stay Vancouver Hotels is also offering a pair of VIFF Festival Passes with any two-night booking.
