Records set at 30th Anniversary VIFF!

“We are delighted to report that the 30th Vancouver International Film Festival has broken attendance and revenue records,” announced Festival Director Alan Franey today. “Admissions topped 152,000, up from 148,000 in 2010. Ticket sale revenues also reached a new high of $1,178,811 ($45,335 of which was for our Film & TV Forum), up from $1,074,025 last year. As a nonprofit registered charity, VIFF relies on these revenues to help cover its $3.5 million annual expenses. The balance is covered by government support (about 10%), private sector sponsorship, personal donations, and approximately 30,000 hours of volunteer labour.”

VIFF continues to be among the top-five film festivals in North America in terms of both attendance and number of films included: 386 this year, 240 of which were feature length. More facts and highlights:

Attendance: 152,000 admissions
Films: 386
240 Feature-length (39 Canadian), 20 mid-length [20-59 mins] (1 Canadian), 126 shorts (57 Canadian)
Screenings: 633 public + 36 media
Countries: 80
Industry Guests: 600
World Premieres: 20
International Premieres (first screenings outside home country): 30
North American Premieres: 49
Canadian Premieres: 40

DRAGONS & TIGERS AWARD for YOUNG CINEMA

($10,000 cash prize) presented by:

Jury: Simon Field, Ann Hui, Yang Ikjune

The Sun-Beaten Path (Dbus Lam Gyi Nyi Ma/Taiyang zong zai Zuobian)

dir. Sonthar Gyal (China/Tibet)

Honourable Mention:

Recreation dir. Nagano Yoshihiro (Japan)

Baby Factory dir. Eduardo Roy Jr. (Philippines)

ROGERS PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD

Presented by:

A Separation, (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin) dir. Asghar Farhadi (Iran)

The Top 10%! Many films were extremely popular in both attendance & ballot rating, but these ranked highest (well-attended and with average rating above 4.4 out of 5). (Canadian films are treated separately below)

The Artist, dir. Michel Hazanavicius (France)
Benda Bilili!, dirs. Renaud Barret, Florent de La Tullaye (France)
Blood in the Mobile, dir. Frank Piasecki Poulsen (Denmark/Germany)
Cairo 678, dir. Mohamed Diab (Egypt)
Crazy Wisdom: The Life and Times of Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche, dir. Johanna Demetrakas (USA/Canada)
Crime After Crime, dir. Yoav Potash (USA)
First Position, dir. Bess Kargman (USA)
Flamenco, Flamenco, dir. Carlos Saura (Spain)
Flirting with Heights, dir. Jean-Michel Bertrand (France)
The Girls in the Band, dir. Judy Chaikin (USA)
Give Up Tomorrow, dir. Michael Collins (USA/UK)
How to Die in Oregon, dir. Peter D. Richardson (USA)
In Darkness, dir Agnieszka Holland (Poland/Canada)
Koran by Heart, dir. Greg Barker (USA/UK)
Mama Africa, dir. Mika Kaurismäki (Finland/Germany/South Africa)
Miss Representation, dir. Jennifer Siebel Newsom (USA)
Pina 3D, dir. Wim Wenders (Germany/France/UK)
The Price of Sex, dir. Mimi Chakarova (USA)
Pure, dir. Lisa Langseth (Sweden)
The Sandman, dir. Peter Luisi (Switzerland)
Seediq Bale (international title: Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale), dir. Wei Te-Sheng (Taiwan)
A Simple Life, dir. Ann Hui (Hong Kong)
Sing Your Song dir. Susanne Rostock, (USA)
Somewhere Between, dir. Linda Goldstein Knowlton (USA)
Taste the Waste, dir. Valentin Thurn (Germany)
There Once Was an Island: Te Henua E Nnoho, dir. Briar March (New Zealand/USA)
Woman in a Septic Tank, dir. Marlon N. Rivera (Philippines)
You've Been Trumped, dir. Anthony Baxter (UK)

VIFF MOST POPULAR DOCUMENTARY FILM AWARD

Sing Your Song, dir. Susanne Rostock (USA)

VIFF ENVIRONMENTAL FILM AUDIENCE AWARD

People of a Feather, dir. Joel Heath (BC/Nunavut)

SHAW MEDIA AWARD for BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM

Presented by:

including $20,000 cash prize.

Note: This year the films nominated field were all feature directorial debuts.

Jury: Beth Barrett, Dana Claxton, Greg Hamilton

Nuit #1, dir. Anne Émond(Québec)

Honourable Mention: WETLANDS (Marecages), dir. Guy Édoin (Québec)

Honourable Mention for exceptional performances in this year's nominated films:

For her outstanding performance in PASSIONFLOWER, Kristen Harris and
For their hilarious performance as a group, the ensemble cast of SUNFLOWER HOUR: Patrick Gilmore, Amitai Marmorstein, Ben Cotton and Kacey Rohl.

MOST PROMISING DIRECTOR of a CANADIAN SHORT FILM

($2,000 cash prize. Anonymous donor.)

Andrew Cividino for We Ate the Children Last (Québec)

NFB MOST POPULAR CANADIAN DOCUMENTARY AWARD

Presented by:

including $2,500 in technical services from the NFB.

Peace Out, dir. Charles Wilkinson (BC/Québec)

VIFF MOST POPULAR CANADIAN FILM AWARD

Starbuck, dir. Ken Scott (Québec)

Next Top 10!

40 Days at Base Camp, dir. Dianne Whelan
Cloudburst, dir. Thom Fitzgerald
Donovan's Echo, dir. Jim Cliffe
Everything and Everyone, dir. Tracy D. Smith
Nash—The Documentary, dirs. Michael Hamilton, Corey Ogilvie
Peace Out, dir. Charles Wilkinson
People of a Feather, dir. Joel Heath
Surviving Progress, dirs. Mathieu Roy, Harold Crooks
To Make a Farm, dir. Steve Suderman
Waking the Green Tiger, dir. Gary Marcuse

The Vancouver International Film Festival acknowledges the generous support of Telefilm Canada.

Major corporate partners are Rogers Communications and Visa Canada.

The 31st Annual Vancouver International Film Festival will be held September 27 to October 12, 2012.

Vancouver International Film Festival | VIFF 2011

September 29 - October 14, 2011 | Film Info: 604.683.FILM (3456) | VIFF Office: 604.685.0260