VIFF 2025
The wait is over! We are excited to share with you the stellar line-up for the 44th Vancouver International Film Festival, October 2 – 12. Over 170 films, 80 shorts, VIFF Live performances, Talks and special events will light up the screens and stages across Vancouver. Take a moment, explore the program and get ready to VIFF!
Today's Highlights
Modern Whore
Oct 9 & 11
Dir. Nicole Bazuin
“Modern Whore mixes humour, trauma, and whorephobia in Toronto’s sex industry.” Roveena Jassal, Now Toronto
Sound of Falling
Oct 9 & 11
Dir. Mascha Schilinski
“This stunner unfolds like 100 years of home video footage that were shot by the family ghosts.” – David Ehrlich, Indiewire
Jury Prize, Cannes 2025
Saikai Paradise
Oct 9 & 11
Dir. Keiko Tsuruoka 鶴岡慧子
Saikai Paradise tells the story of an actor returning home to confess a sad secret. A graceful work about the small moments that make up our lives.
Middle Life
Oct 9 & 11
Dir. Pavan Moondi
Middle Life is the story of two people who meet in the aftermath of a car crash, forging a friendship that slowly moves towards something deeper.
Choreographed Chaos: Ramon and Silvan Zürcher on Domestic Surrealism and Cinematic Precision
VIFF Talk
Oct 9
Employing collaboration and a shared vision, Ramon and Silvan Zürcher create meticulously observed, drolly absurd dramas that transform domestic spaces into surreal landscapes.
© Iris Janke
From Intimate to Infinite With Writer, Creator Jenny Lumet
VIFF Talk
Oct 9
From Rachel Getting Married to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Jenny Lumet is a master storyteller. She’s forged a unique path, building a career that champions diverse voices and crafts deeply human stories. Join us as she shares her journey.
Ticket Release
A limited number of tickets will be releasing at noon today for these popular films:*
*Tickets will be available online or by phone only.
Special Tip
Is the movie you want to see on Standby? Check the VIFF Daily emails or this page every morning for seats to your most-wanted films! More tickets may become available throughout the Festival.
Add These Films to Your Watchlist!
See something you’re interested in? Log into your VIFF account and click the heart icon to add it to your personal watchlist!
Akashi
In Mayumi Yoshida’s tender drama, struggling artist Kana journeys to Tokyo to attend her grandmother’s funeral. While there, she reconnects with her childhood love and stumbles across a family secret that prompts her to reconsider her place in the world.
The Golden Spurtle
Each year the sleepy highland village of Carrbridge awakens with excitement as locals and competitors from around the globe vie for the honour of winning The Golden Spurtle in the World Porridge Making Championships.
My Father's Son
Blending sci-fi and family drama, My Father's Son takes us through the past, present, and future of a computer engineer. As a child, Qiao is bullied by his father; in the present, his father is laid to rest; and in the future, he’s resurrected via AI.
Now Playing
It Was Just an Accident
Having offered some late-night assistance to a stranger in the wake of an auto accident, a mechanic grows convinced that he recognizes the supposed stranger's voice as that of his torturer during a grueling prison spell.
6: City slickin’
Shorts from: Canada, France, Jordan, Spain, USA.
Akashi
In Mayumi Yoshida’s tender drama, struggling artist Kana journeys to Tokyo to attend her grandmother’s funeral. While there, she reconnects with her childhood love and stumbles across a family secret that prompts her to reconsider her place in the world.
Last Night in Taipei
Cheng-Chui Kuo’s drama is a lively, bittersweet ode to love and friendship. Following four friends through a night of drinking, reminiscence, and revelation, the film explores love and its discontents while paying tribute to Taipei.
The Condor Daughter
In the Bolivian Andes, a teen raised by a midwife longs to trade ancestral birth songs for a spotlight in the city. Álvaro Olmos Torrico's The Condor Daughter is a lyrical, tender story of inheritance, ambition, and the power to choose your own path.
Silent Friend
On the grounds of a medieval German university town looms an old Ginkgo biloba, which features in three intimate, human-scaled stories. Moving between time periods, this is a singular meditation on how we connect to the natural world.
VIFF Live
Live performances that push the boundaries of traditional film programming, intersecting cinema culture with music, comedy, podcasting, and performance in unique, cinema-infused live shows.
Julianna Barwick and loscil
Acclaimed ambient, experimental musicians Julianna Barwick and loscil share the stage for the first time to immerse audiences in their ethereal soundscapes and hypnotic new live AV performances.
Wilfred Buck's Star Stories Live With Wilfred Buck and Lisa Jackson
Join renowned Ininew (Cree) astronomer, star knowledge keeper, and author Wilfred Buck for Star Stories: a cosmic journey into teachings and tellings of the northern night sky, narrated live by Buck, and in conversation with co-director Lisa Jackson.
Image: Courtesy of Door Number 3 Productions
Closing Gala: Köln 75 With Live Performance by Chris Gestrin
Experience the transcendent power of music: Vancouver pianist Chris Gestrin performs a set of Keith Jarrett-inspired music to accompany Köln 75, which tells the story of Jarrett’s iconic concert, which became the best-selling solo album in jazz history.
VIFF Talks
The world’s leading creators share expertise on their craft.
Choreographed Chaos: Ramon and Silvan Zürcher on Domestic Surrealism and Cinematic Precision
Employing collaboration and a shared vision, Ramon and Silvan Zürcher create meticulously observed, drolly absurd dramas that transform domestic spaces into surreal landscapes.
Image: © Iris Janke
From Intimate to Infinite With Writer, Creator Jenny Lumet
From Rachel Getting Married to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Jenny Lumet is a master storyteller. She's forged a unique path, building a career that champions diverse voices and crafts deeply human stories. Join us as she shares her journey.
Making It Happen With Jeremy Dawson, Producer: From Aronofsky to Anderson
From title designer to award-winning producer, Jeremy Dawson has played a role in some of your favourite movies. Join us to hear about his journey through cinema and his collaborations with filmmaking giants like Wes Anderson and Darren Aronofsky.
Bringing Monsters to Life With VFX Supervisor Dennis Berardi, Frankenstein
While classic creatures remain timeless, modern audiences demand something that feels authentically alive. VFX supervisor Dennis Berardi (Frankenstein, The Shape of Water) is a master of balancing practical artistry with digital innovation.
Building the Extraordinary With Marcus Rowland, Production Designer, The Running Man
An engaging conversation with Marcus Rowland as he takes us behind the scenes of his creative process, revealing how he builds these unforgettable worlds and navigates the collaborative art of bringing impossible visions to life on screen.
Reshaping Storytelling With Zacharias Kunuk, Director
Join us for an intimate conversation with legendary Inuk filmmaker Zacharias Kunuk, whose masterpiece Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner won the Caméra d'Or at Cannes and helped pave the way for more authentic voices in cinema.
Explore VIFF's Year-Round Series
Join VIFF News
Get the latest updates on our Festival, year-round programming and more – and get $5 off two VIFF Centre year-round film tickets.
