Roll ’em! VIFF 2023 is on Now
Join us in celebrating VIFF’s 42nd year with a stellar lineup of some of the world’s best cinema. From September 28 to October 8, you’ll be treated to over 138 films from 70+ countries, talks with industry leaders and unique one-night-only live cinematic experiences. Treat yourself or bring friends and enjoy the power of exceptional cinema together.
Today’s Highlights
Canadaland Presents:
The Backbench Live!
Oct 3, 6:30 pm
Join Backbench host Mattea Roach and special guests for an unforgettable LIVE podcast taping!
Be part of our urgent, thoughtful, and entertaining conversation exploring the contentious Bill C-11 with its potential to disrupt the status quo, the challenges of filmmaking in Canada, and the David-and-Goliath-like struggle of independent art venues against the dominance of the industry giant.
Kidnapped
Oct 3 & 6
“A moving story of faith, loss and family set against the backdrop of a significant moment in Italian history, Kidnapped brings Edgardo Mortara’s unforgettable story to life.” – AWFJ.com
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Directed by: Marco Bellocchio
Country: Italy/France/Germany
Caiti Blues
Oct 3
Caiti Lord has a beautiful voice that she plans to use to do more than sell cherry cocktails.
Winner: DCG Special Jury Prize at Hot Docs
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Directed by: Justine Harbonnier
Country: Canada/France
The Sea and Its Waves
Oct 3 & 5
Like a film poem, The Sea and Its Waves follows a brother and sister as they pass through an almost deserted Beirut on their way out of the country. Bathed in moonlight and flickering city lights, this is atmospheric, transcendental cinema.
Directed by: Liana Kassir & Renaud Pachot
Country: Lebanon/France
The Oceans Are the Real Continents
Oct 3 & 5
Set in San Antonio De Los Baños and shot in langurous black and white tableaux, The Oceans Are the Real Continents traces the stories of three generations of townspeople. “An exquisite love poem to Cuba.” – The Film Verdict
Directed by: Tommaso Santambrogio
Country: Cuba/Italy
Suddenly
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Oct 3 & 5
In her 40s, Reyhan inexplicably loses her sense of smell. Impetuously, she decides to disappear from her old life and find a new one without obligations, possessions, or even aspirations. Is this… Freedom?
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Directed by: Melisa Önel
Country: Turkey
WaaPaKe
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Oct 4
A story about resilience, love and transformation.
Followed by a Q&A with director Jules Arita Koostachin & crew
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Directed by: Jules Arita Koostachin
Country: Canada
Add to Your Watchlist
Lonely Oaks
Oct 5
When a police raid evicted tree-house dwelling activists in Hambach Forest, student and journalist Steffen Meyn fell to his death. His classmates compiled the two years of footage he’d shot, asking whether a cause is ever worth dying for.
Directed by: Fabiana Fragale, Kilian Kuhlendahl & Jens Mühlhoff
Country: Germany
Bitten
Oct 4
“…de Saint-Blanquat’s film has moments of Gothic fancifulness and is an atmospheric and visual delight.” – Eye for Film
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Directed by: Romain de Saint-Blanquat
Country: France
Toll
Oct 5 & 8
Director Carolina Markowicz, winner of Emerging Talent Award, TIFF 2023, expertly demonstrates how a society will turn a blind eye to hypocrisy in order to uphold the intolerant status quo.
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Directed by: Carolina Markowicz
Country: Brazil/Portugal
Days of Happiness
Oct 6 & 7
“Days of Happiness examines familiar territory – the musician battling her demons – but with a fresh, engaging touch.” – VOX
Directed by: Chloé Robichaud
Country: Canada
Housekeeping for Beginners
Oct 4
“A fizzy, huggable portrait of a self-made, roughly blended queer family.” – Hollywood Reporter
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Directed by: Goran Stolevski
Country: Macedonia/Poland/Croatia/Serbia/Kosovo
How to Have Sex
Oct 4 & 8
Winner: Un Certain Regard Prize, Cannes 2023
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Directed by: Molly Manning Walker
Country: UK/Greece
VIFF 2023 Program
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Caiti Blues
In a deserted mining town, 29-year-old Caiti Lord faces existential ennui. As her childhood aspirations feel impossible, Lord has taken a life as a struggling singer songwriter, working at her local bar. Captured through the quiet rhythms of her hometown.
International Shorts: Family Adventures
The challenges of relations with one's family are the basis for the short films in this program.
The Sea and Its Waves
Like a film poem, The Sea and Its Waves follows a brother and sister as they pass through an almost deserted Beirut on their way out of the country. Bathed in moonlight and flickering city lights, this is atmospheric, transcendental cinema.
PIANOFORTE
A thrilling glimpse into what it takes to compete in the renowned International Chopin Competition, which takes place every five years and can bestow overnight fame on the victor. This doc conveys the nerves, camaraderie and of course the glorious music.
VIFF Live
VIFF Live is a series of live performances that push the boundaries of traditional film festival programming, intersecting cinema culture with music, comedy, podcasting, and performance in unique, cinema-infused live shows.
The Ironworks Series: Daniel Barrow
In the late 70s and 80s, Winnipeg experienced a golden age of public access television. Winnipeg Babysitter traces unique vignettes from a brief synapse in broadcasting history when Winnipeg cable companies were mandated to provide public access.
The Ironworks Series: Cris Derksen
Juno-nominated Cris Derksen, an internationally respected Indigenous cellist and composer, introduces audiences to the unforgettable virtuosity that led to working with some of Canada’s finest - and her break-out solo career.
The Ironworks Series: Miwa Matreyek & Sammy Chien
A unique opportunity to experience two performances. Miwa Matreyek creates a dreamlike meditation on climate catastrophe, whilst Sammy Chien uses the technologies of real-time performance software to create connections between image, sound and movement.
VIFF Talks
VIFF Talks connect fans of film culture with the brilliant minds behind the work they love. The 2023 lineup features expertly moderated conversations with a wide range of experts from creators to showrunners, directors, writers, producers, and craftspeople celebrated for their outstanding contributions to groundbreaking film and television.
VIFF Talk | Canadaland Presents: The Backbench Live!
Oct 3
Policy and the arts? They’re more related than you think. Join our discussion on the nuances of art funding, local filmmaking, and the contentious Bill C-11. You won’t want to miss it.
VIFF Talk | Creating Epic Sound Art: From Dune to Mad Max Fury Road
Oct 7
Two time Oscar-winning sound designer Mark Mangini, acclaimed for his work on iconic films like Dune, Blade Runner 2049, and Mad Max Fury Road, unveils the secrets to crafting unforgettable auditory experiences.
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