Frequently Asked Questions

If you have any questions that are not answered here, you can reach out to us:

• Email us at [email protected] and we’ll reply as quickly as we can.
• Give us a call at 604-683-3456, our phone lines are open weekdays between noon and 5pm.

My password is not working, how do I login?

Now that we have a new ticketing system (Elevent) you may find you need to create an account, even if you’ve used viff.org before.

Simply select your tickets as usual and when you check out, you can either:

• Enter your email address and register by providing us with your name and creating a password.
• Register/Log in with Facebook or Google
• Asked for a password but aren’t sure what it is? Click Forgot Password and you should receive a reset email from Elevent Support.
• Click the link in the email within 72 hours to reset your password.

Are memberships required to watch films online or in-cinema?

Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society memberships are now included in the cost of all tickets. Learn more.

I had a VIFF Gift Card in the old ticketing system. How do I access it in Elevent?

We have moved all old VIFF Gift Cards into our new ticketing system for you.

• To be able to see your gift card, simply log in to VIFF.org and click ‘Account’ in the top right hand corner of the screen.
• Click ‘View your full Elevent Account here’. This will take you through to your account in Elevent, our ticketing partner. You may need to log in again for extra security.
• In the menu on the left hand side, click on the second option from the bottom – Your Extras.
• You should be able to view your gift card amount from here.
• If you want to give the gift card to someone else, copy and paste the Redemption Code and send it to whoever you want!

If you want to redeem a gift card on your account, you can apply the gift card on the payment screen when buying anything on viff.org. Either enter the Redemption Code or click choose the amount you’d like to spend on your gift card and click apply to use it, if the gift card was purchased on your account.

How can I buy a ticket with my VIFF+ discount?

To purchase tickets with your discount, simply login to your viff.org account prior to selecting your tickets. You will be able to see the red ‘VIFF+’ indication on your discounted tickets as you select them. If you forget to log in before selecting your tickets, the system will update any tickets you have in your cart with your discounted price as soon as you log in.

How do I redeem my ‘Bring a Friend’ tickets?

Your ‘Bring a Friend’ tickets are included with your membership. They need to be claimed and added to your account as a ticket package, which you can choose to fulfill at any time. Instructions on how to do this will be included in your VIFF+ Welcome Email. When you are ready to use these tickets, you can access the package whenever you purchase eligible tickets (for year-round regular screenings only) by clicking the link to fulfill your ticket package that will show up on each booking page. These tickets are not valid for festival screenings.

When you choose to fulfill your Bring a Friend ticket package, the free tickets will replace any tickets you already have in your cart, so you may need to do two orders if you want to purchase some tickets at the same time as redeeming your package.

My VIFF+ membership isn’t showing on my account on the new site…

While we’ve done our best to move everyone over to the new system, it’s possible some information didn’t transfer over correctly! Please make sure you’re trying to log in using the email address we usually use to communicate with you. If you are and still cannot see your membership, please email [email protected] and a member of our team will look into the issue for you.

How can I purchase a VIFF+ membership as a gift?

It is easier than ever to purchase a VIFF+ membership as a gift! All you need to do is visit the VIFF+ Gift Membership page and add a gift membership to your cart. If you’re logged in and already have a VIFF+ membership yourself, the gift membership will be the only one available. If you’re not logged in yet, or don’t have a VIFF+ membership yourself, you just need to check the box that says ‘This is a gift’ before adding it to your cart.

How will I know when it is time to renew my VIFF+ membership?

We will email you to let you know a few days before your membership is due to expire. You can also now choose to auto-renew your VIFF+ membership so that you don’t need to worry about remembering to renew it. Simply add payment details to your Elevent account and check the box to auto-renew your membership and at the end of each year, the membership will automatically renew for you, at a reduced price.

Memberships can only be renewed online within 4 days of your membership expiring. If you would like to renew earlier, please call the Box Office Helpline on (604) 683-3456, Mon-Fri, 12-5 pm.

Can I set up auto-renewal on my membership?

Yes, you can! If you set up autorenewal on your VIFF+ membership, you don’t need to worry about your membership expiring at an inopportune moment (during the festival, for example!). With auto-renewal, you can rest easy and your membership will automatically be renewed as your previous one expires. All you need to do is make sure you have your preferred payment method saved on your Elevent account, and we’ll do the rest.

You can follow these instructions here to set up autorenewal today. If you change your mind, disabling autorenewal is as easy as logging back into your account and clicking a button. And we’ll always let you know a few days in advance when your membership payment is due.

What is Members’ Early Bird Day?

Members’ Early Bird Day usually happens in early to mid-August and is the first opportunity for our VIFF+ members to get a sneak peek of the line-up for VIFF and to purchase ticket packages and passes at a significant discount (30% for VIFF+ Premium, 15% for VIFF+). We will let you know when this year’s event will take place ahead of time so you can make the most of your membership and get excited for the festival before anyone else!

How do Ticket Packs Work?

Planning on seeing multiple films during VIFF? Want to take all your friends to see a film? Ticket packs are your chance to save and watch more!

• Ticket packs work like credits on your viff.org account.
• There are no restrictions on the number of tickets from your pack that can be used per screening. For example: if you buy a 6-ticket pack, you can use all 6 tickets for a single screening or individual tickets across multiple screenings.
• To redeem your ticket pack, log in to your viff.org account, select a film and choose the option to ‘redeem your package’ which is located below the list of ticket prices.
• Ticket packs are valid only for regular and special presentation screenings.
• Ticket packs are not valid for Gala screenings, Talks, VIFF Live or Industry events.

How do Platinum Passes Work?

Platinum passholders may book tickets in advance to guarantee their seat at a screening. Passholders are the first people through the doors at each screening.

In the case that a Platinum passholder has not booked their ticket in advance:

• We put aside a generous allotment of Platinum passholder seats for each screening.
• Passholders are granted access to these seats before other patrons or until the passholder allotment is reached.
• Platinum passholder seats are held until 5 minutes before showtime.
• If the passholder allocation is full for a particular screening, our front of house team will ask any passholders wishing to see the film to wait in the Standby line.
• Once all other patrons are seated, the Standby line will be admitted if seats remain.
• You must be 19+ to buy a pass.
• Platinum passes do not guarantee entry, unless a ticket has been booked in advance.
• Passes are not transferable, and you may be asked to show photo ID.
• Please Note: Passes can only be printed and picked up at the VIFF Centre box office at 1181 Seymour Street.

How will the VIFF+ Pre-Sale work?

Starting at noon on September 6, until noon on September 7, VIFF tickets will be available for sale exclusively to VIFF+ members. To access your members’ only tickets, log in to your viff.org account prior to selecting film screenings.

On September 7 at noon, tickets will be available for sale to the public.

Will there be Online Screenings?

We will not be hosting online screenings on VIFF Connect this year. Since 2020, we have seen a sharp decline in distributor and filmmaker willingness to make films available for online screenings. Last year, less than 20% of our in-cinema lineup could also be offered via streaming. This year, we didn’t believe we could assemble an online collection that would either be representative of the breadth of our festival’s programming or satisfying to our customers.

What are relaxed screenings?

Relaxed screenings are open to anyone who would benefit from a less restrictive and sensory-friendly cinema experience including (but not limited to) people living with dementia; Autistic people; people with learning difficulties; people with a sensory or communication disorder; parents with young babies; and anyone who feels they would benefit from a more supportive and inclusive experience.

More information can be found at: viff.org/series/relaxed-screenings/

Age Restrictions & Membership

Because the majority of our films have not been classified, you must be age 18+ to attend most films at VIFF. Due to their liquor license, all events at The Rio Theatre are strictly 19+ and the door staff will ask for ID.

VIFF presents many films that have not been classified by Consumer Protection BC. By law, anyone wishing to watch these films at the festival must be a member of the VIFF society. Your VIFF Society Membership is included in the cost of your ticket – there is no need to buy an additional membership as your ticket will indicate your membership upon entry.

Every year, a selection of films is classified so that film lovers younger than 18 can experience the festival. Check out the Rated for Youth titles or learn about our high school program by visiting viff.org.

I purchased a ticket and did not receive a confirmation email.

If you have not received your ticket or email confirmation, please contact us at [email protected] or by calling 604-683-3456.