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A Moment of Innocence
A Moment of Innocence film image; a man handing a potted flower to a woman

A Moment of Innocence

Dir. Mohsen Makhmalbaf
80 min

Iranian master filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf stages a filmed reenactment of a political skirmish from his youth. Equal parts autobiographical comedy, Brechtian behind-the-scenes documentary, and metaphysical poem, A Moment of Innocence shines.

The Cinematheque VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema
A Poet
A Poet film image; man shouting while running

A Poet

Dir. Simón Mesa Soto
120 min

When embittered poet Oscar Restrepo takes a job at a local high school, he meets Yurlady, a talented student from a poor background. Seeking to help her cultivate her art, he draws her into the poetry world — to disastrous and comedic results.

International Village 10 International Village 8 International Village 9
A Private Life
A Private Life film image; woman looking over her shoulder while opening a filing cabinet

A Private Life

Dir. Rebecca Zlotowski
103 min

Jodie Foster is terrific as Lilian Steiner, an expert shrink whose own neuroses complicate her investigation into a patient’s death. A Private Life combines the amusements of satire with the pleasures of a good mystery thriller.

Alliance Francaise Vancouver Playhouse Granville Island Stage

A Useful Ghost

Dir. Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke
130 min

Wacky, whimsical, and always engaging, this tale about Thailand’s bloody modern history starts with a ghost in a vacuum cleaner and ends with a guerilla attack on an orgy. In between there’s romance, deadpan comedy, and subversive historical excavation.

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema International Village 9 The Rio Theatre
A Welcome Distraction
A Welcome Distraction film image; people chatting at what looks like a house party

A Welcome Distraction

Dir. Brian Daniel Johnson
97 min

In the wake of a personal tragedy, a young man living in Vancouver does whatever he can to avoid reconnecting with his family. An ambient ode to our city, and a sensitive and relatable portrait of life within it.

The Cinematheque VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema

After the Hunt

Dir. Luca Guadagnino
139 min

Consent, plagiarism, cancel culture... Hot button issues fuel this pressure cooker campus drama from the prolific Luca Guadagnino (Challengers). Julia Roberts is caught in the middle when a student accuses her colleague of inappropriate behaviour.

Vancouver Playhouse

Agatha's Almanac

Dir. Amalie Atkins
86 min

Shot over six years on vibrant 16mm film, Agatha’s Almanac is an artful documentary portrait of filmmaker Amalie Atkin’s octogenarian aunt, who has fashioned herself an endearingly simple and self-sustaining lifestyle on her Manitoba farm.

International Village 8 Granville Island Stage International Village 9
Akashi
Akashi film image; woman looking out from the back window of a car

Akashi

Dir. Mayumi Yoshida ​吉田真由美
105 min

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.

Vancouver Playhouse Granville Island Stage

Always

Dir. Deming Chen 陈德明
84 min

This dreamy, serene film documents Youbin Gong, an adolescent boy living in Sangzhi County. Director Deming Chen shines a light on Gong’s family and his beautiful natural surroundings, which are imbued with hints of the mystical.

Fifth Avenue Cinema - 19+ only VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema
An Evening With Marc Maron
man speaking into a microphone with a red curtain across his face

An Evening With Marc Maron

159 min

An Evening With Marc Maron features a screening of Are We Good?, a candid, funny, and deeply personal portrait of the comedian navigating loss with his signature wit. After the film, Marc takes the stage for a live talk and audience Q&A.

The Rio Theatre

Ancestral Visions of the Future

Dir. Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese
90 min

Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese returns with Ancestral Visions of the Future, a poetic reflection on memory, myth, and exile. Guided by a dream-speaking mother and a life-extending puppeteer, the film traces Mosese's personal journey.

International Village 8
Arco
Arco film image; animated girl clinging to someone who has light beaming from their forehead

Arco

Dir. Ugo Bienvenu
88 min

Chasing a rainbow through the woods, Iris comes across Arco, a boy who's stolen a time-travelling suit from his scientist parents — and crash-landed in 2075. This sweet, futuristic animated fantasy is a delight for all ages.

Granville Island Stage