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VIFF 2025 festival artwork; deconstructed blue V

Program Updates

Explore the latest additions to the VIFF line-up

Added Films

The Strange Little Cat
The Strange Little Cat film image; excited young girl at a breakfast table

The Strange Little Cat

Dir. Ramon Zürcher
72 min

This droll, perfectly executed comedy chronicles a day in the life of a multigenerational family prepping a celebratory dinner in their cramped Berlin apartment. Putting daily life’s absurdities on display, it's an exciting choreography of the quotidian.

The Cinematheque
The Girl and the Spider
The Girl and the Spider film image; girl looking at a huge spider crawling on her arm

The Girl and the Spider

Dir. Ramon Zürcher
98 min

Ramon and Silvan Zürcher’s sly and daring film takes place in Mara and Lisa's spacious bohemian apartment as the latter moves out. Mise-en-scène, humour, and stylized character interactions take centre stage in this pure cinematic pleasure.

The Cinematheque

The Sparrow in the Chimney

Dir. Ramon Zürcher & Sylvan Zürcher
117 min

Preparations are afoot for an extravagant celebration. But as the house fills up, tensions mount and it becomes a veritable pressure cooker of familial strife. Ramon Zürcher delivers precise formal play and acute psychological mystery.

The Cinematheque

Added Events

Talks

Visual Architect: Frederick Elmes on Four Decades of Cinematic Collaboration
Father Mother Sister Brother film image; man standing with hands clasped by a house front porch

Visual Architect: Frederick Elmes on Four Decades of Cinematic Collaboration

90 min

Legendary cinematographer Frederick Elmes has spent decades helping to define the visual language of directors like David Lynch and Jim Jarmusch. Don't miss this opportunity to hear about the craft behind some of cinema’s most unforgettable moments.

Image: © Vague Notion

SFU Woodwards
Choreographed Chaos: Ramon and Silvan Zürcher on Domestic Surrealism and Cinematic Precision
Ramon and Silvan Zürcher headshot

Choreographed Chaos: Ramon and Silvan Zürcher on Domestic Surrealism and Cinematic Precision

90 min

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

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema
Bringing Monsters to Life With VFX Supervisor Dennis Berardi, Frankenstein
Frankenstein film image; man standing in a fantastical laboratory filled with body parts

Bringing Monsters to Life With VFX Supervisor Dennis Berardi, Frankenstein

90 min

While classic creatures remain timeless, modern audiences demand something that feels authentically alive. VFX supervisor Dennis Berardi is a master of balancing practical artistry with digital innovation.

Annex

Added Screenings