From stories of youth exploring identity to films that capture historical moments and reveal previously untold stories, great cinema can inspire, educate and engage.
Most films at VIFF are not rated, so youth under 18 may not attend. However, every year we rate a selection of excellent films for young cinema fans to experience and enjoy.
If you are a High School student or teacher, check out the VIFF High School program where we offer discounts and study kits for high school groups.
Note: Not all screenings of each film will be open to youth. Please see individual film pages for more details.

Youth Programming at VIFF 2026
Aanikoobijigan
In Aanikoobijigan, Indigenous repatriation specialists work to bring the remains and funerary objects of Ancestors home from institutional collections. This is a film shaped by memory, dignity, and a duty of care.
Agridulce (Bittersweet)
Four aspiring young musicians in the Dominican Republic find fulfilment in the study of bachata music. Tinged with melancholy but full of joy, Agridulce (Bittersweet) is rooted in hopefulness of a bright future through music.
Árru
Set against the mountains and fjords of northern Norway, Árru follows reindeer herder Maia as a proposed copper mine threatens her Sámi community, forcing her to fight to protect both her community and the land that sustains it.
The Bryce Lee Story
A 13-year-old immigrant and aspiring filmmaker falsely claims he’s related to Bruce Lee in this Vancouver Island-set film. The Bryce Lee Story is a heartfelt coming-of-age tale about identity, family, and the search for belonging.
Ceremony
Powerful and evocative, Ceremony follows the disappearance of the ooligan in Bella Coola, revealing a story of cultural survival, environmental stewardship, and the enduring relationship between the Nuxalk Nation and the land.
Derrick Gee's Radio Hour
Fresh from sold-out tours across Europe and Australia, experience the Canadian premiere of cult music tastemaker Derrick Gee’s eclectic Radio Hour, where his on-stage living room welcomes community conversations, special guests, and shared listening.
An Evening with Mark Mothersbaugh
Experience a one-night-only live performance with legendary composer and DEVO founder Mark Mothersbaugh, joined by an 11-piece ensemble, celebrating music from The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore, Thor: Ragnarok, The LEGO Movie, A Minecraft Movie, and more.
© Randall Michelson
How We Stand
How We Stand follows three Indigenous sisters separated after their family relocates to Los Angeles under Native American Relocation Program in the 1950s. Twenty years later, they navigate identity, trauma, and very different lives.
In the Heart of the South
In the Heart of the South, from the director of Slash/Back, brings North of North co-stars Anna Lambe and Zorga Qaunaq together for a propulsive, psychological meta-thriller about an Inuk multimedia writer possessed by her own narrative.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney
Using era-appropriate visuals, ironically deployed music, and copious archival footage, Matthew Rankin tells the story of Brian Mulroney’s rise to power. This is Canadian history as you’ve never seen it before — amusing and dismaying in equal measure.
Look Back
Schoolgirls Fujina and Kyomoto find success creating manga together, until one day a rift occurs… Taking us from triumph through tragedy and out the other side, Look Back has all the grace and tenderness director Kore-eda Hirokazu is famous for.
Nitassinan
Innu poet Joséphine Bacon and filmmaker Kim O’Bomsawin weave poetry and observation in Nitassinan, a lyrical portrait of the Innu people’s enduring bond with their ancestral land.
Reclaim My Skin
A three-part documentary series that challenges stereotypes and authority while celebrating the resilience and resurgence of Indigenous female identity. Reclaim My Skin empowers Indigenous women and their allies with the knowledge of their true history.
Run Terry Run
Through unseen footage from family archives, Run Terry Run explores Terry Fox’s legacy not only as a beloved hero, but as a flesh-and-blood person armed with a fierce determination and an unyielding vision of a better future.
Seventeen
Seventeen takes us through a rough day in the lives of three Indigenous sex workers, shining a light on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside and telling a story of solidarity and love.
Smudge the Blades
This rousing hockey drama centres on the Treaty 6 Blades, a team of Indigenous youth on a quest for redemption. Blessed with a terrific cast, this is a crowd-pleaser in which victory is about much more than winning the game.
TAKKUUK
With Tarrak
Arctic Indigenous artists reckon with culture, colonialism, and a rapidly changing world in this visually explosive film, featuring a hypnotic Bicep score. With a live performance from Greenlandic rapper Tarrak.
Tangles
Based on the graphic memoir by Vancouver artist Sarah Leavitt, Tangles is a stunning, hand-drawn animated feature about a cartoonist coming to terms with her mom’s early-onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Nominated for the Caméra d’Or at Cannes 2026.
Whatcha Want
Whatcha Want, a hip-hop-infused drama from award-winning Vancouverite Mina Shum (Meditation Park), sees a restless trophy wife from Hong Kong rise above her wealthy husband’s infidelity by rekindling her passion for dance.
Where the River Begins
This immersive, hypnotic film follows an Indigenous mother and daughter on a journey from the slums of Bogotá to their true home in the jungle, joined by a young gang member with an especially urgent reason to flee.
The Wind's Thirst
In The Wind’s Thirst, three Indigenous Wayuu guardians confront mining and energy corporations exploiting Colombia’s La Guajira desert to defend their water, sacred sites, and right to remain.