Each year, VIFF welcomes thousands of secondary students to experience exceptional international and Canadian cinema at the festival. This year, thanks to generous support from the Far Star Impact Fund, we are now offering films for high schools throughout the 2024-25 school year, bringing back some of the top sold-out favorites from past VIFF Ignite programs. These Ignite films are available in cinema and can also be streamed at school for limited dates, all completely free for schools.
From stories of tradition and history to films that capture impactful events as they’re unfolding, great world cinema challenges and expands our perspectives, promotes inquiry, develops critical thinking skills, and ignites imaginations. Be they set around the world, or right here in Canada, this year’s selected films for the Ignite High School program present memorable stories that connect youth with powerful themes and human experiences shaping our contemporary world, our identities, and our planet.
Ignite films for May and June are now open for booking!
Supported by
April Films
Into the Storm
Shot over five years, Into the Storm follows Jhonny Guerrero, a scrappy Peruvian teen who taught himself to surf with a broken board, and the trials and struggles he faces training to become a professional surfer in Peru.
May Films
Big Fight in Little Chinatown
Facing the devastating economic impact of the pandemic, city redevelopment, and racism, Chinatowns in New York, Montreal and Vancouver find innovative ways to fight back, resisting erasure to keep these important communities thriving.
The Chef & the Daruma
The inventor of the California Roll, chef Hidekazu Tojo helped bring sushi to mainstream popularity through his renowned Vancouver restaurant, Tojo’s. The Chef & the Daruma is a mouthwatering film touching on immigration, identity, and reinvention.
Singing Back the Buffalo
Indigenous nations across Canada and the USA are working together to restore buffalo herds to the land. This doc explores the profound cultural, spiritual, and powerful ecological impacts of the buffalo’s remarkable return.
The Six
Among Titanic’s 705 survivors were six Chinese men whose stories were lost. Executive produced by James Cameron, this documentary uncovers their remarkable stories leading across the globe, chronicling the history of Chinese immigration.
June Films
Night Raiders
In 2043, after war in North America, children are taken by the State. When her daughter is taken, Cree mother Niska joins the Night Raiders to free the children in this powerful Indigenous sci-fi film of resistance, and hope.
Portraits From a Fire
Undaunted by paltry audiences at his DIY films on the Tl’etinqox Reserve, teenage Tyler remains convinced that he’s bound for bigger things. But when a DV tape resurfaces that casts new light on his family’s history, Tyler must unearth difficult truths.
How to Book
Free for schools on Ignite screening dates, capacity for all films is limited. To book, submit your request with the online form linked below. Our Ignite team will respond to confirm availability and complete your booking.
If you wish to book a private screening for your school on other dates that work for your needs, or you’d like a film curated for a private booking for your class or school, contact our education team and we can let you know the ticket costs for private bookings.
Questions? Contact our Ignite team at [email protected]
Booking Request Form
How Ignite Works
Cinema In-Person & Online
All Ignite films will be screened in-cinema at the VIFF Centre (1181 Seymour St, Vancouver), and streamed online using our VIFF Connect platform. All films are free for schools.
Educational Film Resources & Curriculum Ties
These films offer bold approaches to pressing social and environmental concerns and personal journeys, offering thought-provoking connections to subjects across the BC curriculum. Prior to the screenings, teachers will receive film resource guides. Written with the curriculum in mind, these guides are designed to open up in-depth exploration and facilitate discussion that connects the cinema and the classroom.
