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BC Spotlight

Whatcha Want

Dir. Mina Shum
90 min

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.

More info
9:00 pm
Wed Oct 07
Fifth Avenue Cinema - 19+ only
Closed Captioning Descriptive Video Guests/Q&As Hearing Assistance Subtitles
10:00 am
Fri Oct 09
VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre
Hearing Assistance Relaxed Screening Subtitles U18 May Attend
Sold Out
3:30 pm
Sun Oct 11
The Rio Theatre
Hearing Assistance Subtitles U18 May Attend

Send the Rain

Dir. Hayley Gray, Kaayla Whachell
94 min

In Kaayla Whachell and Hayley Gray's tender drama Send the Rain, a young Okinawan-Canadian attempts to evacuate her stubborn grandmother from a wildfire zone, forcing both women to confront family history, responsibility, and the pull of home.

More info
3:15 pm
Thu Oct 08
Fifth Avenue Cinema - 19+ only
Guests/Q&As Hearing Assistance

Lifeline

Dir. Ilhan Abdullahi
77 min

When a Somali youth worker is assigned a high-stakes case, her professional responsibilities pull her back toward a community — and a past — she has worked to leave behind. Lifeline is an intimate exploration of belonging and responsibility.

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7:00 pm
Thu Oct 08
International Village 10
Guests/Q&As Hearing Assistance Subtitles
4:30 pm
Sat Oct 10
International Village 8
Guests/Q&As Hearing Assistance Subtitles

The Flight

Dir. Soran Mardookhi
97 min

The Flight follows three Iranian-Canadian families seeking justice after Flight PS752 was shot down, offering a compassionate and forceful tribute to grief, resilience, and community advocacy.

More info
8:15 pm
Thu Oct 08
SFU Woodwards
Guests/Q&As Hearing Assistance Subtitles
Book Now
3:45 pm
Sun Oct 11
Fifth Avenue Cinema - 19+ only
Closed Captioning Descriptive Video Guests/Q&As Hearing Assistance Subtitles
Book Now

Gasmask

Dir. Harry Cepka
61 min

Part post-apocalyptic fable, part film essay, Harry Cepka's Gasmask is an enigmatic meditation on memory, ritual, and art. Evoking Chris Marker's La Jetée, it asks what remains of cinema after the world that created it has disappeared.

More info
9:15 pm
Thu Oct 08
VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema
Guests/Q&As Hearing Assistance
Book Now

Tangles

Dir. Leah Nelson
102 min

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.

More info
5:45 pm
Fri Oct 09
Vancouver Playhouse
Guests/Q&As Hearing Assistance U18 May Attend
3:00 pm
Sun Oct 11
The Park Theatre
Guests/Q&As Hearing Assistance U18 May Attend
9:30 pm
Sun Oct 11
The Rio Theatre
Guests/Q&As Hearing Assistance U18 May Attend
Book Now

The Bryce Lee Story

Dir. Arnold Lim
88 min

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.

More info
3:00 pm
Sat Oct 10
VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre
Hearing Assistance Relaxed Screening Subtitles U18 May Attend
Sold Out

First Comes Love: Nakabingwit

Dir. Joella Cabalu
65 min

An engaging hybrid documentary with a rom-com aesthetic, First Comes Love: Nakabingwit follows Canadian women in the Filipino diaspora as they search for the language to discuss race, privilege, and love with their white romantic partners.

More info
3:45 pm
Sat Oct 10
Alliance Francaise
Guests/Q&As Hearing Assistance

Short Forum 10: Are the Kids Alright?

106 min

The future kinda depends on it.

More info
9:00 pm
Sat Oct 10
International Village 8
Hearing Assistance Subtitles
Book Now
1:15 pm
Sun Oct 11
International Village 8
Guests/Q&As Hearing Assistance Subtitles
Book Now

Seventeen

Dir. Justin Ducharme
88 min

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.

More info
9:00 pm
Sun Oct 11
International Village 8
Guests/Q&As Hearing Assistance Subtitles U18 May Attend