Drama
The Things You Kill
Thirty-something professor Ali leads an apparently stable life. But when his ailing mother dies under ambiguous circumstances, he starts to unravel, resulting in an act that shatters our understanding of his person.
VIFF Kids Club Shorts
A heartwarming and eye-opening collection of Canadian and international shorts for all ages, selected for their visual style and memorable stories exploring teachings, experiences, and relationships between friends, family, and across generations.
John Candy: I Like Me
A Canadian icon who defined a generation of comedy, John Candy’s presence still looms large in the hearts of fans decades after his tragic death. This documentary is a hilarious, heartwarming celebration of Candy’s generous spirit and singular talent.
Young Mothers
In a residential shelter in Liège, five teenage mothers consider what lies ahead, often stumbling as they attempt to take their next steps. An immersive, empathetic portrait of those whom society can often overlook.
Image: © Christine Plenus
Dance of the Living
An ode to the wrestling tradition practiced by the indigenous Canarians of Fuerteventura island, this elegant and layered father-daughter drama takes us into the heart of a family crisis brought on by the untimely passing of their matriarch.
A Moment of Innocence
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.
Blue Heron
In the late 1990s, eight-year-old Sasha and her Hungarian immigrant family relocate to a new home on Vancouver Island. Their fresh start is interrupted by increasingly dangerous behaviour from Jeremy, the family’s oldest child.
Meadowlarks
Fifty years after being separated during the Sixties Scoop, four Cree siblings reunite for the first time on a long weekend trip to Banff. Tasha Hubbard’s sensitive drama relates an emotional and life-affirming story of kinship and belonging.
Nouvelle Vague
Linklater's love letter to Paris, 1959, and the difficult birth of Jean-Luc Godard's first feature, Breathless, channels the auteur's blithe self confidence and an era of all-encompassing cinephilia. It's the next best thing to being there.
Rental Family
In his first lead role since The Whale, Brendan Fraser plays a lonely American actor in Tokyo who lands a gig at a "rental family" agency, offering stand-ins for real world situations. Need a pretend boyfriend or funeral mourner? Brendan's your man.