What's On
A Welcome Distraction
In the wake of a personal tragedy, a young man living in Vancouver does whatever he can to avoid reconnecting with his family. An ambient ode to our city, and a sensitive and relatable portrait of life within it.
My Father's Son
Blending sci-fi and family drama, My Father's Son takes us through the past, present, and future of a computer engineer. As a child, Qiao is bullied by his father; in the present, his father is laid to rest; and in the future, he’s resurrected via AI.
Pixar's ONWARD: The Story Behind the Score with the Danna Brothers
Academy Award-winning composer Mychael Danna, and Jeff Danna explain the strange symmetry between the plot of Onward (2020) and their own lives, while exhibiting the techniques of thematic composition and how powerful it can be to help tell a story, especially in animation.
Saikai Paradise
Keiko Tsuruoka’s film tells the story of an actor returning home to confess a sad secret. Filling the roles of writer, director, cinematographer, and editor, she has created a graceful work about the small moments that make up so much of our lives.
Walls – Akinni Inuk
A Greenlandic woman held in indefinite detention forms a life-changing bond with the filmmaker documenting her case. Walls – Akinni Inuk is a gripping story of survival, systemic injustice, and the quiet freedom found in human connection.
Choreographed Chaos: Ramon and Silvan Zürcher on Domestic Surrealism and Cinematic Precision
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
Middle Life
Ryan (Peter Dreimanis) and Andie (Leah Fay Goldstein) meet in the aftermath of a car crash, forging a friendship that slowly cruises towards something deeper. The film succeeds both as a breezy romance and a poignant reflection on commitment and freedom.
Julianna Barwick and loscil
Acclaimed ambient, experimental musicians Julianna Barwick and loscil share the stage for the first time to immerse audiences in their ethereal soundscapes and hypnotic new live AV performances.
Modern Whore
In director Nicole Bazuin’s cheeky, stylized documentary, Modern Whore-memoirist Andrea Werhun (Paying for It, VIFF 2024) recounts her experiences as an escort and stripper in Toronto, debunking misconceptions about the world’s oldest profession.
Secrets of a Mountain Serpent
Set in a remote Himalayan town in India during the Kargil War, Secrets of a Mountain Serpent weaves together personal desire and ancient folklore to ask a pertinent question: Can you belong to someone and still belong to yourself?
