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The Sun Never Sets

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The once prolific (and erratic) indie writer-director Joe Swanberg (LOL; Hannah Takes the Stairs; Drinking Buddies) returns with his first feature in six years, and it’s a gentle, affectionate, modestly scaled comedy, not unlike one of Richard Linklater’s “Before” films. Set in a small town in Alaska (glowingly photographed in 35mm), it’s a portrait of Wendy (Dakota Fanning), and her dating misadventures after her partner Jack (Jake Johnson), who is older, divorced, with a couple of kids, suggests she take a few months to see what’s out there. It’s a sincerely generous and mature invitation, and a terrible mistake. She’s reluctant to take him up on it but it’s Jack who regrets the arrangement when Wendy bumps into an old flame and sparks fly.

Because Swanberg evidently likes his characters and enjoys their inconsistencies, we do too.

Fanning and Johnson are just remarkably easy to root for.

Brian Tallerico, rogerebert.com

Director

Joe Swanberg

Cast

Dakota Fanning, Jake Johnson, Cory Michael Smith, Debby Ryan

Credits
Country of Origin

USA

Year

2026

Language

English

19+
102 min

Book Tickets

Friday September 18

2:00 pm
Hearing Assistance
VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema
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Saturday September 19

8:15 pm
Hearing Assistance
VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema
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Sunday September 20

2:00 pm
Hearing Assistance
VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre
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6:40 pm
Hearing Assistance
VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema
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Tuesday September 22

2:15 pm
Hearing Assistance
VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema
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6:00 pm
Hearing Assistance
VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre
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Wednesday September 23

5:50 pm
Hearing Assistance
VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema
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Credits

Producer

Joe Swanberg, Ashleigh Snead

Screenwriter

Joe Swanberg

Cinematography

Eon Mora

Editor

Joe Swanberg

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