The grind of the working class in a system that betrays its promises.
Oct 3 & 4: Filmmaker Q&A
This short film program includes the following films:
Pique-Nique
Jérémy Gagnon, Canada (9 min)
Two welders experience an astral phenomenon together on their lunch break.
The Lion Does Not Concern Himself
Zarrar Kahn, Canada (15 min)
Danny, a newbie personal trainer and aspiring fitness podcaster, meets Jen, the hesitant recipient of a gym gift card.
Faux Bijoux
Jessy Moussallem, France/Lebanon (22 min)
Mireille drags her son Johnny to an audition with promises of the big screen. Little does he know that the audition is not for him.
Half a Decade of Projecting
Jana Rankov, Canada (7 min)
A behind-the-scenes look at going to the movies, from the projection booth.
L’inconvénient
Julien G. Marcotte, Canada (13 min)
In a Quebec cotton mill at the turn of the 20th century, a teenage girl tries to keep her injured sister from being fired.
Sweet Captive
Paul Chotel, Ariane Falardeau St-Amour, Canada (14 min)
As evening approaches, Stevie begins his shift as the night watchman of a cryptocurrency mine.
Shoot the Messenger
Pranay Noel, Canada (14 min)
Lucky, a bike courier caught in an immigration scam is presented with a sudden opportunity to pull a grift of his own.
Content Considerations: Profanity, mild violence
Cul-De-Sac !
Clyde Gates, Gabriel Sanson, Belgium/France (17 min)
Working-class angels are tasked with powering Earth’s machines with one simple rule: if it breaks, you are exiled from Paradise. What happens when they revolt?
Community Partner
Various
Various
2025 & 2026
Various
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Missing VIFF? Check Out What's Playing at the VIFF Centre
American Doctor
One of the most powerful documentaries of the year, this puts us smack in the open wound that is Gaza, filtered through the eyes of three American surgeons (of Palestinian, Jewish and Zoroastrian backgrounds) compelled to do their utmost to alleviate harm.
The History of Concrete
After attending a workshop on pitching saccharine Hallmark movies, John Wilson tries to apply all the same best practices to his documentary about concrete. Frequently absurd and endlessly entertaining detours, asides, and digressions ensue.
La Bola Negra
A big, old-school historical melodrama gets a thrillingly modern, queer makeover from Spanish duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, who artfully juggle three gay protagonists across stories set in 1932, 1937, and 2017. Winner: Best Director, Cannes. Screening on 35mm.
A. Rimbaud
Patrick Wang (The Bread Factory) presents the life of French poet Arthur Rimbaud in this staggeringly adventurous and deeply considered movie, a three-hour, one-man show quite unlike anything we have seen before. "Poetic, audacious and singular."
The 39 Steps
In our new film studies series, FRAMEWORK, film scholar Michael van den Bos explores the work of Alfred Hitchcock, across four monochrome masterworks. This week: The 39 Steps (1935), a witty and fast-moving spy thriller from Hitchcock's English period.