Truly, no one is safe until everyone is safe.
Oct 7 & 8: Filmmaker Q&A
This short film program includes the following films:
Rotation
Maryna Er Gorbach, Ukraine/Sweden/Turkey (13 min)
A Ukrainian woman undergoes a therapeutic hypnosis ritual to help her shift from civilian to military life. Shot on the last remaining stock of Svema color negative film evacuated during the war.
Memories of a Window
Mehraneh Salimian, Amin Pakparvar, Iran/USA (19 min)
Students and civilians record scenes of the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protests in Iran, challenging the state’s official records.
Content Considerations: Graphic & police violence
Spag
Louis Brousseau, Canada (18 min)
Following a mass shooting, a right-wing radio host comes under scrutiny for his racist comments leading up to the tragedy.
Content Considerations: Discussion of a mass murder, Islamophobia, racism
Daughters of the Late Colonel
Elizabeth Hobbs, UK/Germany (9 min)
Based on Katherine Mansfield’s short story from 1920, two middle-aged sisters rediscover life following the death of their patriarch.
Self-Preserving Nudity
Nelly Shylova, Ireland/Ukraine (7 min)
After being killed by a Russian missile strike, a Ukrainian woman finds herself caught between life and death in the Irish countryside.
The Ambassador’s Daughter
Armon Mahdavi, USA (19 min)
An Iranian-American actor auditions for a supporting role in a major film.
Free Fish
Bisan Owda, Palestine/Portugal (23 min)
Palestinian journalist Owda documents the daily life of fishermen on the besieged shores of the Gaza Strip.
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.