COVID-19 Update - April 2020
Our programming staff and screening committees are currently reviewing films in anticipation of us staging our 39th edition on September 24, 2020. Additionally, all of our departments are working on contingency plans due to the impact of COVID-19.
We recognize that the pandemic has disrupted many production and post-production schedules. Should you have questions regarding your project, please email submissions@viff.org
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The Vancouver International Film Festival will be a showcase of exceptional international cinema in one of the world’s most beautiful cities. VIFF takes great pride in championing international cinema's most exciting new voices, offering diverse programming and fostering enlightening dialogue. Bong Joon-ho (Parasite), Sean Baker (The Florida Project) and Jia Zhangke (Ash Is Purest White) are but a few of the now-renowned filmmakers who attended VIFF early in their careers.
Furthermore, we’ll once again expand the frame to include talks, workshops, performances and other unique events that celebrate innovations in screen-based storytelling. At VIFF's 2019 edition, these events included creator talks with the likes of Walter Murch (Apocalypse Now) and Rob McElhenney (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), the VIFF Immersed Exhibition of narrative-driven VR experiences, Creator Labs, the VIFF AMP Music in Film Summit, as well as a performance of Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington’s On Cinema at the Cinema Live and Public Enemy’s Chuck D breaking down the iconic “Fight the Power” for Song Exploder Live.
"As one of the largest film festivals in North America, VIFF concerns itself with building the right audience for accepted movie makers..." - MovieMaker
FILM PROGRAMMING STREAMS
Panorama - The world's boldest creators and their exceptional works. The year's most anticipated international films and new discoveries curated specifically for VIFF audiences.
Sea To Sky - A showcase of the inspired works emerging from the creative nexus that is British Columbia.
True North - A celebration of the extraordinary creativity and craft being demonstrated by Canadian storytellers from coast to coast.
Impact - Uncompromising films and insightful discussions that spark action and change the way we see the world.
Gateway - Journey into the cinematic reaches of East Asia with some of the world's most compelling storytellers as your guides.
M/A/D - Music, art and design receive their deserved big-screen treatment in this aesthetically alluring stream.
ALT - Genre-bending features that defy traditional classification and creators who push short form storytelling to its limits.
VIRTUAL & AUGMENTED REALITY COMPETITION STREAMS
International VIFF Immersed Competition
Virtual Reality – Cinematic Live Action
Narrative-driven VR experiences created from the live action capture of human participants using camera or volumetric methods that exemplify works of narrative fiction.
Virtual Reality – Animation
Narrative-driven VR animation experiences created using original crafted artwork to embody the characters, setting and objects of its story.
Virtual Reality – Documentary
Immersive VR stories that document and explore an aspect of the real world.
Augmented Reality - Live Action / Animation / Documentary
This category is designed to showcase narrative AR experiences. Content may be interactive and classified as fiction, documentary or animation.
BC Showcase
Virtual & Augmented Reality – BC Showcase
A curated showcase of VR and AR works emerging from the creative nexus that is British Columbia.
Awards for 2020 Vancouver International Film Festival will be announced in the spring.
At the 2019 edition, VIFF presented the following awards:
Sea to Sky Award
$20,000 cash prize. This award recognizes the outstanding work of one female key creative on a BC-produced feature or short.
Best BC Film
$10,000 from Creative BC and $15,000 in post-production services credit supplied by Encore by Deluxe.
BC Emerging Filmmaker Award
$7,500 cash prize sponsored by UBCP/ACTRA and ACTRA Fraternal Benefits Society, plus a $10,000 equipment credit supplied by William F. White International Inc.
Best Canadian Film
$15,000 award presented by the Directors Guild of Canada.
Emerging Canadian Director
$3,000 award presented by the Directors Guild of Canada.
Best Canadian Documentary
$15,000 prize presented by the Rogers Group of Funds.
Best Canadian Short Film
$15,000 in colour grading and/or VFX services credit supplied by Side Street Post.
Most Promising Director of a Canadian Short Film
$2,000 and a Roundtrip Flight anywhere Delta Air Lines flies. Presented by Gary Harvey and Delta Air Lines.
VIFF Impact Award
$5,000CAD presented by the Lochmaddy Foundation to an international documentary playing in the Impact competition.
Rob Stewart Eco Warrior Award
$5,000 prize presented by RBC and Cineplex to a documentary playing in the Impact competition that recognizes an outstanding contribution by an activist-storyteller.
Super Channel People’s Choice Award
VIFF festival-goers will determine the winner of the Super Channel People’s Choice Award, with post-screening balloting also determining the winner of several other audience awards.