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VIFF 2024: Fast Facts

VIFF 2024 | Lineup

Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) presents its 43rd edition later this month. The 2024 festival will feature more than 350 screenings, dozens of filmmaker Q&A’s, Talks with top creatives, live performances, artist and industry development programs, parties, and many more celebrations of film culture.

Showcasing 150 features (including more than 70 premieres) and 81 shorts, VIFF 2024 is a festival of unrepeatable experiences. Symphonic special events and VIFF Live will provide Vancouver audiences with unique performances that have never been seen before and are unlikely to ever be seen again.

VIFF 2024: Fast Facts

The VIFF will officially open with Ari’s Theme by local filmmakers Jeff Lee Petry and Nathan Drillot, a documentary about British Columbia composer Ari Kinarthy, who lives with spinal muscular atrophy. Born with the soul of an artist and a passion for composing music, Ari embarks on an ambitious goal: to create music that will capture his life and leave a legacy through which others will remember him. In a singular live performance and cinematic experience, eight members of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra will live score select passages within the film. The evening will be supported by TELUS originals.

The festival will close with Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez, a dizzying musical that took this spring’s Cannes Film Festival by storm. This spectacle sees a Mexico City defence attorney (Zoe Saldana) enlisted to tend to the affairs of a notorious drug lord (Karla Sofía Gascón) who is now completing gender affirmation surgery. Rechristened Emilia Pérez and determined to right her misdeeds, she relies on Rita to reintegrate her in the lives of her wife Jessi (Selena Gomez) and children. The film scored both the Jury Prize and Best Actress Award in Cannes, the latter being shared by the ensemble cast.

Audiences can also look forward to VIFF Live, which pushes the boundaries of traditional film festival programming by intersecting cinema culture with music in unique live shows. VIFF Talks bring together industry leaders who share insights into some of today’s most popular and acclaimed films and series. VIFF’s Industry program celebrates the creative disruptors shifting culture and cinema, while VIFF Amp examines the essential role of music in film, laying the groundwork to foster new talent and nurturing connections between composers and directors. Signals, co-presented by VIFF and DigiBC, explores how new creative technologies are generating uncharted opportunities for storytelling.

Tickets are on sale now. Single tickets are $19 for regular screenings and Special PreVIFF Centresentations. Ticket packs are available in six and 10 packs. VIFF+ Members enjoy discounts on all VIFF tickets and the free U25 membership offers further discounts to youth between 19 and 25 years of age.

VIFF 2024 Films

OPENING FILM: Ari’s Theme dirs. Nathan Drillot, Jeff Lee Petry (Canada) | BC Feature

Ari's Theme
Ari’s Theme

CLOSING FILM: Emilia Pérez dir. Jacques Audiard (France)

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS: The year’s most anticipated films

  • All We Imagine as Light dir. Payal Kapadia (France/India/Netherlands/Luxembourg)
  • Anora dir. Sean Baker (USA)
  • Bird dir. Andrea Arnold (UK/USA/France/Germany)
  • Can I Get a Witness? dir. Ann Marie Fleming (Canada) | BC Feature
  • Conclave dir. Edward Berger (USA/UK)
  • The End dir. Joshua Oppenheimer (Denmark/Germany/Ireland/Italy/UK/Sweden)
  • The Girl With the Needle dir. Magnus von Horn (Denmark/Poland/Sweden)
  • I’m Still Here dir. Walter Salles (Brazil/France)
  • My Favourite Cake dirs. Maryam Moghaddam, Behtash Sanaeeha (Iran/France/Sweden/Germany)
  • Nightbitch dir. Marielle Heller (USA)
  • The Piano Lesson dir. Malcolm Washington (USA)
  • Rumours dirs. Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson (Canada/Germany)
  • Saturday Night dir. Jason Reitman (USA)
  • The Seed of the Sacred Fig dir. Mohammad Rasoulof (Iran/France/Germany)
  • The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal dir. Mike Downie (Canada)

SHOWCASE: A selection of exceptional cinema

Blue Sun Palace - VIFF
Blue Sun Palace
  • Black Dog dir. Guan Hu (China)
  • Blue Sun Palace dir. Constance Tsang (USA) | North American Premiere
  • Caught by the Tides dir. Jia Zhang-Ke (China)
  • Dahomey dir. Mati Diop (France/Senegal/Benin)
  • A Different Man dir. Aaron Schimberg (USA)
  • Dying dir. Matthias Glasner (Germany) | North American Premiere
  • Flow dir. Gints Zilbalodis (Latvia/France/Belgium)
  • Gloria! dir. Margherita Vicario (Italy/Switzerland) | Canadian Premiere
  • Grand Tour dir. Miguel Gomes (Portugal/Italy/France)
  • Happyend dir. Neo Sora (Japan/USA)
  • Matt and Mara dir. Kazik Radwanski (Canada)
  • No Other Land dir. Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor (Palestine/Norway)
  • Paying For It dir. Sook-Yin Lee (Canada)
  • Secret Mall Apartment dir. Jeremy Workman (USA)
  • Sharp Corner dir. Jason Buxton (Canada/Ireland)
  • Shepherds dir. Sophie Deraspe (Canada/France)
  • Soundtrack to a Coup D’Etat dir. Johan Grimonprez (Belgium/France/Netherlands)
  • A Traveler’s Needs dir. Hong Sangsoo (South Korea) | Canadian Premiere
  • Universal Language dir. Matthew Rankin (Canada)

PANORAMA: Narratives from every corner of the globe

  • Angela’s Shadow dir. Jules Arita Koostachin (Canada) | World Premiere
  • Armand dir. Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel (Norway/Netherlands/Germany/Sweden) | Canadian Premiere
  • Black Tea dir. Abderrahmane Sissako (France/Mauritania/Luxembourg/Taiwan/Côte d’Ivoire) | North American Premiere
  • Brief History of a Family dir. Lin Jianjie (China/France/Denmark/Qatar) | Canadian Premiere
  • Carnival Is Over dir. Fernando Coimbra (Brazil/Portugal)
  • Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point dir. Tyler Taormina (USA) | Canadian Premiere
  • Eephus dir. Carson Lund (USA/France) | Canadian Premiere
  • Everybody Loves Touda dir. Nabil Ayouch (France/Morocco/Belgium/Denmark/Netherlands) | North American Premiere
  • Fly Me to the Moon dir. Sasha Chuk (Hong Kong)
  • Ghost Trail dir. Jonathan Millet (France/Germany/Belgium) | North American Premiere
  • Hakki dir. Hikmet Kerem Özcan (Turkey)
  • Holy Cow dir. Louise Courvoisier (France) | North American Premiere
  • House of the Seasons dir. Oh Jung-min (South Korea) | North American Premiere
  • Julie Keeps Quiet dir. Leonardo van Dijl (Belgium/Sweden)
  • Living in Two Worlds dir. Mipo O (Japan) | North American Premiere
  • Love Lies dir. Ho Miu Ki (Hong Kong) | Canadian Premiere
  • Marco, the Invented Truth dirs. Aitor Arregi, Jon Garaño (Spain) | North American Premiere
  • Measures for a Funeral dir. Sofia Bohdanowicz (Canada/Norway/UK)
  • Misericordia dir. Alain Guiraudie (France/Spain/Portugal)
  • Most People Die on Sundays dir. Iair Said (Argentina/Italy/Spain) | North American Premiere
  • The Mother and the Bear dir. Johnny Ma (Canada/Chile)
  • My Late Summer dir. Danis Tanović (Croatia/Bosnia and Herzegovina/Romania/Slovenia/Serbia) | International Premiere
  • The New Year That Never Came dir. Bogdan Mureşanu (Romania) | North American Premiere
  • On Becoming a Guinea Fowl dir. Rungano Nyoni (Zambia/UK/Ireland)
  • Pierce dir. Nelicia Low (Singapore/Taiwan/Poland)
  • Reinas dir. Klaudia Reynicke (Peru/Switzerland/Spain)
  • Rosinante dir. Baran Gündüzalp (Turkey) | North American Premiere
  • Samia dir. Yasemin Şamdereli (Italy/Germany/Belgium)
  • Sex dir. Dag Johan Haugerud (Norway) | Canadian Premiere
  • Sleeping With a Tiger dir. Anja Salomonowitz (Austria) | Canadian Premiere
  • Solids by the Seashore dir. Patiparn Boontarig (Thailand) | Canadian Premiere
  • Souleymane’s Story dir. Boris Lojkine (France)
  • The Sparrow in the Chimney dir. Ramon Zürcher (Switzerland) | North American Premiere
  • Super Happy Forever dir. Kohei Igarashi (Japan/France) | North American Premiere
  • To a Land Unknown dir. Mahdi Fleifel (UK/Germany/France/Greece/Netherlands)
  • Under the Volcano dir. Damian Kocur (Poland)
  • When We Lost to the Germans dir. Guido van Driel (Netherlands) | North American Premiere
  • Who by Fire dir. Philippe Lesage (Canada/France)

VANGUARD: Rising international talents – Presented by MUBI

78 Days - VIFF
78 Days
  • 78 Days dir. Emilija Gašić (Serbia) | North American Premiere
  • Familiar Touch dir. Sarah Friedland (USA) | North American Premiere
  • Hanami dir. Denise Fernandes (Switzerland/Portugal/Cape Verde) | International Premiere
  • I Saw Three Black Lights dir. Santiago Lozano Álvarez (Colombia/Mexico/France/Germany) | Canadian Premiere
  • Me, Maryam, the Children and 26 Others dir. Farshad Hashemi (Iran/Germany) | North American Premiere
  • Red Path dir. Lotfi Achour (Tunisia/France/Belgium/Poland) | North American Premiere
  • Shambhala dir. Min Bahadur Bham (Nepal/France/Norway/Turkey/Hong Kong/Taiwan/USA/Qatar) | North American Premiere
  • Toxic dir. Saulė Bliuvaitė (Lithuania) | North American Premiere

NORTHERN LIGHTS: The next wave of Canadian and Indigenous storytellers – Presented by Telefilm Canada

  • 7 Beats per Minute dir. Yuqi Kang (Canada)
  • Bonjour Tristesse dir. Durga Chew-Bose (Canada/Germany)
  • Cat’s Cry dir. Sanja Živković (Canada/Serbia/Croatia) | World Premiere
  • Cherub dir. Devin Shears (Canada) | World Premiere
  • The Heirloom dir. Ben Petrie (Canada) | Canadian Premiere
  • Inay (Mama) dir. Thea Loo (Canada/Philippines) | BC Feature | Canadian Premiere
  • Inedia dir. Liz Cairns (Canada) | BC Feature | World Premiere
  • Living Together dir. Halima Elkhatabi (Canada)
  • Lucky Star dir. Gillian McKercher (Canada)
  • Mongrels dir. Jerome Yoo (Canada) | BC Feature | World Premiere
  • Preface to a History dirs. Devan Scott, Willa Harlow Ross (Canada) | BC Feature | World Premiere
  • Seeds dir. Kaniehtiio Horn (Canada)
  • Shook dir. Amar Wala (Canada)
  • The Stand dir. Christopher Auchter (Canada) | BC Feature | World Premiere
  • There, There dir. Heather Young (Canada) | World Premiere
  • Village Keeper dir. Karen Chapman (Canada)

LEADING LIGHTS: Celebrated Canadian filmmaker Zarrar Kahn curates a selection of

international films that influenced his artistic journey. Supported by the Directors Guild Of Canada

  • The Big City dir. Satyajit Ray (India)
  • Hyenas dir. Djibril Diop Mambéty (Switzerland/France/Senegal)
  • Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion dir. Elio Petri (Italy)
  • Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts dir. Mouly Surya (Indonesia/France/Malaysia/Thailand)

FOCUS: ONCE, THERE IS A CITY: Guest programmers Ogheneofegor Obuwoma and Kika

  • Memeh embark on a thematic exploration using cinema as their guide
  • Coconut Head Generation dir. Alain Kassandra (France/Nigeria)
  • Eyimofe (This Is My Desire) dirs. Arie Esiri, Chuko Esiri (Nigeria)
  • Félicité dir. Alain Gomis (France/Senegal/Belgium/Germany/Lebanon)
  • Ouaga Girls dir. Theresa Traore Dahlberg (Sweden/Burkina Faso/France/Qatar)
  • Rafiki dir. Wanuri Kahiu (Kenya)
  • Tooth for Tooth dir. Ottis Ba (Senegal/Belgium/France/Rwanda) | Canadian Premiere

INSIGHTS: Documentaries that change the way we see the world

At Averroes And Rosa Parks - VIFF
At Averroes And Rosa Parks
  • At Averroes & Rosa Parks dir. Nicolas Philibert (France) | North American Premiere
  • Balomania dir. Sissel Morell Dargis (Denmark/Spain) | North American Premiere
  • Blink dirs. Edmund Stenson, Daniel Roher (USA/Canada) | Canadian Premiere
  • The Chef & the Daruma dir. Mads K. Baekkevold (Canada) | BC Feature | World Premiere
  • Curl Power dir. Josephine Anderson (Canada) | BC Feature
  • Democracy Noir dir. Connie Field (USA/Denmark) | Canadian Premiere
  • Fish War dirs. Jeff Ostenson, Charles Atkinson, Skylar Wagner (USA) | International Premiere
  • Living With Wolves dir. Jean-Michel Bertrand (France) | Canadian Premiere
  • Ninan Auassat:We, The Children dir. Kim O’Bomsawin (Canada) | World Premiere
  • Searching for Amani dirs. Nicole Gormley, Debra Aroko (USA/Kenya)
  • The Thinking Game dir. Greg Kohs (USA) | Canadian Premiere
  • Unlikely Allies dir. Anthony Pedone (USA) | International Premiere

SPECTRUM: Innovative nonfiction filmmaking

  • *smiles and kisses you* dir. Bryan Carberry (USA) | North American Premiere
  • Apple Cider Vinegar dir. Sofie Benoot (Belgium/Netherlands) | Canadian Premiere
  • Grand Theft Hamlet dirs. Pinny Grylls, Sam Crane (UK)
  • The In Between dir. Robie Flores (USA) | Canadian Premiere
  • It’s Not Me dir. Leos Carax (France)
  • Listen to the Voices dir. Maxime Jean-Baptiste (Guyana/Belgium/France) | North American Premiere
  • Pepe dir. Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias (Dominican Republic/Namibia/Germany/France)
  • Realm of Satan dir. Scott Cummings (USA) | Canadian Premiere
  • The Universe in a Grain of Sand dir. Mark A. Levinson (USA) | North American Premiere

PORTRAITS: A kaleidoscope of ground-breaking artists, great performances, and cultural

Icons – Presented by the Audain Foundation

Googoosh - VIFF
Googoosh
  • Disco’s Revenge dirs. Omar Majeed, Peter Mishara (Canada)
  • Draw Me Egypt: Doaa El-Adl, a Stroke of Freedom dir. Nada Riyadh (Belgium/France/Luxembourg)
  • Preceded by: Facing the Storm: The Indigenous Response to Climate Change (Episode 1: Mazaska Talks) dir.
  • Mikayla Gingrey (USA) and The Smallest Power dir. Andy Sarjahani (Iran)
  • Googoosh – Made of Fire dir. Niloufar Taghizadeh (Germany) | North American Premiere
  • John Singer Sargent: Fashion & Swagger dir. David Bickerstaff (UK) | Canadian Premiere
  • Luther: Never Too Much dir. Dawn Porter (USA)
  • Modernism, Inc. dir. Jason Cohn (USA)
  • Pol Pot Dancing dir. Enrique Sánchez Lansch (Germany/Norway) | North American Premiere
  • So Surreal: Behind the Masks dirs. Neil Diamond, Joanne Robertson (Canada)
  • A Stranger Quest dir. Andrea Gatopoulos (Italy/USA/Canada) | Canadian Premiere
  • A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things dir. Mark Cousins (UK) | Canadian Premiere
  • Uncropped dir. D.W. Young (USA) | Canadian Premiere
  • Viva Niki – The Spirit of Niki de Saint Phalle dir. Michiko Matsumoto (Japan) | World Premiere

ALTERED STATES: Where the wild ones come out to play

40 Acres - VIFF
40 Acres
  • 40 Acres dir. R.T. Thorne (Canada)
  • Dream Team dirs. Lev Kalman, Whitney Horn (USA) | Canadian Premiere
  • Else dir. Thibault Emin (France/Belgium)
  • Fréwaka dir. Aislinn Clarke (Ireland) | Canadian Premiere
  • Párvulos dir. Isaac Ezban (Mexico)
  • Presence dir. Steven Soderbergh (USA)
  • Rita dir. Jayro Bustamante (Guatemala)
  • Rock Bottom dir. María Trénor (Spain/Poland) | North American Premiere
  • She Loved Blossoms More dir. Yannis Veslemes (Greece/France) | Canadian Premiere
  • Timestalker dir. Alice Lowe (UK)

VIFF SHORT FORUM AND SHORT FUSE: Short-form storytellers from Canada and beyond

Supported by Warner Bros. Discovery Access Canada and NOVUS

  • Almost the Dust dir. Léa Soler (Mexico) | World Premiere
  • Beeps dir. Kirk Johnson (USA) | Canadian Premiere
  • The Boys and the Donkey dir. Tsering Yangjyab (China) | Canadian Premiere
  • Bright White Light dirs. Henna Välkky, Eesu Lehtola (Finland) | Canadian Premiere
  • Candle dir. Jérémi Roy (Canada) | North American Premiere
  • Chuff Chuff Chuff dir. Chao Koi Wang (Taiwan) | Canadian Premiere
  • Colors Under the Streetlights dir. Yoshimi Joya (Japan) | International Premiere
  • Creatures of Light dir. Sylvie Weber (Mexico) | World Premiere
  • Culture Shock dir. Barry Bilinsky (Canada)
  • Dadá dir. Luisa Arraes (Brazil) | International Premiere
  • Dark Matter dir. Leo Berkeley (Australia) | World Premiere
  • Darker dir. Matazi Weathers (USA) |
  • The Death of James dir. Sam Chou (Canada) | World Premiere
  • Delta Dawn dir. Asia Youngman (Canada) | BC Feature | World Premiere
  • Discoteque dir. Masashi Yamamoto (USA) | Canadian Premiere
  • Dokra Keu Bojhey Na dirs. Sneha Das, Monjima Mullick (India) | Canadian Premiere
  • The Egg dir. Vahan Grigoryan (Armenia) | Canadian Premiere
  • The Everlasting Pea dir. Su Rynard (Canada)
  • Explosions Near the Museum dirs. Roman Khimei, Yarema Malashchuk (Ukraine) | International Premiere
  • Fishmonger dir. Neil Ferron (USA)
  • Gate 3 to 14 dir. Karen Abou Jaoudeh (Lebanon) | World Premiere
  • Get Thee on the Dance Floor dir. Hyun Hahn (South Korea) | International Premiere
  • Grizzly Bear Country dir. Mave Ky (Canada) | World Premiere
  • Hatch dirs. Alireza Kazemipour, Panta Mosleh (Canada) | BC Feature | World Premiere
  • If the Sun Drowned Into an Ocean of Clouds dir. Wissam Charaf (France/Lebanon)
  • Inkwo: For When the Starving Return dir. Amanda Strong (Canada) | BC Feature
  • Jane’s in the Freezer dir. Caleb Joye (USA) | World Premiere
  • Judas Icarus Twists His Wrist dir. Kerr Holden (Canada) | BC Feature | World Premiere
  • Judy’s Garden dir. Evie Metz (USA) | International Premiere
  • Julian and the Wind dir. Connor Jessup (Canada)
  • Like a Spiral dir. Lamia Chraibi (Canada) | World Premiere
  • Losing Your Home dir. Emmanuel Rioux (Canada)
  • Magic Candies dir. Daisuke Nishio (Japan) | Canadian Premiere
  • Mermaids dir. Sarah Malléon (Martinique)
  • Minus Plus Multiply dir. Chu-Chieh Lee (UK)
  • Morî dir. Yakup Tekintangaç (Turkey) | North American Premiere
  • The Moving Garden dir. Inês Lima (Portugal) | North American Premiere
  • My Dog is Dead dirs. Tasuku Matsunaga, Takehiro Senda (Japan) | World Premiere
  • The Mysterious Adventures of Claude Conseil dirs. Marie-Lola Terver, Paul Jousselin (France)
  • Nemo 1 dir. Albéric Aurtenèche (Canada) | World Premiere
  • Nietzschean Suicide dir. Payam Kurdistani (Iran) | Canadian Premiere
  • On Plains Of Larger River & Woodlands dir. Miguel de Jesus (Australia/Portugal) | North American Premiere
  • One Day This Kid dir. Alexander Fara (Canada) | BC Feature
  • Organza’s Revenge dir. Walter Scott (Canada) | World Premiere
  • The Painting dir. Michèle Lemieux (Canada)
  • Palestine Islands dirs. Nour Ben Salem, Julien Menanteau (France/Jordan)
  • Pena’s Special Hauling dir. Anssi Kasitonni (Finland) | Canadian Premiere
  • Retracing Their Steps dir. Manuel Orhy Piron (Canada)
  • The Return dir. Laissa Malih (Kenya)
  • Salem on the Road dir. Étienne Galloy (Canada) | World Premiere
  • Sauna Day dirs. Anna Hints, Tushar Prakash (Estonia)
  • Save My Soul dir. Kam Fai Leung (Hong Kong) | Canadian Premiere
  • Shadow dir. Kamell Allaway (USA) | Canadian Premiere
  • Shoes and Hooves dir. Viktória Traub (Hungary) | North American Premiere
  • Soap Box dir. Jimmy G. Pettigrew (Canada) World Premiere
  • Strawberry Shortcake dir. Deborah Devyn Chuang (Taiwan) | World Premiere
  • Stuffed dir. Louise Labrousse (France) North American Premiere
  • The Sweater dir. Maziyar Khatam (Canada)
  • Tayal Forest Club dir. Laha Mebow (Taiwan)
  • Three Birds dir. Zarja Menart(Slovenia/Croatia)
  • Time Space Love dir. Marie-Louise Gariépy (Canada)
  • Time to Dilate dir. Kim Nayoung (South Korea) | World Premiere
  • Uncommon Ground dir. Faith Sparrow-Crawford (Canada) | BC Feature | Canadian Premiere
  • We Deserve an Empire dir. Mauricio Maldonado (Colombia) | North American Premiere
  • When the Wind Rises dir. Hung Chen (Taiwan) | North American Premiere
  • The Widow’s Son Turns Storyteller dir. Shiker Pal (India) | International Premiere
  • You Can’t Get What You Want but You Can Get Me dirs. Samira Elagoz, Z Walsh (Netherlands/Finland)
  • Zanatany, When Soulless Shrouds Whisper dir. Hachimiya Ahamada (Belgium/France/Qatar) | Canadian Premiere
  • Zoé dir. Rémi St-Michel (Canada) | Canadian Premiere

MODES: Form-bending international short work

MODES 1

Cavalry - VIFF
Cavalry
  • The Cavalry dir. Alina Orlov (Canada/USA/Israel) | North American Premiere
  • The Diary of a Sky dir. Lawrence Abu Hamdan (Lebanon)
  • Flowers dir. José Cardoso (Ecuador/South Africa) | North American Premiere
  • Man Number 4 dir. Miranda Pennell (UK) | North American Premiere

MODES 2

  • Dreams Like Paper Boats dir. Samuel Suffren (Haiti) | Canadian Premiere
  • Freak dir. Claire Barnett (USA) | North American Premiere
  • Grandmamauntsistercat dir. Zuza Banasinska (Poland) | Canadian Premiere
  • Razeh-del dir. Maryam Tafakory (Iran/UK/Italy) | Canadian Premiere
  • She Stays dir. Marinthia Gutiérrez (Mexico) | North American Premiere
  • We Were No Desert dirs. Agustina Comedi, Chiachio & Giannone (Argentina) | North American Premiere

Live Events

VIFF Talks: Creators and innovators share expertise on their craft Supported by Creative BC VIFF Talks connects fans of film culture with the brilliant minds behind the work they love. The 2024 lineup features expertly moderated conversations with experts from directors, writers, producers, and craftspeople celebrated for their outstanding contributions to groundbreaking film and television.

Methods to Madness: Longlegs’ Osgood Perkins | Saturday, Sept. 28, 6pm | Venue: Rio Theatre | Price: $25

Talks_Longlegs VIFF

In this lively VIFF Talk, Osgood Perkins delves into the dark secrets of Longlegs’ success. Expect some welcome candour as he discusses borrowing from his influences to create familiar narrative constructs, while retaining enough freedom to explore the themes that fascinate him as storyteller. This deep dive will illustrate his creative process of amassing narrative connections, establishing thematic underpinnings, and assembling a group of collaborators who can make it all a nightmarish reality.

Making It Epic with Production Designer Colin Gibson | Sunday, Sept. 29, 6:30pm | Venue: VIFF Centre – Vancity Theatre | Price: $25

Academy Award winning production designer Colin Gibson has been the architect of the end of the world. George Miller’s go-to guy for two decades now, he’s credited for creating the look and feel of Mad Max: Fury Road and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, as well as such iconic Australian films such as The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, and Babe: Pig in the City. It’s undeniable that Gibson has it in him to make it epic. Join us for a dynamic conversation with Gibson as he takes us through his craft and the process of collaboration in creating these unforgettable worlds.

Signals: Exploring Creative Technology’s Potential in Storytelling | Venue: The Signals Studio at The Centre for Digital Media | Presented by DigiBC and VIFF

Supported by Pacific Economic Development Canada, Creative BC, Invest Vancouver, and the Canada Media Fund.

DigiBC Photos 2023 - 11

Signals Creative Tech Expo 2024 is set to be a pinnacle in the realm of creative technology, showcasing innovative storytelling across video games, XR (extended reality), virtual production, and AI. This year’s expo, held from Sept. 27–Oct. 6, promises to delve deeper into themes that resonate with the current global socio-political climate, while continuing to celebrate the rich cultural narratives and technological advancements of Canadian and Indigenous artists. Programming at Signals 2024 includes:

Beta Lounge: Interactive Digital Media Conference | Sept. 27–28

An exclusive two-day event within the expo, tailored for high-level discussions and networking in the XR and gaming sectors. In collaboration with XP Gaming, the conference will support indie game producers and creators in understanding the essential aspects of the video game business, including funding, marketing, game design, and post-mortems.

FutureCraft: AI Symposium | Oct. 2–3

This symposium will highlight creatives who are experimenting with AI tools to amplify their storytelling. Through panels, artist features and special screenings, FutureCraft will explore the distinctions between disruptive technologies and innovation, focusing on empowering human creativity rather than replacing it.

Signals Exhibition | Sept. 29 & Oct. 2–3, 5–6

The annual showcase of innovative storytelling in video games, immersive, virtual and augmented reality, virtual production and AI from top Canadian and Indigenous artists. During exhibition hours, audiences can step inside immersive digital worlds, test new video games, and connect to new artists and cultures by exploring the 20+ experiences at our newly transformed warehouse in False Creek Flats.

Artist and Industry Development

Nurturing the careers and practices of our local creatives, these programs support artists to refine and rethink their craft, making invaluable connections that can change the course of their lives.

This year, VIFF has made it even easier for all film and television industry professionals, regardless of their level, to get involved and experience VIFF’s Industry and Amp programs, with two passes available for purchase: the Artist & Industry Pass and the Artist & Industry Premium Pass.

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