The Vancouver International Film Festival unveiled the line-up for its upcoming fest last week, and it sure is mighty: 355 films from 65 countries on nine screens at seven venues.
Included in the expansive schedule are nine film series (including Spotlight on France, Cinema of our Time, Arts & Letters, International Shorts, and Dragons & Tigers) and the largest showcase of Canadian films on the planet.
VIFF opens on Sept. 25 with Wild. The latest from director Jean-Marc Vallee (Dallas Buyers Club) stars Reese Witherspoon as an emotionally-scarred woman who embarks on an 1800-km hike. It’s got “Oscar favourite” written all over it.
The following night is the Canadian Images Gala. This year’s film is October Gale, a psychological thriller starring Patricia Clarkson, Scott Speedman and Tim Roth from Cairo Time writer-director Ruba Nadda.
The fest closes on Oct. 10 with Whiplash, Damien Chazelle’s riveting film about an ambitious jazz drummer and his tough instructor that’s won awards and acclaim at Sundance and Cannes.
VIFF also revealed that they’re rebranding their film and television forum as the VIFF Industry Conference. Calling upon the talents of a diverse range of industry insiders like David Milchard (producer/actor, Convos with my Two Year Old), Shirley Vercruysse (executive producer at the National Film Board of Canada), and Nicole Perlman (screenwriter, Guardians of the Galaxy), they’ll explore topics like web series growth, crowdfunding, and transitioning from the indie world to the studio system. VIFF Industry runs Oct. 1-4.
This year’s VIFF is jam-packed. They’ve got a 3D series. They’ve got a genre series. They’ve got a short film series. They’ve got films for audiences under 18. In truth, they’ve got films for every ilk of film-lover under the sun – unless you don’t like films. In that case, they’ve got gourmet popcorn.
VIFF runs Sept. 25-Oct. 10. Find details at VIFF.org and right here in the WestEnder.
