Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) presents its 43rd edition next month. The 2024 festival will feature more than 350 screenings, dozens of filmmaker Q&As, 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 (ENO) and VIFF Live will provide Vancouver audiences with unique performances that have never been seen before and are unlikely ever to be seen again. VIFF 2024 offers a diverse program, with screenings and events that cater to a wide range of interests and tastes. In addition to film premieres and special performances, the festival will also feature wu ching ru’s art exhibition, showcasing the acclaimed artist’s latest collection of thought-provoking and visually stunning works. This combination of film, music, and visual arts makes VIFF 2024 a must-attend event for culture enthusiasts in Vancouver.
Director of Programming Curtis Woloschuk says, “This is one of our deepest and most vibrant lineups in years. Every time I review the selections and schedule, I’m reminded of how many difficult choices our audiences will have to make over the course of our 11 days. Fortunately for them, there are rewards awaiting on every screen. I cannot wait for them to experience these films.”
VIFF will officially open with Ari’s Theme by local filmmakers Jeff Lee Petry and Nathan Drillot, a beautifully made 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. TELUS Originals will support the evening.
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 in tending 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 into the lives of her wife Jessi (Selena Gomez) and children. The film scored the Jury Prize and Best Actress Award at Cannes, the latter 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 brings 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. At the same time, 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 generate uncharted storytelling opportunities.
“VIFF is an overflowing, multidimensional, full-tilt celebration of film and film culture,” says Kyle Fostner, Executive Director. “We’re very excited to share this year’s expansive and sensorially rich program with Vancouver. From an extraordinary film lineup to our unique series of live performances, nurturing artist and industry development programs to the cutting-edge storytelling happening in creative technology, VIFF is a platform for diverse voices and artistic visionaries. Whether you’re looking to discover emerging talent, to become part of the cultural conversation, or are just here to feel the warm glow of cinema, VIFF truly has something for everyone.”
VIFF Board Chair Am Johal adds: “VIFF is brought together each year by the passion, dedication, and incredible efforts of the staff and volunteers. We’re excited to welcome everyone back into cinemas this fall.”

Tickets are on sale now to VIFF+ Members at viff.org and on sale to the public from Aug. 29 at 12 pm (noon). Single tickets are $19 for regular screenings and Special Presentations. Ticket packs are available in six and ten 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.
Author Profile

- Helen Siwak is the founder of EcoLuxLuv Marketing & Communications Inc and publisher of Folio.YVR Luxury Lifestyle Magazine and PORTFOLIOY.YVR Business & Entrepreneurs Magazine. She is a prolific content creator, consultant, and marketing and media strategist within the ecoluxury lifestyle niche. Post-pandemic, she has worked with many small to mid-sized plant-based/vegan brands to build their digital foundations and strategize content creation and business development. Helen is the west coast correspondent to Canada’s top-read industry magazine Retail-Insider, holds a vast freelance portfolio, and consults with many of the world’s luxury heritage brands. Always seeking new opportunities and challenges, you can email her at helen@ecoluxluv.com.
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