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Hollywood North Takes the Spotlight: VIFF 2025 Shines with Style & Substance

There is an electric charge to the Vancouver International Film Festival each autumn. I arrive ready to be surprised, and this year I left buzzing with admiration and a little cheeky impatience. VIFF does so much right—bold programming, engaged audiences, and volunteers who are endlessly patient and delightful—but I keep thinking the festival could push harder to claim the international spotlight it deserves.

Give Us More “In Conversation With”

Imagine intimate evenings of “In Conversation With” where talents unpack careers and craft. TIFF has perfected this format; VIFF has the access. We are Hollywood North, and we should invite stars—even just a few—to sit down and get vulnerable on stage. A single headline conversation could shift perception and draw a wider crowd.

Filmmakers, Front and Centre

This year’s expansion of Q&As was a revelation. Director talks and editor panels, including contributions from local creatives like Pillion editor Gareth C. Scales, added incredible value. When filmmakers explain their choices, audiences watch with new eyes. That dialogue is festival gold and deepens appreciation for the art form.

New Venues, New Vibes

Granville Island Stage and Alliance Française felt like fresh breaths for VIFF. Excellent projection, crisp sound, easy access, and ample free parking made screenings more enjoyable. Spreading beyond downtown proves that accessibility and quality can coexist, and that the festival can belong to the whole city.

Outstanding Selections

This year’s lineup was nothing short of spectacular. VIFF delivered a cinematic buffet that satisfied every taste—from international award winners to homegrown gems that made audiences proud.

The festival showcased global prestige titles, including It Was Just an Accident, this year’s Palme d’Or winner, alongside other Cannes favourites like Pillion, Sentimental Value, Sound of Falling, Young Mothers, and The Secret Agent. Each screening drew film lovers eager to see the stories that captivated Europe’s biggest festival.

Prizewinners from other circuits, such as If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, kept the energy high and proved that VIFF continues to attract films with critical acclaim and festival pedigree. For those who crave the glitz of Hollywood, the program delivered too—After the Hunt, Wake Up: A Knives Out Mystery, and Jay Kelly offered big-name casts and crowd-pleasing spectacle without overshadowing the artistry of smaller films.

International cinema made a powerful impression with buzzworthy titles like Kokuho, The Things You Kill, Left-Handed Girl, A Private Life, and Rental Family, complemented by a thoughtfully curated spotlight on Korean film that reflected the region’s growing global influence.

And of course, no VIFF would be complete without celebrating Canadian storytelling. Highlights included John Candy: I Like Me—a heartfelt exploration of a beloved national treasure—alongside Mile End Kicks, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, and Steal Away, each proving that homegrown talent continues to resonate both here and abroad.

My Top 3 Films at VIFF 2025

Nouvelle Vague (Dir. Richard Linklater)

viff, ritchie po, vancouver film festival, helen siwak, folioyvr, vancouver, bc, yvr
Leave it to Linklater to craft a film that feels like a love letter to cinema itself. Exploring the creation of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless, the film captures that renegade spirit of filmmaking—chaotic, driven, and full of life. Guillaume Marbeck as Godard is mesmerizing, while Zoey Deutch’s Jean Seberg balances him perfectly. It is not just a movie about making movies; it is about passion, ego, and artistry colliding.

No Other Choice (Dir. Park Chan-wook)

viff, ritchie po, vancouver film festival, helen siwak, folioyvr, vancouver, bc, yvr This outrageous black comedy from South Korea is equal parts hysterical and horrifying. Lee Byung-hun gives one of the performances of the year, playing a man whose layoff spirals into chaos. Park Chan-wook and Canadian co-writer Don McKellar craft something both funny and devastating—a satire that hits hard because it feels so real.

Blue Moon (Dir. Richard Linklater)

Yes, another Linklater! This intimate chamber drama set in old Hollywood glows with melancholy charm. Ethan Hawke delivers a career-best performance as lyricist Lorenz Hart, grappling with jealousy and self-destruction in the shadow of his former partner’s success.

Until Next Year, VIFF

A final shout-out to the volunteers—the true heart of the festival—who kept everything running smoothly and always had a smile. VIFF 2025 reminded me why I adore this event: it is accessible, ambitious, and packed with talent. With a few strategic additions—star conversations, more filmmaker presence, and continued venue expansion—this festival could be irresistible. Congratulations to VIFF on a compelling 44th edition; I cannot wait for the 45th. I will see you in line for popcorn.

Author Profile

Ritchie Po, Correspondent: Ritchie Po is a privacy consultant, cybersecurity lawyer, and AI ethics advisor passionate about the intersections of technology, creativity, and culture. Ritchie is also a cineaste who draws inspiration from his love of music and figure skating—often fuelled by the avant-garde genius of Björk.