The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for two weeks in late September and early October. The festival began in 1982 and is operated by the Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society, a provincially registered non-profit, and federally registered charitable organization.
Both in terms of admissions, and number of films screened, (144,000 and 349 respectively in 2014), VIFF is among the five largest film festivals in North America. The festival screens films annually from approximately 80 countries on 10 screens. The international line-up includes the pick of the world’s top film festivals and many lesser-known films.
Three main programming platforms make VIFF unique: The Festival screens the largest selection of East Asian films outside of that region; the Festival is one of the biggest showcases of Canadian film in the world; and VIFF has one of the largest nonfiction program outside of a Documentary Film Festival.
The Festival also manages the year-round programming at the Vancouver International Film Centre, Vancity Theatre and the Vancouver Film and Television Forum, a four-day conference supporting the Canadian film and television production industry.
Each year, the festival offers a number of juried and audience-voted awards. Select results from recent years:
Most Popular International Film: Bowling for Columbine by Michael Moore
Most Popular Canadian Film: Expecting by Deborah Day and Fix: The Story of an Addicted City by Nettie Wild
National Film Board Award for Best Documentary: Gambling, Gods and LSD by Peter Mettler
Most Popular International Film: Kamchatka by Marcelo Piñeyro
Most Popular Canadian Film: The Corporation by Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott
National Film Board Award for Best Documentary: Los Angeles Plays Itself by Thom Andersen
Most Popular International Film: Machuca by Andrés Wood
Most Popular Canadian Film: What Remains of Us by François Prévost and Hugo Latulippe and Being Caribou by Leanne Allison and Diana Wilson
National Film Board Award for Best Documentary: In the Realms of the Unreal by Jessica Yu
Best Young Canadian Director of a Short Film: Jennifer Calvert for Riverburn
Most Popular International Film: Go, See, and Become by Radu Mihăileanu
Most Popular Canadian Film: Eve and the Fire Horse by Julia Kwan
National Film Board Award for Best Documentary: A Particular Silence by Stefano Rulli
Most Popular International Film: The Lives of Others by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Most Popular Canadian Film: Mystic Ball by Greg Hamilton
National Film Board Award for Best Documentary: Have You Heard From Johannesburg? by Connie Field
Special Jury Prize: Radiant City by Gary Burns and Jim Brown
Vancity People's Choice Award for Most Popular Canadian Film: She's a Boy I Knew directed by Gwen Haworth
Rogers People's Choice Award for Most Popular International Film: Persepolis directed by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud
People's Choice Award for Most Popular International Nonfiction Film: Garbage Warrior directed by Oliver Hodge
Kyoto Planet "Climate for Change" Award: The Planet directed by Johan Söderberg, Michael Stenberg, and Linus Torell
Dragons and Tigers Award for Young Cinema: shared by Fujian Blue directed by Weng Shouming (Robin Weng) and Mid-Afternoon Barks directed by Zhang Yuedong
Citytv Western Canadian Feature Film Award: Normal directed by Carl Bessai
National Film Board of Canada Best Canadian Documentary Feature Award: Up the Yangtze directed by Yung Chang
Women In Film and Television Vancouver Artistic Merit Award: She's a Boy I Knew directed by Gwen Haworth
Most Promising Director of a Canadian Short Film: The Windfisherman directed by Anna McRoberts
Citytv Western Canada Feature Film Award: Fifty Dead Men Walking directed by Kari Skogland
VIFF Nonfiction Feature Award: Born Without directed by Eva Norvind
Most Promising Director of a Canadian Short Film: The Valet directed by Drew McCreadie
Women in Film & Television Vancouver Artistic Merit Award: Mothers & Daughters awarded to Tantoo Cardinal
International Film Guide Inspiration Award: Control Alt Delete directed by Cameron Labine
Rogers People's Choice Award: I've Loved You So Long (Il y a longtemps que je t'aime) directed by Philippe Claudel
documentary Audience Award: Throw Down Your Heart directed by Sascha Paladino
VIFF Most Popular Canadian Film Award: Mothers & Daughters directed by Carl Bessai
National Film Board's Most Popular Canadian Documentary Award: Fierce Light: When Spirit Meets Action directed by Velcrow Ripper
VIFF Environmental Film Audience Award: Blue Gold: World Water Wars directed by Sam Bozzo
Dragons & Tigers Award for Young Cinema: Perfect Life directed by Emily Tang
Canwest Award for Best Canadian Feature Film J'ai tué ma mère (I Killed My Mother) directed by Xavier Dolan
Most Promising Director of a Canadian Short Film: The Last Act directed by Jan Binsse and David Tougas
Women in Film & Television Vancouver Artistic Merit Award: 65 Redroses directed and produced by Nimisha Mukerji and Gillian Lowry
Rogers People's Choice Award: Soundtrack for a Revolution directed by Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman
documentary Audience Award for Most Popular Nonfiction Film: Facing Ali directed by Pete McCormack
VIFF Most Popular Canadian Film Award: 65 Redroses by Nimisha Mukerji & Philip Lyall
National Film Board's Most Popular Canadian Documentary Award: 65 Redroses by Nimisha Mukerji & Philip Lyall
VIFF Environmental Film Audience Award: At the Edge of the World directed by Dan Stone
Dragons & Tigers Award for Young Cinema: Eighteen directed by Jang Kun-jae
ET Canada Award for Best Canadian Feature Film Incendies directed by Denis Villeneuve
Most Promising Director of a Canadian Short Film Mokhtar, Directed by Halima Quardiri
Rogers People’s Choice Award Waste Land (UK,Brazil), Directed by Lucy Walker
VIFF Most Popular Nonfiction Film Award, Kinshasa Symphony (Germany), directed by Claus Wischmann and Martin Baer
VIFF Most Popular Canadian Film Award, Two Indians Talking, directed by Sara McIntyre
NFB Most Popular Canadian Documentary Award, Leave Them Laughing, directed by John Zaritsky
VIFF Environmental Film Audience Award, Force Of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie (Canada), directed by Sturla Gunnarsson
Dragons & Tigers Award for Young Cinema, Good Morning To The World (Japan), directed by Hirohara Satoru
Shaw Media Award for Best Canadian Feature Film ($20,000 prize) – Nuit #1, Anne Émond (Canada)
Dragons & Tigers Award for Young Cinema, presented by Brad Birarda & Robert Sali ($10,000 prize) – The Sun-Beaten Path, Sonthar Gyal (China)
Most Promising Director of a Canadian Short Film Award ($2,000 prize) – We Ate the Children Last, Andrew Cividino (Canada)
Rogers People’s Choice Award – A Separation, Asghar Farhadi (Iran)
VIFF Most Popular Nonfiction Film Award – Sing Your Song, Susanne Rostock (USA)
VIFF Most Popular Canadian Film Award – Starbuck, Ken Scott (Canada)
NFB Most Popular Canadian Documentary Award – Peace Out, Charles Wilkinson (Canada)
VIFF Environmental Film Audience Award – People of a Feather, Joel Heath (Canada)
Award for Best Canadian Feature Film ($10,000 prize) – Blackbird, Jason Buxton (Canada)
Dragons & Tigers Award for Young Cinema, presented by Brad Birarda ($5,000 prize) – Emperor Visits The Hell (Tang Huang You Difu), Li Luo (China)
Most Promising Director of a Canadian Short Film Award ($2,000 prize) – Float, Juan Riedinger (Canada)
Rogers People’s Choice Award – The Hunt, Thomas Vinterberg (Denmark)
VIFF Most Popular Canadian Film Award – Becoming Redwood, Jesse James Miller (Canada)
NFB Most Popular Canadian Documentary Award – Blood Relative, Nimisha Mukerji (Canada)
VIFF Most Popular International Documentary Film Award – Nuala, Patrick Farrelly and Kate O'Callaghan (Ireland)
VIFF Environmental Film Audience Award – Revolution, Rob Stewart (Canada)
VIFF Most Popular International First Feature Award – I, Anna, Barnaby Southcombe (UK)
Women in Film & Television Vancouver Artistic Merit Award: Liverpool directed and written by Manon Briand
Award for Best Canadian Feature Film ($5,000 prize each) – Rhymes for Young Ghouls, Jeff Barnaby (Canada) and That Burning Feeling, Jason James (Canada)
Dragons & Tigers Award for Young Cinema, presented by Brad Birarda ($5,000 prize) – Anatomy of a Paperclip, Ikeda Akira (Japan)
Most Promising Director of a Canadian Short Film Award ($2,000 prize) – Nathan, Mathieu Arsenault (Canada)
Rogers People’s Choice Award – Like Father, Like Son, Koreeda Hirokazu (Japan)
VIFF Most Popular Canadian Film Award – Down River, Ben Ratner (Canada)
VIFF Most Popular Canadian Documentary Award – When I Walk, Jason DaSilva (Canada)
VIFF Most Popular International Documentary Film Award – Desert Runners, Jennifer Steinman (USA)
VIFF Most Popular Canadian Environmental Documentary Award – Salmon Confidential, Twyla Roscovich (Canada)
VIFF Most Popular International First Feature Award – Wadjda, Haifaa al-Mansour (Germany, Saudi Arabia)
Women in Film & Television Vancouver Artistic Merit Award: Sarah Prefers to Run directed and written by Chloé Robichaud
Award for Best Canadian Film ($8,000 prize) – Violent, Andrew Huculiak (Canada)
Most Promising Director of a Canadian Short Film Award - The Cut, Geneviève Dulude-Decelles (Canada)
Rogers People’s Choice Award – The Vancouver Asahi, Ishii Yuya (Japan)
VIFF Most Popular Canadian Film Award – Preggoland, Jacob Tierney (Canada)
VIFF Most Popular Canadian Documentary Award – All the Time in the World, Suzanne Crocker (Canada)
VIFF Most Popular International Documentary Film Award – Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me, James Keach (USA)
VIFF BC Emerging Filmmaker Award - Sitting on the Edge of Marlene, Ana Valine (Canada)
VIFF Best BC Film Award - Violent, Andrew Huculiak (Canada)
VIFF Impact Award - Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story, Grant Baldwin (Canada)
VIFF Best New Director (international) - Miss and the Doctors, Axelle Ropert (France) and Rekorder, Mikhail Red (Philippines)
Women in Film & Television Vancouver Artistic Merit Award - Sitting on the Edge of Marlene, Ana Valine
The 34th annual Vancouver International Film Festival was held between September 24 to October 9, 2015. The VIFF Industry Conference – the premier media conference in Western Canada – runs from September 30 to October 3, 2015.
Rogers Peoples Choice Award - Brooklyn, John Crowley (UK, Ireland, Canada)
VIFF Most Popular International Documentary - Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words (Jag är Ingrid), Stig Björkman (Sweden)
VIFF Most Popular Canadian Feature - Room, Lenny Abrahamson (Ireland, Canada)
VIFF Most Popular Canadian Documentary - Haida Gwaii: On the Edge of the World, Charles Wilkinson (Canada)
VIFF Impact: International Audience Award - Landfill Harmonic, Brad Allgood and Graham Townsley (USA, Paraguay)
VIFF Impact: Canadian Audience Award - Fractured Land, Damien Gillis and Fiona Rayher (Canada)
Women in Film+Television Artistic Merit Award - Ninth Floor, Mina Shum (Canada)
The 35th annual Vancouver International Film Festival was held between September 29 to October 14, 2016.
Ignite Award - Cabbie, Jessica Parsons and Jennifer Chiu (Canada)
Best BC Short Film Award - Here Nor There, Julia Hutchings (Canada)
Best BC Film Award - Window Horses (The Poetic Persian Epiphany of Rosie Ming), Ann Marie Fleming (Canada)
BC Emerging Filmmaker Award - Hello Destroyer, Kevan Funk (Canada)
Best Canadian Film - Window Horses (The Poetic Persian Epiphany of Rosie Ming), Ann Marie Fleming (Canada)
Best Canadian Short Film - Those Who Remains (Ceux qui restent), Mathiu Vachon (Canada)
Most Promising Director of a Canadian Short Film - Parent, Teacher, Roman Tchjen (Canada)
Emerging Canadian Director - Never Eat Alone, Sofia Bohdanowicz (Canada)
Best Canadian Documentary - Living With Giants (Chez les géants), Sebastien Rist and Aude Leroux-Lévesque (Canada)
VIFF IMPACT Award - Power to Change—The Energy Rebellion (Power to Change - Die Energie Rebellion), Carl-A. Fechner (Germany)
VIFF Super Channel People’s Choice Award - Maudie, Aisling Walsh (Canada, Ireland)
Most Popular International Feature - I, Daniel Blake, Ken Loach (United Kingdom, France, Belgium)
Most Popular International Documentary - Human, Yann Arthus-Bertrand (France)
Most Popular Canadian Documentary - Spirit Unforgettable, Pete McCormack (Canada)
