Award-winning films you can't miss at Vancouver International Film Festival
Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) is coming up fast from Oct. 1 to 11, and there are plenty of award-winning films that movie lovers won’t want to miss out on.
One of the largest film festivals in North America, VIFF 2026 will showcase approximately 160 features from around the world.
Movie-goers can also enjoy insightful talkbacks, live performances, and other special events throughout the cinema celebration.
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The films being presented during the festival include provocative documentaries, elevated genre films, and more from across B.C., Canada, and the globe.
To get you ready for this year’s festival and to help fill out your viewing schedule, here are some of the award-winning films to check out at this year’s VIFF.
Nina Roza
Nina Roza (VIFF)
Nina Roza, by writer-director Geneviève Dulude-De Celles, tells the story of Mihail, a contemporary art expert living in Montreal since he left Bulgaria with his daughter nearly three decades prior. He returns to his home country when he is hired to authenticate the work of a young painting prodigy.
Dulude-De Celles won the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay at the 76th Berlinale, and the film will represent Canada in the nomination process for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards.
Fruit Gathering
Fruit Basket (VIFF)
Fruit Gathering is an exploration of desire in a conservative society, introducing audiences to two working-class women who fall in love in modern-day Myanmar.
The Grand Prix – Crystal Globe-winning film at the 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival by writer-director Aung Phyoe asks: is their love real, or a result of desperation?
Yo (Love is a Rebellious Bird)
Anna Fitch and Banker White’s Yo (Love is a Rebellious Bird) is a documentary that blends vérité interviews with puppet, animal, and insect actors, as well as collage art and time-lapse nature photography.
The winner of the Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution at the 76th Berlinale, the film Yo (Love is a Rebellious Bird) is a tribute to a generational friendship and an exploration of grief and mortality.
Aanikoobijigan [Ancestor/Great-Grandparent/Great-Grandchild]
Aanikoobijigan (VIFF)
Aanikoobijigan, winner of the Audience Award: NEXT at Sundance 2026. is described as a film shaped by themes of memory, dignity, and a duty of care.
The film showcases Indigenous repatriation specialists who work to bring the remains and funerary objects of Ancestors home from institutional collections.
La Bola Negra
La Bola Negra (VIFF)
Acclaimed writer-director duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi’s second feature gives an unfinished Lorca play an exciting modern, queer makeover.
The Oscar-buzzy La Bola Negra expertly weaves three timelines and three gay protagonists across 1937, 1932, and 2017 into a confident and richly crafted take that was nominated for the Palme d’Or and won the Best Director Prize at Cannes.
Movie-goers can also experience Vanguard, the festival’s only competitive international feature section, showcasing eight narrative and hybrid films by rising filmmakers from around the globe.
“Vanguard is where the Canadian audience can get a first look at the work and artists that are gaining traction in the festival world and are poised to make a significant mark on arthouse and indie cinema,” said Vanguard Curator Sonja Baksa in a statement.
“Playing mostly at the VIFF Theatre and The Cinematheque, venues that bring together local and regional cinephiles, the films in the section reflect the cinematic finesse, experimentation and formal excellence that film connoisseurs are hungry for.”
The eight narrative and hybrid films are competing at VIFF for the $5,000 cash prize presented by the Lochmaddy Foundation.
Vancouver International Film Festival 2026
When: Thursday, Oct. 1 to Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026
Time: Various times
Where: Various locations
Tickets: Single tickets range from $17 to $22 for regular screenings, with ticket packs and festival passes also available. Purchase online
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