Must-see films to check out at Vancouver International Film Festival
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This year’s highly anticipated Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) is happening from September 26 to October 6, and there is so much to see and do.
One of the largest film festivals in North America, VIFF 2024 will showcase approximately 150 feature films and 81 shorts 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 and documentaries being presented during the festival include provocative documentaries, elevated genre films, and more from across BC, 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 must-see films to check out this year, as curated by Curtis Woloschuk, VIFF programming director.
Eephus
Eephus/Submitted
Director Carson Lund takes the viewer to a small town in New England where a recreational baseball league gathers to play the final championship game on their local diamond before it is demolished. Be ready for more than a sports movie, as Eephus is a tribute to America’s favourite pastime and an elegy for the dying of the light.
The Heirloom
A struggling filmmaker and his girlfriend adopt a traumatized rescue dog during the COVID lockdown, but their relationship strains beneath the weight of responsibility for the dog’s anxiety and health issues. Luckily for us, writer-director Ben Petrieto decided to shoot a movie about it, which is being described as a “perfect mix of quarantine comedy, dog movie, and boldly meta autofiction.”
Grand Theft Hamlet
Grand Theft Hamlet/Submitted
Two out-of-work actors mount a production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet in the chaotic online world of GTA V. Go behind the scenes on the journey of Grand Theft Hamlet, from the auditions to performance, in this unique film by directors Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane.
Seeds
An exploration of contemporary urban life by director Kaniehtiio Horn. Salih joins an app-based motorcycle taxi driving service after he loses his job and his middle-class life with his wife and six-year-old son is thrown into danger. The domestic drama and absurdist comedy ramps up when his bike, Rosinante, goes missing one day.
Pierce
Pierce/Submitted
Pierce is a suspenseful drama about Zijie, a teenage fencing enthusiast with a cloud of uncertainty hanging overhead. His big brother Zihan claims he was wrongly convicted of murder, but their mother insists he is a killer. Who can he believe? Decide for yourself in the highly anticipated film by Nelicia Low.
VIFF 2024 opens with Ari’s Theme, a documentary by local filmmakers Jeff Lee Petry and Nathan Drillot, about BC composer Ari Kinarthy, who lives with spinal muscular atrophy. The moving live performance will feature eight members of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra live scoring select passages.
The closing film is Emilia Pérez by Jacques Audiard, a highly anticipated musical that won the Jury Prize and Best Actress Award at Cannes, the latter being shared by the ensemble cast.
A.R. Rahman (Vancouver Symphony Orchestra)
Recently announced is An Evening with A.R. Rahman: Stories and Music from His Career. The two-time Oscar-winning composer and songwriter will join VIFF and the VSO for a keynote and performance at the Orpheum on Saturday, October 5.
VIFF will also host the BC premiere of The Tragically Hip – No Dress Rehearsal documentary series at the Vancouver Playhouse on Saturday, September 28. Mike Downie, brother of late bandleader Gord Downie and director of No Dress Rehearsal, will be in attendance, as will members of the iconic band.
Vancouver International Film Festival 2024
When: September 26 to October 6, 2024
Time: Various times
Where: Various locations
Tickets: Single tickets range from $14 to $19, with ticket packs and festival passes also available. VIFF+ Members receive discounts on all VIFF tickets, and the free U25 membership offers additional discounts to those between the ages of 19 and 25. Purchase online.
Daily Hive is a proud media sponsor of the Vancouver International Film Festival
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