Major international film competition returns to VIFF this fall
This year’s highly anticipated Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) is happening from Oct. 1 to 11, and there is a major global film competition that fans can enjoy at the festivities
One of the largest film festivals in North America, VIFF 2026 will showcase approximately 160 features from around the world.
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.
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“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.
The competition includes titles making their Canadian, North American, or international debut.
That Shadow Feeling
That Shadow Feeling
That Shadow Feeling is a moving drama by Samuel Urbina about a single mother about to become an empty nester as her son gets ready to move away after graduating college.
Hearing
Director Bảo Lê’s feature debut reveals the life of a middle-aged mechanic whose work involves installing decibel meters across public spaces.
Lady
The feature debut of Olive Nwosu welcomes audiences to ride along with a young taxi driver who reluctantly begins working as a chauffeur for a group of sex workers during their nighttime visits across Lagos.
Forest High
Forest High
Manon Coubia’s Forest High follows three caretakers high in the northern Alps who take turns caring for a mountain lodge as hikers come and go.
Lust
Lust is Ralitza Petrova’s follow-up to her Golden Leopard–winning debut, and tells the tale of a prison psychologist whose routine falls apart when she must travel to Bulgaria to settle the affairs of her late, estranged father.
I Plant My Hand in the Garden
Directors Boris Hadžija and Hoda Taheri, a newly married couple from Serbia and Iran, respectively, start their new lives together in Berlin. However, they refuse to be defined by societal expectations as they await the birth of their child.
Hear the Yellow
Suna returns to her native Anatolian village for a nephew’s wedding in Banu Sıvacı’s Hear the Yellow, but the mysterious circumstances of her sister’s disappearance still weigh heavily on the small community.
Ana, En Passant
Ana, En Passant
Director Fernanda Salgado’s feature debut is a lyrical animated drama about a young Black woman going to her late grandmother’s hometown in Brazil to learn about her family’s legacy.
Ana, En Passant is also the first animated feature to ever play in the section since its introduction in 2022.
Check out the full Vanguard schedule online.
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
Daily Hive is a proud media sponsor of the Vancouver International Film Festival
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