"As one of the largest film festivals in North America, VIFF concerns itself with building the right audience for accepted movie makers..." - MovieMaker

In 2019, VIFF will screen more than 180 features and 80 shorts in a multi-venue showcase of exceptional films from around the world. VIFF takes great pride in championing international cinema's most exciting new voices, offering diverse, progressive programming, fostering enlightening dialogue and hosting the world’s largest showcase of contemporary Canadian cinema. Kore-eda Hirokazu (Shoplifters), Sean Baker (The Florida Project) and Maren Ade (Toni Erdmann) are but a few of the now-renowned filmmakers who attended VIFF early in their careers.

Furthermore, we’ll once again expand the frame to include talks, workshops, performances and other unique Films+ events that celebrate innovations in screen-based storytelling. At VIFF's 2018 edition, these events included creator talks with the likes of Jean-Marc Vallée (Sharp Objects) and Michael Schur (The Good Place), a VR/AR immersive exhibition, four conferences and Wu-Tang Clan's RZA performing a live score for the kung fu classic The 36th Chamber of Shaolin.

FILM PROGRAMMING STREAMS

Panorama - The world's boldest creators and their exceptional works. The year's most anticipated international films and new discoveries curated specifically for VIFF audiences.

Sea To Sky - A showcase of the inspired works emerging from the creative nexus that is British Columbia.

True North - A celebration of the extraordinary creativity and craft being demonstrated by Canadian storytellers from coast to coast.

Impact - Uncompromising films and insightful discussions that spark action and change the way we see the world.

Gateway - Journey into the cinematic reaches of East Asia with some of the world's most compelling storytellers as your guides.

M/A/D - Music, art and design receive their deserved big-screen treatment in this aesthetically alluring stream.

ALT - Genre-bending features that defy traditional classification and creators who push short form storytelling to its limits.

VIRTUAL & MIXED REALITY COMPETITION STREAMS

The International VIFF Immersed Competition rewards creative achievement in commercially distributable virtual and mixed reality storytelling from live-action, documentary and animation.

Best in Cinematic Live-Action, Virtual or Mixed Reality - Narrative immersive experiences created from the live-action capture of human participants using camera or volumetric methods that exemplify works of narrative fiction.

Best in Animation, Virtual or Mixed Reality - Narrative immersive experiences in animation created using original crafted artwork to embody the characters, setting and objects of its story.

Best in Documentary, Virtual or Mixed Reality - Narrative immersive experiences created to document and explore an aspect of the real world.

Awards & Prizes

Awards for 2019 Vancouver International Film Festival will be announced in the spring.

At the 2018 edition, VIFF presented the following awards:

Sea to Sky Award
Presented by TELUS, this award recognizes the outstanding work of one female key creative on a BC-produced feature or short. The significant $20,000CAD prize money can be used for a future production or towards customized training that will further advance the creator's career.

Best BC Film
$10,000CAD from Creative BC and $15,000CAD in post-production services credit supplied by Encore (Deluxe Ent Services Group). This award is open to narrative features.

BC Emerging Filmmaker Award
$7,500CAD cash prize sponsored by the Union of BC Performers/ACTRA and Actra Fraternal Benefits Society plus a $10,000CAD equipment credit supplied by William F. White International Inc. This award is open to narrative features.

Best Canadian Film
$10,000CAD award presented by the Directors Guild of Canada. This award is open to narrative features.

Emerging Canadian Director
$2,000CAD award presented by the Directors Guild of Canada. This award is open to narrative features.

Best Canadian Documentary
$15,000CAD award presented by the Rogers Group of Funds.

Best BC Short Film
$5,000CAD cash prize presented by VIFF.

Best Canadian Short Film
$15,000CAD colour grading and/or VFX services credit supplied by Side Street Post.

Most Promising Director of a Canadian Short Film
$2,000CAD presented by Gary Harvey and a round-trip flight anywhere Delta Air Lines flies.

VIFF Impact Award
$5,000CAD presented by the Lochmaddy Foundation to an international documentary playing in the Impact competition.

Super Channel People’s Choice Award
VIFF festival-goers will determine the winner of the Super Channel People’s Choice Award, with post-screening balloting also determining the winner of several other audience awards.

Rules & Terms

RULES & TERMS FOR FILMS

ELIGIBILITY AND ENTRY
1) Submitted films must not have been broadcast, distributed, offered on VOD or screened commercially in the Vancouver area. VIFF will consider short films that have been made available online.
2) Films should have been completed after June 1, 2018.
3) All non-English language submissions must have English subtitles.
4) All applicable licenses and waivers of copyrights, moral rights, trademarks and other such intellectual property rights have been secured by the filmmaker(s)
5) Submission fees are non-refundable.
6) Preview DVDs will not be returned.
7) Entries from outside Canada must be clearly marked: “FOR FESTIVAL PREVIEW ONLY. NO COMMERCIAL VALUE."

PRESENTATION
Accepted feature films for the Festival can be exhibited on DCP and in 35mm formats with optical or magnetic soundtracks. Short films can be exhibited on DCP. The dates, times, and locations of screenings of selected films is at the discretion of the festival.

SHIPPING
1. Once a film has been accepted for participation in the Festival, detailed shipping instructions will be sent to the print supplier.
2. The Festival agrees to cover transportation and insuring prints both ways directly to and from the actual print supplier, or to cover one-way transportation when the print is shipped to or from other festivals.
3. Each print sent to the Festival from outside of Canada enters the country on a Canada Customs "Duty Free Temporary Admissions Permit" and must be returned after the Festival.

LIABILITY
In the case of loss or serious damage to a print or DCP, the obligation of the Festival is limited to compensating the producer or distributor only to the cost of making a new print or DCP.

CONSENT
Participation in the Vancouver International Film Festival implies understanding and acceptance of these regulations:
1) Vancouver International Film Festival is hereby granted the right to utilize an excerpt from any film submitted and accepted for exhibition at the Festival for promotional purposes.
2) The individual or corporation submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations.
3) The submitter shall indemnify and hold harmless Vancouver International Film Festival from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered.

RULES & TERMS FOR VIRTUAL AND MIXED REALITY CONTENT

GENERAL ELIGIBILITY PARAMETERS

1) BC Showcase. Must be story driven narratives in cinematic, documentary or animation. The creative team must be based within the provincial borders of British Columbia.

2) Animation. Projects must be story driven narratives.

3) Live Action. While backgrounds and environments may be CGI or animation actors must be captured from live action.

4) Documentary. Projects must be primarily live action and story driven narratives.
Although premieres are encouraged and welcomed, there is no premiere requirement for virtual or mixed reality projects.

5) Projects may or may not have distribution but must be capable and available for commercial distribution.

6) Projects may be available for free or for purchase via any commercial distribution platform.

7) All applicable licenses and waivers of copyrights, moral rights, trademarks and other such intellectual property rights have been secured by the filmmaker(s)

8) Projects may have been exhibited at other film festivals or trade shows.

9) The entry fee is non-refundable.

10) Entries from outside Canada must be clearly marked: “FOR FESTIVAL PREVIEW ONLY. NO COMMERCIAL VALUE."

11) VIFF maintains the sole right to determine if submissions meet the eligibility requirements in each category

TERMS AND CONDITIONS


PRESENTATION
Accepted immersive projects for the Festival must be capable of being exhibited on commercially available platforms such as: Oculus (Go, Quest, Rift), HTC (Vive Pro, Focus), Google (Cardboard, Daydream), Samsung (Gear VR, Odyssey), PC Based Mixed Reality HMD’s (Microsoft, Acer, Lenovo Mirage). . The dates, times, and locations of screenings of selected films is at the discretion of the Festival.

SHIPPING
Once a project has been accepted for participation in the Festival, detailed uploading instructions will be sent to the applicant.

LIABILITY
In the case of loss or serious damage to exhibition equipment, the Festival is not obligated to replacement of said equipment.

CONSENT
Participation in the Vancouver International Film Festival implies understanding and acceptance of these regulations.

Vancouver International Film Festival is hereby granted the right to utilize an excerpt from any film submitted and accepted for exhibition at the Festival for promotional purposes.

The individual or corporation submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations.

The submitter shall indemnify and hold harmless Vancouver International Film Festival from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered.