Just announced: Vancouver International Film Festival 2024 lineup

The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) has announced the lineup for its 43rd edition.

Running Sept. 26-Oct. 6 on 10 screens around the city, the festival this year boasts 150 features (including more than 70 premieres) and 81 shorts.

“This is one of our deepest and most vibrant lineups in years,” said VIFF director of programming Curtis Woloschuk in a statement. “Every time I review the selections and schedule, I’m reminded of how many difficult choices our audiences will have to make over the course of our 11 days. Fortunately for them, there are rewards awaiting on every screen. I cannot wait for them to experience these films.”

VIFF will officially open this year with a screening of Ari’s Theme by local filmmakers Jeff Lee Petry and Nathan Drillot. The feature documentary is about B.C. composer Ari Kinarthy, who lives with spinal muscular atrophy.

The film follows Kinarthy as he sets out to create music that will capture his life. Members of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra live score select passages within the film.

The festival will close with Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez. The musical which was a hit at Cannes Film Festival back in the spring sees a Mexico City defence attorney (Zoe Saldana) enlisted to manage the affairs of a drug lord (Karla Sofía Gascón) who is now completing gender affirmation surgery. Renamed Emilia Pérez, the former drug lord sets out to right wrongs and reconnect with her wife Jessi (Selena Gomez) and children.

This year’s VIFF is also packed with star power as bold type names including Nicole Kidman, Antonio Banderas, Samuel L. Jackson, Barry Keoghan, Michael Shannon, Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci all have films screening at the festival. The 2024 festival will also feature dozens of filmmaker Q&A’s, talks with top creatives, live performances, artist and industry development programs, parties, and other celebrations of film culture.

“VIFF is an overflowing, multi-dimensional, full-tilt celebration of film and film culture,” said Kyle Fostner, VIFF’s executive director in a statement. “We’re very excited to share this year’s expansive and sensorially rich program with Vancouver. From an extraordinary film lineup to our unique series of live performances, nurturing artist and industry development programs to the cutting-edge storytelling happening in creative technology, VIFF is a platform for diverse voices and artistic visionaries. Whether you’re looking to discover emerging talent, to become part of the cultural conversation, or are just here to feel the warm glow of cinema, VIFF truly has something for everyone.”

Tickets are on sale now to VIFF+ Members at viff.org, and go on sale to the public from Aug. 29 at 12 p.m. You can view the full VIFF lineup at viff.org.

VIFF’s Special Presentations films are below:  All We Imagine as Light – dir. Payal Kapadia (France/India/Netherlands/Luxembourg) Anora – dir. Sean Baker (USA) Bird – dir. Andrea Arnold (U.K./USA/France/Germany) Can I Get a Witness? – dir. Ann Marie Fleming (Canada) | B.C. Feature Conclave – dir. Edward Berger (USA/U.K.) The End – dir. Joshua Oppenheimer (Denmark/Germany/Ireland/Italy/U.K./Sweden) The Girl With the Needle – dir. Magnus von Horn (Denmark/Poland/Sweden) I’m Still Here – dir. Walter Salles (Brazil/France) My Favourite Cake – dirs. Maryam Moghaddam, Behtash Sanaeeha (Iran/France/Sweden/Germany) Nightbitch – dir. Marielle Heller (USA) The Piano Lesson – dir. Malcolm Washington (USA) Rumours – dirs. Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson (Canada/Germany) The Seed of the Sacred Fig – dir. Mohammad Rasoulof (Iran/France/Germany) The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal – dir. Mike Downie (Canada)