VIFF Announces 2025 Festival Lineup

VIFF ANNOUNCES 2025 FESTIVAL LINEUP

44th Vancouver International Film Festival
October 2 – 12, 2025

Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) presents its 44th edition next month. The 2025 festival will feature more than 435 screenings, singular VIFF Live performances, VIFF Talks with top international creatives, a robust Artist & Industry program, and many more celebrations of film culture.

VIFF will officially open with acclaimed director Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague, a rousing dramatization of the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless, one of the first films marking the start of the French New Wave. Linklater’s comedy-drama follows Godard (Guillaume Marbeck) as he embarks on the production of this classic film with American starlet Jean Seberg (Zoey Deutch) and boxer Jean Paul Belmondo (Aubry Dullin).

The festival will close with Ido Fluk’s Köln 75, which follows 16-year-old music promoter Vera Brandes’s (Mala Emde) rebellious determination to organize the now famous 1975 concert that later became Keith Jarrett’s The Köln Concert, the best-selling solo jazz recording and piano album of all time. VIFF’s closing gala will feature a live performance by the versatile pianist and composer Chris Gestrin.

This year’s program also features several notable initiatives. A special Spotlight on Korea will feature new films by Park Chan-wook (No Other Choice) and Hong Sangsoo (the Canadian premiere of What Does That Nature Say to You), as well as seven films from directors to watch, including three world premieres. Deepening the long tradition of Korean cinema as a cornerstone of VIFF programming, the Spotlight program will welcome the seven emerging directors to Vancouver.

As his WTF Podcast winds down, VIFF will feature An Evening with Marc Maron, for a special screening of Are We Good? with an extended Q&A with the internationally acclaimed comedian and podcast host.

Acclaimed Canadian director Matthew Rankin (Universal Language) serves as guest curator for this year’s Leading Lights section. Rankin’s selection of international films that influenced his career include works by Chantal Akerman, Aki Kaurismäki, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, and Elia Suleiman.

The lineup will also feature a number of significant premieres of some of the fall’s buzziest titles, including the Canadian premieres of Jim Jarmusch’s Father Mother Sister Brother, Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly, and Paolo Sorrentino’s La Grazia. The festival will also showcase every major award-winner from the Cannes competition, including Jafar Panahi’s Palme d’Or winner It Was Just an Accident; Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value; and the North American premiere of Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne’s Young Mothers.

VIFF will once again platform a wealth of feature films produced or co-produced in British Columbia, including world premieres for Mayumi Yoshida’s Akashi, Jennifer Chiu’s Clan of the Painted Lady, Kent Donguines’ Treasure of the Rice Terraces, Jenn Strom’s The Painted Life of E.J. Hughes, and Bryce Hodgson’s Thanks to the Hard Work of the Elephants.

The 2025 edition’s expanded festival footprint will screen roughly 170 feature films and 100 shorts on 13 screens in 10 Vancouver venues, including two new cultural partnership locations in the form of the Granville Island Stage (Arts Club Theatre Company) and the Alliance Française. Nearly 130 titles will have premiere statuses, including 26 world premieres.

“In a world grappling with tension and austerity, it’s a privilege to be at VIFF during a period of optimism and ascendence.” says Kyle Fostner, Executive Director. “The growth we’ve seen over recent years is remarkable. We’re preparing to host more than 110,000 patrons over 11 packed days. We have 20 percent more screenings, in new theatres and new neighborhoods. Our programming team continues to expand, with top-tier curators from around the world bringing fresh perspectives. And, our special connection to BC’s film and television industry continues to grow with new programs and initiatives designed to strengthen careers and further business development. It’s such a joy to be part of a festival on the rise, and to host this momentous celebration of film and film culture.”

VIFF Board Chair Am Johal adds: “We cannot wait to share with the cinema-loving community in Vancouver and beyond the incredible program put together by this year’s team of staff and volunteers. This is a festival built on passion, and it shows.”

Director of Programming Curtis Woloschuk says: “This year’s festival will be bookended by two incredible films that explore epic artistic endeavours: Godard’s Breathless and Jarrett’s The Köln Concert. It’s a chance for audiences to both get caught up in the intoxicating rush of creating art and honour the sheer determination that’s often required to stage an event of enduring cultural significance.”

In addition to the film program, audiences can also look forward to five events as part of VIFF Live, which pushes the boundaries of traditional film festival programming by intersecting cinema culture with music in unique live shows. VIFF Talks bring together industry leaders who share insights into some of today’s most popular and acclaimed films and series. This year, VIFF’s Artist & Industry program embraces the theme “Create. Connect. Transform,” opening doors to lasting collaborations and celebrating cinema as a collective art form enriched by cultural diversity and shared vision. As part of the Spotlight film program, the Industry Days will explore opportunities for co-productions between Canada and Korea, while also highlighting bold new approaches to documentary and animation filmmaking. VIFF Amp returns to examine the essential role of music in film and expands into animation and video games — fostering new talent and strengthening connections between composers and directors. Signals Creative Tech Expo, co-presented by VIFF and DigiBC, takes place from Oct. 3–12 and explores our connection to land, history, and human rights while confronting issues from authoritarianism to AI ethics.

Tickets are on sale now to VIFF+ Members at viff.org, and on sale to the public from Aug. 28 at 12pm (noon) PDT. Single tickets are $21 for regular screenings and Special Presentations. Ticket packs are available in six and 10 packs. VIFF+ Members enjoy discounts on all VIFF tickets and the free U25 membership offers further discounts to youth between 19 and 25 years of age.

For complete VIFF 2025 programming, including Talks, Live, and Artist & Industry, click here.

Tickets and Information

Adult Ticket	$21
Senior Ticket	$19
Student/Youth	$16
Accessible	$16
VIFF+ Members	$18
VIFF+ Premium/Patron/U25	$16
Ticket Pack of 6	$120 / $105 VIFF+ / $95 Premium/Patron/U25
Ticket Pack of 10	$180 / $160 VIFF+ / $145 Premium/Patron/U25
Student 6 Pack	$95
Student 10 Pack	$145
Senior 6 Pack	$110
Senior 10 Pack	$165
Festival Pass	$475
Platinum Pass	$1,300
Artist & Industry Pass	$195
Artist & Industry Premium Pass	$475
VIFF Talks	Various
VIFF Live	Various
Signals	$35 plus fees and taxes

More ticket details at viff.org/ticket-info.

To explore VIFF’s complete 2025 programming, visit viff.org.

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About VIFF | viff.org

Beyond film exhibitions, VIFF strives to engage and empower communities, encourage dialogue and champion local artists. With decades of experience and an unwavering commitment to creating exceptional programs, VIFF has transformed into a highly esteemed annual festival and a premier arthouse cinema.

Founded in 1982, the Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society is a not-for-profit cultural society and federally registered charitable organization that operates the internationally acclaimed Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) and the year-round programming at the VIFF Centre. All year, VIFF produces screenings, talks, conferences and events that act as a catalyst for the community to discover the creativity and craft of storytelling on screen.

VIFF is presented on the traditional and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil‑Waututh) Nations.