VANCOUVER, BC (AUGUST 6, 2025) – The 44th Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF), running October 2–12, 2025, has unveiled six official selections, new programming team members, and festival pass details, setting the stage for an exhilarating cinematic celebration. On August 7, VIFF Members’ Early Bird Day grants members advance ticket access, with regular passes, ticket packs, and VIFF Live tickets available to the public starting August 8 at 12 PM.
This year’s lineup highlights include Canadian premieres of What Does That Nature Say to You by South Korean auteur Hong Sangsoo, a poetic exploration of family and connection, and Dracula by Romanian provocateur Radu Jude, an audacious, AI-assisted reimagining of the vampire myth. Also featured are Miroirs No. 3 by German master Christian Petzold, and three award-winners: The Blue Trail (dir. Gabriel Mascaro, Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize, Berlinale), If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (dir. Mary Bronstein, Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance, Berlinale), and Seeds (dir. Brittany Shyne, US Grand Jury Prize: Documentary, Sundance).
©Miroirs No. 3 from Germany
Following a triumphant 2024, VIFF has expanded by 20% with additional screenings and two new venues: the Arts Club Theatre’s Granville Island Stage and Alliance Française. “These initial selections showcase the caliber of our program and hint at our focus on South American cinema, documentaries, and Korean films,” says Curtis Woloschuk, Director of Programming. The expanded programming team includes new members like Ana Belén Asfura, Director of Artist & Industry Programs, a Chilean-Palestinian producer fostering international collaboration and innovative storytelling.
The 2025 Artist & Industry Program emphasizes filmmaker support through panels, workshops, and new initiatives in documentary, animation, and creative business. “We’re positioning VIFF as a hub where technology meets storytelling,” Asfura notes, highlighting programs like the VIFF Amp Music in Media Summit and Signals Digital Expo. Notable talents, including Lisa Azille (KPop Demon Hunters, Netflix Animation) and Tammy Glover (Sparks, Sony Pictures TV), will participate.
JUST ANNOUNCED – MORE DETAILS:
- The Blue Trail dir. Gabriel Mascaro (Brazil/Mexico/Chile/Netherlands) – Winner: Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize, Berlinale 2025 – To maximize economic productivity, the government orders the elderly to relocate to distant housingcolonies. Tereza 77 refuses, instead embarking on a journey through the Amazon that will change her destiny forever.
- Dracula dir. Radu Jude (Romania/Austria/Luxembourg/Brazil) | Canadian Premiere – A Dracula film made in Transylvania. What does it contain? A vampire hunt. Zombies and Dracula crashing a strike. A science-fiction story about Vlad the Impaler coming back. An adaptation of the first Romanian vampire novella. A love story. A montage film reusing a classic vampire film. A vulgar folktale. A.I. generated kitsch stories. And many delights in a film dealing with this cinema myth.
- If I Had Legs Iʼd Kick You dir. Mary Bronstein USA – Winner: Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance, Berlinale 2025 – With her life literally crashing down around her, Linda attempts to navigate her child’s mysterious illness, her absent husband, a missing person, and an increasingly hostile relationship with her therapist.
- Miroirs No. 3 dir. Christian Petzold Germany) – After a car crash kills her boyfriend, piano student Laura is taken in by Betty, who witnessed the accident. Living with Betty’s family brings comfort, but Laura starts questioning their intentions as time passes.
- Seeds dir. Brittany Shyne USA | Canadian Premiere – Winner: US Grand Jury Prize: Documentary, Sundance 2025 – A look into the lives of Black generational farmers, unveiling the challenges of maintaining legacy and the value of land ownership.
- What Does That Nature Say to You dir. Hong Sangsoo South Korea) | Canadian Premiere – A young poet drops his girlfriend off at her parentsʼ house and is amazed by its size. He bumps into her father, meets her mother and sister, and they all end up spending a long day together; fueled by conversation, food and libations.
Festival passes range from $195 for Artist & Industry to $1,300 for Platinum, with early bird pricing until August 27. Film ticket packs start at $95 for VIFF Premium members. Full programming drops August 27, with ticket sales opening for members at 12 PM and the public on August 28. For details, visit viff.org or follow #VIFF2025 on social media.
#VIFF2025 #VancouverFilmFestival #CinemaCelebration #FilmPremieres #KoreanCinema #DocumentaryFilms
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