The 44th Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF), returning October 2 – 12, recently revealed a sneak peak of six films coming to the festival, including outrageous and cutting edge International films, a Canadian premiere as well as top award winners from Berlin and Sundance.
“These six official film selections not only demonstrate the outstanding caliber of the full program, but also hint at some of the elements that will distinguish this year’s VIFF, including a wealth of selections from South America, a greater focus on documentary and nonfiction films, and a special showcase of Korean cinema,“ says Curtis Woloschuk, Director of Programming.
New to this year’s festival, VIFF has also added 20 per cent more screenings and introduced two new venues for 2025: the Arts Club Theatre’s Granville Island Stage and the Alliance Française, delivering world-class cinema for more Vancouverites.
The six official selections announced so far, include;
The Blue Trail Director-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 housing colonies. Tereza 77 refuses, instead embarking on a journey through the Amazon that will change her destiny forever.
Dracula Director-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 I’d Kick You Director-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 Director-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 Director-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 Director-Hong Sangsoo (South Korea)
Canadian Premiere
-A young poet drops his girlfriend off at her parents’ 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.
The Festival also revealed this year’s the Artist & Industry Program focuses on deepening support for filmmakers’ careers through curated panels and workshops, while introducing new programs focused on creative business, documentary, and animation. The goal is to pave a path for increased international collaboration while embracing original, visionary, and genre-defying work.
“We want to position VIFF as a hub where technology meets storytelling — connecting film and television production with emerging narrative forms in fiction, documentary, animation, gaming, post-production, and creative business,” says Ana Belén Asfura, Director of Artist and Industry Programs. “We’re bringing it all together into a cohesive ecosystem with clearer progression paths, cross-program access, and stronger community-building.”
The 2025 Artist & Industry Program will feature incredible talents such as Lisa Azille, Music Executive, KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix Animation); Daniel Turcotte, President of Monstercat (Beat Saber); Tammy Glover, Production Executive and Musician, Sparks (Sony Pictures TV).
Registration will be open for the Artist & Industry Pass is open now, which grants access to Industry-focused programming, VIFF Amp Music in Media Summit panels and keynotes, the Signals Digital Expo (an exhibition showcasing the intersection of art and creative technology), Swapcard (VIFF’s Industry networking and scheduling app), and nightly hospitality and networking opportunities at VIFF’s Hospitality House.
The Artist & Industry Premium Pass, available at early bird pricing until August 28, takes the festival experience to the next level with access to over 300+ screenings, including Special Presentations, as well as the opportunity to attend VIFF Talks.
The complete program for the 44th Vancouver International Film Festival, October 2 – 12, 2025 will be announced on Wednesday, August 27. VIFF+ Members have access to advance single ticket sales from August 27 at 12pm. General sales to the public will begin on August 28 at 12pm. Find details at viff.org/ticket-info/#festival.