Vancouver International Film Festival and VIFF Centre

#VIFFConnect

The not-for-profit Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society operates both the internationally acclaimed Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) and year-round programming at the Vancity Theatre in the newly renovated Vancouver International Film Centre.

VIFF is among the five largest film festivals in North America. Showing films from more than 70 countries on nine screens, its program includes the pick of the world’s top film fests and many undiscovered gems.

Founded in 1982, the society relaunched the festival in a new form, after it had run between 1958 and 1969 before being discontinued. The society turned the fest into a public celebration of the best in contemporary Canadian and international cinema.

It encourages the understanding of the world’s cultures through the art of cinema, to foster the art of cinema, to facilitate the meeting in British Columbia of cinema professionals from around the world, and to stimulate the motion picture industry in British Columbia.

Three main programming platforms make its festival unique: it screens one of the largest selections of East Asian films outside of that region, it serves as one of the biggest showcases of Canadian film in the world, and it has a large and acclaimed documentary program.

Since 2016, it’s expanded to include curated screenings fused with related talks and events in a unique ‘film plus’ model. Drawing on a rich 36-year history of showcasing innovation in film, television, and digital media, the new VIFF now encompasses interactive screen-based experiences, talks, sessions and events with leaders in creative industries. The multifaceted programming is designed to educate and inspire public and industry attendees alike.

Meanwhile, the Vancity Theatre at the Vancouver International Film Centre was opened in 2005 to screen some of the best festival films from around the world on a year-round basis. The fest, which runs in cinemas around the city, also bases itself out of the headquarters at 1181 Seymour Street.

Its main 175-seat theatre was designed to please true cinephiles, with state-of-the-art projection and sound systems, a giant screen, and plush seats.

The Vancouver International Film Centre recently underwent a $2.8 million renovation that boasts a new 41-seat Studio Theatre, a dedicated Education Suite, a New Media Lab aimed at virtual-reality and augmented-reality creations, and a redesigned atrium. It was designed by Vancouver-based mcfarlane biggar architects + designers.

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