The Vancouver International Film Festival Program Guide 2019

Edition 38

Discover viff.org

Expand the Frame

Vancouver International Film Festival 2019 Festival Guide

September 26 - October 11, 2019

SEE BIGGER

CANADIAN TALENT SHINES BRIGHT ON THE WORLD STAGE. TELEFILM CANADA IS PROUD TO SUPPORT AND PROMOTE HOMEGROWN SUCCESS.

VOIR + GRAND

VOUÉE À LA PROMOTION ET AU RAYONNEMENT DES TALENTS CANADIENS, TÉLÉFILM CANADA EST FIÈRE PARTENAIRE DES SUCCÈS D’ICI.

© Shayne Laverdière

TELEFILM.CA

Contents Welcome to VIFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

True North

Festival Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

True North . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Sponsors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Future//Present . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Donors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Letters of Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Galas & Special Presentations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Master Classes & Creator Talks . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Festival Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Impact Impact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Insights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Next VIFF AMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 VIFF Immersed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

VIFF LIVE Song Exploder Live with Chuck D . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Gateway

On Cinema at the Cinema Live . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Gateway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

This Is Spinal Tap: Anniversary Live Score . . . . 41

Dragons & Tigers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin Plays Deep Red Live . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Feminist Live Reads Some Like it Hot . . . . . . . . 43 Pop-Up Magazine: The Escape Issue . . . . . . . . 43

M/A/D M/A/D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 ALT Altered States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Panorama Contemporary World Cinema . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Spotlight on France . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Focus on Italy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Vanguard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Short Films . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 MODES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Indexes Directors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Sea to Sky BC Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Films with Screening Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Totally Indie Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Editor Curtis Woloschuk Associate Editor Jack Vermee Graphic Design Steve Chow Content Coordinator Melanie Lemaire Database Publishing Sandy Gow Cover Design Zak Printing Mitchell Press

About VIFF

Published August 29, 2019 in Vancouver, BC, Canada, by the Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society.

1181 Seymour Street • Vancouver, BC • V6B 3M7 Canada t (604) 685-0260 • f (604) 688-8221 • www.viff.org

The Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society is a non-profit, taxexempt, educational and cultural society incorporated and registered under The Society Act of British Columbia, and a federally registered charity under the Canadian Income Tax Act. Charitable Registration Number 118946821RT0001.

Welcome to VIFF

Welcome to VIFF 2019!

You can buy tickets, ticket packs and passes at viff.org.

Locations WATERFRONT STATION

Annex

s ng sti Ha W.

to

er nd Pe W.

tt bo Ab

W.Cordova

W.Hastings

PARKING Metered

street and paid lots • ENTRANCE Elevator to 2nd floor • WHEELCHAIR 3 spaces • WASHROOMS Fully Accessible

823 Seymour

The Centre for the Performing Arts

Metered street and paid lots • ENTRANCE Street level & elevator • WHEELCHAIR 6-10 spaces • WASHROOMS Fully accessible

PARKING

777 Homer er ef Ke

W. Pender

The Cinematheque

PARKING Metered street and nearby hotels • ENTRANCE Ramp at street level • WHEELCHAIR 4 spaces • WASHROOMS Fully accessible

1131 Howe to

Cineplex International Village

Hamilton

to

Georgia

88 West Pender

Beatty

GRANVILLE STATION

Cambie

Dunsmuir

Expo Blvd.

STADIUMCHINATOWN STATION

IN08 IN09 IN10

Pyatt Hall 843 Seymour

PYA

Rio Theatre

Robson

1st Floor (Box Office) • 2nd Floor (Lineups) • 3rd Floor (Cinema) PARKING Underground (free while seeing a film) • ENTRANCE Street level and/or elevator • WHEELCHAIR 4-6 spaces • WASHROOMS Fully accessible PARKING Metered street and paid lots • ENTRANCE Elevator to 2nd floor • WHEELCHAIR 4-6+ spaces • WASHROOMS Fully accessible

PARKING

Metered street and paid lots •

ENTRANCE

Street level •

WHEELCHAIR 4-6 spaces • WASHROOMS Limited accessibility

1660 East Broadway Pacifi c Blv d.

not shown on map

Mainland

Homer

Richards

SFU’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts

2nd Floor (Box Office) • 3rd Floor (Cinema) Metered street and paid lots • ENTRANCE Street level • WHEELCHAIR 4-6+ spaces • WASHROOMS Fully accessible PARKING

149 West Hastings

Hamilton

Nelson

Seymour

Howe

Granville

Smithe

Vancity Theatre

PARKING

Metered street parking • ENTRANCE Street level • WHEEL-

CHAIR 2-4 spaces • WASHROOMS Fully accessible

1181 Seymour Helmcken

The Vancouver Playhouse

YALETOWNROUNDHOUSE STATION

PARKING Metered street and underground paid • ENTRANCE Street level • WHEELCHAIR 4-5 spaces • WASHROOMS Fully accessible

600 Hamilton

Davie

918 Granville

Metered street and paid lots • ENTRANCE Street level • 4-6+ spaces • WASHROOMS Fully accessible on the main floor

PARKING

Vogue Theatre VOG

WHEELCHAIR

VIFF’s mission is to celebrate excellence in screen-based storytelling and we pride ourselves on offering our guests unique and unforgettable experiences.

With this in mind, we all have a part to play in ensuring that our members, volunteers, guests, and staff are treated with respect and are able to experience a festival free of any kind of harassment or discrimination. VIFF takes our responsibility to create an inclusive and welcoming environment seriously and we appreciate your support.

Have a great festival!

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

3

Festival Info

Tickets

Ticket Packs Regular Screenings

15

$

13

$

13

$

Adults

$

Student (18+/19+)

$

Senior (65+)

$

Accessible Youth* Ticket Packs VIFF+ BRONZE

Special Presentations

13

17

$

22

17

$

22

17

$

22

17

$

$

10

$

2 upgrade

$

12

$

11

$

10

$

$

VIFF+ SILVER

$

VIFF+ GOLD

$

$

17

$

Included

Gala Screenings

$

22 22

7 upgrade

$

14

$

19

13

$

12

$

18 17

A service charge of $1 per ticket (up to a maximum of $4 per order) applies to all tickets purchased online and via our Infoline.

Age Restrictions & Membership Because the majority of our films have not been classified, you must be aged 18+ to attend most films at VIFF. Due to its liquor license, all events at The Rio Theatre are strictly 19+ and the door staff will ask for ID. VIFF presents many films that have not been classified by Consumer Protection BC. By law, anyone wishing to watch these films at the festival must be a member of the VIFF Society.

Passes

Student 5 Pack..................................................................................$50 Senior 5 Pack..................................................................................... 60 6 Ticket Pack.....................................................................................$84 10 Ticket Pack ..............................................................................$135 20 Ticket Pack...............................................................................$260

A $3 service charge applies to 5 and 6 Ticket Packs.

A $5 service charge applies to all other Ticket Packs.

Senior Festival Pass 65+

175

$

l

l

Weekdays before 5pm

Weekdays before 5pm

125

l

l

345

l

l

$

435

l

l

1000

l

l

$

$

ID required

How Do Ticket Packs Work?

Festival Pass

Plan on seeing multiple films during VIFF? Want to take all your friends to see a film? Ticket Packs are your chance to buy more and save more.

Platinum Pass

• Ticket Packs work like credits on your viff.org account.

• They can only be redeemed by the original purchaser.

• There are no restrictions on the number of tickets from your pack that can be used per screening. For example: If you buy a 6 Ticket Pack, you can use all 6 tickets for one screening, or individual tickets across multiple screenings.

• Special Presentation screenings have an upgrade fee of $2 per ticket.

*Every year, a selection of films is classified so that film lovers younger than 18 can experience the festival. Check out the Youth stream on viff.org. You can also discover more about our High School Program on page 75.

• Ticket Packs cannot be used to access FILMS+ events.

If you want to explore this option, arrive at the theatre early and join the Standby Line. Be advised: When this line is admitted, it will be one ticket per person—you won’t be able to buy tickets for anyone who isn’t present.

Student Festival Pass 18+

30 Ticket Pack............................................................................... 375

• Gala Screenings have an upgrade fee of $7 per ticket.

If advance tickets are sold out for a screening, it will show as being in ‘Standby’ on viff.org. In all likelihood, some Standby Tickets will be available at the venue just before showtime.

These are usually passholder seats that haven’t been taken, or unfilled seats we can release for sale.

Weekday Matinee

ID required

$

A standard $2 membership can be purchased when you buy your tickets. You can then use this 2019 VIFF membership card at VIFF Year-Round until August 31, 2020.

What is Standby?

Regular Special Gala FILMS+ Screenings Presentations Screenings Events*

$

• Ticket Packs cannot be redeemed for ‘VIFF Repeats’ screenings held at the Vancity Theatre October 12 - 17.

$

l

l

* Excludes VIFF LIVE

Passes are subject to a $5 service charge.

How Do Passes Work?

Passes offer flexibility and the freedom to move between screenings. Passholders are the first people through the doors at each screening.

• Passes do not guarantee entry.

• We put aside a generous allotment of passholder seats for all screenings.

• Passholders are granted entrance to these seats before other patrons, or until the passholder allotment is reached.

• Platinum passholder seats are held until 5 minutes before showtime.

• Festival and Weekday Matinee passholder seats are held until 20 minutes before showtime.

• If the passholder allocation is full for a particular screening, our Front of House team will ask any passholders wishing to see the film to wait in the Standby Line.

• Once all other patrons are seated, the Standby Line will be admitted, if there are seats remaining.

• Passes include your annual VIFF Membership. After the festival, you can exchange your pass for a yearround membership card.

Passes are available for purchase online now at viff. org, or in person at the Vancity Theatre box office (1181 Seymour Street) from noon on Thursday, September 12.

Please note: Only Vancity Theatre’s box office will be able to print your pass. You must collect your pass at this venue.

4

Festival Info

When are VIFF Box Offices Open?

Before the festival Whether you see a few films or dozens, there is a VIFF+ Membership for you! Our wonderful customer loyalty program offers discounts and perks during the festival, as well as year-round at the Vancity Theatre. All VIFF+ Members enjoy reduced ticket prices for all regular VIFF festival films. Silver and Gold VIFF+ Members receive a 15% or greater discount on ticket packs and passes.

VIFF Pre-Festival Box Office at Vancity Theatre (1181 Seymour Street):

Discover more with VIFF+. goviff.org/plus

From Thursday, September 26 - Friday October 11, all of our theatres serve as box offices, where you can buy tickets for any film in the festival.

Accessibility Ticketing at VIFF Members requiring Accessible tickets are not charged the $1 per ticket service charge. We accept Access 2 cards at all of our venues.

OPENS Thursday, September 12 at noon.

HOURS Mondays-Saturdays: Noon-7pm; Sundays: 2pm-7pm

During the festival

Festival Infoline Speak to a friendly, well-informed volunteer on the festival Infoline:

604 683 3456

Our Infoline Volunteers can help you with film and venue questions, ticketing enquiries and website walkthroughs, enabling you to get the most out of your festival experience.

September 5 – October 11: Noon-6pm

Box offices open 30 minutes prior to the first screening of the day at that theatre, and close after the theatre’s last screening of the day has started.

Stay in the know with instant updates

Within 60 minutes of the start of the event you want to attend, tickets are only available at that event’s box office.

viff.org

Subscribe to daily email updates during the festival:

Follow @viffest on:

Hearing Assistance QSC has generously supplied VIFF venues with a hearing assistance system. A signal is fed directly from our audio system to the supplied hearing assistance device. The user of the device can adjust the volume to suit their needs. These devices are available at VIFF concierge tables free of charge.

Descriptive Video Select VIFF Venues have headsets available for Descriptive Video. These devices only work if the film file has Descriptive Video. Please check our website for screening information.

Closed Captioning

Refunds and Exchanges All sales are final. VIFF only offers refunds in cases of technical failure.

Exchanges are permitted on purchased tickets. All exchanges must be made at least 60 minutes prior to the screening you no longer want to attend.

Download the VIFF App from the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play Store (Android):

Exchanges cannot be made for missed screenings or complimentary tickets, and we can’t guarantee we will be able to fulfil short-notice exchange requests received outside of our Infoline hours of operation.

A $1 exchange fee per ticket applies.

Select VIFF Venues have Closed Captioning devices available. These devices only work if the film file has Closed Captioning. Please check our website for screening information.

Courtesy Seating Courtesy chairs are available while you wait in line if you experience difficulty or discomfort standing for extended periods of time. VIFF Volunteers or VIFF Staff will be happy to help you. goviff.org/accessibility

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

5

/

The Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society

Board of Directors Chair

Dave Hewitt Chair Emeritus

Canadian Screening Committee

Mikaela Asfour, Susan Buie, Victoria Furuya, Josh Hamm, Rami Katz, Brie Koniczek, Melanie Lemaire, Jaz Papadopoulos, Will Ross, Alysha Seriani, Hogan Short, Janos Sitar, Amanda Thomson

Michael Francis Board Members

Colin Browne, Scott Dunlop, Lydia Guo, Matt Hall, Mathew Handford, Blair Miller, Catherine Olsen, Lucille Pacey, Farnaz Riahi, David Shepheard, Michelle Yung VIFF Advisory Council

Terry Whitehead (Chair), Kevin Cambpell, Walter Daroshin, Liz Shorten Festival Founder

Leonard Schein

Jacqueline Dupuis

Programming

Associate Director of Programming

Curtis Woloschuk

Director of International Programming

Alan Franey

Program Manager & Senior Programmer

PoChu AuYeung

Year Round Programmer

Tom Charity

Andrew Poon

Operations

Director of Operations

Films+

Kyle Fostner

Creator Talks & Total Indie Day Curator

Logistics Manager

Frances Bergin

Sean Wilson

AMP Curator

Controller

Rob Calder/Secret Study

Linda Gorrie

Immersed Curators Storytech® Immersive

Business Administrative Coordinator

Brian Seth Hurst, Caitlin Burns, Irena Cronin VIFF Creator Labs Curator

Ken Tsui

Executive Director

Senior Publicist

VIFF LIVE Curators

Ken Tsui, Kyle Fostner Films+ Producer

Ken Tsui

Films+ Manager

Lydia Hol

Films+ Marketing Coordinator

Ellyn Hadley

Films+ Production Manager

Robert Wilson

VIFF Immersed Coordinator

Marco Cermusoni

Ruthie Tabata

Vancity Theatre Operations Manager

J Bradford

Facilities

Shawn Brazeau, Howie Rabey

Infoline Coordinator

Lora Haber

Gala Producer

Reegan Evans

IT Coordinator

Jeff Lee

Database Administrator

Sandy Gow

Logistics Assistants

Sabrina Baumgartner, Carlo Camilo, Regina Ri, Zoe Harding

International Shorts Programmer

Sandy Gow

Future//Present Programmer

Adam Cook

Quebec Cinema Programmer

Dan Karo

Canadian Documentary Programmer

Milena Salazar

Film Programmer

Amanda Strong

MODES Programmer

Tammy Bannister

International Program Coordinator

Josh Cabrita

Programming Assistant

Mikaela Asfour

Gateway Programming Consultants

Shelly Kraicer, Maggie Lee Cinema Salon Programmer

Melanie Friesen

Education Coordinator

Josh Hamm

International Programming Consultants

Mike Archibald, Josh Cabrita, Tom Charity, Michael Falter, Pavol Hell, Alissa Simon, Jack Vermee International Screening Committee

Tania Alekson, Amy Anderson, Hanna Banian, Michelle Bjornson, Michel Castagne, Venay Felton, Ann Marie Fleming, Daniel Fleming, Melanie Friesen, Dylan Griffith, Paul Hancock, David House, Robert Ingram, Morgaine Jennings, Patrycja Kamska, Joel Martineau, Giancarlo Moro, Anil Patade, Graham Peat, Michael Scoular, Cindy Shi, Joshua Smith, Jonathan Stonehouse, Lyn Vasey, Donna Welstein, Keith Yoshida International Shorts Screening Committee

Andree Faucher, Frances Fee, Josh Hamm, Russell Janzen, Ray Lai, Lori Strong, Ana Valine

Volunteer Engagement Manager

Brie Koniczek

Festival Volunteer Coordinator

Hannah Lohnes

Volunteer Department Assistants

Parker O’Brian, Michael Scoular, Janice Walter, Marcel Kulmann, Julius Bahr Marketing Assistant

Hanne van der Sanden Graphic Designer

Lucia Benavides Onboarding team

Ya’el Campbell, Joel Kaplan, Richard Mudge, Michael Govaerts, Rosalyn Kaplan, Carlo Camilo, Regina Ri

Guest Services Guest Services Manager

Jenny Lee Craig

Guest Travel Coordinator

Gregory Adams

Hospitality Caterer

Zoe Currelly

Transportation Transportation Manager

Kevin Bredeson

Transportation Assistants

Sponsorship

Director of Corporate Partnerships

Colin Jarvis

Sponsorship Manager

Morgaine Jennings

Grants & Foundations Manager

Kristin Cheung

Sponsorship & Development Coordinator

Marco Fratarcangeli

Development & Membership Coordinator

Ashleigh Withall

Canadian Program & Guest Coordinator

Melanie Lemaire

Volunteer Program

Marketing

Director of Marketing

Lainé Slater

Digital Communications Coordinator

Georgina Chaplin

Marketing Coordinator

Cecelia Cheung

Social Media Coordinator

Ling Chan

Video/Photo Editor

Candelario Andrade Videography Services provided by

The Art Left Creative Group Creative Agency

Zak Creative

Graphic Designers

Lee Abott, Georgina Chaplin, Yvonne Olivotto

Publicity

Yulu Public Relations

Melissa Orozco Heather Ritzer Nora Eastwood Orna Daly

Ticketing Systems

Chris Kirby, Ryan Wagner

Jane Harrison

Print Logistics

Ticketing & CRM Manager

Ticketing & Operations Coordinator

Savannah Kemp

Print Logistics Coordinators

Aaron McHattie, Amanda Thomson

Accreditation & Distribution Coordinator

Brian Hum

Web Content Lead Volunteer

Barney Sprague

Exhibitions

Exhibitions Coordinator

Frances Fee

Technical Crew

Jesse August, Jurgen Beerwald, Andy Buxton, Alexis Douglas, Kevin Eagle, Rich Eiboff, Ryan Ermacora, Tim Fernandes, Marshall Freund, Brian Iankovs, Dave Jones, Matt Kunau, Ron Lacheur, Ingrid Lae, Clément Llobet, Ciara Odonnell, Helen Reed, Orlando Ruiz, Peter Schweiger, Graeme Scott, Damien Scully, Remi Thibault

Box Office Coordinator

Daphne Andrews

Festival Publications

Front of House Coordinator

Editor

Exhibitions Volunteer Coordinator

Associate Editor

Exhibitions Supervisors

Content Coordinator & Proofreader

Ellen Kibble, Amy Leyte

Melanie Lemaire

Venue Captains

Database Publishing

Michael Challenor, Kaen Seguin

Sandy Gow

Venue Managers

Films+ Copy Editor

Shane Galway

Hannah Lohnes

Halla Bertrand, Michael Challenor, Paul Denis, Christian Diaz Duran, Amina Ferley, Darya Gilbert, Elizabeth Glancy, Janet Glassford, Pat Leong, Veronica Maynard, Lilah Orkin, Zoe Peled, Michael Scoular, Kaen Seguin, Hogan Short, Darrell Stables, Rodney Stewart, Wayne Stewart, Jennifer Tennant, Madeline Wahl, Dheeraj Waran

Cashiers

Lindsie Arbeiter, Gouri Bose, Vanessa Bui, Kelly Creelman, Christian Diaz Duran, Angela Espinosa, Siobhan Fernandes, Denice Jagic, Andrea Jevcak, Keno Kolthoff, Joy Mcderment, Maggie McPhee, Heather Molloy, James Narvey, Wade Nott, Neelam Prasad, Shalini Prasad, Ross Russell, Charlene Sayo, Chanelle Sheehan, Robert Tanikawa, Stephen Tweedale, Andrea Van Noord, Frank Virgadamo, Graham Wong, Sue Yang

Curtis Woloschuk

Jack Vermee

Mike Archibald

Graphic Designer

Steve Chow | chowdesign.ca Contributing Writers

Mike Archibald, Mikaela Asfour, Tammy Bannister, Josh Cabrita, Tom Charity, Adam Cook, Alan Franey, Sandy Gow, Lawrence Garcia, Dylan Griffith, Josh Hamm, Dan Karo, Shelly Kraicer, Maggie Lee, Paloma Pacheco, Will Ross, Milena Salazar, Michael Scoular, Amanda Strong, Jack Vermee, Curtis Woloschuk

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

7

Sponsors & Partners

Premier Partner

Signature Partners

Festival Partners

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Public Supporters

8

Premier Supporters

Sponsors & Partners

Supporting Partners

ACFC WEST, LOCAL 2020 UNIFOR

Media Partners

the evolution of

Community Media Partners

Consulate and Cultural Funders

Consulate General of Italy Vancouver

Technical Sponsors and Official Suppliers

FURNITURE RENTALS + SALES info@rentfluff.com

●

rentfluff.com

ITS CONSULTING INC. www.itsconsul nginc.ca

Your IT System’s Best Friend

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

9

Awards

BC Spotlight Awards Sea to Sky Award

BC Emerging Filmmaker Award

Presented by TELUS, this award recognizes the outstanding work of one female key creative on a BC-produced feature or short. The significant $20,000 prize money can be used for a future production or towards customized training that will further advance the creator’s career.

Presented by UBCP/ACTRA, AFBS & William F. White International Inc. This $7,500 cash prize is sponsored by UBCP/ ACTRA and ACTRA Fraternal Benefits Society, plus a $10,000 equipment credit supplied by William F. White International Inc.

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Best BC Film Award Presented by Creative BC and Encore by Deluxe $10,000 from Creative BC and $15,000 in post-production services credit supplied by Encore by Deluxe.

Canadian Awards Best Canadian Film

Best Canadian Documentary

$15,000 award presented by the Directors’ Guild of Canada.

$15,000 prize presented by the Rogers Group of Funds.

Most Promising Director of a Canadian Short Film $2,000 and a roundtrip flight anywhere Delta Air Lines flies.

Presented by Gary Harvey and Delta Air Lines.

Emerging Canadian Director

Best Canadian Short Film

$3,000 award presented by the Directors’ Guild of Canada.

$15,000 colour grading and/or VFX services credit supplied

by Side Street Post.

Impact Awards VIFF Impact Award

Rob Stewart Eco Warrior Award

$5,000 award presented by the Lochmaddy Foundation

$5,000 prize. Presented by RBC and Cineplex.

Audience Awards Super Channel People’s Choice Award Presented by Super Channel. VIFF festival-goers will determine the winner of the Super Channel People’s Choice Award. The results of this balloting will also determine the winner of several other audience awards: 10

VIFF Most Popular International Feature VIFF Most Popular International Documentary VIFF Most Popular Canadian Feature VIFF Most Popular Canadian Documentary

Donors

Private Foundations

Annual Donors Individual Gifts $1000+

Patrons Circle Vanguard $10,000

Patrons Circle Innovator $500

Anonymous

Jeff Armstrong

Rachel & Derek Langer

Paul Bennett & Catherine Olsen

Nurit Barkan-Ascher

John LeBlanc

Walter Daroshin & Tina Thorndycraft

Patrons Circle Visionary $5,000

Paul Bennett & Catherine Olsen

Miriam Moses

Sim

Robert Caspick

Steven Ng

Individual Gifts $500+

Peter Cheng

Jayeson Nicols

Mike & Kathy Gallagher

Anne Crawford

Sandra O’Connell

Helen Lau

Patrick & Erin Audley

Maggie Deegan

Esther Palivoda

Lucile Pacey

Melina Buckley

Jack Dlugan

Allan Quinn

Paul & Joan Whitney

Mike & Kathy Gallagher

Dave & Dana Hewitt

Steven Savitt

Eileen Mate

Annie Rae Huston

Manoj Shankar

And those who prefer to

Julie Molnar

Selwyn Jacob

Patricia & Ken Shields

remain anonymous

Gladys Reinarz

Joseph Jones

Ana Valine

Reet Kana

Vincent Wheeler

Collin Koo & Kevin Smith

Michelle Yung

Patrons Circle Luminary $1,000

Support VIFF

Give a gift today and double your impact Every dollar of your donation will be matched with an equal gift from Lochmaddy Foundation up to a total of $10,000.

goviff.org/donate

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

11

Hospitality Partners

Thank You to VIFF’s Hospitality Partners Special thanks to these partners for generously supporting VIFF’s BC Spotlight Party, Media Office, Guest Office and Hospitality Suite.

VIFF Official Host Hotel

VIFF Official Host Restaurant

Thank you VIFF Volunteers!

1200+ film enthusiasts generously donate their time and talents to make VIFF possible.

Show VIFF Volunteers they are appreciated and say thanks to our glorious-in-green team!

VIFF Volunteer program proudly supported by

12

Host Restaurant Partners

Thank You to VIFF’s Host Restaurant Partners Special thanks to these restaurants for generously hosting our programmers, filmmakers and special guests during VIFF. Host Restaurant Partners

During VIFF, show your ticket at our Gastown and Yaletown Locations to receive 10% off your meal.

GASTOWN 207 W.Hastings St 604.688.1655

YALETOWN 508 Davie St. 604.661.4129

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

13

Letters of Welcome

A message from the Executive Director of VIFF

A message from the Prime Minister of Canada

Welcome to the 38th annual Vancouver International Film Festival! As this is my eighth and final year with VIFF, it’ll be a bittersweet occasion for me as I bid adieu. I’m grateful to have had the honour of leading one of the city’s finest arts and culture organizations and one of North America’s most significant film festivals. It’s because of you—ardent fans of cinema, arts enthusiasts, and builders of community—that we enjoy these bragging rights. Our 2019 program is by far our most ambitious to date and I’m excited for you to discover all that we have in store.

Dear Friends:

This year’s program represents a kaleidoscope of the best stories from around the globe.

Starting in our own backyard, the True North stream features an expanded range of voices and perspectives relating to the diverse experiences that make up the fabric of modern Canada. Meanwhile, the BC Spotlight series shines particularly bright in 2019, with five world premieres, new work from acclaimed VIFF alumni, and revelations from exciting new talents.

I would like to congratulate the filmmakers participating in this event for their hard work and efforts to bring their stories to the screen. I would also like to thank the organizers and volunteers for their dedication to ensuring that the VIFF is a success, year after year.

Our Impact Competition honours intrepid filmmakers tackling pressing global issues, while the Gateway stream transports viewers into the highly cinematic realms of East Asia. The Panorama stream includes a Focus on Italy that whisks us away to the mean streets of Rome, rugged shores of Sicily and quaint villas of Tuscany, and the long-standing Spotlight on France confirms that cinematic culture continues to flourish in that influential nation.

Many of this year's music, art and design (M/A/D) documentaries focus on female creators who redefined their chosen art forms and the ALT stream showcases creators who defy traditional classification and push short form storytelling to its limits.

To top off the rich program of cinematic treasures, our VIFF Live, Creator Talks and VIFF Immersed (VR/AR) programs offer opportunities to experience cinema in fresh new ways, explore innovations in screen-based media and meet the creators behind the scenes.

See you at the movies!

Jacqueline Dupuis

14

I am pleased to extend my warmest greetings to everyone attending the 2019 Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF).

This event offers a wonderful opportunity for participants to experience cinema from renowned international filmmakers. I am certain that everyone in attendance will enjoy this artistic showcase.

On behalf of the Government of Canada, I wish you an enjoyable and memorable festival.

Sincerely,

The Rt. Hon. Justin P. J. Trudeau, P.C., M.P.

Letters of Welcome

A message from the Premier of British Columbia

A message from the Mayor of Vancouver

As Premier of the Province of British Columbia, I am pleased to welcome everyone to the 38th Annual Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF).

On behalf of the City of Vancouver and my colleagues on City Council, I want to extend my warmest greetings to everyone attending the 38th Annual Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF).

Since 1982, the Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society has been providing Vancouverites and visitors with a variety of exhilarating films, talks and events. The centrepiece of their wonderful programming is the annual world-renowned Vancouver International Film Festival.

Audiences have the opportunity to experience films from a diverse group of voices with more than 70 countries represented in VIFF’s programming. These international films are complemented by the largest Canadian film program in the world, allowing moviegoers to enjoy a unique mix of artistry and perspective.

I would like to acknowledge the festival organizers and volunteers for their hard work to ensure this festival is a success. For those artists in attendance who were involved with the films being screened, I hope you enjoy your time in Vancouver. To the cinephiles and new fans alike, I wish you all the best for another riveting festival.

Film is a multifaceted art form that gives power to its storytellers, allowing us to gain insight and understanding into the distinct perspectives of the people who make them. From some of the world’s boldest creators to inspired work from Canadian storytellers, VIFF celebrates the craft of filmmaking and the filmmakers who work tirelessly to bring these stories to life.

As a city with deep roots in the film and TV industry, VIFF is an important event that brings together international and local industry professionals, strengthening Vancouver as a destination for film and TV production in North America.

Thank you and congratulations to the filmmakers, artists, organizers, and volunteers for another successful year of VIFF! Sincerely,

Yours truly,

Mayor Kennedy Stewart Honourable John Horgan

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15

@itsjustwhatwesee

Letters of Welcome

A message from the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture

A message from the Executive Director, Telefilm Canada

A message from the Chief Executive Officer of Creative BC

On behalf of Premier John Horgan and the Government of British Columbia, it is a pleasure to welcome you to the 2019 Vancouver International Film Festival.

Festivals play a vital role in ensuring that Canadian films from all corners of our country are discovered and enjoyed, and that Canadian talent is in the spotlight. The Vancouver International Film Festival provides a unique opportunity to do just that!

Creative BC is excited to welcome you to the 38th annual Vancouver Film Festival!

Our province is proud to host film industry professionals and moviegoers as they come together in Vancouver to share the latest innovations in film-making and discover unique films created here in B.C. and around the world. As North America’s third largest motion picture hub, the talented professionals working in our province help make movie magic, from the seed of a writer’s idea, to visual effects, animation, and postproduction.

Thank you to the organizers of the Vancouver International Film Festival for organizing this world-class event for the past 38 years. I especially want to recognize the hundreds of volunteers, industry professionals and artists who infuse this festival with enthusiasm and creativity.

Wishing everyone an enjoyable festival!

Sincerely,

Lisa Beare

Canadian films are brought to the screen by vibrant teams that care deeply about creating the best possible product and reaching audiences at home and abroad.

As a partner of choice, Telefilm Canada is committed to seeing even bigger; and are supported in this endeavour by a growing number of public and private partners, both Canadian and foreign. With a pan-Canadian Board, we want to ensure that every corner of our country is represented and heard. We are also counting on your commitment so that our talent and their stories may take their rightful place.

Our focus remains on diversity and inclusion, so that our screens reflect who we are as a nation. We encourage the next generation to dare to make their first feature films. Indigenous filmmakers now enjoy more support, and our industry has come together to support the shared goal of gender parity.

These voices are revitalizing Canada’s rich cultural heritage and ensure its bright future.

I would like to thank and congratulate all those who work to bring our diversity to the screen. And thank you, the audience, for supporting VIFF which is central to the success of our Canadian films and talent.

We are so pleased to partner and support VIFF—one of the world’s most prominent film festivals and a showcase of our province’s talented creators and filmmakers.

Creative BC is the provincial organization devoted to uniting and championing the economic success of BC’s creative industries. As the provincial film commission, it brings us great pride to support and collaborate with the diverse, creative and internationally recognized community that delivers this festival each year.

As one of North America’s largest film festivals, VIFF is always a hotly anticipated festival with everyone bookmarking their calendars to enjoy films from across the world and local gems that transport us to new worlds and experiences.

From audiences and storytellers to industry and community, VIFF connects and supports BC on many levels—socially, economically, culturally and more.

Our sincerest congratulations to the fantastic team at VIFF— especially to the participating filmmakers, organizers and volunteers. Thank you for your dedication, creativity and vision. Because of your hard work, we’re able to gather and experience the best in local and international filmmaking for 2019.

Together again, let’s enjoy the show!

Continue watching Canadian films wherever they are available and tell others to do the same!

Prem Gill

Christa Dickenson

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17

“Sir,

is that seat empty?”

A volunteer called to me across the sea of eclectic film fans settling in for an Altered States premiere. My friend had bailed last minute so I’d found myself sitting alone with no one to share the excitement with.

A woman in a Night of the Living Dead shirt worked her way down the row and smiled as she sat down. “Wow, great seats. Thanks!”

Thank you to the 1,200 Festival Volunteers who make great stories possible.

This year, we’re celebrating our third anniversary. I’ll never know who that volunteer was, but wherever you are, I owe you one.

True North

Galas & Special Presentations

Opening Gala

Guest of Honour ATOM EGOYAN, CANADA, 2019, 105 MIN.

THU, SEP 26 MON, SEP 30

7:00 PM 6:00 PM

CENT CENT

Cast David Thewlis, Laysla De Oliveira, Luke Wilson, Rossif Sutherland, Alexandre Bourgeois, Arsinée Khanjian Prod Atom Egoyan, Simone Urdl, Jennifer Weiss Scr Atom Egoyan Cam Paul Sarossy Ed Susan Shipton Prod Des Phillip Barker Mus Mychael Danna, Shannon Graham Prod Co Ego Film Arts, The Film Farm Dist/Print Elevation Pictures Selected Filmography Exotica; The Sweet Hereafter; Remember

Atom Egoyan returns with the astonishing Guest of Honour, a characteristically psychologically complex drama that also delivers a succession of twists that strike like a flurry of gut punches.

Jim (David Thewlis, at the height of his considerable powers), a Toronto health inspector, spends his days frequenting family-owned restaurants and wielding the power to shutter their dreams at the slightest provocation. But serving as a guardian angel for unsuspecting diners can’t begin to ease the conscience of this deeply conflicted man. His adult daughter, Veronica (Laysla De Oliveira), is incarcerated for a crime she clearly didn’t commit. And, yet, she insists that she deserves to remain imprisoned for transgressions she was in fact responsible for—things Jim instigated through his own regrettable actions.

Propelled by Mychael Danna’s lush score, Egoyan’s latest is a masterful piece of subtly sophisticated filmmaking. You become so enraptured delving into the dark histories of these beautifully rendered characters, with their emotional wounds and ill-advised coping mechanisms, that you’ll be forgiven if you don’t immediately notice that Egoyan has nimbly interwoven multiple timelines into an enthralling narrative whole that’s punctuated by one of the finest scenes of both his and Thewlis’ storied careers.

Canada

Above all, Guest of Honour serves as a haunting reminder that our memories not only offer us the opportunity to become storytellers—they also threaten to turn us into unreliable narrators as well.

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19 19

STAY CONNECTED AT STRAIGHT.COM

Proud Media Partner

VIFF 2019 Vancouver's leading arts source.

Gateway

Galas & Special Presentations

Special Presentation

Parasite BONG JOON HO, SOUTH KOREA, 2019, 131 MIN.

FRI, SEP 27 SUN, SEP 29 SUN, OCT 6

9:00 PM 3:00 PM 9:00 PM

CENT CENT CENT

Cast Song Kang Ho, Lee Sun Kyun, Cho Yeo Jeong, Choi Woo Shik, Park So Dam, Lee Jung Eun, Chang Hyae Jin Exec Miky Lee Prod Kwak Sin Ae, Moon Yang Kwon, Jang Young Hwan Scr Bong Joon Ho, Han Jin Won Cam Hong Kyung Pyo Ed Yang Jinmo Prod Des Lee Ha Jun Mus Jung Jae Il Prod Co Barunson E&A Dist/Print MK2 Mile End Selected Filmography Memories of Murder; The Host; Okja

South Korean master filmmaker Bong Joon Ho (The Host, Memories of Murder) delivers an unpredictable comic suspense thriller with his Palme d’Or-winning film, Parasite. The Kims, a poor family of four, reside in a cramped basement apartment where they struggle to make ends meet, stealing nearby Wi-Fi signals and folding pizza boxes for a delivery joint to make money under the table. Sick of their underclass existence, they set their sights on the Parks, a rich family looking for an English tutor for their teenaged daughter. The crafty Kims plot and scheme, and soon infiltrate the affluent home one-by-one, each of them manipulating their way into household gigs without the Parks realizing that they’re related. However, once they’re settled in, things don’t go according to plan, and simmering class tensions are not so easily suppressed.

Bong contrasts and skewers these two family units while casting a critical gaze at the system that pits them against one another. Darkly funny and palpably urgent, Parasite is a universal tale of economic disparity, social polarization, and human desperation that does not fit conveniently into any one simple category: it is a satire, tragedy, and allegory all at once and not least a supreme entertainment.

South Korea

Palme d’Or, Cannes 19

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21 21

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Panorama

Galas & Special Presentations

Closing Gala

La Belle Époque NICOLAS BEDOS, FRANCE, 2019, 115 MIN.

FRI, OCT 11 FRI, OCT 11

6:30 PM 9:30 PM

CENT CENT

Cast Daniel Auteuil, Guillaume Canet, Doria Tillier, Fanny Ardant, Pierre Arditi, Denis Podalydès Prod François Kraus, Denis Pineau-Valencienne Scr Rémi Daru Cam Nicolas Bolduc Ed Anny Danché, Florent Vassault Mus Nicolas Bedos, Anne-Sophie Versnaeyen Prod Co Les Films du Kiosque Dist/Print MK2 Mile End Filmography Mr. & Mme Adelman

Ingenious and hilarious by turns, actor-turned-director Nicolas Bedos’ marvellous dramatic comedy takes the sci-fi concept of time travel, brings it down to earth, and gives it a sexy dose of flesh and blood in a very smart and provocative (even “meta”) fashion. Cynical 70-ish cartoonist Victor (a superb Daniel Auteuil), his marriage to the tarttongued Marianne (Fanny Ardant) in a shambles and his best days seemingly behind him, becomes intrigued by his son’s friend Antoine’s (Guillaume Canet) latest successful enterprise. Antoine’s “Time Travellers” troupe offers clients the chance to go back in time to any moment they wish, and the TT team of actors and technicians guarantees a completely realistic immersion in the era chosen. Victor accepts Antoine’s offer of a free trial—and chooses to go back to the day in 1974 when he originally met Marianne in a raucous Lyon bistro. What follows is too delicious to spoil here, but let’s just leave it at this: when the shaggy-haired “younger” Victor goes back to said Lyon bistro and meets waitress Margot (Doria Tillier, Bedos’ real-life companion), who happens to be Antoine’s partner when she’s not acting, more than just sparks fly...

France

“Vastly entertaining... witty, sexy, and original… Bedos successfully jumps through the many creative hoops he sets and in the process pulls off the most thoroughly entertaining big-screen French farce in a very long time.”—Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter

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23 23

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Galas & Special Presentations

Special Presentations Panorama / USA

Panorama / USA

A Hidden Life

Jojo Rabbit

TERRENCE MALICK, USA/GERMANY, 2019, 173 MIN.

SUN, SEP 29

8:45 PM

TAIKA WAITITI, USA, 2019, 108 MIN.

CENT

Described by critics as a return to the narratively driven style of cinematic milestones like The Thin Red Line and Days of Heaven, the new masterpiece by visionary filmmaker Terrence Malick tells the powerful, and transcendent true story of Franz Jägerstätter (August Diehl), an Austrian farmer, devout Catholic, and conscripted soldier who, famously, refused to fight for the Nazis during WWII and bore out the terrifying consequences of this moral fortitude. It is his unwavering faith and his love for his wife Fani (Valerie Pachner) and children that keep his spirit alive.

In the remote village of St. Radegund, Franz leads an Edenic existence with his wife Fani and their three children, seemingly unaware of the fact that the Nazis are on the rise. When Franz refuses to fight for the Third Reich, his tight-knit community turns against him and his family. But he remains resolute in his convictions: he will not fight, and will certainly not pledge allegiance to Hitler. Hailed as Malick’s best film since 2011’s The Tree of Life, this will not only rank among the director’s most poetic works but also, perhaps unsurprisingly, be considered one of his most politically prescient as well.

“The Tree of Life spanned eons to capture the entirety of existence, and while the filmmaker works on a tighter four-year canvas this time around, the feeling that the stakes are nothing less than the soul of all humanity has persisted. This is art of salvation.”— Charles Bramesco, The Playlist Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, Cannes 19

WED, OCT 2

6:15 PM

CENT

Having previously weaponized his wit against the conventions of vampire movies in What We Do in the Shadows and burlesqued the clichés of superhero stories in Thor: Ragnarok, comedian-cum-auteur-director Taika Waititi puts his powers to more serious ends with Jojo Rabbit, a provocative and affecting portrait of a Hitler Youth (Roman Griffin Davis) and his relationship to a peculiar imaginary friend: none other than the führer himself. But when Jojo discovers that his single mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a young Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in their attic, this precocious, misguided boy must confront his blind allegiance to nationalism and question the devil who continually whispers in his ear.

Riffing on previous portrayals of the supreme leader by the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Mel Brooks while adding his own distinctive twist to the character, Waititi leads an allstar cast, which also includes Sam Rockwell and Rebel Wilson, with performances that won’t be forgotten come Oscar time. Defying conventional classifications while skewing fascist groupthink, Jojo Rabbit may just be one of the defining satires of our time.

Cast Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Taika Waititi, Rebel Wilson, Stephen Merchant, Alfie Allen, Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson Exec Kevan Van Thompson Prod Carthew Neal, Taika Waititi, Chelsea Winstanley Scr Taika Waititi Cam Mihai Malaimare Jr. Ed Tom Eagles Prod Des Ra Vincent Mus Michael Giacchino Prod Co Piki Films, Fox Searchlight Pictures, TSG Entertainment, Defender Films Dist/Print Fox Searchlight Pictures Selected Filmography What We Do in the Shadows; Hunt for the Wilderpeople; Thor: Ragnarok

Cast August Diehl, Valerie Pachner, Maria Simon, Tobias Moretti, Bruno Ganz, Matthias Schoenaerts, Karin Neuhäuser, Ulrich Matthes Exec Adam Morgan, Bill Pohlad, Yi Wei, Christoph Fisser, Henning Molfenter, Charlie Woebcken Prod Grant Hill, Dario Bergesio, Josh Jeter, Elisabeth Bentley Scr Terrence Malick Cam Jörg Widmer Ed Rehman Nizar Ali, Joe Gleason, Sebastian Jones Prod Des Sebastian T. Krawinkel Mus James Newton Howard Prod Co Elizabeth Bay Productions, Aceway, Mister Smith, Studio Babelsberg Dist/Print Fox Searchlight Pictures Selected Filmography Days of Heaven; The Thin Red Line; The Tree of Life

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25

Galas & Special Presentations

Special Presentations Panorama / USA

Panorama / USA

Just Mercy

The Lighthouse

DESTIN DANIEL CRETTON, USA, 2019, 136 MIN.

SAT, SEP 28

ROBERT EGGERS, USA, 2019, 110 MIN.

9:00 PM

CENT

Just Mercy is the powerful true story of young lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) and his history-making battles for justice in Alabama. Stevenson refuses to back down as he fights a legal system without mercy stacked against him and his clients at every turn. One of his first, and most incendiary, cases is that of Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), a man whose clear innocence means nothing to the corrupt and compassionless forces Stevenson doggedly takes on.

Cast Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, Brie Larson, Rob Morgan, Tim Blake Nelson, Rafe Spall, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Karan Kendrick Exec Bryan Stevenson, Mike Drake, Niija Kuykendall, Gabriel Hammond, Daniel Hammond, Scott Budnick, Jeff Skoll, Charles D. King Prod Gil Netter, Asher Goldstein, Michael B. Jordan Scr Destin Daniel Cretton, Andrew Lanham Cam Brett Pawlak Ed Nat Sanders Prod Des Sharon Seymour Mus Joel P. West Prod Co Gil Netter Productions, Outlier Society Dist/Print Warner Bros. Pictures Filmography I Am Not a Hipster; Short Term 12; The Glass Castle

SAT, SEP 28

6:00 PM

CENT

Robert Eggers caused a stir with his beautifully controlled horror film The Witch, but no one expected him to attain the level of modern master with this, his hallucinatory follow-up. As two lighthouse keepers trying to maintain their sanity while confined to a desolate, windswept rock off the coast of 19th-century Maine, Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson are both mesmerizing, the former a peg-legged and petulant veteran named Tom Wake and the latter a close-mouthed Canadian named Ephraim Winslow, whose haunted look suggests some skulduggery in his past. Eggers plays the two men off of each other—they both slowly come apart at the seams—and conflates the tropes of the gothic horror and supernatural genres in an unclassifiable wonder that both shocks and surprises.

“The desolate, lonely environment of the island is captured beautifully in squid-ink blacks and storm-cloud greys, all shot in a boxy 4:3 ratio. There’s a vintage horror feel, both embracing conventions of the genre and defying them... The Lighthouse leaves you dazed, terrified and elated, and it signals Eggers as one of the most exciting directors working today.”—Joseph Walsh, Time Out FIPRESCI Prize, Directors’ Fortnight, Cannes 19 Cast Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe, Valeriia Karaman Exec Arnon Milchan, Yariv Milchan, Michael Schaefer, Josh Peters, Isaac Ericson, Sophie Mas, Caito Ortiz, Rodrigo Gutierrez, Chris Columbus, Eleanor Columbus Prod Rodrigo Teixeira, Jay Van Hoy, Robert Eggers, Lourenço Sant’ Anna, Youree Henley Scr Robert Eggers, Max Eggers Cam Jarin Blaschke Ed Louise Ford Prod Des Craig Lathrop Mus Mark Korven Prod Co RT Features, Parts & Labor, A24 Dist/Print VVS Films Filmography The Witch

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27

Galas & Special Presentations

Special Presentations Panorama / USA

Panorama / Poland

Motherless Brooklyn

Mr. Jones

EDWARD NORTON, USA, 2019, 144 MIN.

MON, SEP 30

AGNIESZKA HOLLAND, POLAND/UK/UKRAINE, 2019, 141 MIN.

8:45 PM

CENT

Lionel Essrog (Edward Norton), a lonely private detective living with Tourette Syndrome, ventures to solve the murder of his mentor and only friend. Armed only with a few clues and the engine of his obsessive mind, Lionel contends with thugs, corruption and the most dangerous man in the city to honor his friend and save the woman who might be his own salvation.

Cast Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Bobby Cannavale, Cherry Jones, Michael Kenneth Williams, Leslie Mann, Ethan Suplee, Dallas Roberts, Josh Pais, Robert Ray Wisdom, Fisher Stevens, Alec Baldwin, Willem Dafoe Exec Adrian Alperovich, Sue Kroll, Daniel Nadler, Robert F. Smith, Brian Niranjan Sheth Prod Bill Migliore, Edward Norton, Gigi Pritzker, Rachel Shane, Michael Bederman Scr Edward Norton Cam Dick Pope Ed Joe Klotz Prod Des Beth Mickle Mus Daniel Pemberton Prod Co CLASS 5 FILMS / MWM STUDIOS Dist/Print Warner Bros. Pictures Filmography Keeping the Faith

WED, OCT 9 THU, OCT 10

8:45 PM 1:45 PM

CENT IN10

North American Premiere. Having previously earned acclaim with WWII dramas Europa Europa and In Darkness, Agnieszka Holland returns with another sweeping epic that’s grand in scale yet anchored dramatically by its compelling protagonist.

In the spring of 1933, Welsh journalist Gareth Jones (James Norton, Happy Valley) boards a train to Ukraine where he not only witnesses the ravages of a famine wrought

by Stalin’s agricultural reform but also the Soviet secret service’s dogged efforts to ensure that news of this humanitarian crisis never sees the light of day. As he struggles to break the story to the western world, Jones finds an ally in New York Times reporter Ada Brooks (Vanessa Kirby, The Crown) and an adversary in pro-Stalin journalist Walter Duranty (Peter Skarsgård).

It’s widely understood that it was Jones’ accounts of the dystopia he witnessed that later inspired George Orwell’s Animal Farm. As envisioned by Holland, the reporter’s crucible is a testament to what humanity is capable of at either end of the spectrum.

The horrific impact of the Holodomor famine (which claimed 10-million lives) is rightfully chilling to behold. And, yet, there’s considerable hope to be found in this rousing account of how principles and determination can deliver the truth to a world that desperately needs it.

“A bold and heartfelt movie with a real Lean-ian sweep... A picture with sinew and strength.”—Peter Bradshaw, Guardian Cast James Norton, Vanessa Kirby, Peter Skarsgård, Joseph Mawle, Fenella Woolgar, Kenneth Cranham Exec Leah Temerty-Lord Prod Klaudia Śmieja-Rostworowska, Stanisiaw Dziedzic, Andrea Chalupa Scr Andrea Chalupa Cam Tomasz Naumiuk Ed Michał Czarnecki Prod Des Grzegorz Piątkowski Mus Antoni Komasa-tazarkiewicz Dist/Print Samuel Goldwyn Films Selected Filmography Europa, Europa; The Secret Garden; In Darkness

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29

CONNECTING PEOPLE A N D I N S P I R I N G T H E M TO L I V E W I T H PAS S I O N .

Tourism Vancouver proudly supports the 2019 VIFF IMMERSED and VIFF amp programs. tourismvancouver.com

viff.org

Looking for a venue extraordinaire?

Designed to dazzle, the beautifully appointed Vancouver International Film Centre can be used for screening films, multi media presentations, live simulcasts, closed circuit broadcasts, seminars, receptions and live performances.

The greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society is a not-for-profit educational and cultural organization incorporated and registered in British Columbia, and a federal charity.

Charitable Registration Number: BN118946821 RR0001

Galas & Special Presentations

Special Presentations Panorama / Spain

Gateway / Hong Kong

No. 7 Cherry Lane

Pain and Glory Dolor y gloria

YONFAN, HONG KONG/CHINA, 2019, 125 MIN.

TUE, OCT 8 THU, OCT 10

6:00 PM 3:00 PM

CENT PLAY

Master director Yonfan makes his animation debut with this sensuous, passionate story of a young man’s sentimental education. Hong Kong, 1967: as leftists clash with police in the streets, Ziming is attending university and negotiating a tricky situation: he’s got strong feelings for Meiling, the strong-willed girl he’s tutoring, but also for her mother, the worldly divorcée Mrs. Yu. The air is thick with cultural ferment and erotic possibility; as the world changes around them, these three souls live out their desires...

PEDRO ALMODÓVAR, SPAIN, 2019, 113 MIN.

WED, OCT 9

6:00 PM

CENT

Through meticulous, layered, hand-drawn animation, Yonfan and his crew conjure a Hong Kong that belongs both to history and to the imagination. Wide vistas, bustling streets and glamorous movie houses are brought to life with an attention to detail that clearly marks the movie as a passion project. With its rich variety of techniques, visual styles and even musical idioms, No. 7 Cherry Lane speaks across generational and cultural divides to express ardour, bittersweet nostalgia and the hope of liberation. It is the director’s love letter to his home and to cinema; as such, it’s an absolute triumph.

A new film from Spanish master Pedro Almodóvar is always an event, but there’s something especially bittersweet here, served up alongside the visual pleasures that are such a signature of his work. For one thing it marks a reunion between the director’s first alter ego, Antonio Banderas, who became a star via his mid-80s work with the director, and Almodóvar himself—and both are 35 years older... In a whirlwind of self-reflexivity, Banderas, riffing on Almodóvar right down to the curly salt-and-pepper hair—and giving the performance of his career in the process—plays Salvador Mallo, a film director depressed by his mother’s death, suffering from the aftereffects of back surgery, and, basically, at the end of his tether. Frustrated by his inability to make films and facing his own mortality, he sees a chance to reunite with a former lover, the actor Alberto (Asier Etxeandia) with whom he rose to fame, as both a possibility for redemption and a potentially disastrous journey through the past. Both deeply moving and, as with every Almodóvar film, wistfully funny, Pain and Glory shows that the master is still in peak form.

Cast Sylvia Chang, Zhao Wei, Alex Lam, Kelly Yao, Teresa Cheung, Jiang Wenli, Natalia Duplessis Exec Wade Yao, Joyce Yang, Wang Chuan Prod Monica Chao Scr Yonfan Animation Zhang Gang, Hsieh Wen-ming Ed Wang Haixia Mus Yu Yat-yiu, Yonfan, Chapavich Temnitikul, Phasura Chanvititkul Art Dir Yonfan, Zhang Gang, Hsieh Wen-ming Prod Co Far Sun Film Company Ltd. Print Far Sun Film Co Ltd

“As ever, Almodóvar has made a film about pleasure, which is itself a pleasure: witty, intelligent and sensuous. It is about love, memory, art, mothers, lovers and most of all it is about itself... the film within a film, the story within a story, the dream within a dream.”—Peter Bradshaw, Guardian

Filmography Bishonen; Peony Pavilion; Prince of Tears

Best Actor, Cannes 19 Cast Antonio Banderas, Asier Etxeandia, Julieta Serrano, Penélope Cruz, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Nora Navas Exec Esther García Prod Agustín Almodóvar Scr Pedro Almodóvar Cam José Luis Alcaine Ed Teresa Font Prod Des Antxon Gómez Mus Alberto Iglesias Prod Co El Deseo Dist/Print Mongrel Media Inc. Selected Filmography Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown; Talk to Her; Volver

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31

Galas & Special Presentations

Special Presentations Panorama / Czech Republic

Panorama / France

The Painted Bird

Portrait of a Lady on Fire Portrait de la jeune fille en feu

VÁCLAV MARHOUL, CZECH REPUBLIC/SLOVAKIA/UKRAINE, 2019, 169 MIN.

SAT, SEP 28 MON, SEP 30

9:00 PM 2:15 PM

PLAY PLAY

CÉLINE SCIAMMA, FRANCE, 2019, 120 MIN.

SAT, OCT 5 THU, OCT 10

8:45 PM 6:30 PM

CENT PLAY

The material beauty, the formal compositions, the lustrous black-and-white shadows and light, the deep focus, and the wide-screen staging in Václav Marhoul’s stunning adaptation of Jerzy Kosinski’s controversial 1965 novel/memoir puts it on par—cinematographically speaking—with masterpieces of Soviet cinema like Andrei Rublev and Come and See. The story of one abandoned Jewish child’s (newcomer Petr Kotlár) wanderings through the hell that was the Polish countryside during WWII, and his encounters with various Nazis, peasants and fellow lost souls (played by a who’s who of international art-film stars, including Stellan Skarsgård, Harvey Keitel, Julian Sands, and Udo Kier, among others), is depicted with a force and a violence that will shake you to the core.

Set against the backdrop of 18th-century Brittany, a forbidden love stirs between two young women, a painter and her reluctant subject. Marianne (Noémie Merlant) is commissioned to paint Héloïse (Adèle Haenel) the beautiful daughter of a noblewoman.

Upon her arrival, Marianne discovers that the previous artist failed, and that Héloïse refuses to pose in protest of being showcased for an unwanted marriage. Ostensibly hired as a ladies’ companion, Marianne takes daily walks with Héloïse, observing her closely yet discreetly, without letting on she’s secretly working on a portrait when they’re apart. As she struggles to make progress on the painting, she finds herself growing more and more attracted to Héloïse.

Marhoul spent a decade trying to bring this singular work to fruition, and it shows in every stylistically impressive detail. As the child suffers through a world of fallen-man stupidity and terrible cruelty, it becomes abundantly clear that this serial tale of endurance otherwise beyond imagination carries an indictment of present-day attitudes.

Yes, this is a very harsh film that doesn’t shrink from the depiction of the extreme and chaotic violence of the time—but it is also truly breathtaking, and a must-see.

Made in an elegantly classical style, director Céline Sciamma’s (Girlhood) romance turns into a remarkable work of suspense, as tension slowly builds over transient glances and pauses—rendered beautifully by Merlant and Haenel’s passionate performances. The deeper they fall in love, the closer Héloïse’s impending loss of freedom looms in this tragic drama about imposed social limitations on what we can create, how we can live, and who we can love.

Cast Petr Kotlár, Udo Kier, Lech Dyblik, Jitka Čvančarová, Stellan Skarsgård, Harvey Keitel, Julian Sands Prod Václav Marhoul Scr Václav Marhoul Cam Vladimír Smutný Ed LuděkHudec Prod Des Jan Vlasák Prod Co Silver Screen Print Celluloid Dreams

“A painterly masterpiece... As perfect a film as any to have premiered this year.”—David Ehrlich, IndieWire

Filmography Smart Philip; Tobruk

Best Screenplay, Cannes 19 Cast Noémie Merlant, Adèle Haenel, Luana Bajrami, Valeria Golino Prod Bénédicte Couvreur Scr Céline Sciamma Cam Claire Mathon Ed Julien Lacheray Mus Jean-Baptiste de Laubier, Arthur Simonini Prod Co Lilies Films Dist/Print MK2 Mile End Filmography Water Lilies; Tomboy; Girlhood

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

33

Galas & Special Presentations

Special Presentations True North / Canada

Panorama / UK

The Song of Names

Sorry We Missed You

FRANÇOIS GIRARD, CANADA, 2019, 113 MIN.

THU, OCT 3 THU, OCT 10

KEN LOACH, UK/FRANCE/BELGIUM, 2019, 100 MIN.

8:45 PM 6:00 PM

CENT CENT

Directed by veteran Quebecois filmmaker François Girard (The Red Violin, Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould) and based on the acclaimed novel of the same name

by Norman Lebrecht, The Song of Names is the powerful, mysterious, and ultimately inspirational story of two unlikely childhood friends: Dovidl (Luke Doyle), a musical prodigy from Poland whose parents were killed in the Holocaust, and Martin (Misha Handley), the only child of the wealthy British man who adopted the orphan. Girard’s powerful fable takes place over three decades as adult Martin (Tim Roth), possessed with an unquenchable desire to find his friend, attempts to explain why Dovidl, astonishingly, disappeared the night of the concert that was to secure his fame.

Featuring exquisite original music, profoundly lived-in performances (Clive Owen also stars, giving one of his best turns in recent memory), but most of all a timely, touching, and frequently surprising story, The Song of Names is, at once, an ode to those lost and a call to never forget.

Cast Tim Roth, Clive Owen, Catherine McCormack, Jonah Hauer-King, Gerran Howell, Luke Doyle, Misha Handley Exec Mark Musselman, Randy Lennox, Peter Touche, Stephen Spence, Tibor Krsko, Anant Singh Prod Robert Lantos, Lyse Lafontaine, Nick Hirschkorn Scr Jeffrey Caine Cam David Franco Ed Michel Arcand Prod Des François Séguin Mus Howard Shore Prod Co Serendipity Point Films, Lyla Films Dist/Print Elevation Pictures Selected Filmography Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould; The Red Violin; Boychoir

TUE, OCT 1 SAT, OCT 5

6:00 PM 6:00 PM

The “Uberized” economy and its iniquities come in for a shellacking in Ken Loach’s latest cri de coeur, a social drama that many critics have said is even better than his Palme d’Or-winning previous work, I, Daniel Blake. Like that film, this one was written

by Loach’s frequent collaborator Paul Laverty, and the two of them again show, with passion and intelligence, the tragic, logical consequences of unfettered capitalism.

Ricky (Kris Hitchen), a former construction worker laid-off after the 2008 financial crisis, is in dire need of a job to help support his wife Abbie (Debbie Honeywood), a contract nurse and in-home caregiver, and their two kids. Paying too much heed to one of his mates, the affable Ricky convinces himself that the way out of his family’s financial misery is to become a no-benefits, no-overtime freelance driver for a big delivery company. With great empathy and an abundance of well-researched detail, Loach and his fine cast show how Ricky’s dream turns into a nightmare.

“Superb... It’s fierce, open and angry, unironised and unadorned, about a vital contemporary issue whose implications you somehow don’t hear on the news.”—Peter Bradshaw, Guardian Cast Kris Hitchen, Debbie Honeywood, Rhys Stone, Katie Proctor, Ross Brewster, Charlie Richmond Exec Pascal Caucheteux, Grégoire Sorlat, Vincent Maraval Prod Rebecca O’Brien Scr Paul Laverty Cam Robbie Ryan Ed Jonathan Morris Prod Des Fergus Clegg Mus George Fenton Prod Co Sixteen Films, Why Not Productions, Les Films du Fleuve Dist/Print Pacific Northwest Pictures Selected Filmography Kes; The Wind that Shakes the Barley; I, Daniel Blake

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CENT CENT

Galas & Special Presentations

Panorama / Belgium

Panorama / USA

The Two Popes

Young Ahmed Le Jeune Ahmed

FERNANDO MEIRELLES, USA/UK/ITALY/ARGENTINA, 2019, 125 MIN.

SUN, OCT 6 MON, OCT 7

2:30 PM 6:00 PM

PLAY CENT

It’s 2013 and the winds of change are blowing through the Vatican. Having lived his life to the letter of the gospel, conservative Pope Benedict (Anthony Hopkins) prepares to cede the papacy to Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce), who aims to take a more progressive approach with leading the Catholic Church and its flock of over a billion faithful. These men of the cloth are, well, hardly cut from the same cloth, ensuring that this transfer of power will be a bumpy ride as they weigh in—and butt heads—with their respective stands on what their fellowship requires in an era of epochal change.

Demonstrating both a keen understanding of and deep respect for the responsibilities that accompany such a hallowed station, director Fernando Meirelles (City of God) and screenwriter Anthony McCarten (Darkest Hour) succeed in humanizing the film’s central figures, reminding us at every turn that these are fallible men trying to balance doctrine with their own world views. Unsurprising, much of the credit for the film’s success rests with the titanic talents occupying the headlining roles. As Hopkins and Pryce spar over the respective merits of integrity and adaptability, divinely comic sparks fly, lending the film’s insights an incandescent glow.

Cast Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce, Juan Minujín Exec Mark Bauch Prod Dan Lin, Jonathan Eirich, Tracey Seaward Scr Anthony McCarten Cam César Charlone Ed Fernando Stutz Prod Des Mark Tildesley Mus Bryce Dessner Prod Co Rideback, Inc. Print Netflix, Inc. Selected Filmography City of God; Blindness; 360

JEAN-PIERRE DARDENNE, LUC DARDENNE, BELGIUM, 2019, 84 MIN.

FRI, SEP 27 WED, OCT 2

6:30 PM 4:00 PM

CENT PLAY

Through such masterworks as The Son, The Kid With a Bike, and Two Days, One Night, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne established themselves as two of the most sensitive, empathetic, and nuanced of all European filmmakers. Consequently, the premiere of this new powder-keg drama—which went on to win Best Director at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival—led many viewers to debate exactly what to make of this much darker turn the brothers have taken.

On the surface of things, 13-year-old Ahmed (Idir Ben Addi) of the title seems like most boys his age; he’s frustrated with his family, annoyed by school, and anxious about girls. So how could this otherwise average teenager go from being a strong student, loving son, and compassionate sibling to someone who attempts to kill his teacher on account of the dubious instruction of a radicalized imam? That question reverberates throughout this searing psychological study, and the Dardennes—who borrow liberally from Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment—are far more interested in exploring the particulars of this one individual than in making a sweeping universal political statement. Thanks to such masterful incisiveness, Young Ahmed is unlikely to be forgotten soon.

“Young Ahmed might not have answers, but it asks pertinent questions and makes acute observations... It’s a wise and sensitive contribution to a timely debate.”—Dave Calhoun, Time Out Best Director, Cannes 19 Cast Idir Ben Addi, Olivier Bonnaud, Myriem Akheddiou, Victoria Bluck, Claire Bodson, Othmane Moumen Exec Delphine Tomson Prod Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, Denis Freyd Scr JeanPierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne Cam Benoit Dervaux Ed Marie-Hélène Dozo Prod Co Les Films du Fleuve, Archipel 35, France 2 Cinéma, Proximus RTBF Dist/Print Maison 4:3 Selected Filmography La Promesse; L’Enfant; Two Days, One Night

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

35

Master Class Series + Creator Talks

Master Classes DGC Master Class

Creator Talk

Director, Guest of Honour 6:00 PM

VCT

Costume Designer, Once Upon a Time in…

Hollywood SAT, SEP 28

In these exclusive sessions, audiences will be inspired by some of the world’s leading creators and innovators as they share expertise on their craft. Tickets: $25 Creator Talk

Creator Talk

Arianne Phillips

Atom Egoyan FRI, SEP 27

Creator Talks

6:30 PM

VCT

Atom Egoyan is one of Canada’s most celebrated contemporary filmmakers on the international scene. He has made 16 feature films in addition to numerous shorts, works for television and other projects; these have earned him many honours, including five prizes at the Cannes Film Festival, two Academy Award nominations and eight Genie Awards. His impressive list of credits includes the critically acclaimed features Adoration, Where the Truth Lies, Ararat, Felicia’s Journey, The Sweet Hereafter and Exotica. His latest film, Guest of Honour, is featured as VIFF 2019’s Opening Gala.

Known for her cutting-edge designs, and for being Madonna’s own stylist, Phillips has had her costume design recognized with two Oscar nominations—for Walk the Line and W.E. Her current work can be seen in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood, and her distinguished film career also includes A Single Man, Nocturnal Animals, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, 3:10 to Yuma and the iconic Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Host: Nathalie Atkinson, Culture Writer and Film Critic

Tickets: $25

PRESENTED BY

Rob McElhenney

Michael Apted Director, 63 Up SUN, SEP 29

3:30 PM

VCT

Director Michael Apted is best known for Up, the groundbreaking series of documentary films that has followed the lives of a group of British children since 1964, when they were seven years old. The most recent instalment, 63 Up, screens at VIFF 19. In a career that spans almost 50 years, Apted’s credits include the biopics Coal Miner’s Daughter and Gorillas in the Mist; the documentaries Bring on the Night, Incident at Oglala and Moving the Mountain; and the TV series Masters of Sex and Ray Donovan.

Creator/Executive Producer/Actor, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia WED, OCT 2

6:30 PM

RIO

Hey-oooo! Fans of “the Gang” are in for a treat as bouncer, bodyguard and Paddy’s Pub coowner “Mac” comes to VIFF: Rob McElhenney is here to talk about his critically acclaimed FXX comedy series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia which, 14 years on, continues to push the boundaries of adult viewing. Up for discussion: the show’s longevity, favourite episodes, keeping the writing fresh, interpretive dance scenes, that blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo on Game of Thrones and more—including Rob’s new show Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet.

Host: Tim Goodman, Chief TV Critic, The Hollywood Reporter.

ACFC WEST, LOCAL 2020 UNIFOR

DGC Master Class

Creator Talk

Director, Batwoman 2:00 PM

VCT

For the past 25 years, Holly Dale has been one of the premier directors in the entertainment industry; she’s directed pilots, prime-time series, indie features, commercials and documentaries. Holly is known as an “actor’s director,” and her credits include Durham County, Mary Kills People, Flashpoint, Being Erica, Dexter, The Americans, The X-Files, Law & Order True Crime, Limitless, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Falling Skies. She is currently directing the locallyshot Batwoman.

Tickets: $25

FRI, OCT 4

2:30 PM

VCT

How do you turn a good story into a great pitch, and what ultimately leads to a green light? Let’s hear from our featured broadcasters, networkers and streamers as they talk about their commissioning strategies and priorities, as well as the selection process, licensing, where the gaps are for producers and new programming trends in an everchanging marketplace.

GUESTS: Nancy

Cotton, EVP, Head of Scripted Programming, EPIX, Tory Jennings, Director, Programming, Premium SVOD, Bell Media, Gave Lindo, Executive Director, OTT Programming CBC, and Soumya Sriraman, President, BritBox.

PRESENTED BY

Creator Talk

Calling the Shots: Meet the Showrunners

Meet the Decision Makers

Holly Dale SAT, OCT 5

Creator Talk

FRI, OCT 4

5:00 PM

VCT

Let’s get inspired by some star female creators of the small screen. These writers will provide an insider’s look at the challenges of keeping stories dynamic and contemporary, manipulating scripts in response to real-world situations, mapping out plotlines for ensemble casts, figuring out clever new ways to introduce characters and working through hard scenes. They’ll also talk about what they look for when staffing a writers room, what they’re currently watching and what excites them.

GUESTS: Gloria Calderon Kellett, Co-Creator/ Executive Producer, One Day at a Time, Sera Gamble, Co-Creator/Executive Producer, You, Alexandra Cunningham, Creator/Executive Producer, Dirty John, Jami O’Brien, Executive Producer/Showrunner, NOS4A2, and Jennica Harper, Co-Creator/Executive Producer, Jann.

Walter Murch: Godfather of the Modern Movie Sound Editor/Co-Writer, Coup 53 WED, OCT 9

4:00 PM

VCT

Walter Murch is a three-time Oscar-winning editor and sound designer who, for more than 40 years, has worked at the top of his profession. His credits include the critically acclaimed Apocalypse Now, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, The Conversation, The Talented Mr. Ripley and The English Patient.

Most recently, Mr. Murch has made ventures into documentary editing with the remarkable, physics-themed Particle Fever and Taghi Amirani’s Coup 53, which is screening at VIFF 19.

PRESENTED BY

PRESENTED BY

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

37

MON, OCT 7

7:00 PM

It’s the 30th anniversary of Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing, and in this exclusive show VIFF pays tribute by celebrating its theme song—and the main man behind it. Chuck D of Public Enemy is in the house for a live episode of the hit podcast Song Exploder; with guest host Thao Nguyen, he’ll break down “Fight the Power” for audiences. Militant, strident and funky as hell, this street anthem was commissioned by Lee for his movie. This is your chance for an in-depth look at—and listen to—the making of a classic.

Tickets: $44.50 (+ fees) A limited number of ‘Gold Circle’ ($59.50 + fees) tickets are available for this event, which guarantee seats in the first three rows.

This is an individually ticketed special event. VIFF Passes are not eligible for entry.

CO-PRESENTED WITH

38

PLAY

SUN, OCT 6

8:00 PM

PLAY

This multi-media stage show provides a mega-dose of the movie expertise and colourful disagreements you’ve come to expect from hosts Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington. Featuring the two comedians as film critics bickering back and forth as they “review” films, the AdultSwim. com series is a decade’s worth of bewildering history between Tim and Gregg at the movies. Be ready for special appearances from beloved cast members of the On Cinema/Decker Universe.

Tickets: $45 (+ fees) This is an individually ticketed special event.

VIFF Passes are not eligible for entry.

Buy Buytickets ticketsand andread readfull fullfilm filmdescriptions descriptionsat atviff.org viff.org

39

An Eastside Christmas Carol...

A Wonderful Holiday Family Experience.

Final Year!

IRD LY B EAR CIAL SPE ETS K 4 TIC $110 R O F

STARRING

JIM BYRNES AS SCROOGE

Featuring the animated art of artist Richard Tetrault!

BAH HUMBUG! Also featuring Margo Kane, Tom Pickett, Sam Bob and Kevin McNulty

DECEMBER 5 – 21, 2019 | EVENINGS & MATINEES SFU’S GOLDCORP CENTRE FOR THE ARTS 149 West Hastings Street Vancouver GROUP DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE. FOR TICKETS & INFO VISIT

WWW.SFUWOODWARDS.CA

LOUISE BURNS (MUSICIAN & PRODUCER)

JODY GLENHAM (JODY GLENHAM AND THE DREAMERS)

CATHERINE HILTZ (BASSIST, TEGAN & SARA, HOT PANDA)

AYLA TESLER-MABE (GUITAR, CALPURNIA, LUDIC)

ADAM FINK (DRUMMER, ACTORS)

ARE

An anniversary live-score, cranked up to 11 SUN. SEP 29

7:00 PM

RIO

35 years of cranking it up to 11! That’s right, it’s been that long since the groundbreaking mock-rock-doc This Is Spinal Tap came out; what better way to celebrate than with a live scoring? At this special screening, a female fronted band led by Vancouver musician Louise Burns, play along to the ever-quotable movie, giving their own takes on “Stonehenge,” “Sex Farm,” “Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight” and all the other classics.

Live band features Jody Glenham (Jody Glenham and the Dreamers), Catherine Hiltz (bassist, Tegan & Sara, Hot Panda) Ayla Tesler-Mabe (guitarist, Calpurnia, Ludic), and Adam Fink (drummer, ACTORS). Whether for the first time or the eleventh, there’s no better way to see this movie!

Tickets: $30 (+ fees) This is an individually ticketed special event.

VIFF Passes are not eligible for entry.

Beguiling, sensuous and bloody as hell, Dario Argento’s Deep Red (1975) is a classic of horror cinema. Key to its power is the eerie, keyboard-heavy score by Claudio Simonetti and his band Goblin: circling rhythms, trebly electronic shimmers and haunting melodies work with Argento’s images for a swoony, sinister effect. Now VIFF audiences will get to feel that effect as few others have, with a live scoring of the movie by Simonetti and the band, who will also play an extra set of their soundtrack classics.

THU. OCT 3

6:00 PM

RIO

Tickets: $40 (+ fees) This is an individually ticketed special event.

VIFF Passes are not eligible for entry.

CO-PRESENTED WITH

Buy tickets tickets and and read read full full film film descriptions descriptions at at viff.org viff.org Buy

41 41

WHITES.COM

VANCOUVER CALGARY WINNIPEG SUDBURY TORONTO HALIFAX

TUE. OCT 1

6:30 PM

RIO

Nobody’s perfect! At VIFF 2019, women play men playing women in a live reading of Some Like It Hot—a movie with a new resonance in the #MeToo era. Watch an ensemble cast bring Billy Wilder’s romantic comedy to life in its 60th year, with proceeds from the show supporting WAVAW Rape Crisis Centre.

The all-star cast includes Jewel Staite (The Magicians, Stargate: Atlantis, Firefly), Kacey Rohl (White Lie, Hannibal, Arrow), Katie Findlay (Lost Generation, Man Seeking Woman, How to Get Away With Murder), and three-time Juno Award nominated singer-songwriter Jill Barber, who will perform the film’s musical numbers. More guests to be announced!

Some Like It Hot is presented by Feminist Live Reads, created by filmmaker/critic Chandler Levack. Past editions include readings of the Entourage pilot, Reservoir Dogs and Almost Famous, and have featured Sook-Yin Lee, Mia Kirshner, Finn Wolfhard, Diana Bang and Ali Liebert.

Tickets: $20 (+ fees) This is an individually ticketed special event.

VIFF Passes are not eligible for entry.

SAT. SEP 28

7:30 PM

VOG

Pop-Up Magazine presents a night of live storytelling, music, art, and performance devoted to escapes big and small, daring and mundane, physical and mental.

The acclaimed “live magazine” show is coming to VIFF with its first themed tour—The Escape Issue—produced in collaboration with their sister publication, The California Sunday Magazine.

Contributors to The Escape Issue include comedian Jordan Carlos (HBO’s Divorce; Black Mirror; WNYC’s Adulting); poet Sarah Kay (Project VOICE); writers Albert Samaha (BuzzFeed News), Mary Melton (LA Magazine), Chris Duffy (Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas), Clio Chang (Jezebel, The New Republic); musician Left at London; photographer Lucas Foglia (International Center of Photography, SF MOMA), plus an original score performed onstage by the Magik*Magik Orchestra.

Tickets on sale at popupmagazine.com This is an individually ticketed special event.

VIFF Passes are not eligible for entry.

Buy Buytickets ticketsand andread readfull fullfilm filmdescriptions descriptionsat atviff.org viff.org

43

Panorama

Brazil

The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão A Vida Invisível de Eurídice Gusmão

KARIM AÏNOUZ, BRAZIL/GERMANY, 2019, 139MIN.

MON, OCT 7 TUE, OCT 8

9:00 PM 2:45 PM

CENT PLAY

Karim Aïnouz’s (Madame Satã) stylish, colour-saturated “tropical melodrama” tells the story of two sisters, proper Eurídice (Carol Duarte) and freedom-loving Guida (Julia Stockler), in 1950s Rio de Janeiro who are divided by their father’s duplicitous misogyny. Pure pleasure for the eyes and told from a decidedly feminist slant, this is a tale of “high emotion articulated with utmost sincerity and heady stylistic excess, all in the perspiring environs of midcentury Rio de Janeiro.”—Variety Un Certain Regard Prize, Cannes 19 Cast Carol Duarte, Julia Stockler, Gregorio Duvivier, Bárbara Santos, Flávia Gusmão, Maria Manoella Prod Rodrigo Teixeira, Michael Weber, Viola Fügen Selected Filmography Madame Satã; Futuro Beach; Central Airport THF

Panorama

Germany

The world’s boldest creators and their exceptional works. The year’s most anticipated international films and new discoveries curated specifically for VIFF audiences.

Contemporary World Cinema A spectacular collection of narrative films from around the globe, featuring both today’s masters and tomorrow’s visionaries.

SERIES PRESENTED BY

Cherry Blossoms & Demons Kirschblüten & Dämonen

DORIS DÖRRIE, GERMANY/JAPAN, 2019, 110MIN.

FRI, OCT 4 SUN, OCT 6

6:00 PM 11:30 AM

PLAY PLAY

North American Premiere. This sequel to Cherry Blossoms, an audience favourite at VIFF 08, features performances by two great actresses: Hannelore Elsner and Kiki Kirin, both no longer alive. The main focus is Karl (Golo Euler), a grown man stricken with grief at the death of his parents. Returning to his family home with Yu (Aya Irizuki), the sprightly dancer of the first film, he tries to face down his demons at last... Compassionate, whimsical, and poignant, this is another triumph for writer-director Dorris Dörrie.

Synonyms

Cast Golo Euler, Aya Irizuki, Hannelore Elsner, Elmar Wepper, Kiki Kirin, Felix Eitner, Floriane Daniel Prod Anita Schneider, Viola Jäger

4444

Selected Filmography Men; Cherry Blossoms; Greetings from Fukushima

Panorama

Morocco

Georgia

Adam

MARYAM TOUZANI, MOROCCO/FRANCE, 2019, 98 MIN.

FRI, SEP 27 WED, OCT 2

2:15 PM 8:30 PM

IN10 VCT

Babysplitters

LEVAN AKIN, GEORGIA/SWEDEN, 2019, 106 MIN.

THU, SEP 26 SAT, SEP 28

Brazil

USA

And Then We Danced 6:30 PM 1:30 PM

Bacurau

SAM FRIEDLANDER, USA, 2019, 120 MIN.

PLAY IN10

FRI, SEP 27 WED, OCT 2

9:30 PM 3:45 PM

IN10 IN10

Set in Casablanca, Maryam Touzani’s feature debut contains a wellspring of earned emotion in its deceptively simple tale of the homeless, pregnant Samia (Nisrin Erradi) and her burgeoning relationship with the gruff widow Abla (Lubna Azabal) who takes her in. Touzani captures the growing intimacy between the two with a confidence that belies her newcomer status. A delight. “Touzani allows her audience to sit back and relax comfortably into a beautifully made, character-driven little gem.”—Variety

North American Premiere. Georgian traditional dance—stunning in its sheer physicality—is the focus of Levan Akin’s gay comingof-age tale that is as courageous, given his country’s anti-homosexual attitude, as it is beautiful in the way its saturated colours and depth of field suit the movements of the dance. Merab (Levan Gelbakhiani, enthralling) falls for fellow dancer Irakli (Bachi Valishvili), and their slow, tension-building coming together is reflected in the rehearsals and performances of this jaw-dropping art form.

Canadian Premiere. Don’t have the time, money, or patience to raise kids? Why not pool your resources? Sam Friedlander’s fresh and sunny comedy takes many hilarious twists and turns after two busy L.A. couples decide to join forces in raising a baby together. This smart and topical premise is fuel for up-tothe-minute social commentary kept bubbling by an appealingly game multicultural cast who “build a delightful array of depth and dimension into their characters’ motivations...

Thoroughly entertaining.”—Variety

Cast Lubna Azabal, Nisrin Erradi, Douae Belkhaouda, Aziz Hattab, Hasnaa Tamtaoui Prod Nabil Ayouch

Cast Levan Gelbakhiani, Bachi Valishvili, Ana Javakishvili Prod Mathilde Dedye, Ketie Danelia

Cast Danny Pudi, Emily C. Chang, Maiara Walsh, Eddie Alfano, Brian Thomas Smith, Mark Feuerstein, Andrée Vermeulen, Kirk Zipfel Prod Sam Friedlander, Rebecca G. Stone, Matt DiNicola, David C. Smith

Filmography Certain People; The Circle

Filmography Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendant

Russia

USA

6:15 PM 12:45 PM

IN10 VCT

FRI, SEP 27 SUN, SEP 29

9:00 PM 3:00 PM

An unforgettable take on war’s human costs, Russian wunderkind Kantemir Balagov’s visually poetic drama is set in Leningrad in the aftermath of Russia’s WWII “victory.”

Lanky nurse Iya (Viktoria Miroshnichenko) and her friend Masha (Vasilisa Perelygina) are reunited after having experienced untold horrors. As the desperate citizenry scrambles to survive, can the women return to a life even resembling normalcy? “Exceptionally crafted, devastating... ferocious, and extraordinary.”— Variety

Canadian Premiere. It’s amazing to learn that this sophisticated drama, which has been compared to the work of Terrence Malick, was written, directed, photographed, and edited by someone still in high school, but it’s true.

Philip Youmans uses a two-pronged narrative—one focusing on a grieving, alcoholic pastor (Wendell Pierce) and the other on an unemployed father (Dominique McClellan) who is himself losing a battle with alcohol—to sketch a moody, lived-in portrait of Southern African-Americans’ thwarted hopes.

FIPRESCI Prize, Un Certain Regard, Cannes 19

Best Feature, Best Actor, US Narrative Competition, Tribeca 19

Cast Viktoria Miroshnichenko, Vasilisa Perelygina, Andrey Bykov, Igor Shirokov, Konstantin Balakirev, Ksenia Kutepova, Olga Dragunova, Timofey Glazkov Prod Alexander Rodnyansky, Sergey Melkumov Filmography Closeness

Cast Wendell Pierce, Karen Kaia Livers, Dominique McClellan, Braelyn Kelly, E’myri Crutchfield, Cynthia Capers Prod Phillip Youmans, Mose Mayer, Ojo Akinlana, Cassandra Youmans, Wendell Pierce, Karen Kaia Livers, Isaac Webb, Jakob Johnson

9:15 PM 4:00 PM

PLAY IN10

Kleber Mendonça Filho (Juliano Dornelles co-directs) continues the critique of contemporary Brazil displayed in Aquarius, but here the arthouse gloves are off in favour of tropes taken from the Western and other genres.

When the defiant town of Bacurau finds itself literally wiped from online maps, a violent confrontation with Udo Kier and his mercenaries looms. Sonia Braga and Bárbara Colen are exemplary leads. “An exhilaratingly jittery mash-up of genres and moods... Hallucinatory.”—Cinema Scope Jury Prize (ex-aequo), Cannes 19 Cast Sonia Braga, Udo Kier, Bárbara Colen, Thomas Aquino, Silvero Pereira, Thardelly Lima Prod Emilie Lesclaux, Saïd Ben Saïd, Michel Merkt Filmography (Kleber Mendonça Filho) Critico; Neighbouring Sounds; Aquarius

Eynayim Sheli

REZA MIRKARIMI, IRAN, 2019, 86 MIN.

TUE, OCT 1 WED, OCT 2

THU, OCT 3 MON, OCT 7

Chained

Ghasr-e Shirin

IN09 IN08

KLEBER MENDONÇA FILHO, JULIANO DORNELLES, BRAZIL/FRANCE, 2019, 130 MIN.

Israel

Castle of Dreams

PHILLIP YOUMANS, USA, 2019, 78 MIN.

KANTEMIR BALAGOV, RUSSIA, 2019, 137 MIN.

WED, OCT 9 FRI, OCT 11

Iran

Burning Cane

Beanpole

Contemporary World Cinema

8:45 PM 3:30 PM

YARON SHANI, ISRAEL/GERMANY, 2019, 112 MIN.

CENT IN08

SUN, SEP 29 THU, OCT 3

6:15 PM 11:15 AM

IN10 IN10

North American Premiere. VIFF alumnus Reza Mirkarimi (Under the Moonlight, VIFF 01), director of three of Iran’s nominees for the Best Foreign-Language Film Academy Award, returns with this subtle, wonderfully acted road movie that evokes memories of neo-realism but without the attendant sentimentality.

Fresh out of jail, Jalal (Hamed Behdad) reluctantly takes charge of his now-motherless two children and heads to Azerbaijan with them and his new Azeri wife. It is a trip that will change everything...

North American Premiere. Director Yaron Shani has devised a thoroughly engrossing filmmaking style: he uses nonprofessional actors, tailors the script to their real lives, and then workshops the actors for months before filming. The results, as seen in this self-contained part of his “Love” trilogy, are explosive, intimate, discomfiting—and very impressive.

Tough cop Rashi (Eran Naim), a strict father to his 13-year-old stepdaughter, sees his world start to crumble when he humiliates the son of one of his higher-ups…

Best Film, Best Director, Shanghai 19

Best Israeli Feature, Best Actor, Audience Award, Jerusalem 19

Cast Hamed Behdad, Zhila Shahi, Azadeh Nobahari, Nioosha Alipour, Youna Tadayyon, Akbar Ayeen Prod Reza Mirkarimi Filmography The Child and The Soldier; Here, a Shining Light; Today

Cast Eran Naim, Stav Almagor, Stav Patay, Asher Ayalon, Yaniv Assaraf, Yaniv Dimri, Udi Ohana Prod Saar Yogev, Naomi Levari Filmography Ajami; Life Sentences; Love Trilogy – Stripped Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

45

Panorama

Denmark

Israel

Checkered Ninja

The Day After I’m Gone

Ternet Ninja

NIMROD ELDAR, ISRAEL, 2019, 95 MIN.

ANDERS MATTHESEN, THORBJØRN CHRISTOFFERSEN, DENMARK, 2018, 82 MIN.

THU, SEP 26 SUN, SEP 29

Brazil

6:45 PM 1:00 PM

RIO SFU

A box office smash in Denmark, Anders Matthesen and Thorbjørn Christoffersen’s bouncy animated follow-up to Terkel in Trouble (VIFF 04) is nothing if not irreverent, featuring profanity, sex jokes, and some inspired cartoon ultra-violence. The story of a spirit-possessed toy ninja who becomes the buddy of an adolescent victim of bullying, this is a deliciously naughty film about coming of age and the morality of vengeance, blessed with keen wit and a booming rap soundtrack to boot.

SUN, OCT 6 MON, OCT 7

8:30 PM 11:00 AM

VCT IN09

North American Premiere. Very well acted and directed, Nimrod Eldar’s intimate drama about the disintegrating relationship between a father, Yoram (Menashe Noy), and his 17-year-old daughter, Roni (Zohar Meidan), in the wake of the latter’s suicide attempt is impressive in its understanding of the lived psychology of loss and trauma at both the personal and national level. Totally believable and very moving, the film “confirms… Eldar as a promising talent with a subtle understanding of behaviour and emotions.”—Screen

Cast Alfred Bjerre Larsen, Emma Sehested Høeg, Anders Matthesen Prod Trine Heidegaard, Anders Mastrup

Cast Menashe Noy, Zohar Meidan, Alon Neuman, Sarit Vino Elad, Claudia Dulitchi, Sharon Hacoen, Miri Aloni Prod Eitan Mansuri, Jonathan Doweck, Nimrod Eldar, Moshe Edery, Leon Edery

Filmography (Anders Matthesen) What Goes Around; (Thorbjørn Christoffersen) Terkel in Trouble

Filmography Seven Minutes in Heaven; The Cutoff Man

Finland

USA

Dogs Don’t Wear Pants Koirat eivät käytä housuja

J-P VALKEAPÄÄ, FINLAND/LATVIA, 2019, 105 MIN.

FRI, OCT 4 FRI, OCT 11

9:30 PM 8:45 PM

IN10 CINE

Morose widower Juha (Pekka Strang) seeks to restart his stalled life by entering into a relationship with dominatrix Mona (Krista Kosonen) in J-P Valkeapää’s BDSM black comedy. The further Juha goes in pursuit of selfabnegation, the closer he seems to come to communing with his dead wife... Sex-positive and darkly funny, Valkeapää’s open-minded film is an eye-opener. “This inky comedy... is bracing for the empathetic psychological complexity it brings to oft-mistreated subject matter.”—Variety Cast Pekka Strang, Krista Kosonen, Ester Geislerovà, Ilona Huhta, Jani Volanen, Oona Airola Prod Aleksi Bardy, Helen Vinogradov Filmography The Visitor; They Have Escaped

A Dog and His Man

Divino amor

SIDDHARTH TRIPATHY, INDIA, 2019, 84 MIN.

GABRIEL MASCARO, BRAZIL/URUGUAY/NORWAY/ DENMARK, 2019, 100 MIN.

9:15 PM 1:30 PM

RIO IN09

In Gabriel Mascaro’s synapse-triggering, fundamentalist-baiting vision of evangelical Brazil circa 2027, crises of faith are serviced at drive-thru churches, failing marriages are resuscitated through group sex, and the faithful find transcendence at sweat-drenched raves.

At the centre of this speculative cocktail are a couple (Dira Paes and Julio Machado) whose travails resonate like a sacred chord. “Mascaro is one of the most audacious and gifted filmmakers of his generation.”—Hollywood Reporter

9:15 PM 3:30 PM

North American Premiere. How rare and delightful to see a film follow the gentle rhythms of a female friendship as it warps, shifts, and transforms over time. Dan Sallitt’s subtle and poignant Fourteen brilliantly captures the lives of two long-time friends, introspective Mara (Tallie Medel) and extroverted Jo (Norma Kuhling), as they switch partners, change jobs, and weather crises—most of them pertaining to Jo, whose addictive personality and adventurous spirit are often cause for Mara’s concern...

Cast Tallie Medel, Norma Kuhling, Evan Davis, Willy McGee, Scott Friend, C. Mason Wells Prod Caitlin Mae Burke Filmography Honeymoon; All the Ships at Sea; The Unspeakable Act

SFU VCT

World Premiere. In what remains of his hometown in Chhattisgarh, Shoukie has finished serving eviction notices and is now left to drift aimlessly through both abandoned streets and bittersweet memories of better days. Evoking VIFF mainstays Jia Zhangke and Pedro Costa but evincing a distinct sensibility, Siddharth Tripathy immerses his protagonist in a compelling, coal dust-speckled night of the soul that speaks to the crises of conscience that plague those who’ve served as a cog in the mechanics of progress.

Cast Balu, Champa Patel, Ashish Behra, Prem Gupta

Germany

I Was at Home, but...

Ich war zuhause, aber...

IRA SACHS, FRANCE/PORTUGAL, 2019, 98 MIN.

IN09 IN08

9:30 PM 3:30 PM

Selected Filmography Housemaids; August Winds; Neon Bull

Frankie

DAN SALLITT, USA, 2019, 94 MIN.

SAT, SEP 28 MON, SEP 30

Cast Dira Paes, Julio Machado, Emílio de Melo, Teca Pereira, Calum Rio, Mariana Nunes Prod Rachel Daisy Ellis

France

Fourteen FRI, OCT 4 SAT, OCT 5

India

Divine Love SUN, OCT 6 WED, OCT 9

Contemporary World Cinema

MON, OCT 7 TUE, OCT 8

3:15 PM 9:15 PM

PLAY CENT

Isabelle Huppert is as graceful as ever in the latest from Ira Sachs (Keep the Lights On).

She plays Françoise “Frankie” Crémont, a film star who has summoned friends and family to the lovely Portuguese town of Sintra. It’s a vacation she’s orchestrated with some secret motives, and this drama is imbued with a quiet sense of mystery... The brilliant ensemble cast includes Brendan Gleeson, Jérémie Renier, and Marisa Tomei. “[A]n achingly honest portrait of what life has to offer.”—Indiewire Cast Isabelle Huppert, Brendan Gleeson, Marisa Tomei, Jérémie Renier, Pascal Greggory, Vinette Robinson Prod Saïd Ben Saïd, Michel Merkt Selected Filmography Keep the Lights On; Love Is Strange; Little Men

ANGELA SCHANELEC, GERMANY/SERBIA, 2019, 105 MIN.

WED, OCT 9 THU, OCT 10

12:30 PM 6:30 PM

IN08 CINE

Writer-director Angela Schanelec is the most formally rigorous of the Berlin School filmmakers, and her latest continues her visual explorations through the story of a widowed mother (Maren Eggert) whose 13-year-old son returns after having disappeared for a week. Like all of Schanelec’s work, plot takes a back seat to crisp visuals, an almost clinical camera eye, and careful compositions that allow the viewer ample room for interpretation and reflection. And, as always, the results are fascinating.

Silver Bear (Best Director), Berlin 19 Cast Maren Eggert, Jakob Lassalle, Clara Möller, Franz Rogowski, Lilith Stangenberg, Alan Williams Prod Angela Schanelec Selected Filmography Places in Cities; Marseille; The Dreamed Path

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

47

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Panorama

France

Argentina

It Must Be Heaven

ELIA SULEIMAN, FRANCE/QATAR/GERMANY/CANADA/ TURKEY/PALESTINE, 2019, 97 MIN.

SAT, OCT 5 MON, OCT 7

9:30 PM 1:45 PM

IN10 IN10

After ten years away, Palestinian writerdirector-star Elia Suleiman returns to the big screen, once again portraying the sad-sack, Keaton-esque Everyman trying to make sense of a senseless world but this time extending his canvas beyond his native soil. Here his character travels to Paris and New York seeking funds for his new movie and revelling in the surreal, the droll, and the beautiful in equal measure. “Whimsical and wistful yet infused with a yearning for the stability of place…”—Variety Special Mention, FIPRESCI Prize, Cannes 19 Cast Elia Suleiman, Tarik Kopti, Kareem Ghneim, Grégoire Colin, Stephen McHattie, Gael García Bernal Prod Serge Noel, Laurine Pelassy, Edouard Weil, Thanassis Karathanos, Zeynep Özbatur Atakan

Sweden

Joel

SAT, OCT 5 THU, OCT 10

9:00 PM 1:00 PM

Germany

Koko-di Koko-da

CARLOS SORÍN, ARGENTINA, 2018, 100 MIN.

IN09 IN08

Canadian Premiere. The Patagonian village of Tolhuin is the setting for Carlos Sorín’s universal tale of the difficulties faced both by childless parents when they adopt and the adoptees themselves. When Cecilia (Victoria Almeida) and husband Diego’s (Diego Gentile) adoptive child, Joel (Joel Noguera), turns out to be nine years old and not the baby they hoped for, the problems they face in integrating him into the community threaten to overwhelm. “Complex... low-key, powerful and engaging.”—Hollywood Reporter Cast Victoria Almeida, Diego Gentile, Joel Noguera, Ana Katz Prod Juan Pablo Buscarini, Carlos Sorín, Julio Pérez, José Ibañez Selected Filmography Eversmile New Jersey; The Road to San Diego; The Cat Vanishes

JOHANNES NYHOLM, SWEDEN/DENMARK, 2019, 85 MIN.

SAT, SEP 28 WED, OCT 2

Contemporary World Cinema

4:30 PM 6:45 PM

RIO IN09

An ultimately humanistic blend of folklore-infused horror and Lynchian absurdist allegory about grief, guilt, and loss, Johannes Nyholm’s (The Giant, VIFF 15) ethereal drama makes use of a repetitive scenario (à la Groundhog Day) and delirious visuals to show us a camping trip gone nightmarishly—and endlessly—wrong. Trying to recover from a family tragedy, couple Tobias (Leif Edlund) and Elin (Ylva Gallon) take their tent into the woods— where they encounter a trio of carnivalesque psychopaths...

Cast Leif Edlund, Ylva Gallon, Katarina Jacobson, Peter Belli Prod Johannes Nyholm Filmography The Giant

Lara

JAN-OLE GERSTER, GERMANY, 2019, 98 MIN.

TUE, OCT 1 THU, OCT 3

6:00 PM 1:45 PM

IN08 IN10

North American Premiere. As Jan-Ole Gerster’s film begins, Lara (Corinna Harfouch) is celebrating her 60th birthday in a most unconventional manner. After a well-timed interruption by the police, we follow her through a day of reckoning that builds to the concert debut of her composer son (Tom Schilling).

Fascinating, funny, and poignant, this is a journey towards the centre of Lara’s heart; it grips the viewer from the first shot and carries them along to an ecstatic release. “[A] portrait of remarkable depth.”—Variety Special Jury Prize, Best Actress, Karlovy Vary 19 Cast Corinna Harfouch, Tom Schilling, André Jung, Volkmar Kleinert, Rainer Bock Prod Marcos Kantis, Martin Lehwald, Michal Pokorny Filmography A Coffee in Berlin

Selected Filmography Chronicle of a Disappearance; Divine Intervention; The Time That Remains

Germany

Austria

Little Joe

The Last to See Them Gli ultimi a vederli vivere

JESSICA HAUSNER, AUSTRIA/UK/GERMANY, 2019, 105 MIN.

SARA SUMMA, GERMANY, 2019, 79 MIN.

SUN, SEP 29 MON, SEP 30

6:00 PM 1:15 PM

Turkey

VCT VCT

SUN, SEP 29 WED, OCT 2

3:30 PM 9:00 PM

RIO CENT

Russia

Noah Land

Once in Trubchevsk

Nuh Tepesi

Odnazhdy v Trubchevske

CENK ERTÜRK, TURKEY/GERMANY, 2019, 109 MIN.

THU, OCT 3 TUE, OCT 8

4:30 PM 7:00 PM

IN10 IN10

LARISA SADILOVA, RUSSIA, 2019, 80 MIN.

SUN, OCT 6 THU, OCT 10

11:00 AM 9:00 PM

IN09 SFU

Canadian Premiere. Owing an acknowledged debt to Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, director Sara Summa’s coolly considered debut follows a rural southern Italian family of four as they go about their business, unaware that their day will end with all of them being murdered... For someone so young—she’s a recent film school grad—Summa displays a rare sophistication in the way she keeps the mystery so poised, while also capturing the uniqueness of the beautiful, isolated, and sunstruck region in which she grew up.

A mesmerizing, thoroughly discomfiting psychological horror film that gets under your skin and then makes it crawl, Austrian arthouse auteur Jessica Hausner’s first English-language foray focuses on a plant (“Little Joe”) that brings those around it to the point of euphoria. Or so it seems... The remarkable Emily Beecham and Ben Whishaw are the biotechnology researchers at the centre of this stylized and modernized Invasion of the Body Snatchers, which has drawn comparisons to Cronenberg and Kubrick.

Canadian Premiere. Cenk Ertürk’s feature debut is a tense, powerful study of anger and pride. Ali Atay plays Ömer, whose dying father Ibrahim (Haluk Bilginer) chooses as his burial site a tree near his rural childhood home. When the two travel to that home, they find that the tree has been declared holy. So begins a dangerous conflict between the arrogant Ömer and the local villagers... With its provocative symbolism and its escalating current of danger, Noah Land is strong stuff— gripping, haunting, and true to life.

North American Premiere. Wry in tone and execution, Larisa Sadilova’s (With Love, Lilya, VIFF 03) trenchant drama unveils the foibles of life in a sleepy Russian town when the married Anna’s (a luminous Kristina Schneider) carefully hidden affair with a neighbour becomes public knowledge. Sadilova’s feel for quotidian detail, Schneider’s superb performance, and the honestly sketched background characters and events in Trubchevsk make for a “precisely calibrated drama with a plangent feel for small-town life.”—Screen

Cast Barbara Verrastro, Pasquale Lioi, Canio Lancellotti, Donatella Viola, Mauro De Felice, Michela Imperatore Prod Cecilia Trautvetter

Best Actress, Cannes 19

Best Screenplay, Best Actor, International Narrative Competition, Tribeca 19

Cast Kristina Schneider, Egor Barinov, Maria Semyonova, Yuri Kiselev, Valentina Kozova, Viktor Bogatkin Prod Larisa Schneidermann, Larisa Sadilova, Rustam Akhadov

Cast Emily Beecham, Ben Whishaw, Kerry Fox, Kit Connor, David Wilmot, Phénix Brossard, Sebastian Hülk, Lindsay Duncan Prod Bruno Wagner, Bertrand Faivre, Philippe Bober, Martin Gschlacht, Jessica Hausner, Gerardine O’Flynn

Cast Ali Atay, Haluk Bilginer, Arin Kusaksizoglu, Mehmet Özgür, Hande Dogandemir Prod Alp Ertürk, Sevki Tuna Ertürk, Cenk Ertürk

Filmography With love, Lilly; Nothing personal; Sonny

Selected Filmography Lovely Rita; Hotel; Amour Fou

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

49

Panorama

Denmark

USA

Out of Tune

Port Authority

De Frivillige

DANIELLE LESSOVITZ, USA/FRANCE, 2019, 97 MIN.

FREDERIKKE ASPÖCK, DENMARK, 2019, 93 MIN.

FRI, SEP 27 SAT, OCT 5

Denmark

9:30 PM 3:45 PM

PLAY IN09

North American Premiere. A highly unusual and very original take on the prison picture, Frederikke Aspöck’s dark dramatic comedy follows imprisoned narcissistic celebrity financier Markus (Jacob Hauberg Lohmann), who is transferred to the solitary confinement wing and then manipulates everyone in sight in order to dethrone the leader of the men’s choir. Razor sharp, thoughtful, and very entertaining, Aspöck’s discomfiting film also poses some smart moral questions. “Cleverly executed, perfectly performed.”—Variety Cast Jacob Hauberg Lohmann, Anders Matthesen, Anders Brink Madsen, Christopher Læssø Prod Senia Dremstrup

SAT, OCT 5 SUN, OCT 6

6:30 PM 1:45 PM

IN09 IN10

Fionn Whitehead (Dunkirk) plays Paul, a naïve, cisgender Pittsburgh transplant who arrives in New York, ends up in the world of Kiki ballrooms, and finds himself attracted to confident beauty Wye (Leyna Bloom), who, unbeknownst to him, is trans. As Paul has his assumptions upended—and new ideas of love and family make him redefine himself— Danielle Lessovitz’s intimate debut drama evolves into something “vehement, urgent and sensual... made with storytelling gusto and heart.”—Guardian Cast Fionn Whitehead, Leyna Bloom, McCaul Lombardi, Louisa Krause, Will Dufault, Stephen Cavalieri Prod Rodrigo Teixeira, Virginie Lacombe, Zachary Luke Kislevitz, Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis, Terry Dougas

Spain

Queen of Hearts

The Realm

Dronningen

RODRIGO SOROGOYEN, SPAIN/FRANCE, 2018, 121 MIN.

MAY EL-TOUKHY, DENMARK/SWEDEN, 2019, 128 MIN.

SUN, SEP 29 MON, OCT 7

4:00 PM 9:15 PM

IN09 PLAY

Sophomore director May el-Toukhy’s powerful, controversial drama paints a pictureperfect canvas of bourgeois Danish society in the form of high-achieving lawyer Anne (noteperfect Trine Dyrholm), her doctor-husband, Peter (Magnus Krepper), and their two daughters—before exploding our preconceptions by having Anne start an affair with her stepson (Gustav Lindh), seemingly just because she can... Dyrholm’s brave performance is a knockout, and el-Toukhy’s formal control really gets under your skin.

Audience Award, World Dramatic Competition, Sundance 19 Cast Trine Dyrholm, Magnus Krepper, Gustav Lindh, Preben Kristensen Prod Caroline Blanco, René Ezra

Filmography Labrador; Rosita

Filmography Long Story Short

Netherlands

UK

Retrospekt

ESTHER ROTS, NETHERLANDS/BELGIUM, 2018, 101 MIN.

TUE, OCT 8 THU, OCT 10

12:45 AM 9:30 PM

IN08 IN10

With her second feature (VIFF screened her debut, Can Go Through Skin, 10 years ago), Esther Rots moves to the forefront of European filmmaking. Mette (a truly stunning performance by Circé Lethem), a social worker, becomes personally involved in the case of a sparky, battered younger woman (Lien Wildemeersch, also mesmerizing), thereby putting her family and herself in danger. Freshly cinematic, this is, in the best sense of the words, elliptical, fragmentary, subjective—and horrifying.

Cast Circé Lethem, Lien Wildemeersch, Martijn van der Veen Prod Hugo Rots, Esther Rots, Gijs van de Westelaken, Chantal van der Horst Filmography Can Go Through Skin

BARNABY SOUTHCOMBE, UK, 2018, 88 MIN.

TUE, OCT 1 THU, OCT 3

6:45 PM 1:30 PM

IN09 IN09

Canadian Premiere. Two transgressive relationships—one between older woman Liz (Jodhi May) and her 16-year-old lover Daz (Jordan Bolger), one between older man Aiden (Edward Hogg) and teenager Beth (Jessica Barden)—are cleverly and keenly dissected in Barnaby Southcombe’s smart drama, set against the faded grandeur of the Victorian resort town of Scarborough, North Yorkshire.

That both of the older people are teachers and their lovers are also their students adds a moral complexity and complicity to a compelling tale.

Best Screenplay, Macau 18 Cast Jessica Barden, Jordan Bolger, Edward Hogg, Jodhi May, Daniel York Prod Christopher GranierDeferre, Barnaby Southcombe

9:00 PM 4:15 PM

PLAY IN09

Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s blistering drama delves deeply into Spain’s corrupt political system.

Manuel López Vidal (Antonio de la Torre, riveting) is the personification of his political party’s penchant for money laundering and other white-collar crimes, until a leaked tape sees him going from player to scapegoat to whistle blower. “Part thriller, part moral skewering and, sadly, part realistic portrayal, The Realm... bowls along at an increasingly urgent, expertly handled pace...”—Hollywood Reporter Best Director, Best Actor, Best Screenplay, Goya Awards 19 Cast Antonio de la Torre, Mónica López, José María Pou, Nacho Fresneda, Ana Wagener, Bárbara Lennie Prod Gerardo Herrero, Mikel Lejarza, Mercedes Gamero

Peru

Sometimes Always Never

Song Without a Name Canción sin nombre

MELINA LEÓN, PERU/SPAIN/USA, 2019, 97 MIN.

CARL HUNTER, UK, 2018, 92 MIN.

SAT, SEP 28 MON, SEP 30

THU, SEP 26 SAT, SEP 28

Filmography Ocho Citas; Stockholm; May God Save Us

UK

Scarborough

Contemporary World Cinema

3:30 PM 6:00 PM

CENT PLAY

Carl Hunter’s film takes grief, mystery, and messy family relations and turns them into dramedy gold. Alan (Bill Nighy) is a dapper, impish boomer in search of his long-missing son. Peter (Sam Riley) is his other child, a more reserved sort who’s embarrassed by his father’s shenanigans. Scrabble lovers in particular should be delighted with this movie, but in fact it’s for everyone who loves fine acting and good old-fashioned British wit. “[A] distinct, articulate pleasure.”—Guardian Cast Bill Nighy, Sam Riley, Jenny Agutter, Tim McInnerny, Alice Lowe, Alexei Sayle Prod Roy Boulter, Solon Papadopoulos, Alan Latham

MON, SEP 30 THU, OCT 3

8:30 PM 1:45 PM

VCT VCT

Set in 1988 Lima, Melina León’s debut—shot in luminous B&W—draws from a real-life baby-trafficking scandal exposed by her journalist father. Lured by an ad promising free medical help, the pregnant Georgina (Pamela Mendoza), an Indigenous peasant, and her partner Leo (Lucio Rojas) journey to Lima to give birth. When her baby is taken away for a “check-up” and never returned, an ordeal unfolds that reveals corruption on multiple levels... “A bold, beautiful debut.”—Hollywood Reporter Cast Pamela Mendoza, Tommy Párraga, Lucio Rojas, Maykol Hernández, Lidia Quispe Prod Inti Briones, Melina León, Michael J. White

Filmography I, Anna

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

51

SEP 28 OCT 5 OCT 19 NOV 2 NOV 16 FEB 29 MAR 8 APR 4 APR 18

Rosanne Cash Mari Boine DakhaBrakha Flamenco Legends: The Paco de Lucía Project Orquesta Akokán We Shall Overcome: A Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dianne Reeves: Beleza Brazil La Santa Cecilia Kalabanté: Afrique en Cirque ROSANNE CASH LA SANTA CECILIA

DAKHABRAKHA

MARI BOINE

chancentre.com

Thursday, September 26

10:00AM

Vancity

SFU-GCA

Rio

Playhouse

International Village 10

International Village 9

International Village 8

Cinematheque

Centre for Arts

Annex Theatre

Sunday, September 29

Vancity Sunday, September 29

SFU-GCA

Rio

Playhouse

International Village 10

International Village 9

International Village 8

Cinematheque

Centre for Arts

Annex Theatre

10:00AM

Saturday, September 28 10:00AM

Vancity Saturday, September 28

SFU-GCA

Rio

Playhouse

International Village 10

International Village 9

International Village 8

Cinematheque

Centre for Arts

Annex Theatre

Friday, September 27

Vancity Friday, September 27

SFU-GCA

Rio

Playhouse

International Village 10

International Village 9

International Village 8

Cinematheque

Centre for Arts

Annex Theatre

Thursday, September 26 10:00AM

12:00PM

6:00PM

Anne at 13...

7:00pm 82min p12

CT: Michael...

3:30pm 90min p12

Leonardo:...

6:00pm 79min p49

Last to...

5:45pm 85min p93

3:30pm 105min p49 3:00pm 93min p77

The Pollinators Lost Course

1:00pm 82min p47

6:00pm 120min p87

Birthday Spinal Tap:...

11:30am 179min p91

Checkered Ninja

Amanda 10:30am 107min p60

Chained

6:45pm 101min p73 6:15pm 112min p45

5:30pm 106min p101

Rustic Oracle

8:15pm 93min p87

Krabi, 2562

8:15pm 110min p67

The World Is Bright

9:15pm 101min p97

Greener Grass

9:15pm 115min p59

8:45pm 106min p98

Yuli

9:30pm 96min p73

White Lie

8:45pm 180min p25

Beyond Belief

8:30pm 92min p73

L.A. Tea Time

8:45pm 66min p73

6:30pm 70min p74

Troubled Voices...

11:00PM

A Hidden Life

10:00PM

9:30pm 84min p47

A Dog...

9:45pm 100min p96

The Death...

9:00pm 169min p33

The Painted Bird

9:15pm 81min p81

Three...

9:00PM

9:30pm 90min p75

Midnight Family

8:30pm 85min p95

Stuffed

11:00PM

The Twentieth...

9:00pm 92min p65

DANNY

Little Joe

3:15pm 111min p91

1:15pm 75min p81

3:45pm 75min p74

Still Human

Another Child 1:30pm 96min p91

4:00pm 128min p51

Queen of Hearts

The Men's Room

The Great...

11:15am 92min p76

1:15pm 105min p71

11:00am 96min p63

3:00pm 78min p45

12:30pm 78min p73

Castle in the Ground

Burning Cane Dolce fine giornata

7:00pm 90min p12

Varda by Agnès 6:00pm 115min p95

Symphony in...

8:00PM Immersed Exhib

7:00PM

Parasite

5:00pm 90min p12

Immersed Exhib

5:00PM

3:00pm 131min p21

3:00pm 90min p12

1:00pm 90min p12

4:00PM Immersed Exhib

2:00PM Immersed Exhib

1:00PM

6:30pm 90min p12

6:15pm 138min p80

63 Up

6:45pm 105min p71

Castle in the Ground

6:00pm 105min p66

The Body Remembers...

6:30pm 102min p57

Tehran: City of Love

9:00am 480min p12

3:00PM

Neutra ...

3:30pm 102min p93

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Devil's Pie ...

7:00pm 85min p92

6:00pm 102min p87

One Man...

Joan of Arc

9:00pm 136min p27

Just Mercy

10:00PM

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9:00PM

MS Slavic 7

CT: Arianne...

Marghe and...

12:45pm 101min p63

Koko-di Koko-da

Other Music

Lost Course 8:00pm 179min p91

6:30pm 87min p74

Balloon

Totally Indie Day

It Was...

10:30am 75min p93

11:00AM

4:00pm 105min p97

White Snake 3:30pm 99min p86

1:30pm 106min p45 12:15pm 137min p60

11:15am 94min p77

Judy & Punch

By the Grace of God

And Then We Danced

Human Nature

The Realm 4:15pm 121min p51

3:30pm 100min p63

1:30pm 64min p67

Wet Season

7:00pm 90min p12 6:00pm 110min p27

5:00pm 90min p12

8:00PM Immersed Exhib

7:00PM

3:30pm 92min p51

Sole

1:15pm 103min p89

6:00PM

The Lighthouse

Water Over...

Vai

DGC:...

6:00pm 60min p12

Immersed Exhib

5:00PM

9:30pm 90min p97 9:00pm 102min p93

Neutra ...

7:00pm 87min p96 6:00pm 103min p89

Wet Season

Out of Tune 9:30pm 93min p51

In the Tall Grass

Sometimes Always...

3:00pm 90min p12

4:00PM

1:00pm 90min p12

3:00PM Immersed Exhib

2:00PM

3:45pm 93min p92

Beyond the Visible ...

Immersed Exhib

1:00PM

1:45pm 86min p92

12:00PM

Architecture of...

3:30pm 104min p76

Human Nature

Sea of Shadows

Those Who...

1:15pm 84min p57

Babysplitters 9:30pm 120min p45

9:00pm 78min p45

Burning Cane

8:45pm 71min p65

11:00PM

11:00PM

Boyz in the Wood

Red Snow 6:15pm 100min p67

7:00pm 75min p74

3:45pm 101min p60

4:45pm 90min p93

2:15pm 98min p45

Anne at 13...

6:00pm 101min p63

Marghe and...

6:15pm 78min p73

Ridge

Water Over...

9:00pm 64min p67

Murmur Symphony in...

6:30pm 84min p75

Parasite

10:00PM

9:00pm 131min p21

9:00PM

Young Ahmed

8:00PM

6:30pm 84min p35

7:00PM

Who You Think I Am

Escher:...

Dafne 3:45pm 94min p62

6:00PM

8:30pm 95min p91

9:15pm 95min p77

Vanishing Days

MODES 1

Stieg Larsson ...

6:00pm 154min p90

Deerskin 9:00pm 77min p61

Dwelling in...

6:45pm 82min p47

6:30pm 106min p45

Checkered Ninja

The Realm 9:00pm 121min p51

And Then We Danced

Sole

10:00PM

8:30pm 100min p63

9:00PM

Martha:...

7:00pm 105min p19

Guest of Honour

8:00PM

6:30pm 82min p93

7:00PM

6:00pm 82min p102

6:00PM

Adam

1:15pm 109min p59

5:00PM

5:00PM

A White, White Day

2:45pm 120min p87

4:00PM

4:00PM

12:30pm 83min p81

3:00PM

3:00PM

Birthday

2:00PM

2:00PM

The Euphoria...

1:00PM

1:00PM

11:45am 94min p77

12:00PM

12:00PM

11:00am 90min p57

11:00AM

11:00AM

11:00AM

12:00AM

12:00AM

12:00AM

12:00AM

1:00AM

1:00AM

1:00AM

1:00AM

1:00PM

Annex Theatre

Vancity

SFU-GCA

Rio

Playhouse

International Village 10

International Village 9

International Village 8

Cinematheque

Centre for Arts

Annex Theatre

Thursday, October 3

Vancity Thursday, October 03

SFU-GCA

Rio

Playhouse

International Village 10

International Village 9

International Village 8

Cinematheque

Centre for Arts

Annex Theatre

Wednesday, October 2

Vancity Wednesday, October 02

SFU-GCA

Rio

Playhouse

International Village 10

International Village 9

International Village 8

Cinematheque

Centre for Arts

10:00AM

10:00AM

Song Without a Name 1:45pm 97min p51

4:00pm 145min p65

Miel-Emile

7:00pm 83min p67

My Dads...

Jordan River

6:00pm 112min p100

9:30pm 87min p96

7:00pm 83min p81

The Euphoria...

9:00pm 85min p79

Trust Machine:...

8:45pm 104min p76

Sea of Shadows

6:00pm 150min p12 6:15pm 83min p93

Edo Avant-Garde

Boyz in the Wood

9:15pm 130min p45

Bacurau

9:30pm 103min p99

Twists of Fate

9:00pm 90min p93

Nomad:...

9:00pm 78min p71

11:00PM

11:00PM

Goblin Plays Deep Red

6:00pm 127min p70

3:15pm 110min p67

Vanishing Days

Samsara Conviction

9:00pm 130min p89

Matter of Identity

Raf 6:30pm 88min p67

8:45pm 113min p34

10:00PM

The Song of Names

9:00PM

6:00pm 101min p60

7:00pm 90min p12

Adam 8:30pm 98min p45

Who You Think I Am

And the Birds Rained Down

The World Is Bright

11:30am 95min p91

8:00PM Immersed Exhib

7:00PM

Ursula Von

Synonyms

4:30pm 109min p49

Noah Land

4:00pm 120min p87

Stitches

1:45pm 98min p49

11:15am 112min p45

5:00pm 90min p12

No Longer Human

1:00pm 97min p57

Lara

Chained

6:00PM Immersed Exhib

5:00PM

9:00pm 92min p96 8:30pm 104min p66

Ash

6:30pm 90min p12

We Are...

6:15pm 80min p79

3:00pm 123min p57

3:15pm 88min p71

Scarborough

1:00pm 89min p62 1:30pm 88min p51

Easy Land

Amare Amaro

3:00pm 90min p12

1:00pm 90min p12

4:00PM Immersed Exhib

2:00PM

3:45pm 93min p92

Beyond the Visible ...

Immersed Exhib

1:00PM

11:00am 86min p59

12:00PM

A Voluntary Year

11:00AM

Joan of Arc 1:00pm 137min p61

Spider 9:00pm 103min p57

Blood Quantum

Les Misérables

9:15pm 108min p98

No Small Parts

9:00pm 82min p70

Assholes:...

8:30pm 88min p74

CT: Rob McEl...

6:30pm 102min p61

Clifton Hill

6:45pm 85min p49

Koko-di Koko-da

6:00pm 92min p76

Young Ahmed

3:30pm 78min p73

11:00am 86min p92

The Acrobat 8:45pm 134min p70

Killer Queen

Tapeworm 6:30pm 78min p75

The Great...

Little Joe

10:00PM

9:00pm 105min p49

9:00PM

6:15pm 108min p25

7:00pm 90min p12

4:00pm 84min p35

When We Walk

Miel-Emile 8:15pm 145min p65

Jojo Rabbit

6:30pm 101min p71

Yuli Architecture of...

8:00PM Immersed Exhib

7:00PM

6:00pm 91min p95

Other Music

Paradise Hills 9:30pm 95min p97

9:15pm 137min p60

By the Grace of God

9:30pm 99min p99

6:30pm 132min p12

3:45pm 120min p45

12:45pm 115min p59

1:30pm 90min p93

11:15am 95min p77

Babysplitters

4:00pm 100min p87

Nomad:...

Every Day a Good Day

3:30pm 86min p45

To Live to Sing

1:00pm 71min p65

5:00pm 90min p12

1:15pm 100min p73

Castle of Dreams

Ridge

3:00PM

3:00pm 90min p12

6:00PM Immersed Exhib

5:00PM

9:30pm 129min p89

The Shadow Play Permanent Records

8:45pm 88min p71

Feminist Live Reads

Haida Modern 6:30pm 85min p67

6:45pm 93min p77

The Pollinators

6:45pm 88min p51

Scarborough

6:00pm 98min p49

Easy Land

MS Slavic 7

Lara

8:45pm 87min p74

8:45pm 86min p45

Tito 6:30pm 70min p75

Castle of Dreams

10:00PM

6:00pm 100min p34

7:00pm 90min p12

9:00PM

Sorry We Missed You

Varda by Agnès

4:00PM

1:00pm 90min p12

3:00PM

8:00PM

Immersed Exhib

7:00PM

Song Without a Name

11:00PM

9:30pm 101min p99

Killer Queen

8:30pm 97min p51

11:00PM

To Live in Infamy

9:15pm 88min p74

8:30pm 104min p66

Ash

8:45pm 100min p87

6:30pm 90min p75

3:45pm 115min p95

4:00pm 117min p71

3:30pm 85min p64

Immersed Exhib

2:00PM

White Lie

5:00pm 90min p12

A Brother's Love

4:00pm 96min p73

6:00PM

Immersed Exhib

5:00PM

I, Wretched Man

Immersed Exhib

1:00PM

Stieg Larsson ...

Jordan River

12:00PM

11:00am 85min p79

11:00AM

Leonardo:...

1:00pm 85min p93

Trust Machine:...

1:30pm 92min p73

10:45am 102min p87

My Window 2:00pm 78min p65

L.A. Tea Time

Balloon

11:00am 106min p101

3:15pm 101min p73

12:00pm 130min p89

Troubled Voices...

Rustic Oracle

Samsara

3:00pm 90min p12

1:00pm 90min p12

4:00PM

Immersed Exhib

3:00PM

A Dog...

3:30pm 84min p47

Deerskin 7:30pm 77min p61

Every Day a Good Day

The Twentieth...

6:00pm 92min p51

2:15pm 169min p33

Immersed Exhib

2:00PM

11:00AM

Tuesday, October 1 12:00PM

Last to...

1:15pm 79min p49

63 Up

One Man...

4:45pm 92min p65

6:30pm 96min p95

What She Said: ...

8:30pm 87min p65

Bait

8:45pm 94min p71

6:15pm 89min p62

Amare Amaro

6:30pm 78min p75

8:45pm 144min p29

Cranks

Tapeworm

Motherless Brooklyn

7:00pm 90min p12

10:00PM

6:00pm 105min p19

9:00PM

Guest of Honour

Sometimes Always...

3:45pm 102min p57

Tehran: City of Love

5:00pm 90min p12

8:00PM

Immersed Exhib

7:00PM

The Painted Bird

Devil's Pie ...

2:15pm 85min p92

11:15am 105min p66

1:00pm 129min p89

The Body Remembers...

The Shadow Play

Three...

4:00pm 66min p73

Murmur

6:00PM

Immersed Exhib

5:00PM

1:15pm 84min p75

3:00pm 90min p12

4:00PM

1:00pm 90min p12

3:00PM Immersed Exhib

2:00PM

Immersed Exhib

1:00PM

Martha:...

12:00PM

11:00am 82min p93

11:00AM

10:00am 136min p80

10:00AM

10:00AM

Vancity Tuesday, October 01

SFU-GCA

Rio

Playhouse

International Village 10

International Village 9

International Village 8

Cinematheque

Centre for Arts

Annex Theatre

Monday, September 30

Monday, September 30

12:00AM

12:00AM

12:00AM

12:00AM

1:00AM

1:00AM

1:00AM

1:00AM

1:00PM

Annex Theatre

Vancity

SFU-GCA

Rio

Playhouse

International Village 10

International Village 9

International Village 8

Cinematheque

Centre for Arts

Annex Theatre

Thursday, October 3

Vancity Thursday, October 03

SFU-GCA

Rio

Playhouse

International Village 10

International Village 9

International Village 8

Cinematheque

Centre for Arts

Annex Theatre

Wednesday, October 2

Vancity Wednesday, October 02

SFU-GCA

Rio

Playhouse

International Village 10

International Village 9

International Village 8

Cinematheque

Centre for Arts

10:00AM

10:00AM

Song Without a Name 1:45pm 97min p51

Vanishing Days

Miel-Emile 4:00pm 145min p65

Bacurau

7:00pm 83min p81

The Euphoria...

9:00pm 85min p79

Trust Machine:...

8:45pm 104min p76

Sea of Shadows

9:30pm 87min p96 6:15pm 83min p93

Edo Avant-Garde

6:00pm 150min p12

9:15pm 130min p45

Boyz in the Wood

6:00pm 127min p70

9:30pm 103min p99

Twists of Fate

9:00pm 90min p93

Nomad:...

9:00pm 78min p71

11:00PM

11:00PM

Goblin Plays Deep Red

And the Birds Rained Down

7:00pm 83min p67

My Dads...

Jordan River

6:00pm 112min p100

Conviction

6:30pm 88min p67

Matter of Identity

Samsara 9:00pm 130min p89

Raf

8:45pm 113min p34

10:00PM

The Song of Names

9:00PM

6:00pm 101min p60

Synonyms

3:15pm 110min p67

Adam 8:30pm 98min p45

Who You Think I Am

7:00pm 90min p12

Immersed Exhib

7:00PM

Ursula Von

8:00PM

9:00pm 92min p96 8:30pm 104min p66

Ash

6:30pm 90min p12

We Are...

6:15pm 80min p79

3:00pm 123min p57

4:30pm 109min p49

Noah Land

4:00pm 120min p87

The World Is Bright

11:30am 95min p91

5:00pm 90min p12

No Longer Human

Stitches

1:45pm 98min p49

11:15am 112min p45

6:00PM Immersed Exhib

5:00PM

1:00pm 97min p57

Lara

1:30pm 88min p51

Chained

11:00am 86min p59

Easy Land 3:15pm 88min p71

Amare Amaro 1:00pm 89min p62

3:00pm 90min p12

1:00pm 90min p12

4:00PM Immersed Exhib

2:00PM

3:45pm 93min p92

Beyond the Visible ...

Immersed Exhib

1:00PM

Scarborough

12:00PM

A Voluntary Year

11:00AM

Joan of Arc 1:00pm 137min p61

3:30pm 78min p73

Spider 9:00pm 103min p57

Blood Quantum

Les Misérables 6:30pm 102min p61

9:15pm 108min p98

No Small Parts

9:00pm 82min p70

Assholes:...

8:30pm 88min p74

CT: Rob McEl...

Young Ahmed

Clifton Hill

6:45pm 85min p49

Koko-di Koko-da

6:00pm 92min p76

4:00pm 84min p35

When We Walk

11:00am 86min p92

The Acrobat 8:45pm 134min p70

Killer Queen

Tapeworm 6:30pm 78min p75

The Great...

Little Joe 9:00pm 105min p49

10:00PM

6:15pm 108min p25

7:00pm 90min p12

9:00PM

8:15pm 145min p65

Jojo Rabbit

6:30pm 101min p71

Yuli Architecture of...

8:00PM Immersed Exhib

7:00PM

6:00pm 91min p95

Other Music

9:30pm 95min p97

9:15pm 137min p60 6:30pm 132min p12

Miel-Emile

9:30pm 99min p99

By the Grace of God Paradise Hills

3:45pm 120min p45

12:45pm 115min p59

1:30pm 90min p93

11:15am 95min p77

Babysplitters

4:00pm 100min p87

Nomad:...

Every Day a Good Day

3:30pm 86min p45

To Live to Sing

1:00pm 71min p65

5:00pm 90min p12

1:15pm 100min p73

Castle of Dreams

Ridge

3:00PM

3:00pm 90min p12

6:00PM Immersed Exhib

5:00PM

9:30pm 129min p89

The Shadow Play Permanent Records

8:45pm 88min p71

11:00PM

Feminist Live Reads

Haida Modern

6:45pm 93min p77

The Pollinators

6:45pm 88min p51

Scarborough

6:00pm 98min p49

Easy Land

MS Slavic 7

Lara

8:45pm 87min p74

8:45pm 86min p45

Tito 6:30pm 70min p75

Castle of Dreams

10:00PM

6:00pm 100min p34

7:00pm 90min p12

9:00PM

Sorry We Missed You

6:30pm 85min p67

4:00PM

1:00pm 90min p12

3:00PM

8:00PM

Immersed Exhib

7:00PM

8:30pm 97min p51

Song Without a Name

Killer Queen

9:30pm 101min p99

9:15pm 88min p74

8:30pm 104min p66

Ash

11:00PM

To Live in Infamy

8:45pm 100min p87

Every Day a Good Day

6:30pm 90min p75

Varda by Agnès

4:00pm 117min p71

Bait 8:30pm 87min p65

The Twentieth...

3:45pm 115min p95

3:30pm 85min p64

Immersed Exhib

2:00PM

White Lie

5:00pm 90min p12

A Brother's Love

4:00pm 96min p73

6:00PM

Immersed Exhib

5:00PM

I, Wretched Man

Immersed Exhib

1:00PM

Stieg Larsson ...

Jordan River

12:00PM

11:00am 85min p79

11:00AM

Leonardo:...

1:00pm 85min p93

Trust Machine:...

1:30pm 92min p73

10:45am 102min p87

My Window 2:00pm 78min p65

L.A. Tea Time

Balloon

11:00am 106min p101

3:15pm 101min p73

12:00pm 130min p89

Troubled Voices...

Rustic Oracle

Samsara

3:00pm 90min p12

1:00pm 90min p12

4:00PM

Immersed Exhib

3:00PM

A Dog...

3:30pm 84min p47

Deerskin 7:30pm 77min p61

6:30pm 96min p95

What She Said: ...

6:00pm 92min p51

Immersed Exhib

2:00PM

11:00AM

Tuesday, October 1 12:00PM

Last to...

1:15pm 79min p49

63 Up

Amare Amaro 6:15pm 89min p62

2:15pm 169min p33

4:45pm 92min p65

One Man...

8:45pm 144min p29

Cranks 8:45pm 94min p71

Tapeworm 6:30pm 78min p75

Motherless Brooklyn

10:00PM

6:00pm 105min p19

7:00pm 90min p12

9:00PM

Guest of Honour

Sometimes Always...

2:15pm 85min p92

11:15am 105min p66

3:45pm 102min p57

Tehran: City of Love

5:00pm 90min p12

8:00PM

Immersed Exhib

7:00PM

The Painted Bird

Devil's Pie ...

1:00pm 129min p89

The Body Remembers...

The Shadow Play

Three...

4:00pm 66min p73

Murmur

6:00PM

Immersed Exhib

5:00PM

1:15pm 84min p75

3:00pm 90min p12

4:00PM

1:00pm 90min p12

3:00PM Immersed Exhib

2:00PM

Immersed Exhib

1:00PM

Martha:...

12:00PM

11:00am 82min p93

11:00AM

10:00am 136min p80

10:00AM

10:00AM

Vancity Tuesday, October 01

SFU-GCA

Rio

Playhouse

International Village 10

International Village 9

International Village 8

Cinematheque

Centre for Arts

Annex Theatre

Monday, September 30

Monday, September 30

12:00AM

12:00AM

12:00AM

12:00AM

1:00AM

1:00AM

1:00AM

1:00AM

Vancity

SFU-GCA

Rio

Playhouse

International Village 10

International Village 9

International Village 8

Cinematheque

Centre for Arts

Annex Theatre

Friday, October 11

Vancity Friday, October 11

SFU-GCA

Rio

Playhouse

International Village 10

International Village 9

International Village 8

Cinematheque

Centre for Arts

Annex Theatre

Thursday, October 10

Vancity Thursday, October 10

SFU-GCA

Rio

Playhouse

International Village 10

International Village 9

International Village 8

Cinematheque

Centre for Arts

Annex Theatre

Wednesday, October 9

Vancity Wednesday, October 09

SFU-GCA

Rio

Playhouse

International Village 10

International Village 9

International Village 8

Cinematheque

Centre for Arts

Annex Theatre

Tuesday, October 8

Tuesday, October 08

10:00AM

10:00AM

10:00AM

10:00AM

1:00PM

TBA

12:45pm 137min p45

4:00pm 94min p62

Disappearance of...

6:15pm 109min p90

Lunana:...

6:45pm 82min p93

Martha:...

7:00pm 101min p97

3:30pm 100min

Boluomi

Greener Grass

4:15pm 108min p91 10:30am 83min p67

8:45pm 105min p47

6:30pm 94min p83

8:45pm 118min p81

Coup 53

9:00pm 114min p91

Melancholic

9:30pm 108min p97

The Lodge

9:30pm 99min p86

White Snake

Dogs Don't Wear Pants

Talking About...

TBA

1:30pm 113min p86

11:00PM

9:30pm 115min p23

10:00PM

La Belle Époque

9:00PM

6:30pm 115min p23

8:00PM

MODES 2 9:15pm 95min p102

La Belle Époque

7:00PM

TBA

6:00PM

6:00pm 100min

5:00PM

Kuessipan 6:15pm 117min p71

Haida Modern

4:00PM

3:30pm 100min

9:00pm 80min p49

Once in...

9:15pm 81min p61

Human Nature

6:45pm 93min p97

9:15pm 113min p86

The Wild Goose Lake

9:30pm 101min p51

I Lost my Body

6:45pm 94min p77

11:00PM

11:00PM

Retrospekt

8:45pm 107min p57

Temblores

8:30pm 103min p99

Come to Daddy

3:00pm 85min p67

3:00PM

7:15pm 90min p80

Buddha in Africa

6:30pm 94min p89

Wild Sparrow

6:00pm 86min p92

Portrait of...

The Wild Goose Lake

2:00PM

Beanpole

12:00PM

My Dads...

11:00AM

Years of...

1:15pm 93min p95

Those Who...

11:15am 84min p57

Tito Twists of Fate

8:45pm 70min p75

6:30pm 105min p47

Architecture of...

I Was at Home, but...

TBA

10:00PM

9:00pm 100min

6:30pm 120min p33

System K

8:15pm 82min p102

9:00PM

Escher:...

9:00pm 90min p93

6:00pm 113min p34

8:00PM

3:00pm 125min p31

4:30pm 95min p95

MODES 1

The Song of Names

7:00PM

6:00pm 88min p81

Gateways to...

6:00pm 118min p81

Coup 53

Extra Ordinary 9:15pm 94min p97

Knives and Skin

9:15pm 96min p63

Dolce fine giornata

9:30pm 75min p81

The Men's Room

9:00pm 124min p87

Hard-Core

8:30pm 108min p98

6:30pm 111min p97

No. 7 Cherry Lane

4:45pm 93min p92

Cunningham

4:00pm 102min p61

2:15pm 98min p77

1:45pm 141min p29

11:15am 114min p61

6:00PM

Resistance Fighters

Mr. Jones

The Specials

5:00PM

Les Misérables

3:30pm 87min p83

TBA

1:00pm 100min p49 1:30pm 100min

Scheme Birds

4:00PM

Joel

2:00PM

Staff Only

12:00PM

11:00am 81min p57

11:00AM

4:00pm 75min p12

Walter Murch

Staff Only

1:00pm 110min p67

6:15pm 137min p45

Beanpole

6:30pm 108min p91

Boluomi

6:15pm 93min p92

Dafne

4:00pm 81min p57

11:00am 85min p93

My Window No Small Parts

8:45pm 78min p65

Scheme Birds Beyond the Visible ...

6:30pm 87min p83

Mr. Jones

10:00PM

8:45pm 141min p29

9:00PM

Pain and Glory

6:45pm 94min p62

4:00pm 97min p59

8:00PM

8:30pm 93min p95

6:00pm 113min p31

7:00PM

The Cave

One Day...

The World Is Bright

Leonardo:...

6:00PM

6:00pm 123min p89

Spring Tide

Judy & Punch

9:15pm 104min p87 9:15pm 105min p97

Years of...

9:30pm 117min p71

A Brother's Love The Cave

Daughter

3:30pm 104min p87

1:00pm 123min p73

3:00PM

1:45pm 94min p83

11:00am 123min p89

1:00PM

Talking About...

Spring Tide

4:15pm 88min p63

Santiago, Italia

5:00PM

The Whistlers

3:00pm 117min p71

Divine Love 1:30pm 100min p47

12:30pm 105min p47

The Great...

Kuessipan

I Was at Home, but...

4:00PM

3:45pm 96min p95

3:00PM

What She Said: ...

11:00PM

9:15pm 123min p57

Synonyms

9:00pm 99min p99

6:15pm 101min p66

6:00pm 118min p81

2:45pm 139min p44

7:00pm 109min p49

Noah Land

6:45pm 111min p87

Children of the Sea

6:00pm 100min p67

Coup 53

4:30pm 81min p61

TBA 9:00pm 100min

Permanent Records

Belonging Red Snow

6:30pm 73min p65

Frankie

10:00PM

9:15pm 98min p47

9:00PM

6:00pm 125min p31

8:00PM

No. 7 Cherry Lane

7:00PM

Invisible Life...

Reason

1:00PM

6:00PM

4:30pm 94min p89

I Lost my Body

11:15am 218min p83

2:00PM

2:00pm 90min p80

11:30am 78min p81

12:00PM

Buddha in Africa

1:45pm 109min p90

11:00am 107min p60

The Rabbi...

Lunana:...

Wild Sparrow

5:00PM

3:15pm 124min p89

4:00PM

12:45pm 101min p51

3:00PM

Present. Perfect.

2:00PM

Retrospekt

1:00PM

Amanda

12:00PM

11:00am 92min p76

11:00AM

11:00AM

12:00AM

12:00AM

12:00AM

12:00AM

1:00AM

1:00AM

1:00AM

1:00AM

Panorama

Chile

Spain

Spider

ANDRÉS WOOD, CHILE/ARGENTINA/BRAZIL, 2019, 103 MIN.

WED, OCT 2 FRI, OCT 4

9:00 PM 1:30 PM

PLAY IN09

Andrés Wood, director of VIFF hit Machuca, returns to the defining event in Chile’s political history—Pinochet’s 1973 coup d’état—but this time in a dark thriller mode that uses two different timelines to suggest that, though Pinochet is long gone, his shadow lingers. In 1973, Inés, her husband Justo, and her lover Gerardo, all members of a violent right-wing group, pull off a political crime that changes the course of history. Now, 45 years later, they are still living with its effects...

Cast Mercedes Morán, María Valverde, Marcelo Alonso, Felipe Armas, Gabriel Urzúa, Pedro Fontaine Prod Alejandra García, Paula Cosenza, Juan Pablo Gugliotta, Nathalia Videla Peña, Denisse Gomez Selected Filmography Revenge; Loco Fever; Machuca; Violeta Went to Heaven

Iran

Staff Only MON, OCT 7 WED, OCT 9 THU, OCT 10

6:30 PM 4:00 PM 11:00 AM

ALI JABERANSARI, IRAN/UK/NETHERLANDS, 2018, 102 MIN.

6:30 PM 3:45 PM

IN10 IN09

IN09 SFU IN09

Both a sensitive, perfectly acted comingof-age tale and a razor-sharp critique of the exploitative “all-inclusive” tourism industry, Neus Ballús’ drama follows 17-year-old Marta (newcomer Elena Andrada, a natural) as she reluctantly embarks on a holiday in Senegal with her travel-agent father (Sergi López) and grumpy brother. New worlds open up for Marta when she goes beyond the “staff only” doorway, and Ballús uses her directorial skill to skewer neo-colonialist attitudes in the process.

Cast Elena Andrada, Sergi López, Diomaye A. Ngom, Ian Samsó, Madeleine C. Ndong, Margi Andújar Prod Edmon Roch, Pau Subirós, Cristóbal García, Javier Ugarte, Lina Badenes Filmography The Plague

MIROSLAV TERZIC, SERBIA/SLOVENIA/CROATIA/ BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, 2019, 97 MIN.

NADAV LAPID, FRANCE/ISRAEL/GERMANY, 2019, 123 MIN.

THU, OCT 3 MON, OCT 7

Synonymes

1:00 PM 9:30 PM

SFU IN10

North American Premiere. Drawing comparisons with the work of Roman Polanski for its psychological thriller elements, Miroslav Terzic’s character study focuses on Ana (Snežana Bogdanovic), a Belgrade seamstress, who senses that the stillborn birth of her son 18 years before was not what it seemed—she never saw the body and has never learned where he was buried. Seeking the truth leads her to jeopardize her family and her own sanity… “Bogdanovic’s deeply nuanced performance... brings home the human cost of her ordeal.”—Variety

3:30 PM 8:45 PM

Cast Forough Ghajabegli, Mehdi Saki, Amir Hessam Bakhtiar, Behnaz Jafari Prod Babak Jalali, Marleen Slot, Mohammad Ahmadi, Maryam Najafi

Cast Juan Pablo Olyslager, Diane Bathen, Mauricio Armas Zebadúa, María Telón, Sabrina de La Hoz, Rui Frati Prod Edgard Tenembaum, Pilar Peredo, Jayro Bustamante, Gérard Lacroix

3:00 PM 9:15 PM

PLAY IN09

Arriving in Paris looking to reinvent himself, Yoav (Tom Mercier) has his possessions stolen, leaving him a buck-naked blank slate. As the Israeli ex-soldier struggles to acclimatize, constant trips to the Israeli embassy keep him tethered to his forsaken homeland. Furthermore, it’s increasingly evident that his new friendships come with strings attached. Wedding seriocomic misadventure with involving drama, Nadav Lapid’s (Policeman) latest balances the personal and political to engrossing effect.

Golden Bear, FIPRESCI Prize, Berlin 19 Cast Tom Mercier, Quentin Dolmaire, Louise Chevillotte Prod Saïd Ben Saïd, Michel Merkt

Filmography Redemption Street

Selected Filmography Emile’s Girlfriend; Policeman; The Kindergarten Teacher

New Zealand

Vai

BARNABÁS TÓTH, HUNGARY, 2019, 84 MIN.

VCT IN09

THU, OCT 3 TUE, OCT 8

Cast Snežana Bogdanovic, Marko Bacovic, Jovana Stojiljkovic, Vesna Trivalic, Dragana Varagic, Prod Uliks Fehmiu, Milena Trobozic Garfield

Akik Maradtak

Outed as gay, Pablo (Juan Pablo Olyslager), a successful 40-year-old father of two, sees his world crumble as his wife, family, and employer—all in thrall to Christian doctrine— abandon him. Jayro Bustamante’s sophomore drama is an angry, moody, and gorgeously visual character study, which traces Pablo’s passage through a society still so steeped in religious bigotry that being gay is considered a crime against humanity. “Bustamante’s command of visual and sonic texture… bewitches.”—Variety

Filmography Ixcanul

Synonyms

Those Who Remained

JAYRO BUSTAMANTE, GUATEMALA/FRANCE/ LUXEMBOURG, 2019, 107 MIN.

Three lovesick people—a woman self-conscious about her weight, a personal trainer tempted by a role in a film starring Louis Garrel (supposedly), and a dejected, morosevoiced funeral singer—struggle to repair their bruised self-images and find romance as this tragicomic triptych plays out across the weddings, funerals, beauty parlours, and gyms of Tehran. With precisely staged and framed vignettes of urban heartache, Ali Jaberansari’s film resounds with generosity and empathy for its characters.

Filmography Falling Leaves

Stitches

Hungary

Temblores SUN, OCT 6 THU, OCT 10

France

Savovi

NEUS BALLÚS, SPAIN/FRANCE, 2019, 81 MIN.

Guatemala

Tehran: City of Love SAT, SEP 28 MON, SEP 30

Serbia

Contemporary World Cinema

FRI, SEP 27 SAT, OCT 5 THU, OCT 10

1:15 PM 7:00 PM 11:15 AM

SFU SFU VCT

Canadian Premiere. Director Barnabás Tóth gives us an intimate drama, a tribute to postwar survival, and a most unusual love story. Budapest, 1948: Aladár (Károly Hajduk) is a widowed Jewish doctor, living a quiet life and trying not to think about the past. One day, a woman brings in her teenaged niece for examination: Klára (Abigél Szőke) is a misanthrope who scorns authority, but she’s nonetheless smitten with this much older man... Serious and often sad, but also attuned to the joys of life, this is a lovely film.

Cast Károly Hajduk, Abigél Szoke, Mari Nagy, Katalin Simkó, Barnabás Horkay Prod Mónika Mécs Filmography Camembert Rose

NICOLE WHIPPY, ‘OFA-KI-LEVUKA GUTTENBEIL-LIKILIKI, MATASILA FRESHWATER, AMBERLEY JO AUMUA, MIRIA GEORGE, MARINA ALOFAGIA MCCARTNEY, DIANNA FUEMANA, BECS ARAHANGA, NEW ZEALAND, 2019, 90 MIN.

SAT, SEP 28 SAT, OCT 5

11:00 AM 9:45 PM

IN09 PLAY

Eight short films by women from seven different cultures in the South Pacific make up this groundbreaking package. Each director was given a set of rules: a 10-minute film following the fictional Vai’s life; one unbroken shot, if possible; one specific decade within which to situate the action. The amazing thing is that each film is both urgent and poetic, making for very satisfying viewing. “Vai has a lovely consistency of style and content that heightens the accessibility of its unique value...”—Variety Cast Mereani Tuimatanisiga, ‘Ar-Ramadi Longopoa, Betsy Luitolo, Agnes Pele, Evotia-Rose Araiti, Fiona Collins, Maliaga Erick, Hinetu Dell Prod Kerry Warkia, Kiel McNaughton

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

57

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Panorama

Germany

Romania

A Voluntary Year

The Whistlers

ULRICH KÖHLER, HENNER WINCKLER, GERMANY, 2019, 86 MIN.

CORNELIU PORUMBOIU, ROMANIA/FRANCE/ GERMANY, 2019, 97 MIN.

Das freiwillige Jahr

THU, OCT 3 SAT, OCT 5

11:00 AM 8:45 PM

La Gomera

IN09 IN08

North American Premiere. With the unrelenting momentum of a screwball comedy, this captivating character study chronicles 24 hours in the lives of Jette (Maj-Britt Klenke), a recent graduate bound for volunteer service in Costa Rica, and her overbearing father Urs (Sebastian Rudolph). When Jette skips her flight to squat with her boyfriend in a caravan, Urs and the boy’s mother embark on a manhunt to reprimand the strays. What ensues is an unforgettable cautionary tale about parenting and its, shall we say, necessary limits.

Cast Maj-Britt Klenke, Sebastian Rudolph, Thomas Schubert, Katrin Röver Prod Ingmar Trost Selected Filmography (Ulrich Köhler) Bungalow; Sleeping Sickness; In My Room; (Henner Winckler) School Trip; Lucy

FRI, OCT 4 MON, OCT 7 WED, OCT 9

2:00 PM 6:45 PM 4:00 PM

IN10 RIO IN10

Featuring a corrupt Bucharest cop (Romanian great Vlad Ivanov), double-dealing gangsters, femmes fatale, and a deadpan plot with more hairpin turns than an Alpine highway, this neo-noir from Romanian New Wave veteran Corneliu Porumboiu (Police, Adjective) jumps from Bucharest to Singapore to the Canary Islands—where natives communicate via whistling—with a drollery and a grasp of visual storytelling that is rare in today’s cinema. “A celebration of what movies can do.”

—IndieWire Cast Vlad Ivanov, Catrinel Marlon, Rodica Lazar, Antonio Buil, Agusti Villaronga Prod Marcela Ursu, Patricia Poienaru, Sylvie Pialat, Benoit Quainon, Janine Jackowski, Jonas Dornbach, Maren Ade Selected Filmography 12:08 East of Bucharest; Police, Adjective; The Treasure

Iceland

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Spain

A White, White Day

Yuli

Hvítur, Hvítur Dagur

ICÍAR BOLLAÍN, SPAIN/UK/GERMANY, 2018, 115 MIN.

HLYNUR PÁLMASON, ICELAND/DENMARK/SWEDEN, 2019, 109 MIN.

FRI, SEP 27 MON, OCT 7

Contemporary World Cinema

1:15 PM 4:00 PM

IN09 IN09

Hlynur Pálmason’s sophomore drama extends the visual elegance and complex character exploration of his debut (Winter Brothers, VIFF 17) by focusing on Ingimunder (Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson, deeply unsettling), a former police chief in an isolated Icelandic community, who is obsessed by both his late wife’s death and the suspicion that she was cheating on him at the time... “Visually arresting and emotionally rewarding... Ingimundur is a fascinating character, splendidly portrayed.”—Screen Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star Award, Cannes Critics’ Week 19 Cast Ingvar Sigurðsson, Ída Mekkín Hlynsdóttir, Hilmir Snær Guðnason, Björn Ingi Hilmarsson, Elma Stefanía Ágústsdóttir Prod Anton Máni Svansson Filmography Winter Brothers

SUN, SEP 29 WED, OCT 2

9:15 PM 12:45 PM

PLAY SFU

Canadian Premiere. The life of Cuban-born dance star Carlos Acosta, the first Black person invited to join England’s Royal Ballet, is marvellously brought to life in Icíar Bollaín’s exuberantly inventive amalgam of dance, documentary, and fiction. Beginning with Acosta choreographing a new routine, the film flashes back to show how the young boy (the brilliant 10-year-old Edilson Manuel Olbera Núñez) is pushed by his father into the world of dance. “As heartbreakingly perfect as it is sui generis.”—The Times Best Screenplay, San Sebastian 18 Cast Carlos Acosta, Santiago Alfonso, Keyvin Martínez, Edilson Manuel Olbera Núñez, Laura De La Uz, Yerlín Pérez Prod Andrea Calderwood, Juan Gordon Selected Filmography Flowers From Another World; Even the Rain; Katmandu Lullaby

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

59

Panorama

Panorama

Focus on Italy

France

Who You Think I Am Celle que vous croyez

SAFY NEBBOU, FRANCE, 2019, 101 MIN.

FRI, SEP 27 THU, OCT 3

3:45 PM 6:00 PM

PLAY CENT

Canadian Premiere. An acting tour de force from Juliette Binoche anchors Safy Nebbou’s twisty, near-Hitchcockian combination of romantic drama and dark comedy. Binoche is a 50-year-old lit prof who constructs a 24-year-old avatar online and becomes involved with a younger man (François Civil). Be prepared to be wrong-footed repeatedly: this fascinating film is not going where you think it is... “A compulsively watchable drama [that] taps into some genuinely intriguing themes... Binoche is terrific throughout.”—Screen Cast Juliette Binoche, François Civil, Nicole Garcia, Marie-Ange Casta, Jules Houplain, Jules Gauzelin, Charles Berling, Claude Perron Prod Michel Saint-Jean Selected Filmography The Other Dumas; Bad Seeds; In the Forests of Siberia

France

Spotlight on France The rich cinematic culture that continues to flourish in France is celebrated with this selection of fine big-screen offerings.

Amanda

SERIES PRESENTED BY

6060

France

Amanda

By the Grace of God Grâce à Dieu

MIKHAËL HERS, FRANCE, 2018, 107 MIN.

SUN, SEP 29 SAT, OCT 5 TUE, OCT 8

10:30 AM 6:15 PM 11:00 AM

SFU IN08 IN09

FRANÇOIS OZON, FRANCE, 2019, 137 MIN.

SAT, SEP 28 TUE, OCT 1

12:15 PM 9:15 PM

PLAY PLAY

Going against the grain of expectation for a film that takes a Parisian terrorist-attack tragedy as its jumping off point, Mikhaël Hers’ honest and tender humanist drama has aimless, twenty-something slacker David (an irresistible Vincent Lacoste) taking on caregiving duties for seven-year-old niece Amanda (fresh-faced Isaure Multrier) when the girl’s mother is murdered. Lacoste and Multrier share a rare chemistry, making this “a quietly moving celebration of human resilience.”— Hollywood Reporter

When François Ozon’s alternately compassionate and angry drama about sexual abuse and cover-ups in the Catholic Church premiered in Berlin in February, the archbishop behind the cover-up, Philippe Barbarin, was still on trial in Lyon (he was convicted on March 7). Ozon’s focus is on a quartet of abuse victims, led by Melvil Poupaud’s family man, as the group presses for action against the priest who abused them and many others in the ’80s and ’90s. “Superbly acted and highly controlled.”—Screen

Grand Prix, Best Screenplay, Tokyo 18

Silver Bear (Grand Jury Prize), Berlin 19

Cast Vincent Lacoste, Isaure Multrier, Stacy Martin, Ophélia Kolb, Marianne Basler, Jonathan Cohen, Greta Scacchi Prod Pierre Guyard

Cast Melvil Poupaud, Denis Ménochet, Swann Arlaud, Éric Caravaca, François Marthouret, Bernard Verley, Martine Erhel Prod Eric Altmayer, Nicolas Altmayer

Filmography Memory Lane; Ce sentiment de l’été

Selected Filmography Under the Sand; Swimming Pool; Young & Beautiful, Frantz

Panorama

France

France

France

France

Deerskin

I Lost My Body

Joan of Arc

QUENTIN DUPIEUX, FRANCE, 2019, 77 MIN.

JÉRÉMY CLAPIN, FRANCE, 2019, 81 MIN.

BRUNO DUMONT, FRANCE, 2019, 137 MIN.

Le Daim

THU, SEP 26 MON, SEP 30

J’ai perdu mon corps

9:00 PM 7:30 PM

RIO IN10

TUE, OCT 8 THU, OCT 10

4:30 PM 9:15 PM

Les Misérables

Jeanne

IN10 RIO

SAT, SEP 28 WED, OCT 2

LADJ LY, FRANCE, 2019, 102 MIN.

9:00 PM 1:00 PM

CINE VCT

Iconoclast Quentin Dupieux (remember Rubber’s avenging tire at VIFF 10?) teams up with French megastars Jean Dujardin and Adèle Haenel for this blackly comic look at one man’s love affair with… his fringed buckskin jacket? The purchase of said vintage jacket leads Georges (Dujardin) to throw his previous life in the bin, declare himself a filmmaker, and begin a descent into obsession that has had critics invoking everything from Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer to Barton Fink to Peeping Tom. Singular.

Naoufel is so caught up in his romantic pursuit of Gabrielle that he’s blissfully unaware that he’s attracted his own uncanny stalker.

His severed hand has skittered out of a lab and is now winding its way through Paris’ arrondissements, intent on a reunion. Relating this macabre odyssey from the perspective of the indomitable hand, Jérémy Clapin nimbly shifts from romance to action to body horror without ever losing his handle on the fantastical tone that guides this wildly original animated feature.

North American Premiere. How did a teenage peasant girl amaze, galvanize, and terrify the Christian world in the early 1400s? This is the central mystery of Bruno Dumont’s stridently un-Hollywood but sharply focused depiction. What does he focus on? Northern France’s coastal landscapes, incredible vistas, and towering Christian cathedrals. The faces, odd mannerisms, and period logic of the villagers, soldiers, and religious patriarchy.

The indelible, shining performance of Lise Leplat Prudhomme as a girl who had a vision.

Cast Jean Dujardin, Adèle Haenel Prod Thomas Verhaeghe, Mathieu Verhaeghe

Nespresso Grand Prize, Cannes Critics’ Week 19

Jury’s Special Mention, Un Certain Regard, Cannes 19

Selected Filmography Rubber; Reality; Keep an Eye Out

Cast Hakim Faris, Victoire Du Bois, Patrick D’Assumçao Prod Marc Du Pontavice

Spotlight on France

Cast Lise Leplat Prudhomme, Jean-François Causeret, Daniel Dienne, Fabien Fenet, Robert Hanicotte Prod Jean Bréhat, Rachid Bouchareb, Muriel Merlin

WED, OCT 2 THU, OCT 10

6:30 PM 4:00 PM

PLAY IN09

Set in the same suburban Paris neighbourhood, Montfermeil, used by Victor Hugo as the location for the Thénardiers’ Inn in his Les Misérables, debuting director Ladj Ly’s gripping, incendiary police-thriller gives us a young cop, Stéphane (Damien Bonnard), who joins an Anti-Crime Squad team led by loose cannon Chris (co-writer Alexis Manenti, superb) and is soon immersed in a world of poverty and internecine power struggles. When images of police brutality start circulating, the shit hits the fan...

Jury Prize (ex aequo), Cannes 19 Cast Damien Bonnard, Alexis Manenti, Djebril Zonga, Issa Perica, Al-Hassan Ly, Steve Tientcheu Prod Toufik Ayadi, Christophe Barral

Selected Filmography Humanité; Li’l Quinquin; Coincoin and the Extra-Humans

France

France

Repeats

Oh Mercy

The Specials

ARNAUD DESPLECHIN, FRANCE, 2019, 119 MIN.

ÉRIC TOLEDANO, OLIVIER NAKACHE, FRANCE, 2019, 114 MIN.

Roubaix, une lumière

FRI, OCT 4 SAT, OCT 5

Hors Normes

9:00 PM 11:00 AM

PLAY SFU

Canadian Premiere. Located in the north, close to the Belgian border, Roubaix is one of the poorest towns in France. It is also the hometown of VIFF fave Arnaud Desplechin (A Christmas Tale, My Golden Days), and he uses it to great effect as the setting for what is a radical change of pace for him: a police procedural centred on a true-life murder case.

Roschdy Zem is the police captain investigating a routine arson that soon takes on a more sinister shape; Léa Seydoux and Sara Forestier play the suspects he grills.

Cast Roschdy Zem, Léa Seydoux, Sara Forestier, Antoine Reinartz Prod Pascal Caucheteux, Grégoire Sorlat Selected Filmography Kings & Queen; A Christmas Tale; My Golden Days; Ismael’s Ghosts

SUN, OCT 6 THU, OCT 10

6:15 PM 11:15 AM

October 12 - 17, 2019

CENT IN10

Vincent Cassel stars in Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache’s (The Intouchables) humanist drama based on the true story of Stéphane Benhamou, a man who cares for those whose severe autism puts them outside the purview of the French state. With a brisk visual style and a sense of immediacy, the film conveys the heroic efforts of a few good people determined to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. “Powerful and accomplished... a rare film that comes both from the heart and reality.”—Screen

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Cast Vincent Cassel, Reda Kateb, Hélène Vincent Prod Nicolas Duval Adassovsky Selected Filmography The Intouchables; Samba; C’est la vie!

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61

Panorama

Panorama

Focus on Italy

Italy

Dafne

FEDERICO BONDI, ITALY, 2019, 94 MIN.

FRI, SEP 27 WED, OCT 9

3:45 PM 6:45 PM

IN09 PLAY

Canadian Premiere. After her mother dies, 35-year-old Dafne (Carolina Raspanti, magnetic), a woman with Down syndrome, finds traditional roles reversed when she sees that her depressed dad (Antonio Piovanelli) needs her support more than she needs his. Making great use of some gorgeous Tuscan locations, director Federico Bondi creates a tale of father-daughter love that is subtle, touching, and hopeful. “Sweet and understated… anchored by the eternally forward-looking attitude of Carolina Raspanti.”—Variety FIPRESCI Prize, Berlin Panorama 19 Cast Carolina Raspanti, Antonio Piovanelli, Stefania Casini Prod Marta Donzelli, Gregorio Paonessa Selected Filmography Soste Japan; Mar nero; Educazione affettiva

France

Italy

Amare Amaro

JULIEN PAOLINI, FRANCE, 2018, 89 MIN.

Focus on Italy Prizewinners and premieres from the country that’s given us some of cinema’s best.

Dolce fine giornata

SERIES PRESENTED BY

6262

Consulate General of Italy Vancouver

MON, SEP 30 THU, OCT 3

6:15 PM 1:00 PM

IN08 IN08

North American Premiere. A stony Sicilian coastal village is the atmospheric setting for this contemporary retelling of Sophocles’ tragedy Antigone. Family honour again is at the centre of drama ensuing from a fatal accident (or act of passion). Gaetano decides that he will bury his deceased brother with his family at all costs, even if it means defying the laws of his village, as decreed by the otherwise sympathetic female mayor (an impressive Barbara Bacci). The sombre cinematography and music are memorable and fitting.

Cast Syrus Shahidi, Celeste Casciaro, Tony Sperandeo, Ciro Petrone, Fosco Perinti, Barbara Bacci Prod Julien Paolini, Clément Lecomte, Syrus Shahidi, Angelo Laudisa

The Disappearance of My Mother BENIAMINO BARRESE, ITALY, 2019, 94 MIN.

FRI, OCT 4 FRI, OCT 11

8:30 PM 4:00 PM

VCT VCT

Sixties Italian supermodel Benedetta Barzini hobnobbed with the likes of Warhol and Avedon before embracing radical feminism and spending her life as an academic and critic of the fashion industry. The sparks fly when her son, Beniamino Barrese, turns the camera on her in this compassionate and turbulent portrait, which passes from the affectionate to the discomfitingly intimate. “Fascinating... a film about boundaries that could not exist if boundaries weren’t pushed… A singular work.”—NOW Featuring Benedetta Barzini Prod Filippo Macelloni

Panorama

Poland

Italy

Dolce fine giornata

Marghe and her mother

JACEK BORCUCH, POLAND, 2018, 96 MIN.

SUN, SEP 29 WED, OCT 9

11:00 AM 9:15 PM

Italy

MOHSEN MAKHMALBAF, ITALY/UK, 2019, 101 MIN.

IN09 PLAY

FRI, SEP 27 SAT, SEP 28

6:00 PM 12:45 PM

IN09 SFU

Italy

Santiago, Italia

Sole

NANNI MORETTI, ITALY, 2019, 80 MIN.

SUN, OCT 6 WED, OCT 9

Focus on Italy

9:15 PM 4:15 PM

CARLO SIRONI, ITALY/POLAND, 2019, 100 MIN.

IN09 IN09

THU, SEP 26 SAT, SEP 28

8:30 PM 3:30 PM

CINE IN08

Polish legend Krystyna Janda was born to play the role of 60-ish, Nobel Prize-winning poet Maria Linde, worshipped by all in her Tuscan villa, in Jacek Borcuch’s supremely intelligent drama. After a terrorist bombing, her life begins to unravel in the wake of a speech she gives that seems to condone the heinous act. Janda is superb, and so too is the complex screenplay which refuses to paint any of the characters in monochrome. As in life, all is ambiguity. “A graceful film… Very moving.”

—Screen

International Premiere. Riffing nimbly on Pasolini’s Arabian Nights, Mohsen Makhmalbaf startles and stuns with his Italian debut.

Our protagonist is Claudia (Ylenia Galtieri), an unemployed single mother who gets caught in a maelstrom of whimsy and discontent as she searches for work in Southern Italy. Instead of chronicling her trials through the trappings that stories of the economically downtrodden usually employ, the Iranian master strives for something far more spectacular and unclassifiable: call it la dolce vita.

Canadian Premiere. What would motivate celebrated leftist Italian director Nanni Moretti to make a stirring, incisive documentary about a terrible civil war in the 1970s? Parallels to our own time and lessons to be learned—via particularly articulate interviews—in a new fight against the rise of unmerciful nationalism. During the 1973 Chilean coup, the Italian Embassy in Santiago played a major role in aiding those who opposed the Pinochet regime and finding them refuge in Italy. But what’s happening in 2019?

A petty thief in Rome, teenaged Ermanno (Claudio Segaluscio) has his life altered when he encounters the pregnant Lena (Sandra Drzymalska), a teen from Poland wanting to sell her unborn baby. The two pose as a married couple in order to allow Ermanno’s aunt and uncle to adopt—but when the baby, Sole, is born, Ermanno has second thoughts...

Influenced by the Dardennes, first-time director Carlo Sironi has crafted a quietly poignant take on politics, family, and humanist values in constant conflict.

Best Actress, World Dramatic Competition, Sundance 19

Cast Ylenia Galtieri, Margherita Pantaleo, Raffaella Gallo , Paolo C. Santeramo , Danilo Acinapura Prod Maysam Makhmalbaf

Prod Nanni Moretti, Jean Labadie, Gabriela Sandoval, Carlos Nuñez

Cast Sandra Drzymalska, Claudio Segaluscio, Barbara Ronchi, Bruno Buzzi, Marco Felli, Vitaliano Trevisan Prod Giovanni Pompili, Agnieszka Wasiak

Cast Krystyna Janda, Kasia Smutniak, Vincent Riotta, Antonio Catania, Lorenzo de Moor, Robin Renucci Prod Marta Habior

Selected Filmography A Moment of Innocence; Gabbeh; The Gardener

Selected Filmography Caro diario; The Son’s Room; Mia Madre Preceded by Turns p. 101

Filmography All That I Love; Lasting

Whether you see a few films or dozens of films each year, there is a VIFF+ Membership level that will help you save money.

Join a community of film lovers and support the VIFF society!

Discover goviff.org/plus

Join today!

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

63

Panorama

Panorama

Focus on Italy

Portugal

Vanguard Featuring international cinema that’s slightly ahead of the curve, this series showcases exacting visions and unique perspectives.

Vitalina Varela PEDRO COSTA, PORTUGAL, 2019, 125 MIN.

SAT, OCT 5 MON, OCT 7

9:00 PM 12:30 PM

CINE VCT

Widely hailed as one of the most formally inventive directors of our time, Portuguese master Pedro Costa (Horse Money) has made his name telling tragic tales from Lisbon’s impoverished Fontainhas district. Concerning a Cape Verdean woman who arrives in these quarters 25 years after her husband, only to learn that he has recently died, Vitalina Varela may go down as one of Costa’s most spellbinding works. Here is a long, dark night of the soul, appropriately rendered in evocative shades of black.

Golden Leopard, Best Actress, Locarno 19 Cast Vitalina Varela, Ventura, Manuel Tavares Almeida, Francisco Brito, Imídio Monteiro, Marina Alves Domingues Prod Abel Ribeiro Chaves Selected Filmography In Vanda’s Room; Colossal Youth; Horse Money

USA/Austria/Germany

Subject to Review

I, Wretched Man TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 85 MIN.

TUE, OCT 1 FRI, OCT 4

3:30 PM 9:00 PM

VCT IN08

“Tell me what you see.” This first line from Off Season, which follows a vacationing couple in Palermo, speaks to the issues at the heart of these formally disparate films: perception, and its counterpart, delusion. Subject to Review, an examination of tennis’ video review system, and Ich Armer Mensch, a rendering of Bach’s Cantata No. 55, are the other inclusions—certainly wonderful on their own, but even more scintillating as tacit connections emerge between these remarkable works of art.

Subject to Review Ridge

THEO ANTHONY, USA, 2019, 37 MIN.

6464

Ich Armer Mensch I, Wretched Man BASTIAN WILPLINGER, AUSTRIA, 2019, 18 MIN.

Off Season HENNING BECKHOFF, GERMANY, 2019, 30 MIN.

Panorama

UK

Turkey

Bait

Belonging

8:30 PM 12:45 PM

IN08 IN08

Canadian Premiere. Drawing comparisons with the work of Guy Maddin and Ben Rivers, Mark Jenkin’s debut drama makes exquisite use of vintage 16mm B&W film stock and nonsynchronous sound to tell the story of two warring brothers on the Cornish coast, where a tourist tsunami and the endless recession threaten traditional ways. Heartfelt and visually arresting, this is muscular, unforgettable filmmaking. “One of the most original and stylistically bold films to world premiere in Berlin [this year].”—Hollywood Reporter Cast Edward Rowe, Mary Woodvine, Giles King, Simon Shepherd Prod Kate Byers, Linn Waite Filmography Golden Burn; The Midnight Drives; Happy Christmas

USA

PETER VAN HOUTEN, NETHERLANDS, 2019, 145 MIN.

BURAK ÇEVIK, TURKEY/CANADA/FRANCE, 2019, 73 MIN.

SAT, OCT 5 TUE, OCT 8

Brazil

Miel-Emile

Aidiyet

MARK JENKIN, UK, 2019, 87 MIN.

MON, SEP 30 FRI, OCT 4

Netherlands

11:00 AM 6:30 PM

IN09 CINE

Drawing from his own family trauma, Burak Çevik has fashioned a richly suggestive experience that unnerves and seduces in turn. As we observe a chance meeting between Pelin (Eylül Su Sapan) and Onur (Çaglar Yalçinkaya) their chemistry is palpable. And yet, a foreboding prologue has advised us that their union will result only in tragedy. As their story unfolds and they engage in a nimble dance with fate, Çevik plays with genres and archetypes as he explores a personal tragedy with a detective’s fervour.

Cast Eylül Su Sapan, Çaglar Yalçinkaya Prod Selman Nacar, Burak Çevik

TUE, OCT 1 THU, OCT 3

Vanguard

8:15 PM 4:00 PM

VCT VCT

North American Premiere. “For in the immediate world, everything is to be discerned, for him who can discern it, and centrally and simply, without either dissection into science, or digestion into art, but with the whole of consciousness...”—James Agee, Let Us Now Praise Famous Men. Peter van Houten’s visually sumptuous, deeply felt film focuses on Emile Raaijmakers, near 80 and a semi-recluse living in the Pyrenees. As Emile expounds on his singular life and philosophy, a mesmerizing world unfurls before us.

Prod Peter van Houten Filmography The Exposition of Anna Zharkov; I’m Still Alive; La Vie de Jean-Marie

My Window Mirante

RODRIGO JOHN, BRAZIL, 2019, 78 MIN.

TUE, OCT 1 WED, OCT 9

2:00 PM 8:45 PM

IN09 CINE

Canadian Premiere. Rodrigo John’s bravely experimental work features 11 years of footage, all shot from his high-rise apartment in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Think Rear Window if James Stewart’s protagonist were a filmmaker, and a man investigating not murder but things more insidious, more mysterious and, ultimately, more disturbing. Using a variety of vantage points, John gives us a continuous adventure of vision, taking us from beautiful downtown vistas to views that reveal ennui, destruction, and political menace...

Prod Adriana Hiller, Rodrigo John, Vado Vergara

Filmography The Pillar of Salt

Sweden

Stay connected.

One Man Dies a Million Times JESSICA ORECK, USA, 2019, 92 MIN.

SAT, SEP 28 MON, SEP 30

9:00 PM 4:45 PM

IN08 IN10

Canadian Premiere. Masterfully transposing the true story of the establishment of the world’s largest seed bank during the Siege of Leningrad in WWII into a speculative dystopian future, Jessica Oreck (Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo) delivers a harrowing but deeply humane story of unthinkable sacrifice in the interest of the greater good. A stirring piece of science-fiction that’s lent a haunting beauty by the immaculate cinematography of Sean Price Williams (Good Time), this is truly vital viewing in an age of self-interest.

Cast Alyssa Lozovskaya, Maksim Blinov, Vladimir Koshevoy, Alena Artemova, Konstantin Malyshev, Andrey Emelyanov, Alexei Yuferev Prod Jessica Oreck Filmography Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo; Aatsinki: The Story of Arctic Cowboys; The Vanquishing of the Witch Baba Yaga

Ridge Säsong

JOHN SKOOG, SWEDEN, 2019, 71 MIN.

FRI, SEP 27 WED, OCT 2

8:45 PM 1:00 PM

IN08 IN08

North American Premiere. Cinematography is foregrounded and occasionally pushed to its limits in John Skoog’s supercharged blend of fiction and nonfiction, set during summer in northwestern Skåne, Sweden, where he grew up. A loose plot follows farm workers, locals, and holidaymakers interacting in a lush landscape, but it is the immersive, experiential aspects of life in this singular location that Skoog emphasizes. By revealing a place while focusing on how it has changed, Skoog shares his astonishments in grand style.

DOX:AWARD (Best Film), CPH:DOX 19 Featuring Agnieszka Podsiadlik, Billie Åstrand, Aron Skoog Prod Erik Hemmendorff

Sign up for VIFF news at viff.org Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

65

Impact

Sea to Sky

Insights

British Columbia

British Columbia

Ash

ANDREW HUCULIAK, CANADA, 2019, 104 MIN.

MON, SEP 30 WED, OCT 2

8:30 PM 8:30 PM

PLAY SFU

World Premiere. Reporting from the frontlines of the Okanagan wildfires, hard-luck Stan (Tim Guinee) documents uncommon heroism while hoping for a big break that’ll make him a household name beyond Peachland.

But when he’s unexpectedly charged with a shocking crime, he must salvage his reputation and marriage to Gail (Chelah Horsdal). In this psychologically complex and sensory-rich drama, Andrew Huculiak (Violent) employs an apocalyptic backdrop to chart Stan’s spiralling descent into a personal hell and his subsequent struggle for redemption.

Cast Tim Guinee, Chelah Horsdal, Eric Keenleyside, Cameron Crosby Prod Amber Ripley, Josh Huculiak Filmography Violent

The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open ELLE-MÁIJÁ TAILFEATHERS, KATHLEEN HEPBURN, CANADA/NORWAY, 2019, 105 MIN.

SAT, SEP 28 MON, SEP 30

6:00 PM 11:15 AM

PLAY IN10

Discovering Rosie (Violet Nelson), a pregnant teenager, sobbing on a rainy East Vancouver street, Aila (Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers) swiftly intercedes, initially offering shelter before working feverishly to get her access to proper support networks. Unfolding in real time, this deft drama from Tailfeathers and Kathleen Hepburn employs a riveting combination of intimacy and immediacy as these two Indigenous women forge a tentative bond and embark on a revelatory odyssey.

Cast Violet Nelson, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Charlie Hannah, Barbara Eve Harris, Sonny Surowiec Prod Tyler Hagan, Lori Lozinski, Alan R. Milligan Filmography (Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers) c̓ əsnaʔəm, the city before the city; (Kathleen Hepburn) Never Steady, Never Still

British Columbia

presents

Sea to Sky

A showcase of the inspired works emerging from the creative nexus that is British Columbia.

BC Spotlight The latest feature films from our province’s best and brightest creators will leave audiences thrilled by our homegrown talent.

Raf

PRESENTED BY

6666

MEDIA PARTNER

Daughter

ANTHONY SHIM, CANADA, 2019, 101 MIN.

SAT, OCT 5 TUE, OCT 8

7:00 PM 6:15 PM

PLAY RIO

World Premiere. Still reeling from a personal tragedy, Jim (John Cassini) wanders Vancouver’s streets and finds fleeting solace in whatever facsimiles of intimacy he can afford.

When he unexpectedly connects with Nikki (Teagan Vincze), a younger escort, he can’t prevent himself from distorting their genuine friendship, looking to recast her as someone precious who’s been taken from him. As this character study unfolds, Cassini and writerdirector Anthony Shim boldly push every scene in unexpected directions.

Cast John Cassini, Teagan Vincze, Jenn MacleanAngus, Jordyn Ashley Olson, Ryan Robbins, Gabrielle Rose Prod John Cassini, Bryan Demore, Alexander Glua, Anthony Shim, Rebecca Steele

BC Spotlight Awards Ceremony SAT, OCT 5

4:30 PM

TBA

This red carpet event celebrates the artistic achievements demonstrated by both the British Columbian and Canadian directors with films at this year’s festival.

Almost $100,000 in cash awards and prizes will be handed out, ensuring that these leading creators can continue sharing stories that resonate with festivalgoers.

Sea to Sky Impact BC Spotlight Insights

British Columbia

British Columbia

Haida Modern

CHARLES WILKINSON, CANADA, 2019, 85 MIN.

TUE, OCT 1 FRI, OCT 11

6:30 PM 3:00 PM

PLAY PLAY

World Premiere. In the 50 years since he carved his first totem pole, Robert Davidson has come to be regarded as one of the world’s foremost modern artists. Charles Wilkinson (Haida Gwaii: On the Edge of the World) brings his trademark inquisitiveness and craftsmanship to this revealing portrait of an unassuming living legend. Weaving together engaging interviews with the artist, his offspring, and a host of admirers, Haida Modern extols the sweeping impact of both Davidson’s artwork and the legions it’s inspired.

Featuring Robert Davidson / Guud San Glans Prod Tina Schliessler, Charles Wilkinson Selected Filmography Oil Sands Karaoke; Haida Gwaii: On the Edge of the World; Vancouver: No Fixed Address

British Columbia

My Dads, My Moms and Me

Raf

7:00 PM 3:15 PM 10:30 AM

Red Snow

HARRY CEPKA, CANADA/USA, 2019, 88 MIN.

JULIA IVANOVA, CANADA, 2019, 79 MIN.

THU, OCT 3 SUN, OCT 6 FRI, OCT 11

British Columbia

IN10 IN08 VCT

In this follow-up to her 2007 documentary, Fatherhood Dreams, Julia Ivanova revisits the journeys of four gay men who opted for surrogacy, co-parenting, or adoption to fulfill their desires to become parents. Displaying her acute sensibility for the complexities of human relationships and incorporating clips from her original doc, Ivanova weaves together scenes of daily life in this unique yet deeply relatable story of parenting, family bonds, and the challenges that await when dreams become reality.

Prod Julia Ivanova

THU, OCT 3 SUN, OCT 6

6:30 PM 1:00 PM

MARIE CLEMENTS, CANADA, 2019, 100 MIN.

CINE VCT

Facing eviction from her bunker-like basement suite, perpetually underemployed Raf (Grace Glowicki) anesthetizes herself by treating the world as her own absurd sketchcomedy show. But when Tal (Jesse Stanley) takes Raf under her privileged wing, the guileless outcast sees how the other half lives and is left to question precisely what her new BFF/ benefactor’s true motives might be. Harry Cepka crafts a jet-black (with pink accent wall) comedy that sets its skewed sights on Vancouver’s class divide.

Cast Grace Glowicki, Jesse Stanley, Harry Cepka, Victor Dolhai, Alexis Teliszewsky, Ed Cepka Prod Sara Blake, Charlotte Wells

Selected Filmography Love Translated; Family Portrait in Black and White; Limit Is the Sky

FRI, SEP 27 SUN, OCT 6 TUE, OCT 8

6:15 PM 11:00 AM 6:00 PM

PLAY IN10 IN08

World Premiere. When captured by the Taliban, a Gwich’in soldier (Asivak Koostachin) must confront tormenting memories he believed he’d left behind in the Canadian north.

In turn, when he strikes up an alliance with a Pashtun family, he discovers an affinity with these ethnic Afghans beyond their shared bid for survival. Shifting between striking arctic and arid landscapes, and tapping into a universal need for belonging, Marie Clements delivers an enthralling thriller that’s as poignant as it is pulse-quickening.

Cast Asivak Koostachin, Shafin Karim, Mozhdah Jamalzadah, Kane Mahon, Ishaan Vasdev, Samuel Marty, Miika Whiskeyjack, Tantoo Cardinal Prod Marie Clements, Lael McCall, Michelle Morris Filmography The Road Forward

Preceded by Happytime Social Club p. 101

British Columbia

British Columbia

Water Over Glass

KELLEN JACKSON, ZOE KIRK-GUSHOWATY, AMANDA THOMSON, JIMI PANTALON, CANADA, 2019, 41 MIN.

FRI, SEP 27 SAT, SEP 28

9:00 PM 1:30 PM

CINE IN08

See more.

Save more.

The World Is Bright YING WANG, CANADA, 2019, 110 MIN.

SUN, SEP 29 THU, OCT 3 WED, OCT 9

8:15 PM 3:15 PM 1:00 PM

SFU SFU VCT

World Premiere. This exquisite corpse collaboration playfully upends the traditional filmmaker-composer relationship, inviting four filmmakers—Kellen Jackson, Zoe KirkGushowaty, Jimi Pantalon and Amanda Thomson—to visually realise a sonic narrative recorded by The Cyrillic Typewriter, the current project of Jason Zumpano, a mainstay of Vancouver’s music scene. Shifting between film stocks, digital video, and animation, this surreal fantasia invites you to turn off your mind, relax, and float from sea to sky.

World Premiere. When an elderly Beijing couple receives notice that their son has allegedly committed suicide, they travel to Vancouver to investigate the mysterious circumstances of his death. Skillfully employing a docu-thriller style, Ying Wang follows the grieving parents for a decade as they navigate a new culture and a complex web of bureaucracy in a search for answers. In revealing a distressing connection between immigration and mental illness, the film also serves as a powerful testament to parental devotion.

Prod Jason Zumpano

Prod Ying Wang, Jian Ping Su, Jordan Paterson

Preceded by Preface to a History p. 101

Filmography Sisters

Ticket Packs

Festival Passes

Select the films you want in advance and you’re guaranteed admission.

Flexibility, freedom to move between screenings and potentially, the greatest savings of all.

Student 5 Ticket Pack Senior 5 Ticket Pack 6 Ticket Pack 10 Ticket Pack 20 Ticket Pack 30 Ticket Pack

$50 $60 $84 $135 $260 $375

Platinum Pass Festival Pass Senior Festival Pass Student Festival Pass Weekday Matinee Pass

$1,000 $435 $345 $125 $175

Details on viff.org Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

67

Sea to Sky

Session 1 PRESENTED BY

Totally Indie Day

Session 2

WITH SUPPORT FROM

Case Study: The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open SAT, SEP 28

9:15AM – 10:30AM

Workshop with Storyboard Artist Sam Hudecki VCT

Join us for a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the making of The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open, co-written and co-directed by Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and Kathleen Hepburn. The film’s directors and producers will share their experiences with development, financing, shooting in real time and distribution, and they’ll discuss the unique role that Telus STORYHIVE’s Indigenous Youth Mentorship Project played in partnering the film’s key creatives with Indigenous youths.

Saturday, September 28 Vancity Theatre Totally Indie Day, presented by STORYHIVE, is an opportunity for independent content creators to learn more about the art and business of motion pictures. The event will feature experienced industry professionals and rising new talents alike; they’ll be sharing stories, offering insights, passing on tips and more.

Kathleen Hepburn, Co-Writer/Co-Director, Tyler Hagan, Producer, Lori Lozinski, Producer.

GUESTS:

SAT, SEP 28

10:45AM–12:O0PM

VCT

Sam Hudecki is a celebrated storyboard artist who has collaborated with acclaimed filmmaker Denis Villeneuve on such films as Enemy, Prisoners, Sicario, Arrival, Blade Runner 2049 and the upcoming Dune. He’ll share his sources of inspiration and his philosophies of drawing, as well as discuss the practical considerations of storyboarding as a critical tool used to communicate a vision to the entire production team.

GUEST: Sam Hudecki, Storyboard Artist, Blade Runner 2049.

PRESENTED BY

Totally Indie Day Passes Regular............................. $98 Student/Senior............ $50

Session 3

Session 5

Session 4

Indie Spirits SAT, SEP 28

Celebrate our homegrown talent!

Highway to Heaven

Burning Cane

1:00PM-2:10PM

Meet the Distributors VCT

While advancements in technology have democratized the filmmaking process, each production faces its own unique set of rewards and challenges. Let’s hear from our featured auteurs as they share lessons learned making and debuting their early features.

GUESTS: Andrew Huculiak, Writer/Director, Ash, Phillip Youmans, Writer/Director, Burning Cane, and Heather Young, Writer/Director, Murmur.

SAT, SEP 28

2:25PM-3:30PM

VCT

Let’s chat with our featured distributors, who are currently acquiring indie features and documentaries for big- and small-screen release.

Up for discussion: how to approach them with your pitch; how they work with filmmakers; who’s buying what and how much of it; rights; how big a role social media plays in the acquisition process; and the importance—or not—of having a name cast.

GUESTS: John Bain, Head of Distribution, Level

Film, Olivier Gauthier-Mercier, Director, Distribution Sales, Elevation Pictures, Danielle DiGiacomo, Senior Director of Acquisitions & Strategic Partnerships, 1091 Media, and Tim Smy, Director, Theatrical Sales, VVS.

Not Short on Talent: The Rise of the Short Form Documentary SAT, SEP 28

3:45PM–4:45PM

VCT

A study of a suburban highway, a profile of Vancouver’s growing e-sports community, a look at Indigenous tattoo practices, a blend of interviews and surrealism… whatever the subject or style, the documentary short can serve it well—and the form is coming into its own. Festivals are programming more and more short docs, filmmakers are treating them as more than just a stepping stone to features and online opportunities are multiplying. Our panelists share their thoughts on why short can be so sweet.

In advance of the festival, the #mustseeBC campaign invites audiences to preview trailers and promote BC filmmakers across social networks to win tickets!

goviff.org/mustseebc Media Partner the evolution of

Melissa Dex Guzman, Director, Smash Forward, Sean Horlor and Steve Adams, Directors/Producers, The Day Don Died, Sandra Ignagni, Director, Highway to Heaven: A Mosaic in One Mile, and Asia Youngman, Director, This Ink Runs Deep.

GUESTS:

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

69

True North

True North

Quebec

Ontario

The Acrobat

American Woman

L’Acrobate

SEMI CHELLAS, CANADA, 2019, 85 MIN.

RODRIGUE JEAN, CANADA, 2019, 134 MIN.

WED, OCT 2 SUN, OCT 6

8:45 PM 6:15 PM

CINE CINE

World Premiere. In an ever-expanding but nondescript North American city, Christophe (Sébastien Ricard), a middle-aged businessman, unexpectedly encounters Micha (Yury Paulau), a Russian acrobat recovering from a horrific injury, while house-hunting. An instant attraction is quickly consummated and they embark on a torrid affair that helps each of them cope with their respective trials. In turn, Rodrigue Jean crafts a provocative, poignant drama about intimacy in an age of anonymity.

Cast Sébastien Ricard, Yury Paulau Prod Maxime Bernard

FRI, OCT 4 SAT, OCT 5

6:30 PM 1:00 PM

RIO IN09

In this fictionalized, atmospheric account of the 1974 kidnapping of Patty Hearst (Sarah Gadon plays her analog), the intrigue centres on her increasingly entangled relationship with the political activist (Hong Chau) who’s charged with minding her. In adapting Susan Choi’s Pulitzer-shortlisted novel, Semi Chellas (Mad Men) demonstrates a keen eye for period detail and deep understanding of the era’s radical ideologies as she plunges us into a maelstrom of passion, betrayal, and redemption.

Cast Hong Chau, Sarah Gadon, John Gallagher Jr., Lola Kirke, David Cubitt, Ellen Burstyn Prod Christina Piovesan, Semi Chellas

Selected Filmography Yellowknife; Lost Song; Love in the Time of Civil War

Quebec

presents

True North A celebration of the extraordinary creativity and

craft being demonstrated by Canadian storytellers from coast to coast.

PRESENTED BY

MEDIA PARTNERS

Nova Scotia

And the Birds Rained Down

Assholes: A Theory JOHN WALKER, CANADA, 2019, 82 MIN.

Il pleuvait des oiseaux

LOUISE ARCHAMBAULT, CANADA, 2019, 127 MIN.

THU, OCT 3 SAT, OCT 5

6:00 PM 1:30 PM

PLAY IN10

Living life like a fable, three aging hermits dwell in a Quebec forest and spend their days tending to cannabis crops and skinnydipping. However, their idyll is disrupted by a death in their chosen family and the arrival of two interlopers: a photographer with too many questions about the past and an elderly woman with a surplus of secrets. Louise Archambault’s long-awaited follow-up to Gabrielle is another crowd-pleaser anchored by uncompromising integrity and contagious affection for its characters.

White Lie

Cast Gilbert Sicotte, Andrée Lachapelle, Rémy Girard, Eve Landry, Éric Robidoux Prod Ginette Petit

7070

Filmography Familia; Gabrielle

WED, OCT 2 FRI, OCT 4

9:00 PM 4:00 PM

IN09 SFU

We undoubtedly live in an age of entitlement, with privileged behaviour flourishing on every front, be it via social media feeds or in the corridors of power. It’s enough to make one wonder whether becoming an a**hole is the only recourse for advancement. Taking cues from Aaron James’ New York Times bestseller, John Walker’s latest documentary not only intrepidly investigates the origins of this phenomenon but also gives voice to its victims, critics (including John Cleese), and opposition forces.

Prod Ann Bernier, Annette Clarke, John Walker Selected Filmography A Drummer’s Dream; Arctic Defenders; Quebec My Country Mon Pays

True North

Quebec

Ontario

A Brother’s Love

Castle in the Ground

La Femme de mon frère

4:00 PM 9:30 PM

IN10 IN10

With zero job prospects in sight, over-educated but under-achieving Sophia (Anne-Élisabeth Bossé) retreats to her brother Karim’s (Patrick Hivon) spare room in order to take stock. She regresses instead, engaging in affectionate-if-adolescent antics with her sibling until he unceremoniously falls for another woman. As a jilted Sophia slowly implodes, Monia Chokri unfurls a series of immaculately written and hilariously staged set pieces that deliver an enticing blend of visual humour and physical comedy.

Jury’s “Coup de Coeur” (ex-aequo), Un Certain Regard, Cannes 19 Cast Anne-Élisabeth Bossé, Patrick Hivon, Sasson Gabai, Evelyne Brochu, Mani Soleymanlou, Micheline Bernard Prod Nancy Grant, Sylvain Corbeil

Quebec

6:45 PM 1:15 PM

RIO IN09

8:45 PM 1:15 PM

World Premiere. Taking cues (and lifting narration) from “crank” letters written to Winnipeg’s legendary Action Line radio broadcast, Ryan McKenna (Le Coeur de madame Sabali) composes a lustrous city symphony that unfolds through monochromatic tableaux set inside the eccentrically appointed apartments occupied by seemingly decent people with outrageous opinions. Conjuring an ethereal mood while remaining rooted in compassion for its characters, Cranks is a testament to Winnipeg’s beguiling, deep-seated weirdness.

Cast Terra Hazelton, Louis Negin, Bahia Watson, Darcy Fehr, Tony Porteous, Kelley Hirst, Brandon Oakes Prod Ryan McKenna, Becca Blackwood Filmography The First Winter; Le Coeur de madame Sabali

6:30 PM 4:15 PM

IN10 IN10

Returning to her hometown of Niagara Falls, Abby (Tuppence Middleton) holes up in an abandoned motel and contends with repressed memories about an abduction she witnessed as a child. Or was that just another tall tale this pathological liar dreamt up? Little is as it appears and no one is to be trusted in Albert Shin’s neon-noir, which delivers an enthralling, unabashedly pulpy mélange of stage magicians, casinos, true-crime podcasters, novelty restaurants, tourist traps, and legitimate perils.

Cast Alex Wolff, Imogen Poots, Neve Campbell, Keir Gilchrist, Tom Cullen, Kiowa Gordon Prod William Woods, Michael Solomon

Cast Tuppence Middleton, Hannah Gross, David Cronenberg, Eric Johnson, Marie-Josée Croze Prod Fraser Ash, Kevin Krikst

Filmography The Other Half

Filmography Point Traverse; In Her Place

Quebec

SANJA ŽIVKOVIC, CANADA, 2019, 88 MIN.

CINE SFU

WED, OCT 2 FRI, OCT 4

With his world sent spinning off its axis by tragedy, Henry (Alex Wolff) becomes enthralled with Ana (Imogen Poots), a new neighbour with old drug habits that are dying hard. As Henry gets caught in the crossfire of Sudbury’s opioid epidemic, Joey Klein (The Other Half) demonstrates a deft hand in crafting character dynamics and subverting crimedrama conventions. In turn, this unpredictable yet unflinchingly honest film proves adept at both seducing viewers and locking them in a stranglehold.

Easy Land

RYAN MCKENNA, CANADA, 2019, 94 MIN.

Conviction

ALBERT SHIN, CANADA, 2019, 101 MIN.

Ontario

Cranks

MON, SEP 30 FRI, OCT 4

SAT, SEP 28 SUN, SEP 29

Nova Scotia

Clifton Hill

JOEY KLEIN, CANADA, 2019, 105 MIN.

MONIA CHOKRI, CANADA, 2019, 117 MIN.

TUE, OCT 1 TUE, OCT 8

Ontario

TUE, OCT 1 THU, OCT 3

8:45 PM 3:15 PM

IN08 IN08

A Serbian mother and daughter find their new lives in Canada resembling purgatorial states.

A trained architect, Jasna (Mirjana Jokovic) is condemned to internships in Toronto. Meanwhile, Nina (Nina Kiri) faces the indignity of repeating her final year of high school. As Nina finds solace in apps that keep her tauntingly tethered to home and Jasna forsakes her medication only to drift into increasingly manic behaviour, Sanja Živkovic demonstrates a gift for subtle but deeply affecting storytelling.

Cast Nina Kiri, Mirjana Jokovic Prod Julie Strifler

THU, OCT 3 SAT, OCT 5

9:00 PM 11:30 AM

IN08 VCT

What would you have needed in life to avoid imprisonment? This deceptively simple question fuels a filmic collaboration between directors Nance Ackerman, Ariella Pahlke, and Teresa MacInnes, and Nova Scotian prisoners Bianca, Treena, Laura, and Caitlin.

Using these women’s diverse points of view to offer rare access to both a compromised women’s correctional facility and a broken criminal-justice system, Conviction serves as a powerful call to support, rather than punish, society’s most vulnerable.

Prod Teresa MacInnes, Annette Clarke Selected Filmography (Nance Ackerman) Cottonland; (Ariella Pahlke) Burning Rubber; (Teresa MacInnes) Buying Sex

Quebec

Jordan River Anderson, the Messenger ALANIS OBOMSAWIN, CANADA, 2019, 66 MIN.

WED, OCT 2 THU, OCT 3

NANCE ACKERMAN, ARIELLA PAHLKE, TERESA MACINNES, CANADA, 2019, 78 MIN.

11:00 AM 6:45 PM

IN09 IN09

Left to languish in a hospital for all of his short life while government agencies ducked responsibility, Jordan River Anderson would ultimately leave behind a legacy for Indigenous children. However, Jordan’s Principle—which declares that First Nations children must receive equitable access to services—might’ve been an empty gesture if not for activists’ dogged efforts to hold the Canadian government to its word. In turns infuriating and empowering, Alanis Obomsawin’s 53rd film is essential viewing.

Prod Alanis Obomsawin Selected Filmography Incident at Restigouche; Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance; Our People Will Be Healed

Kuessipan Kuessipan

MYRIAM VERREAULT, CANADA, 2019, 117 MIN.

WED, OCT 9 THU, OCT 10

3:00 PM 6:15 PM

IN08 VCT

“Freely inspired” by Naomi Fontaine’s novel, Myriam Verreault tells the story of two best friends in an Innu community. While Mikuan (Sharon Fontaine-Ishpatao) has a loving family, Shaniss (Yamie Grégoire) is picking up the pieces of her shattered childhood. As children, they promised each other to stick together no matter what. But as they near adulthood, their friendship is shaken when Mikuan falls for a white boy, and starts dreaming of leaving the reserve that’s now too small for her dreams.

Cast Sharon Fontaine-Ishpatao, Yamie Grégoire Prod Félize Frappier Filmography West of Pluto

Preceded by When the Children Left p. 101

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

71

Your trusted source for 75 Years

True North

Quebec

Nunavut

L.A. Tea Time

SOPHIE BÉDARD MARCOTTE, CANADA, 2019, 82 MIN.

SUN, SEP 29 TUE, OCT 1

8:30 PM 1:30 PM

IN08 IN10

North American Premiere. Like so many before her, Sophie Bédard Marcotte heads to L.A. intent on realizing a dream: in her case, it’s meeting Miranda July. With her cinematographer riding shotgun, Sophie motors down Route 66 on an odyssey that’s equally anthropological and fever dreamt. Buoyed by wry humour (they feign listening to a Robyn song they can’t afford to license) and a palpable sense of wonder with the landscapes and locals they encounter, this singular travelogue reminds us that making any film is an act of faith.

Prod Caroline Galipeau Filmography I’ve Gone Backwards or Something; Winter Claire Preceded by Acadiana p. 101

Quebec

One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk

Rustic Oracle

SONIA BONSPILLE BOILEAU, CANADA, 2019, 101 MIN.

ZACHARIAS KUNUK, CANADA, 2019, 113 MIN.

MON, OCT 7 WED, OCT 9

6:45 PM 1:00 PM

Quebec

IN10 SFU

In the northern reaches of Baffin Island in 1961, Noah (Apayata Kotierk) sets out on a traditional Inuit hunt only to run headlong into progress personified in the form of “Boss” (Kim Bodnia), an emissary who’s come to make a proposition on behalf of the Canadian government: assimilation in exchange for shelter and services. In the extended showdown that ensues, Zacharias Kunuk (Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner) crafts unhurried yet urgent cinema that’s steeped in fatalism and devastating ramifications.

SUN, SEP 29 TUE, OCT 1

6:45 PM 3:15 PM

IN09 IN08

World Premiere. After her devoted sister vanishes from their Mohawk community, 8-year-old Ivy (Lake Kahentawaks Delisle) joins her mother Susan (Carmen Moore) in a desperate search that lays bear the authority’s indifference over a missing Indigenous teen.

As their investigation leads them from their cloistered community, Sonia Bonspille Boileau (Le Dep) uncovers instances of warmth and grace with this delicate depiction of a child forging a stronger sense of identity and family through contending with the unthinkable.

Cast Apayata Kotierk, Kim Bodnia, Benjamin Kunuk Prod Zacharias Kunuk, Jonathan Frantz

Cast Lake Kahentawaks Delisle, Carmen Moore, McKenzie Kahnekaroroks Deer, Margo Kane, Alex Rice, Passion Diabo-Sim Prod Jason Brennan

Selected Filmography Atanarjuat The Fast Runner; The Journals of Knud Rasmussen; Maliglutit (Searchers)

Filmography Le Dep

Symphony in Aquamarine Symphonie en aquamarine

DAN POPA, CANADA, 2018, 78 MIN.

FRI, SEP 27 SUN, SEP 29

6:15 PM 12:30 PM

IN08 IN08

Filmed on four continents, this astonishing documentary illustrates how bodies of water serve as connective tissue between cultures, allowing seemingly disparate experiences to reflect one another. Rightfully giving sound designer Benoît Dame equal billing with director Dan Popa, Symphony is an extraordinary sensory experience that proves both lyrical and elemental. As we wash ashore on beaches, cut through arctic waters, and witness the artistry of fishermen, the sea never ceases to inspire awe.

Prod Laurent Allaire

Preceded by Names for Snow p. 101, Throat Singing in Kangirsuk p. 101

Northwest Territories

Huo Zhe Chang Zhe

CARLA ULRICH, CANADA, 2018, 44 MIN.

SUN, SEP 29 MON, SEP 30

8:45 PM 4:00 PM

CINE IN08

After committing a crime that shakes their community, Flinch (David Burke), Bryce (Joel Evans) and Rupert (Dwight Moses) are sent to live on the land for nine months and explore the healing power of restorative justice. The Elders reconnect them to a life that was taken from them long ago, but it’s up to the boys to acquire the humility needed for restitution.

Adapting Richard Van Camp’s novel and shooting in four languages, Carla Ulrich’s film underscores the value of culture and tradition.

Cast David Burke, Joel Evans, Dwight Moses, Henry Beaver, Eileen Beaver Prod Liz Levine, Brent Kaulback, Richard Van Camp Preceded by I’m Not Next p. 101, Wildfire p. 101

JASON DASILVA, USA/CANADA, 2019, 78 MIN.

JOHNNY MA, CHINA/FRANCE/CANADA, 2019, 100 MIN.

WED, OCT 2 FRI, OCT 4

1:15 PM 6:15 PM

IN09 IN09

At the outskirts of Chengdu, a traditional Sichuan opera troupe faces extinction. With their theatre scheduled for demolition, a wave of progress seems poised to wash them away.

But then their manager (Zhao Li) notices that the more fantastical elements of their opera have started to manifest in mundane reality...

Johnny Ma (Old Stone) punctuates his sophomore feature with dazzling pageantry and traces of magic while keeping it rooted in the modest ambitions and compelling plights of everyday people.

Cast Zhao Li, Dan Dan, Lao Wu Prod Wu Xianjian, Jing Wang Filmography Old Stone

White Lie

When We Walk

To Live to Sing

Three Feathers

Ontario

USA/Canada

China/Canada

WED, OCT 2 FRI, OCT 4

3:30 PM 6:30 PM

SFU SFU

Six years after When I Walk, which chronicled director Jason DaSilva’s experiences with primary progressive multiple sclerosis, the filmmaker/activist documents a new challenge. After his marriage ends and his wife and child relocate 2,000 miles away to Texas, he struggles to remain involved in his young son’s life. Once again using an introspective style, the unflinching When We Walk shows DaSilva’s unwavering determination as he balances parenting with retaining access to the medical care he needs.

Prod Jason DaSilva, Leigh DaSilva Filmography When I Walk

YONAH LEWIS, CALVIN THOMAS, CANADA, 2019, 96 MIN.

SUN, SEP 29 TUE, OCT 1

9:30 PM 4:00 PM

IN09 IN09

A dancer born for the stage, Katie (Kacey Rohl) proves equally agile in perpetuating a charade that has everyone—including scores of crowdfunders—convinced that she’s bravely battling cancer. But when a bursary demands medical records, she risks everything to secure forged documents. In turn, directors Yonah Lewis and Calvin Thomas choreograph a succession of stunning scenes that call on pitch-perfect performances and technical precision to escalate the stakes in this dizzying psychological drama.

Cast Kacey Rohl, Amber Anderson, Martin Donovan, Thomas Olajide, Connor Jessup Prod Karen Harnisch, Yonah Lewis, Calvin Thomas Filmography Amy George; The Oxbow Cure; Spice It Up

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

73

True North

True North

Future//Present

Ontario

British Columbia

Anne at 13,000 ft

DANNY

KAZIK RADWANSKI, CANADA, 2019, 75 MIN.

FRI, SEP 27 SUN, SEP 29

7:00 PM 3:45 PM

IN10 IN10

A young daycare worker named Anne (Deragh Campbell) struggles to move through life as her playful behaviour continually veers from endearing to disconcerting in this compelling drama by Kazik Radwanski. Anne is a warm and caring person, but her trouble identifying professional and personal boundaries puts her job and her relationships at risk. Campbell gives one of the year’s best performances here, crafting a fully realized character at once unknowable to the viewer and yet deeply, completely felt.

Cast Deragh Campbell, Matt Johnson, Dorothea Paas, Lawrene Denkers Prod Dan Montgomery Filmography Tower; How Heavy This Hammer

Ontario

Diverse independent filmmakers from across Canada who demonstrate originality and vision while challenging the medium.

Killer Queen

SERIES PRESENTER

7474

6:30 PM 8:45 PM

CINE CINE

North American Premiere. Assembled from videotapes shot in 1993, Aaron Zeghers and Lewis Bennett’s found-footage diary film follows a man named Danny, diagnosed with leukemia, as he engages in a series of confessional monologues. Candid, tender, and intimate, they show him bravely facing his own mortality while reflecting on his life choices.

This moving existential inquisition, set against the ghostly lo-fi backdrop of early 90s Vancouver, is an invitation to contemplate our fears, anxieties, and the ravages of time.

Filmography (Lewis Bennett) The Sandwich Nazi Preceded by Sofia p. 101, Memoirs p. 101

MS Slavic 7

RAMIN FAHRENHEIT, CANADA, 2019, 88 MIN.

Future//Present

SUN, SEP 29 FRI, OCT 4

Ontario

Killer Queen MON, SEP 30 WED, OCT 2

AARON ZEGHERS, LEWIS BENNETT, CANADA, 2019, 50 MIN.

9:15 PM 8:30 PM

RIO IN08

World Premiere. In Ramin Fahrenheit’s Super 8 grindhouse psychodrama, a young woman released from a mental hospital is drawn to a drug dealer she sees at the cinema they both frequent. These two outsiders come together; both of them are eager to escape their troubled pasts. One fateful evening, however, they plan to rob a married couple, but, when things get bloodier than expected, it is revealed that the woman has a compulsion to kill. As the victims pile up, her disturbed condition only unravels further...

Cast Fatima Maziani, Ramin Fahrenheit, Aleksandra Maslennikova, Rouzbeh Jahanbazi, John Spataro, Martha Breen, Jessie Yang Prod Ramin Fahrenheit

SOFIA BOHDANOWICZ, DERAGH CAMPBELL, CANADA, 2019, 64 MIN.

SAT, SEP 28 TUE, OCT 1

6:30 PM 8:45 PM

CINE CINE

Canadian Premiere. Audrey Benac uncovers a correspondence between her great-grandmother and a fellow poet in Sofia Bohdanowicz and Deragh Campbell’s poignant blending of family history and fiction. As she translates the letters at Harvard, Audrey (Campbell) digs into an intimate past while facing her own existentially troubled present. Through Audrey’s handling of the letters at the archive and discursive monologues that articulate her findings, the film traces the emotional movements that punctuate the research process.

Cast Deragh Campbell, Mariusz Sibiga, Elizabeth Rucker, Aaron Danby Prod Sofia Bohdanowicz, Deragh Campbell, Calvin Thomas Filmography (Sofia Bohdanowicz) Never Eat Alone; Maison du bonheur Preceded by Aquí y allá p. 101

ALL FUTURE//PRESENT NOTES BY ADAM COOK

True North

Nova Scotia

Future//Present

For High School Students

Manitoba

VIFF High School Program Murmur

Tapeworm

HEATHER YOUNG, CANADA, 2019, 84 MIN.

FRI, SEP 27 MON, SEP 30

6:30 PM 1:15 PM

CINE IN08

After an impaired-driving charge, Donna (Shan MacDonald) fulfills a community-service sentence at an animal shelter. Estranged from a daughter who won’t return her calls, she finds companionship in a dog she saves from euthanization and takes home. Donna soon fills her apartment with more and more pets as she tries to fill an emotional void. In her debut feature, Heather Young takes a compassionate look at her protagonist’s inner world without shying away from the selfishness of projecting love and care.

Cast Shan MacDonald, Andria Edwards Prod Martha Cooley, Heather Young

FABIÁN VELASCO, MILOŠ MITROVIC, CANADA, 2019, 78 MIN.

MON, SEP 30 WED, OCT 2

6:30 PM 6:30 PM

CINE CINE

World Premiere. A tenuously connected group of nobodies trudge through their dreary Winnipeg existence. A sickly man in an unhappy marriage, a stand-up comedian whose sets are received with indifference, a stoner couple who share only trivial exchanges, and a young loner are each living lives lost in translation, detached from their surroundings and the people around them. Transcending miserablism, everyday mishaps become resounding tragedies in Fabián Velasco and Miloš Mitrovic’s uncomfortably unironic anticomedy.

Cast Adam Brooks, Alex Ateah, Miloš Mitrovic, Stephanie Berrington, Sam Singer, Jennifer Mauws Prod Miloš Mitrovič, Fabián Velasco, Ian Bawa, Kevin Tabachnick

Last year, VIFF welcomed over 1,500 secondary students to experience exceptional international cinema at the festival. From stories of youth exploring identity to films that capture historical moments as they’re unfurling, great world cinema challenges our perspectives and confronts our preconceptions about the world, promotes inquiry, develops critical thinking skills, and ignites imaginations. Be they set in Senegal, Syria, France, Germany, or right here in Canada, these stories will connect young audiences with some of the most powerful forces shaping our contemporary world and identities.

Educational Resources

We recognize how vital it is for students to engage with content through the core competencies to promote deeper learning. Teachers will have access to resource guides tailored to each film. Written with reference to BC’s new curriculum, these resources will facilitate engaged discussion and are built to allow in-depth exploration connecting the cinema to the classroom and beyond.

How to Book

We offer a special High School Program ticket price of $8 per student for groups of 10 or more (includes two complimentary supervisor tickets per class). Full details and resource materials can be found at goviff.org/education.

Amanda p. 60

Staff Only p. 57

MIKHAËL HERS, FRANCE

TUE, OCT 8

11:00AM

NEUS BALLÚS, SPAIN/FRANCE

IN09

THU. OCT 10

coarse language; nudity

Ontario

The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open p. 66

Quebec

11:15AM

IN09

Troubled Voices, Teen Lives p. 101 VARIOUS

ELLE-MÁIJÁ TAILFEATHERS, KATHLEEN HEPBURN, CANADA/NORWAY

MON, SEP 30

11:00AM

Course language

TUE, OCT 1

11:00AM

IN09

coarse & sexual language; violence; sexually suggestive scene

IN10

coarse & sexual language

The Great Green Wall p. 76

Tito

The Twentieth Century

GRACE GLOWICKI, CANADA, 2019, 70 MIN.

TUE, OCT 1 THU, OCT 10

6:30 PM 8:45 PM

MATTHEW RANKIN, CANADA, 2019, 90 MIN.

CINE CINE

SAT, SEP 28 MON, SEP 30

9:30 PM 6:30 PM

IN09 RIO

Canadian Premiere. Awkward and hunchbacked with an alert-whistle around his neck, the reclusive Tito (director Grace Glowicki) is holed up in a seemingly safe suburban home in which he feels anything but secure.

Then, an intrusive neighbour (Ben Petrie) conspicuously swoops in to give Tito a hand and lure him into the fearsome world outside.

Somewhere between vaudevillian burlesque, pantomime, and the altogether serious, Tito sees Glowicki fashion something entirely new with her exploration of an anguished psyche.

An incendiary send-up of Canadian identity, history, and politics, Winnipeg-born Matthew Rankin’s insanely brilliant feature debut is a hilariously irreverent, visually stunning retelling of how William Lyon Mackenzie King became Prime Minister—and all the seals he had to club and shoes he had to sniff along the way. King seems destined to earn Canada’s crown, but just how much debasement and degradation must an ambitious young politician endure in such a noble pursuit? Quite a lot, it seems.

Cast Grace Glowicki, Ben Petrie Prod Miriam LevinGold, Ben Petrie, Grace Glowicki

Cast Dan Beirne, Sarianne Cormier, Catherine StLaurent, Mikhaïl Ahooja, Brent Skagford, Trevor Anderson Prod Gabrielle Tougas-Fréchette, Ménaïc Raoul

JARED P. SCOTT, UK

WED, OCT 9

11:00AM

IN09

A Voluntary Year p. 59 ULRICH KÖHLER, HENNER WINCKLER, GERMANY

THU, OCT 3

11:00AM

IN09

coarse & sexual language; violence; sexually suggestive scene

sexual language

Jordan River Anderson, the Messenger p. 71

We Are Not Princesses

ALANIS OBOMSAWIN, CANADA

BRIDGETTE AUGER, ITAB AZZAM, USA

WED, OCT 2

11:00AM

IN09

p. 79

FRI, OCT 4

11:00AM

IN09

Reel Youth Film Festival p. 99

MON. OCT 7

11:15AM

IN10

Subject to Classification

Also continuing in the High School Program this year is VIFF Immersed: an exhibition featuring some of the best North American storytelling in the realms of Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality. With more than 15 experiences that engage viewers through a wide range of technology platforms, this exhibition celebrates the best of immersive storytelling.

We’re offering two two-hour exhibitions exclusively for secondary school groups.

For more information about special group ticket prices and other VIFF Immersed details, please contact our Education Coordinator at education@viff.org

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

75

Impact

UK

The Great Green Wall JARED P. SCOTT, UK, 2019, 92 MIN.

SUN, SEP 29 WED, OCT 2 WED, OCT 9

11:15 AM 6:00 PM 11:00 AM

IN10 IN08 IN09

North American Premiere. Malian musician/activist Inna Modja embarks on an expedition through five African nations, gathering an ensemble of artists to celebrate the pan-African dream of realizing the Great Green Wall: an 8,000 km mosaic of fertile land that would represent the Earth’s largest living structure. Backed by a dazzling array of musical diversity, Jared P. Scott’s documentary is an unforgettable exploration of a modern marvel of ecological restoration and a powerful call to take action to help reshape the world.

Featuring Inna Modja Prod Sarah MacDonald, Jared P. Scott, Nick North, Charly W. Feldman Selected Filmography The Age of Consequences; Requiem for the American Dream; Disruption

Austria

Impact

Uncompromising films and insightful discussions that spark action and change the way we see the world.

Sea of Shadows RICHARD LADKANI, AUSTRIA, 2019, 104 MIN.

FRI, SEP 27 THU, OCT 3

3:30 PM 8:45 PM

As action-packed as it is relevant, Richard Ladkani’s important documentary is set amidst the spectacular riches and beauty of Baja and the Gulf of California, where Chinese poachers in league with Mexican drug cartels are decimating the seas—especially the nearly extinct vaquita porpoise—in pursuit of the totoaba fish. These amazing vaquita exemplify delicate wildness under threat. Ride along with the intrepid activists aboard the Sea Shepherd patrol ships as they fight a righteous battle.

Audience Award, World Documentary Competition, Sundance 19

Wildland

Prod Walter Köhler, Wolfgang Knöpfler

7676

SFU SFU

Selected Filmography Escape Over the Himalayas; The Devil’s Miner; Vatican: The Hidden World

Impact

USA

USA

Human Nature

The Pollinators

ADAM BOLT, USA, 2019, 94 MIN.

FRI, SEP 27 SAT, SEP 28 THU, OCT 10

11:45 AM 11:15 AM 6:45 PM

Germany

Resistance Fighters

PETER NELSON, USA, 2019, 93 MIN.

VCT IN10 SFU

One of the most significant scientific breakthroughs in history, the discovery of CRISPR has made it possible to manipulate human DNA. The implications of this could mean the eradication of disease or, more controversially, the possibility of genetically preprogrammed children. Adam Bolt’s stunning work of science journalism reaches out to scientists, engineers, and people whose lives could benefit from CRISPR technology, and offers a wide-ranging look at the pros and cons of designing our futures.

Prod Meredith DeSalazar, Sarah Goodwin, Elliot Kirschner, Adam Bolt

SUN, SEP 29 TUE, OCT 1

3:00 PM 6:45 PM

MICHAEL WECH, GERMANY, 2019, 98 MIN.

SFU IN10

International Premiere. That bees are in danger is well known, but what Peter Nelson’s articulate and knowledgeable documentary does is start with this fact and then expand into a careful consideration of our most largescale problems vis-à-vis nature and food supply. Scientists know that we must get away from 20th-century agricultural practices and renew our respect for complex soils and ecosystems, and Nelson’s information-packed film is very encouraging in showing how to do that through “regenerative farming” techniques.

Prod Peter Nelson, Sally Roy, Michael Reuter

Sweden

SUN, OCT 6 THU, OCT 10

5:45 PM 2:15 PM

IN08 SFU

North American Premiere. The ongoing rise in multi-resistant bacteria—unvanquishable microbes, currently responsible for 700,000 deaths per year and projected to kill 10 million yearly by 2050 if nothing changes— and the people who fight them are the subjects of Michael Wech’s stunning “sciencethriller.” Doctors, researchers, patients, and diplomats testify about shortsighted medical and economic practices, while Wech offers refreshingly original perspectives on environment, ecology, and (animal) life in general.

Prod Leopold Hoesch

Stieg Larsson - The Man Who Played With Fire HENRIK GEORGSSON, SWEDEN, 2018, 95 MIN.

THU, SEP 26 WED, OCT 2

9:15 PM 11:15 AM

SFU IN10

Many know Stieg Larsson as the author of the “Millennium” trilogy, but many more are unaware of his brave, dangerous life’s work as an investigative journalist tracking the rise of European right-wing nationalism. (In fact, Larsson considered his fiction a mere hobby.) The journalism and its impact are the focus of Henrik Georgsson’s urgent, very well-informed, and very timely look at Larsson’s groundbreaking exposés of right-wing extremists, their financial supporters, and their continuing spread.

Prod Mattias Nohrborg, Fredrik Heinig Filmography Wallander; Bragden; Marcella

Whether you see a few films or dozens of films each year, there is a VIFF+ Membership level that will help you save money.

Join a community of film lovers and support the VIFF society!

Discover goviff.org/plus

Join today!

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

77

Impact

USA

USA

Trust Machine: The Story of Blockchain

We Are Not Princesses BRIDGETTE AUGER, ITAB AZZAM, USA, 2018, 75 MIN.

ALEX WINTER, USA, 2018, 85 MIN.

TUE, OCT 1 THU, OCT 3 MON, OCT 7

11:00 AM 9:00 PM 1:15 PM

VCT VCT IN08

Who doesn’t have questions about cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, and the blockchain technology and philosophy that make them possible? Alex Winter’s balanced documentary is an excellent introduction to the blockchain phenomenon, thanks to its use of a range of expert testimony and a variety of perspectives to explicate the promises and the risks inherent in this manifestation of high-tech wizardry.

It also delves into why some establishment forces have embraced it while others deny its plausibility...

WED, OCT 2 FRI, OCT 4

6:15 PM 11:00 AM

SFU IN09

Canadian Premiere. Very intimate and very moving, Bridgette Auger and Itab Azzam’s remarkable documentary follows four female Syrian refugees living in Beirut, whose participation in the staging of Sophocles’ Antigone opens up their worlds, gives them the strength to tell their own stories, and helps them escape traditional roles. Combining animation (used when the women don’t want to be on camera but still want their stories heard) and live action, this is a powerful and complex work that is also deeply satisfying.

Don't miss these star-studded Royal Opera House Presentations at the Vancity Theatre.

Prod Hal Scardino, Sara Maamouri Preceded by Question Period p. 101

Don Giovanni

Featuring Lauri Love, Vinay Gupta, Joseph Lubin, Christopher Fabian, Laura Shin Prod Kim Jackson, Geoffrey J Clark, Alex Winter

Nov. 1, 12:30 pm

Selected Filmography Deep Web; The Panama Papers

Germany

Big Screen, Big Sound.

Don Pasquale

USA

Nov. 20, 1 pm

The Whale and the Raven Wildland MIRJAM LEUZE, GERMANY/CANADA, 2019, 101 MIN.

FRI, OCT 4 SUN, OCT 6

9:00 PM 4:00 PM

SFU SFU

ALEX JABLONSKI, KAHLIL HUDSON, USA, 2018, 77 MIN.

SAT, OCT 5 MON, OCT 7

8:15 PM 3:15 PM

VCT VCT

Journeying into the Great Bear Rainforest, Mirjam Leuze investigates the impact of increased oil tanker traffic on this stunning ecosystem. Not only are we introduced to the remarkable people who call this place home, including whale researchers and the Gitga’at First Nation, but also the humpbacks, orcas, and porpoises who use the fjord system as a feeding- and playground. Through sublime cinematography, Leuze immerses us in a truly majestic world and makes an emphatic argument for its preservation.

Canadian Premiere. What we run away from, they run towards—that’s the spirit of a firefighter. Alex Jablonski and Kahlil Hudson take us from training grounds to proving grounds in their study of one of the world’s most dangerous professions. Following a group of initiates from recruitment in Oregon to a wildfire in northern California, this tough-minded but lyrical film evinces both an awe of nature and an esteem for those who guard us from it.

“Immersive. A unique knockout.”—Filmmaker Magazine

Prod Marcelo Busse, Henrik Meyer, Andrew Williamson, Shirley Vercruysse

Prod Alex Jablonski, Kahlil Hudson

Filmography Flowers of Freedom

Tickets on sale soon.

viff.org

Filmography (Kahlil Hudson) Low and Clear Preceded by Forest on Fire p. 101

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

79

Impact

Impact

Insights

UK

Insights This acclaimed series explores the endless possibilities of nonfiction filmmaking while investigating essential subject matter.

My Father and Me NICK BROOMFIELD, UK, 2019, 96 MIN.

SUN, OCT 6 MON, OCT 7

6:45 PM 1:30 PM

SFU IN09

Canadian Premiere. Veteran documentarian Nick Broomfield has regularly placed himself in his work (most recently, Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love). But this is his most personal and introspective work, a film about his dad, Maurice, the leading photographer of industrial Britain in the 1950s and 60, and their up-and-down relationship over the decades. Among other things, it is a lament for a more cohesive England, a film about shifting points of view, framing, and perception, and of course a film about family.

Prod Marc Hoeferlin, Shani Hinton, Kyle Gibbon Selected Filmography Kurt and Courtney; Biggie and Tupac; Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer

UK

South Africa

63 Up

Buddha in Africa

MICHAEL APTED, UK, 2019, 138 MIN.

SAT, SEP 28 MON, SEP 30

6:15 PM 10:00 AM

SFU VCT

In the latest instalment (and theatrical version) of his landmark Up documentary project, Michael Apted displays tremendous affection and infectious inquisitiveness in re-introducing us to the disparate individuals we’ve been following for six decades. As Tony, Suzy, Nicholas, Lynn and the others enter their autumnal years, these evergreen subjects remain founts of wit and introspection. With the spectre of Brexit leaving them all the more reflective, their interviews prove incredibly compelling.

Buddha in Africa

Featuring Lynn Johnson, Tony Walker, Suzy Lusk, Nicholas Hitchon Prod Claire Lewis

80 8080

Selected Filmography Coal Miner’s Daughter; The World Is Not Enough; Amazing Grace

NICOLE SCHAFER, SOUTH AFRICA/SWEDEN, 2019, 90 MIN.

TUE, OCT 8 THU, OCT 10

2:00 PM 7:15 PM

IN10 IN10

This gentle yet powerful documentary takes us to a Buddhist orphanage shelter in Malawi.

There, orphan Enock Alu faces adulthood and a hard choice: to remain among his native people or take on post-secondary life in Taiwan. Director Nicole Schafer navigates some touchy subject matter with compassion as her guiding light. Open to the beauty of Buddhism, the dangers of colonialism, the risks of freedom and, above all, the preciousness of an individual soul, she crafts a beautiful work.

Prod Nicole Schafer

Impact

UK

Hungary

Coup 53

The Euphoria of Being A létezés eufóriája

TAGHI AMIRANI, UK/IRAN/USA, 2019, 118 MIN.

TUE, OCT 8 WED, OCT 9 FRI, OCT 11

6:00 PM 6:00 PM 8:45 PM

Switzerland

PLAY SFU VCT

Canadian Premiere. In 1951, Mohammad Mosaddegh became the democratically elected Prime Minister of Iran with a promise to nationalize the oil industry, a policy that cost him his post within two years. Digging into this still under-reported but epochal geopolitical turning point, Taghi Amirani and co-writer/editor Walter Murch (Apocalypse Now) come across a fascinating nugget, a scoop-that-never-was, involving an ex-MI6 agent eager to stake his claim to history, TV censorship, and keen-eyed film detective work.

Prod Paul Zaentz

RÉKA SZABÓ, HUNGARY, 2019, 83 MIN.

FRI, SEP 27 THU, OCT 3 FRI, OCT 4

12:30 PM 7:00 PM 10:00 AM

IN08 VCT VCT

A 90-year-old Holocaust survivor, a 47-yearold choreographer, and a 32-year-old dancer embark on an extraordinary collaboration in Réka Szabó’s enthralling documentary. As the three women lend their unique perspectives to an unflinching contemporary dance piece delving into the 20th century’s darkest chapter, Szabó’s candid document of their process is in turns horrifying and amusing, unsentimental and joyous. A truly uncommon film, Euphoria inspires a sense of genuine uplift that is to be cherished.

Featuring Éva Fahidi, Emese Cuhorka, Réka Szabó Prod Sára László, Marcell Gero, Réka Szabó

Norway

Gateways to New York MARTIN WITZ, SWITZERLAND, 2019, 88 MIN.

SUN, OCT 6 WED, OCT 9

11:00 AM 6:00 PM

VCT VCT

Canadian Premiere. Swiss engineer Othmar Ammann not only redefined the art of bridge building but also catalyzed the evolution of New York City into a metropolis. Celebrating the visionary who designed nine of Manhattan’s 11 bridges, the Golden Gate Bridge, and many others, Martin Witz’s documentary offers awe-inspiring access to these towering, miraculous amalgams of engineering and artistry. This is a testament to the exhilarating spirit of modernity that guided a century of urban development.

Featuring Edward Cohen, Margot Ammann Durrer, Tom F. Peters, Laura Norton, Alex Mayo, Paul Deer, Andrew L. Sichenze Prod Andres Pfaeffli, Elda Guidinetti, Silvana Bezzola Rigolini Selected Filmography The Substance - Albert Hofmann’s LSD

Mexico

Insights

The Men’s Room

PETTER SOMMER, JO VEMUND SVENDSEN, NORWAY, 2018, 75 MIN.

SUN, SEP 29 FRI, OCT 4 WED, OCT 9

1:15 PM 3:45 PM 9:30 PM

PLAY PLAY IN10

Canadian Premiere. The barebones description provided in the press notes of Petter Sommer and Jo Vemund Svendsen’s delightful documentary—“Every Tuesday, 25 tattooed middle-aged men take a break from their everyday lives to meet and drink beer, tell bad jokes, and sing dirty rock songs”—doesn’t begin to convey the humour and emotion on display here. While the choral group prepares for its biggest gig ever, as the opening act for Black Sabbath, the film evolves into a deeply moving study of friendship and loss…

Prod Kari Anne Moe, Gudmundur Gunnarsson Selected Filmography (Petter Sommer) When Dad Kills; Operation Conspiracy; (Jo Vemund Svendsen) When Children Become Pop Stars

USA

viff.org

Midnight Family

The Rabbi Goes West

LUKE LORENTZEN, MEXICO/USA, 2019, 81 MIN.

SAT, SEP 28 FRI, OCT 4

9:15 PM 4:00 PM

AMY GELLER, GERALD PEARY, USA, 2019, 78 MIN.

IN10 IN09

Mexico City has only 45 public ambulances serving a population of 9 million. Hence the need for private ambulance services, and one such enterprise sees the Ochoa family eking out an existence by transporting the needy every night. Documentarian Luke Lorentzen embeds himself with the Ochoas for a riveting piece of cinéma vérité that shocks and fascinates. “A compelling documentary that blends the engaging family dynamic of a Koreeda drama with the socio-economic realities of a Ken Loach classic.”—Screen Grand Jury Award, Sheffield 19 Prod Kellen Quinn, Luke Lorentzen, Daniela Alatorre, Elena Fortes Filmography New York Cuts

MON, OCT 7 TUE, OCT 8

6:30 PM 11:30 AM

CINE IN10

Canadian Premiere. Multi-talented VIFF alumni Gerald Peary and Amy Geller raise many timely and important questions about the rise of the right (and the overly confident) with this fascinating documentary about 34-year-old rabbi Chaim Bruk, who moved from Brooklyn to Montana to brandish his Hasidic Orthodox Judaism. As he travels across “big sky” landscape, he confronts neo-Nazi threats, and a more secular and liberal Jewish community who don’t quite know how to respond to his charisma and Chabad brand of religion.

Looking for a venue extraordinaire?

Designed to dazzle, the beautifully appointed Vancouver International Film Centre can be used for screening films, multi media presentations, live simulcasts, closed circuit broadcasts, seminars, receptions and live performances.

Prod Amy Geller Filmography (Amy Geller) The Guys Next Door; (Gerald Peary) For the Love Of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism; Archie’s Betty

The greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society is a not-for-profit educational and cultural organization incorporated and registered in British Columbia, and a federal charity.

Charitable Registration Number: BN118946821 RR0001

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

81

Impact

India

Scotland

Reason

Scheme Birds

Vivek

ELLEN FISKE, ELLINOR HALLIN, SCOTLAND/SWEDEN, 2019, 87 MIN.

ANAND PATWARDHAN, INDIA, 2018, 218 MIN.

MON, OCT 7 TUE, OCT 8

New Zealand

6:00 PM 11:15 AM

VCT VCT

India’s greatest documentary filmmaker, Anand Patwardhan, responsible for such seminal titles as In the Name of God and Father, Son and Holy War, returns with this deep dive into the volatile, violent world of Indian politics and the rise of right-wing Hindu extremism in the era of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This epic, brave, impactful cri de coeur is based on painstaking research, historical expertise, and access to both the front lines and the “statesmen” pulling the levers. Unforgettable.

Best Film, IDFA 18 Prod Anand Patwardhan Selected Filmography War and Peace/Jang aur Aman; In the Name of God; Bombay our City

WED, OCT 9 THU, OCT 10

6:30 PM 3:30 PM

CINE IN08

A compelling chronicle of teen life in a deadend Scottish housing project (a “scheme”), Ellen Fiske and Ellinor Hallin’s debut documentary pulls no punches as it introduces us to the magnetic Gemma, a pregnant teen raised by her grandfather after her parents abandoned her at birth, who butts up against poverty and a no-hope future with headstrong resilience. “Extraordinary... Weighs the bleak details... against moments of lyrical beauty and even humour. It’s a remarkable achievement.”—Screen Best Documentary, Tribeca 19 Prod Ruth Reid, Mario Adamson

France

Talking About Trees

A Seat at the Table

SUHAIB GASMELBARI, FRANCE/SUDAN/GERMANY/ CHAD/QATAR, 2019, 94 MIN.

DAVID NASH, SIMON MARK-BROWN, NEW ZEALAND, 2019, 100 MIN.

FRI, OCT 4 SUN, OCT 6

Insights

7:00 PM 3:30 PM

WED, OCT 9 FRI, OCT 11

IN10 IN09

1:45 PM 6:30 PM

IN10 CINE

International Premiere. “Winemaking is really quite a simple business. Only the first 200 years are difficult,” quips Baroness Philippine de Rothschild in David Nash and Simon MarkBrown’s visually resplendent survey of New Zealand’s wine industry. The co-directors are out to disprove the Baroness’ notion by showing how Kiwi winemaking has taken lessons from the French to produce superb vintages using biodynamic methods (BC producers take note!). Often hilarious interviews with French and Kiwi vintners add a welcome spice.

Canadian Premiere. Humour, wisdom, optimism, passion, and heartbreak are in abundant supply here, as Suhaib Gasmelbari chronicles the efforts of four ageing members of the Sudanese Film Group (all former film directors whose careers were cut short when the fundamentalist dictatorship banned cinema in the early ‘90s) to revive a ramshackle local outdoor cinema and stage a screening.

Graced with clips from the movies these men made and full of both verbal and visual wit, this is also an extraordinary look at Sudan today.

Prod David Nash, Simon Mark-Brown

Audience Award, Panorama Documentary, Berlin 19

Filmography (Simon Mark-Brown) The Sun Came Out; The Catch

Featuring Ibrahim Shaddad, Suliman Ibrahim, Eltayeb Mahdi, Manar Al-Hilo, Hana Abdelrahman Suliman Prod Marie Balducchi

Support VIFF

Give a gift today and double your impact Every dollar of your donation will be matched with an equal gift from Lochmaddy Foundation up to a total of $10,000.

goviff.org/donate

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

83

NEXT

OCT 3-5

PYA + ANN

VIFF AMP brings together music supervisors, composers and post-production experts to engage in panels and workshops that explore the essential role of music in film and highlight growing opportunities for recording artists.

The summit kicks off the evening of October 3 with a keynote event and continues over the next two days, with world-class experts weighing in on subjects such as diversity in the music marketplace, the art of music supervision and how music rights management victories around the world are benefiting songwriters and composers.

AMP Masterclass: Jeff Russo FRI, OCT 4

5:30PM-7:00PM

ANN

Join Emmy Award-winning composer Jeff Russo for an intimate master class focused on creativity, process and technique in composing for film and television. Referencing his own work, which includes music for the series Fargo and Star Trek: Discovery, Russo takes learners through the ins and outs of his craft.

Included in AMP Summit Pass AMP Masterclass Tickets $20 (+ fees)

VIFF AMP Summit Passes.......................$149 Student/Senior.............................................. $98

Music BC’s SOUNDOFF

For the full AMP program and pass information, please visit goviff.org/amp

PRESENTED BY

AMP Keynote: Cliff Martinez THU, OCT 3

PRESENTS

NEXT

PYA

BAFTA award-winning film composer Cliff Martinez is widely known for his idiosyncratic and iconic music for Drive, Spring Breakers, Traffic and The Knick. He was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. At this intimate AMP keynote event, Martinez charts his dynamic 30-year career and talks about his approach to composition and sources of inspiration, as well as his long-standing creative partnerships with Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, The Knick) and Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive).

Accelerating the advancement and

Included in AMP Summit Pass

innovation of creative industries in

AMP Keynote tickets $20 (+ fees)

British Columbia.

7:30PM-9:30PM

PYA

Presented by Music BC, SOUNDOFF is a platform for our most promising local musicians, with a focus on song placement and sync licensing in film and TV. Local artists perform songs and connect with music supervisors Ann Kline (The Good Doctor), Yvette Metoyer (Halt and Catch Fire) and Sanaz Lavaedian (VP at Mocean) at this expansive yet intimate gathering. Featuring performances by Ocie Elliott, Biawanna, Teon Gibbs, FRANKIIE, Titus Calderbank and Glass Forest. Free to Music BC Members—check your inbox to book your complimentary SOUNDOFF ticket.

Included in AMP Summit Pass SOUNDOFF Tickets $15 (+ fees) Free to Music BC members

PRESENTED BY

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

8484

6:00PM-7:30PM

FRI, OCT 4

WITH SUPPORT FROM

Next

Next

VIFF Immersed Exhibition SEP 28-OCT 3

ANN

VIFF Immersed Exhibition is a public marketplace exhibition featuring the finalists of this year’s VIFF Immersed International Competition and special features from the creative nexus that is British Columbia. The exhibition celebrates the best of immersive storytelling, showcasing VR, AR and MR experiences staged on a wide range of immersive technology platforms from some of today’s leading creators.

Included in VIFF Immersed Pass Immersed Exhibition Tickets $15

For the full VIFF Immersed Exhibition program and schedule, visit goviff.org/immersed-exhibition

Black

VIFF Immersed VR Kiosks PRESENTED BY CMYK

Dedicated to exceptional narrative storytelling in Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality, VIFF Immersed is a two-day conference program featuring case-studies, round-table discussions and hands-on workshops with some of the world’s leading immersive content creators. In addition, a week-long exhibition offers fans firsthand engagement with immersive experiences that are re-imagining storytelling.

VIFF Immersed is committed to providing access to the best in virtual reality storytelling.

We are proud to present three distinct Canadian VR storytelling experiences that are free to festival-goers with a ticket/pass to VIFF films screening at the following participating venues: • Vancity Theatre, Atrium • The Centre for Performing Arts, Atrium • The Vancouver Playhouse, Salon A Pantone

Acknowledgments: Leon Ng, Andy Chu and Jessica Glass (Founders, YVRFF) for their support of

VIFF Immersed 2019 and collaboration on strengthening the BC XR entertainment ecosystem.

Next

Next

VIFF Immersed Passes 2 day conference & workshops + exhibition entry....................................... $149 Student/Senior.................................................. $80

For VIFF Immersed schedule and pass information, please visit goviff.org/immersed Black

FUNDED BY

CMYK

BC Immersed

New Realities in Storytelling

PRESENTED BY

PRESENTED BY

SUN, SEP 29 Pantone

PRODUCED BY

SPONSORED BY

COPRODUCTION MARKET BY

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

10AM-5PM

PYA

A high-level conference day focused on connecting BC content creators with creative opportunities in the XR industry, New Realities in Storytelling presents a series of case studies and panel discussions with industry leaders speaking about the latest in content creation, production technologies and distribution.

A day of valuable workshops for producers, directors, technologists and content commissioners wishing to understand multiple aspects of immersive production. Top industry experts will deliver a series of interactive workshops and showcase presentations on subjects such as volumetric camera systems, Blockchain distribution and VR, image capture, live 360 broadcasting and more.

Included in VIFF Immersed Pass

Included in VIFF Immersed Pass

New Realities in Storytelling Day Pass $ 98 Regular | $50 Student/Senior

BC Immersed Day Pass $ 98 Regular | $50 Student/Senior

SAT, SEP 28

10AM-6PM

PYA

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

85

Gateway

China

Gateway Journey into the cinematic reaches of

East Asia with some of the world’s most compelling storytellers as your guides.

White Snake

AMP WONG, ZHAO JI, CHINA, 2019, 99 MIN.

SAT, SEP 28 FRI, OCT 11

3:30 PM 9:30 PM

PLAY PLAY

Amp Wong and Zhao Ji give us an animated prequel to Legend of the White Snake, a famous Chinese folk tale. The heroes are Blanca, a snake demon who can take human form, and Xuan, the mortal she falls in love with. Together they confront military rulers, violent creatures, and other evil forces, all of which are brought to life with dazzling style. Action-packed and wildly creative, this is an eye-popping delight. “A fresh take on a Chinese classic... packed with exciting adventure.”—Variety Cast Blanca-Zhang Zhe, Xu Xuan-Yang Tianxiang, Verta-Tang Xiaoxi Prod Gary Wang, Gillian Zhao, Di Cui

China

The Wild Goose Lake Nan fang che zhan de ju hui

DIAO YINAN, CHINA/FRANCE, 2019, 113 MIN.

THU, OCT 10 FRI, OCT 11

9:15 PM 1:30 PM

PLAY SFU

After tensions between rival gangsters boil over in violence, Zhou Zenong (Hu Ge) finds himself taking the blame and being hunted for ransom by seemingly every cop and criminal in town.

His boss sends Liu Aiai (Gwei Lun Mei) to help him escape in what becomes an epic pursuit through Wuhan. Complete with a gangster, femme fatale, and a moody urban setting, The Wild Goose Lake is a dazzling contemporary take on the film noir from award-winning Chinese writer-director Diao Yinan (Black Coal, Thin Ice).

Cast Hu Ge, Gwei Lun Mei, Liao Fan, Wan Qian, Qi Dao, Huang Jue Prod Li Li, Shen Yang

The Cave

Filmography Uniform; Night Train; Black Coal, Thin Ice

8686

Gateway

China

South Korea

Balloon

Birthday

PEMA TSEDEN, CHINA, 2019, 102 MIN.

LEE JONG-UN, SOUTH KOREA, 2019, 120 MIN.

Qiqiu

SAT, SEP 28 TUE, OCT 1

The Cave

Saeng-il

6:00 PM 10:45 AM

IN08 IN10

FRI, SEP 27 SUN, SEP 29

2:45 PM 6:00 PM

IN08 PLAY

Canadian Premiere. In 2014, the sinking of the Sewol ferry claimed over 300 lives, mostly high school students on a field trip.

Produced by Lee Chang-dong, and directed by his protégé Lee Jong-un, this devastating yet cathartic feature gently revisits the grieving families and community shattered by the national tragedy, which helped topple President Park Geun-hye. Jeon Do-yeon, who won Best Actress at Cannes for Secret Sunshine, takes the mater dolorosa role to a new level of pathos. You’ll have no tears left by the end.

Cast Sonam Wangmo, Jinpa, Yangshik Tso, Shide Nyima, Kunde, Konchok, Dudul Prod Huang Xufeng, Jacky Pang

Cast Sul Kyung-gu, Jeon Do-yeon, Kim Bo-min Prod Lee Joon-dong, Lee Dongha, Lee Chang-dong

Japan

OMORI TATSUSHI, JAPAN, 2018, 100 MIN.

MON, SEP 30 WED, OCT 2

8:45 PM 4:00 PM

IN09 IN09

The Way of Tea is the way of life in Omori Tatsushi’s tranquil and transcendent drama on the Japanese tea ceremony. Berlinale Best Actress Kuroki Haru plays an introvert whose life is transformed by lessons with a sage tea master (Shoplifters’ Kiki Kirin in her last film role). As she learns and falters, she grows to understand and accept herself through the calming and illuminating rituals. Sumptuous visuals reflect how every utensil or gesture is infused with Japan’s exquisite seasonal shifts.

Cast Kuroki Haru, Kiki Kirin, Tabe Mikako Prod Yoshimura Tomomi, Kanai Takaharu, Kondo Takahiko Selected Filmography The Whispering of the Gods; A Crowd of Three; The Ravine of Goodbye

TUE, OCT 8 WED, OCT 9

9:15 PM 3:30 PM

Kaijuu no Kodomo

PLAY PLAY

North American Premiere. In the summer of 2018, the world was gripped by the plight of a Thai boys’ soccer team trapped in a flooded cave for over two weeks. Focusing on the rescue side of the story, Thai-Irish director Tom Waller’s recounting throbs with real-time, nail-biting tension. Four divers (one a Vancouverite) who joined the daring rescue mission play themselves in this stirring account of how an international coalition of experts and volunteers raced against time and circumstances to pull off a moving miracle.

Cast Jim Warny, Ekawat Niratworapanya, Nopadol Niyomka, Jumpa Saenprom, James Edward Holley, Tan Xiaolong, Erik Brown Prod Allen Liu, Tom Waller Filmography Monk Dawson; Mindfulness and Murder; The Last Executioner

Selected Filmography Old Dog; Tharlo; Jinpa

Every Day a Good Day

Children of the Sea

TOM WALLER, THAILAND, 2019, 104 MIN.

Pema Tseden’s spectacularly beautiful tale of fertility, passion, and loss on the Tibetan grasslands is his most moving film yet. It starts comically: two brothers play with a “balloon”—actually their parents’ condom.

Their mother, Drolkar, tries to cope with overvirile husband Dargye, while counselling her heartbroken sister who has become a nun.

But the dead, the reincarnated, and the living interweave mysteriously as this part-realist part-hallucinatory world slowly catches emotional fire. - SHELLY KRAICER

Japan

Japan

Thailand

UK

Hâdo koa

BEN RIVERS, ANOCHA SUWICHAKORNPONG, UK/ THAILAND, 2019, 93 MIN.

YAMASHITA NOBUHIRO, JAPAN, 2018, 124 MIN.

SAT, OCT 5 WED, OCT 9

4:00 PM 9:00 PM

RIO IN09

Once king of indie slacker films, Yamashita Nobuhiro is now firmly established in Japan as a master of deadpan humour. Based on a 90s cult manga, this wildly unpredictable and charmingly low-tech sci-fi comedy stars Takayuki Yamada as a pure-spirited malcontent who goes digging for gold in an abandoned mine. The loser hero, his child-like buddy, and go-getting brother (heartthrob Takeru Satoh) discover an old robot that can turn their fortunes around—but then everything goes spectacularly wrong.

Cast Takayuki Yamada, Takeru Satoh, Kei Ishibashi, Suon Kan, Takako Matsu, Kubikukuritakuzou Prod Shigeo Minakami, Daisuke Futagi, Hiroyuki Negishi, Takayuki Yamada Selected Filmography Linda Linda Linda; A Gentle Breeze in the Village; Tamako in Moratorium

SUN, SEP 29 MON, OCT 7

SUN, OCT 6 TUE, OCT 8

1:00 PM 6:45 PM

IN09 IN09

A loner schoolgirl befriends two boys who were raised by dugongs (manatee-like creatures), and embarks on an aquatic journey to unlock the mysteries of the boys and the sea.

Based on Igarashi Daisuke’s lauded manga, director Watanabe Ayumu and Studio4°C’s bold experimental and environmental statement dazzles the eyes with stupendously beautiful animation of the underwater world, and blows the mind with dense symbolism and disorienting imagery that have drawn comparisons to 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Cast Ashida Mana, Ishibashi Hiiro, Uragami Seishu, Morisaki Win, Inagaki Goro, Aoi Yu Prod Tanaka Eiko Selected Filmography Doraemon the Movie: Nobita’s Dinosaur; Space Brothers

Japan

Krabi, 2562

Hard-Core

WATANABE AYUMU, JAPAN, 2019, 111 MIN.

8:15 PM 3:45 PM

VCT IN08

The region referred to by the title of Ben Rivers and Anocha Suwichakornpong’s quasi-ethnography is a coastal town in Thailand whose primary sources of sustenance are the travelers who frequent it. It’s no surprise, then, that the endlessly subversive Rivers and Anocha have made a veritable tourist trap of a movie: come for the exotic histories and sun-dappled vistas; stay for the moving, darkly funny commentary about the impacts of capitalism.

Cast Siraphun Wattanajinda, Arak Amornsupasiri, Primrin Puarat, Nuttawat Attasawat, Atchara Suwan, Lieng Leelatiwanon Prod Maenum Chagasik Selected Filmography (Anocha Suwichakornpong) Mundane History; By the Time It Gets Dark; (Ben Rivers) A Spell to Ward Off the Darkness; Two Years at Sea; The Sky Trembles and the Earth Is Afraid and the Two Eyes Are Not Brothers

No Longer Human NINAGAWA MIKA, JAPAN, 2019, 120 MIN.

THU, OCT 3 MON, OCT 7

4:00 PM 9:00 PM

IN09 CINE

International Premiere. Of the many film (even anime) adaptations of the novels of Dazai Osamu, one of Japan’s greatest writers, none has attained such levels of visual opulence and twisted romanticism as Ninagawa Mika’s biopic of the suicidal genius, who basked in decadence and nihilism against an era of militant imperialism. The superstar photographer’s third film after Helter Skelter and Sakuran lifts the star-studded cast (Oguri Shun, Miyazawa Rie, Nikkaido Fumi, Erika Sawajiri) to a pinnacle of agony and beauty.

Cast Oguri Shun, Miyazawa Rie, Erika Sawajiri, Nikaido Fumi Prod Ikeda Fumitsugu, Akita Shuhei, Uda Mitsuru Filmography Sakuran; Helter Skelter

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

87

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Gateway

USA

South Korea

China

China

Present. Perfect.

Samsara

The Shadow Play

ZHU SHENGZE, USA/HONG KONG, 2019, 124 MIN.

MOON JEONG-YUN, SOUTH KOREA, 2019, 130 MIN.

LOU YE, CHINA, 2018, 129 MIN.

Wanmei xianzai shi

SUN, OCT 6 TUE, OCT 8

9:00 PM 3:15 PM

Gureuneun Surebakwi

CINE IN08

TUE, OCT 1 THU, OCT 3

Spring Tide

Fengzhong you duo yu zuode yun

12:00 PM 9:00 PM

IN08 CINE

MON, SEP 30 TUE, OCT 1

1:00 PM 9:30 PM

Chunchao

YANG LINA, CHINA, 2019, 123 MIN.

IN09 IN09

TUE, OCT 8 WED, OCT 9

6:00 PM 11:00 AM

VCT IN10

Canadian Premiere. Live-streaming is hot in China. Anyone can do it: for the lucky it provides a route to (ephemeral) stardom. For others, less fortunate, it is just a way to express themselves more or less freely in a society with few other outlets. From 800 hours of livestream footage she recorded, Zhu Shengze has crafted something magical: an acutely humane, precisely articulated, eloquent snapshot of Chinese people today, their marginal voices made vibrant, resonant, and never less than compelling. - SHELLY KRAICER

World Premiere. Four worldly and materialistic monks gather at a faraway temple to see their esteemed Master, who is suffering from dementia. In the subsequent days, memories are awakened and characters tested as the four reflect on their ambitions, desires, and fears. Only one will reach a kind of enlightenment, but it is not the one you expect. Steeped in an ethereal natural backdrop, director Moon Jeong-yun’s film achieves a wise and witty balance between exposing religious hypocrisy and embracing Zen philosophy.

North American Premiere. Lou Ye’s voluptuous, controversial art-thriller captures the steamily corrupt atmosphere of a Guangzhou development project that turned into a riot.

Political turmoil leads to a suspicious death, and handsome investigator Yang follows a trail leading to everyone: the dead man’s wife, his rival, his lover, and his daughter. Lou Ye’s brilliant pacing intensifies the disorienting, hothouse atmosphere; his inspired work with stars Song Jia, Ma Sichun, and Michelle Chen is unparalleled in Chinese cinema. - SHELLY KRAICER

International Premiere. Three magnificent actresses, Elaine Jin, Hao Lei, and young Qu Junxi, play grandmother, mother, and daughter in Yang Lina’s powerfully intimate story of three generations of Chinese women. Jin is domineering, patriotic, and flamboyant; Hao is a volcanically repressed journalist; Qu is a free-spirited girl navigating her way through a fractured household where profound love is often masked by shocking hostility. Vivid, complex women have rarely been celebrated this powerfully in Chinese cinema. - SHELLY KRAICER

Tiger Award, Rotterdam 19 Prod Yang Zhengfan

Cast Kim Myung-Gon, Lee Young-Seok, Hong Heeyong, Kim Joon-bae, Son Kyounh-Won, Jung JunYoung, Park Min-Woo, Cho Hyun-Seo Prod Han Suea

Cast Song Jia, Ma Sichun, Michelle Chen, Jing Boran, Qin Hao, Zhang Songwen, Edison Chen Prod Nai An, Lou Ye

Cast Hao Lei, Elaine Jin Yam Ling, Qu Junxi, Li Wenbo Prod Helen Li, Luke Xu, Cheng Qingsong, Amber Chen

Filmography Out of Focus; Another Year

Filmography Gi-Hwa

Selected Filmography Suzhou River; Purple Butterfly; Spring Fever

Filmography Old Men; The Love of Mr. An; Wild Grass; Longing for the Rain

Singapore

Taiwan

Stay connected.

Wild Sparrow

Wet Season

Ye que zhi shi

Redai yu

SHIH LI, TAIWAN, 2019, 94 MIN.

ANTHONY CHEN, SINGAPORE, 2019, 103 MIN.

FRI, SEP 27 SAT, SEP 28

6:00 PM 1:15 PM

SFU IN09

Ling, a middle-aged high school teacher in Singapore, takes an exceptional interest in her wushu-champion student. In Anthony Chen’s beautifully modulated follow up to Ilo Ilo (VIFF 13), brilliant actress Yeo Yann Yann shines as Ling, struggling to care for an invalid father-in-law while trying to have a child with her unresponsive husband. Chen’s gentle humanity and exquisitely inflected storytelling rhythms forge an uncannily moving journey through loneliness, desire, danger, and fulfillment. - SHELLY KRAICER Cast Yeo Yann Yann, Koh Jia Ler, Christopher Lee, Yang Shi Bin, Howie Loh, Timothy Nga Prod Anthony Chen, Huang Wenhong, Tan Si En Filmography Ilo Ilo

TUE, OCT 8 THU, OCT 10

4:30 PM 6:30 PM

IN09 IN09

North American Premiere. Twelve-year-old Han lives in the countryside with his great grandmother. Han’s young mother Li abruptly reappears and takes him to Taipei. Dumped by her married boyfriend, Li takes a series of successively more degrading “service” jobs to make ends meet, as Han watches her get involved with increasingly unsavoury men.

The great young Taiwanese actress Lee Yi Chieh is incandescent as Li: her complex performance illuminates this sophisticated, thoughtful story of a mother and son both yearning for love. - SHELLY KRAICER Best Actress, Taipei Film Awards 19 Cast Lee Yi-chieh, Kao Yu-sia, Hsia Teng-hung, Chen Shu-fang, Yu An-shun Prod Lai Chen-lin Filmography Almost Heaven

Sign up for VIFF news at viff.org Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

89

Gateway

China

Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains Chun jiang shui nan

GU XIAOGANG, CHINA, 2019, 154 MIN.

THU, SEP 26 FRI, OCT 4

6:00 PM 11:00 AM

SFU IN10

North American Premiere. Gu Xiaogang builds a masterfully rich, sophisticated family epic around the stunning riverside landscapes of Fuyang, China. His aesthetic inspiration is Huang Gongwang’s great Yuan dynasty scroll painting. Long, breathtaking takes immerse the brothers of the Gu family in classical landscapes as romance, mourning, gangsters, fishermen, chefs and their sons, daughters, and lovers live intertwined lives of passionate intensity and quiet beauty.

One of the most sensational debut films of recent memory. - SHELLY KRAICER Best Narrative Film, Best Director, First Film Festival Xining 19 Cast Zhang Yi, Peng Luqi, Wang Fengjuan, Qian Youfa, Zhang Guoying, Sun Zhangwei Prod Huang Xufeng, Zhang Qun, Song Jiafei, Suey Chen, Ning Xiaoxiao, Liang Ying

Dragons & Tigers

Bhutan

This internationally celebrated series continues to introduce the most exciting talents from East Asia to the world.

MEDIA PARTNERS

Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom PAWO CHOYNING DORJI, BHUTAN, 2019, 109 MIN.

SUN, OCT 6 TUE, OCT 8 FRI, OCT 11

6:15 PM 1:45 PM 6:15 PM

IN09 IN09 VCT

Another Child

North American Premiere. Located deep in Bhutan’s glacier-rich Eastern Himalayas, the village of Lunana (population: 56), an eight-day trek from the nearest road, is home to the world’s most remote school. Pawo Choyning Dorji (producer of Hema Hema: Sing Me a Song While I Wait, VIFF 16) follows thoroughly Westernized teacher Ugyen when he’s sent to the school as punishment; his resultant very musical immersion in, and discovery of, his nation’s natural wonders and traditional culture is a treat for both the eyes and the ears.

9090

Cast Sherab Dorji, Ugyen Norbu Lhendup, Kelden Lhamo Gurung, Pema Zam Prod Pawo Choyning Dorji, Steven Xiang, Stephanie Lai, Jia Honglin

Gateway

South Korea

Taiwan

Another Child

LAU KEK-HUAT, VERA CHEN, TAIWAN, 2019, 108 MIN.

KIM YOON-SEOK, SOUTH KOREA, 2019, 96 MIN.

SUN, SEP 29 MON, OCT 7

1:30 PM 9:00 PM

IN10 IN09

Two teen BFFs become sworn enemies when one’s dad has an affair with the other’s mom.

Yet, when a love child is born prematurely in critical condition, the girls and their mothers confront and console each other while the men hide from responsibility. The directorial debut of Korean superstar Kim Yoon-seok (The Chaser) is a delicate yet explosive tour de force drama with a character-driven focus on family dysfunction and the unlikely bonds— and surprising choices—that arise from said dysfunction.

Cast Yeom Jung-a, Kim So-jin, Kim Hye-jun, Park Sejin, Kim Yoon-seok Prod Lee Dong-ha

WED, OCT 9 FRI, OCT 11

Japan

Hong Kong

Boluomi

Mi-seong-nyeon

6:30 PM 4:15 PM

IN09 SFU

North American Premiere. Laila is a young Filipina mother working as a massage parlour cleaner in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Yi-fan is a Chinese Malaysian, a son of underground communists, who, denied university in Malaysia, has come to Taiwan to study. These two marginalized people gradually forge a warm, ambivalent relationship in their temporary home. Lau and Chen, in their first fiction film, suggestively blend flashbacks, both rhapsodic and horrifying, with delicately textured daily life in this compelling not-quiteromance. - SHELLY KRAICER Cast Laila Putli Pagtitahan Ulao, Wu Nien-hsuan, Vera Chen, Jayden Kuan Jia-xian, Hsu Nai-han, Wan Hanafi Su Prod Lin Shih-ken

Lost Course

Melancholic

Mi hang

TANAKA SEIJI, JAPAN, 2018, 114 MIN.

JILL LI, HONG KONG, 2019, 179 MIN.

FRI, SEP 27 SUN, SEP 29

Dragons & Tigers

8:00 PM 11:30 AM

VCT VCT

World Premiere. First time documentarist Jill Li embedded herself in the village of Wukan, southern China, for several years from 2011, as Wukan essayed an unprecedented experiment in local democracy. Corrupt officials had illegally sold villagers’ land, but they fought back. Li reveals the complexities of their struggles, triumphs, and setbacks from the inside. Her astonishingly intimate and sympathetic access to the events’ major players reveals Chinese local politics with three-dimensional passion and energy. - SHELLY KRAICER

SUN, OCT 6 FRI, OCT 11

4:15 PM 9:00 PM

IN10 SFU

Canadian Premiere. Bathhouse by day, charnel house by night... An awkward Tokyo University grad begins a new job, only to learn that his workplace is used as a secret yakuza execution ground. His night duties: body disposal and cleaning up the crime scene.

Disturbingly, he discovers a murderous streak in himself... Tanaka Seiji injects a droll tone, workplace drama, and adult growing pains into an offbeat story about a hitman operation that’s uniquely Japanese. An audience favourite at festivals around the world.

Cast Minagawa Yoji, Isozaki Yoshitomo, Yoshida Mebuki, Hada Makoto, Yada Masanobu, Hamaya Yasuyuki Prod Minagawa Yoji

Filmography (Lau Kek-huat) Absent Without Leave

Hong Kong

China

Still Human

CHAN OLIVER SIU KUEN, HONG KONG, 2018, 111 MIN.

SUN, SEP 29 SAT, OCT 5

3:15 PM 7:00 PM

PLAY IN10

Canadian Premiere. Like her 380,000 Filipina compatriots, Evelyn has come to Hong Kong to work as a domestic helper and earn higher wages. Her employer is a paralyzed, middle-aged grump but affection grows from their bickering, and they soon inspire each other to fulfil their dreams. Brimming with grassroots sensibility and compassion, Chan Oliver Siu Kuen’s promising debut brings a tender touch to a hard-hitting social issue. Anthony Wong and newcomer Crisel Consunji garnered the Hong Kong Film Awards’ top acting prizes.

Best Actor, Best New Performer, Hong Kong Film Awards 19 Cast Anthony Wong, Crisel Consunji Prod Fruit Chan

Vanishing Days Man You

ZHU XIN, CHINA, 2018, 95 MIN.

THU, SEP 26 THU, OCT 3

8:30 PM 11:30 AM

VCT VCT

North American Premiere. Zhu Xin was a 21-year-old undergrad when he made this magical, hallucinatory, perfectly designed feature. Zhu’s ode to a 14-year-old girl named Senlin’s seductively dreamlike summer fantasies (and mysterious memories of past family traumas) immerses us in a beautifully photographed tale where fathers, mothers, aunts, and a mysterious doppelgänger commingle. But Zhu’s control is so assured that, far from being lost, we are transported into an almost-real world drenched with emotion and lyricism. - SHELLY KRAICER

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Cast Jiang Li, Huang Qin, Chen Yan, Hai Qin, Li Xiaoxin, Lu Jiahe Prod Wang Jingyuan, Xia Yantao, Zhao Jin

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

91

Impact

M/A/D

Insights

Switzerland

Germany

Architecture of Infinity Architektur der Unendlichkeit

CHRISTOPH SCHAUB, SWITZERLAND, 2018, 86 MIN.

FRI, SEP 27 WED, OCT 2 THU, OCT 10

1:45 PM 11:00 AM 6:00 PM

VCT VCT IN08

North American Premiere. Director Christoph Schaub is a lover of beauty and a seeker of the divine, and his profile of cutting-edge contemporary architecture offers rewards for the senses and soul alike. As these spiritually inclined architects and artists (Peter Zumthor, James Turrell and others) explain their practice, we travel the world to gaze at their superb creations. Wonderfully shot by cinematographer Ramón Giger, this is a lofty and contemplative delight. “[A] delicate and ambitious film...”—Cineuropa Featuring Peter Zumthor, Álvaro Siza Vieira, Jojo Mayer, Cristina Iglesias, James Turrell, Peter Märkli Prod Brigitte Hofer, Cornelia Seitler

Beyond the Visible Hilma af Klint

HALINA DYRSCHKA, GERMANY, 2019, 93 MIN.

FRI, SEP 27 WED, OCT 2 WED, OCT 9

3:45 PM 3:45 PM 6:15 PM

VCT VCT IN08

In 1906—well ahead of Kandinsky’s “invention” of abstract painting—Swedish painter Hilma af Klint began a series of 200 striking abstract works based on her occultist forays into spiritualism. The subject of a recordbreaking show at the Guggenheim in 201819, af Klint is finally getting long-deserved recognition, and Halina Dyrschka’s documentary both reveals the amazing power—and the sheer modernity—of her paintings while placing her story within a scandalously blinkered art historical context.

Featuring Johan af Klint, Ulla af Klint, Josiah McEhleny, Julia Voss, Iris Müller-Westermann, Valeria Napoleone Prod Eva Illmer, Halina Dyrschka

Selected Filmography Dreissig Jahre; Happy New Year; Julia’s Disappearance

USA

Netherlands

Cunningham

Devil’s Pie - D’Angelo

ALLA KOVGAN, USA, 2019, 93 MIN.

M/A/D

Music, art and design receive their deserved big-screen treatment in this aesthetically alluring stream.

SUPPORTING SPONSOR OF FINE ART FILMS

SAT, OCT 5 SUN, OCT 6 THU, OCT 10

11:15 AM 9:15 PM 4:45 PM

IN10 IN10 IN10

The centenary of Merce Cunningham’s birth is celebrated in exhilarating fashion by placing viewers at the dizzying heart of the iconic choreographer’s boundary-obliterating work.

Interweaving archival footage and interviews, Alla Kovgan also calls on a remarkable roster of dancers to stage classics like Summerspace and Rainforest while offering new insights on choreography that redefined modern dance. Prepare to be astonished by this singular artist, whose legacy resonates beyond the dance world.

Featuring Merce Cunningham, Rashaun Mitchell, Silas Riener, Melissa Toogood, Andrea Weber Prod Ilann Girard, Helge Albers

System K

Filmography Movement (R)evolution Africa

92 92

CARINE BIJLSMA, NETHERLANDS/UK/USA, 2019, 85 MIN.

SAT, SEP 28 MON, SEP 30

7:00 PM 2:15 PM

IN09 IN10

Canadian Premiere. Director Carine Bijlsma had unfettered access to R&B cult legend D’Angelo, and it shows in the way her intimate and definitive portrait—which includes amazing live footage and an unbeatably soulful soundtrack—digs deep into his conflicted psyche. Infamous for releasing the wildly successful album Voodoo in 2000 and then disappearing into a haze of drugs and despondency for 14 years, D’Angelo himself testifies to his vulnerabilities, while friends like Questlove and Dave Chappelle also feature.

Featuring D’Angelo, Questlove, Alan Leeds, Dave Chappelle Prod Mira Mendel, René Mendel, Julia Nottingham, Thomas Benski, Lucas Ochoa, Nina Yang Bongiovi, Forest Whitaker Filmography Middle School Melodies; Soloist, Rosanne Philippens 23 Years Old

M/A/D

Japan

Cuba

Edo Avant-Garde

LINDA HOAGLUND, JAPAN/USA, 2019, 83 MIN.

THU, OCT 3 SAT, OCT 5

6:15 PM 2:15 PM

SFU SFU

World Premiere. If you need convincing that Japanese art has been, for centuries, the equal of Western art look no further. Linda Hoaglund’s latest is a gift: not only does it reveal how Japanese artists of the Edo era (1603-1868) pioneered the tenets of modern art—abstraction, minimalism, 3D effects—but it does so in a beautifully cinematic way. In addition, the paintings on display are especially hard to see in the real world, and the large formats of the Edo screens are a perfect match for the big screen.

Prod Linda Hoaglund, Takaaki Okada, Hashimoto Yoshiko Filmography ANPO: Art X War; Things Left Behind; The Wound and the Gift

UK

Eliades Ochoa: From Cuba to the World Eliades Ochoa: de Cuba y para el mundo

9:15 PM 1:30 PM

SFU RIO

Canadian Premiere. Informative, moving, joyous, and colourful, Cynthia Biestek’s very musical look at the life of Cuban-music legend Eliades Ochoa, known to the world as the star of the Buena Vista Social Club, is both a thorough record of Ochoa’s rise and a fascinating chronicle of the many talented and often forgotten musicians who helped him along the way. Featuring beautiful film and TV clips of these musicians in their prime, this is a love letter to a man and a musical tradition that goes straight to the heart.

Featuring Benicio del Toro, Silvio Rodríguez, Charles Musselwhite, Omara Portuondo, Adalberto Álvarez Prod Cynthia Biestek

5:45 PM 1:00 PM 11:00 AM

SELINA MILES, AUSTRALIA/USA, 2019, 82 MIN.

SFU VCT VCT

THU, SEP 26 MON, SEP 30 FRI, OCT 11

6:30 PM 11:00 AM 6:45 PM

CINE IN09 SFU

World Premiere. Another exemplary work from VIFF regular Phil Grabsky (In Search of Beethoven) offers us something extremely special: the chance to tour some of the world’s preeminent museums and to see all of Leonardo da Vinci’s amazing paintings on the big screen. Even if you could travel to all these institutions and see the works in person, your experience would be greatly enhanced by seeing them in such detail here, so well illuminated, and so interestingly brought to life by the expert art historians interviewed.

Canadian Premiere. Selina Miles’ doc depicts Martha Cooper, the photographer whose pictures of hip-hop graffiti helped spread the art form across the globe. Lively, fluid, and chock-full of fascinating images, Martha is as valuable for its history as for its visuals; besides graffiti, it shines a light on breakdancing and other urban folk arts through the story of their chief American chronicler. “Joyous...

Eighty of the happiest minutes documentarylovers are likely to spend in a theater this year.”—Hollywood Reporter

Prod Phil Grabsky

Featuring Martha Cooper Prod Daniel Joyce

Selected Filmography In Search of Beethoven; In Search of Haydn; David Hockney at the Royal Academy of Arts

ROBIN LUTZ, NETHERLANDS, 2018, 90 MIN.

FRI, SEP 27 MON, OCT 7 WED, OCT 9

4:45 PM 10:30 AM 9:00 PM

KENNETH J HARVEY, CANADA, 2019, 75 MIN.

IN10 VCT SFU

Few fine artists of the 20th century have the popular appeal of M.C. Escher. This entertaining, eye-opening film gives us the man through his own words and images: diary passages and more are voiced by master British actor Stephen Fry, and we see Escher’s works in both original and playfully altered form.

Director Robin Lutz has the spirit of a showman but the scruples of a careful biographer; his portrait of the man who tried to portray infinity is equal parts history, psychology, and psychedelia.

Featuring Stephen Fry Prod Robin Lutz

10:30 AM 6:30 PM

SFU CINE

Mary Pratt, the Canadian realist painter who passed away in 2018, was renowned for turning domestic objects into subjects for extraordinary works of art. Retracing her life and work through archival footage going back to the 1950s (when she met her husband, and fellow artist, Christopher Pratt), Kenneth J Harvey’s tribute captures Mary’s humour, strength, and beauty of spirit while bringing to life her luminous paintings, which assumed a darker tone when questioning her role as a wife and artist.

Prod Katherine Harvey, Jordan Harvey, Emma Harvey, Kenneth J Harvey

UK

Neutra - Survival Through Design

Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin

PJ LETOFSKY, USA, 2019, 102 MIN.

FRI, SEP 27 SAT, SEP 28

SAT, SEP 28 FRI, OCT 4

Filmography The Drinking Life; Immaculate Memories: The Uncluttered Worlds of Christopher Pratt

Filmography Spinoza, a Free Thinker

USA

Martha: A Picture Story

PHIL GRABSKY, UK, 2019, 85 MIN.

It Was All So Wonderful: The Everyday Magic of Mary Pratt

Escher: Het Oneindige Zoeken

CYNTHIA BIESTEK, CUBA/MEXICO, 2019, 100 MIN.

SAT, OCT 5 SUN, OCT 6

Canada

Escher: Journey Into Infinity

Australia

Leonardo: The Works SUN, SEP 29 TUE, OCT 1 WED, OCT 9

Netherlands

9:00 PM 3:30 PM

WERNER HERZOG, UK, 2019, 90 MIN.

SFU SFU

WED, OCT 2 THU, OCT 3

1:30 PM 9:00 PM

IN10 IN09

International Premiere. Richard Neutra was one of the most acclaimed architects of the 20th century, and PJ Letofsky gives him his due in this fascinating film. This is a truly cosmopolitan work—the story of a man who was formed as an artist by the cultural refinement of Europe and the cultural ferment of America, his eventual home. Prominent among the interviewees is Richard’s son, and eventual creative partner, Dion. See this one for the history, the insights and, not least, the beautiful buildings...

Canadian Premiere. Throughout his career, Werner Herzog has aligned himself with eccentrics and the outright insane. With this deceptively poignant, uncharacteristically sentimental documentary, the legendary Bavarian director finds a compelling surrogate in the English novelist and journalist Bruce Chatwin. Travelling to the remote regions that proved inexhaustible sources of inspiration for this kindred spirit, Herzog crafts a lovely tribute to his late friend and the places—and people—he cared for most.

Featuring Dion Neutra, Raymond Neutra, Barbara Lamprecht, Thomas Hines Prod PJ Letofsky, Peter Rabitz

Prod Lucki Stipec, Steve O’Hagan

Filmography Polly’s Global Walk; Tarkovsky: Time Within Time; To Understand the Poet, Go to the Poets’ Land

Selected Filmography Aguirre, The Wrath of God; Lessons of Darkness; Grizzly Man

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

93

PURSUE YOUR CREATIVE PRACTICE.

COMPAÑÍA ROCÍO MOLINA (SPAIN) FALLEN FROM HEAVEN

Welcoming lifelong learners of any age. at Emily Carr University

In partnership with Vancouver International Flamenco Festival

“IT STOPS YOU DEAD, AS THE BEST ART SHOULD.” THE GUARDIAN

PROUD TO BE A SUPPORTING PARTNER OF THE VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

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APRIL 1–4, 2020 | 8PM SFU GOLDCORP CENTRE FOR THE ARTS SE ASON PAR T NERS

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“A plan was forming in my head ...

I was saving to go to Paris” -Emily Carr Emily Carr, Le Paysage (Brittany Landscape) (detail), 1911 Audain Ar t Museum Collection. Purchased with funds provided by the Audain Foundation

Emily Fresh Carr seeing French ModernisM and the West coast

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sepTember 21, 2019 - january 19, 2020

MARCH 1 - MAY 31, 2020

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M/A/D

USA

China

Other Music

PULOMA BASU, ROB HATCH-MILLER, USA, 2019, 86 MIN.

SAT, SEP 28 TUE, OCT 1

2:15 PM 6:00 PM

RIO VCT

International Premiere. Much more than a beautiful lament for the passing of New York’s beloved East Village indie record store Other Music, Puloma Basu and Rob Hatch-Miller’s special film is movingly emblematic of the factors destroying what many of us care about deeply: affordable, culturally enriched urban civilization and actual encounters with human beings who share our interests. Featuring the thoughts of (and some performances from) great artists like Yo La Tengo, Bill Callahan, Vampire Weekend, The Strokes, and more.

Featuring Jason Schwartzman, Tunde Adebimpe, Ezra Koenig, Matt Berninger, Regina Spektor, Martin Gore, JD Samson Prod Rob Hatch-Miller, Puloma Basu, Derek Yip, Emmett James

USA

Our Time Machine

YANG SUN, S. LEO CHIANG, CHINA, 2019, 81 MIN.

SAT, OCT 5 SUN, OCT 6

6:30 PM 10:30 AM

CINE SFU

France

Stuffed

System K Système K

ERIN DERHAM, USA, 2019, 85 MIN.

SAT, SEP 28 SUN, OCT 6

8:30 PM 1:30 PM

VCT SFU

When his father, opera director Ma Ke, begins to suffer from Alzheimer’s, noted visual artist Maleonn conceives of his most ambitious and personal project to date: a years-in-themaking theatre piece populated by robotic puppets, which he sees as an homage to his father and his last chance to work with him.

Directors Yang Sun and S. Leo Chiang’s doc shows the various roadblocks faced by both father and son in their attempts at self-expression in modern China. “Fascinating.”—Hollywood Reporter

Canadian Premiere. Skilled taxidermy requires a fascinating and extremely particular sort of brilliance—the precision of a scientist mixed with an artist’s sensibility. The taxidermists here love animals and their habitats.

They study them extensively and use meticulous techniques to breathe life back into their subjects. Erin Derham’s documentary brims with reverence for the flamboyant beauty of nature while shedding light on a misunderstood subculture that plays a surprisingly important role in education and conservation.

Prod Yang Sun, S. Leo Chiang

Prod Kaleena Kiff, Galen Fletcher, Erin Derham

Selected Filmography (S. Leo Chiang) A Village Called Versailles; Mr. Cao Goes to Washington

Filmography Buskin’ Blues

RENAUD BARRET, FRANCE, 2019, 95 MIN.

SUN, OCT 6 THU, OCT 10

9:30 PM 4:30 PM

SFU SFU

North American Premiere. Renaud Barret (VIFF 10’s Benda Bilili!) plunges us into Kinshasa’s urban chaos and ushers in a cavalcade of underground visual artists, musicians, and performers who flaunt taboos and taunt the authorities. These outsiders are true alchemists, turning discarded materials into dazzling sculptures and exploring their own bodies’ potential for expression. Teeming with vitality, movement, melody, and rhythm, System K is a galvanizing reminder of the adaptability and defiance of truly revolutionary art.

Prod Thierry Commissionat, Guillaume Vincent, Benoît Tschieret, Renaud Barret Filmography La Danse de Jupiter; Victoire Terminus; Benda Bilili!

Filmography (Rob Hatch-Miller) Syl Johnson: Any Way The Wind Blows Preceded by Elvis: Strung Out p. 101

USA

What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael

Ursula Von Rydingsvard: Varda by Agnès Varda par Agnès Into Her Own AGNÈS VARDA, FRANCE, 2019, 115 MIN.

ROB GARVER, USA, 2018, 96 MIN.

DANIEL TRAUB, USA, 2019, 57 MIN.

WED, OCT 2 FRI, OCT 4

6:00 PM 12:00 PM

VCT VCT

World Premiere. Daniel Traub’s compelling documentary is an ode to a woman whose approach to form is unmatched in the art world. Working primarily in cedar (and employing chainsaws with aplomb), Ursula von Rydingsvard creates towering sculptures that play with texture and shape while evoking surprising emotion—traumatic years spent in post-WW2 refugee camps left indelible marks.

But we witness how Ursula’s ability to channel this pain into her practice undoubtedly birthed an artist of singular determination and talent.

Prod Daniel Traub, Ken Kobland, Simon Taufique Filmography The Barefoot Artist

SUN, SEP 29 TUE, OCT 1

Germany

USA

France

6:00 PM 3:45 PM

CENT PLAY

Before passing away this spring, Agnès Varda fashioned this splendid parting gift that will elate ardent admirers and inspire anyone who’s ever felt a spark of creativity. Initially masquerading as a conventional artist talk from the Nouvelle Vague pioneer (which would’ve still been worth the price of admission), it quickly assumes a more amorphous form that’s equally reflective and reflexive, playful and poignant. Which is to say: it’s vintage Varda. “A cathartic, bittersweet swansong...”—Cinevue Prod Rosalie Varda Selected Filmography Cléo from 5 to 7; Vagabond; Faces Places

MON, SEP 30 TUE, OCT 8

6:30 PM 3:45 PM

IN09 VCT

Canadian Premiere. Love her or hate her, film critic Pauline Kael, born 100 years ago, had a profound influence on cinema history, especially in the USA. Some even consider her the greatest film critic ever. Rob Garver’s entertaining and insightful look at Kael’s life features wonderful archival clips (some drawn from Kael’s own home movies) and trenchant interviews with dozens of those affected by her work, including Paul Schrader, Camille Paglia, Quentin Tarantino, Gina James (Kael’s daughter), and Alec Baldwin.

Featuring Sarah Jessica Parker, Quentin Tarantino, Alec Baldwin, Paul Schrader, Camille Paglia, Gina James Prod Rob Garver, Glen Zipper

Years of Construction HEINZ EMIGHOLZ, GERMANY, 2019, 93 MIN.

TUE, OCT 8 THU, OCT 10

8:30 PM 1:15 PM

VCT VCT

Canadian Premiere. Past VIFF guest Heinz Emigholz is creating an essential body of work documenting important architecture in many countries, and his latest is one of his most rewarding films yet. Commissioned by the Kunsthalle Mannheim museum in 2012 to document its refurbishment, Emigholz captured the transformation of an art institution over a fascinating span of years (take note Vancouverites!). He also constructs beautiful images of the artworks inside, adding to an already extremely pleasurable viewing experience.

Prod Heinz Emigholz, Ulrike Lorenz Selected Filmography Maillart’s Bridges; Bickels [Socialism]; Streetscapes [Dialogue]

Preceded by Lily p. 101

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

95

ALT

ALT

Altered States

USA

ALT

Genre-bending features that defy traditional classification and creators who push short form storytelling to its limits.

Altered States This is where the strange ones come out to play, demanding that you follow their warped rules.

The Death of Dick Long DANIEL SCHEINERT, USA, 2019, 100 MIN.

SAT, SEP 28 SAT, OCT 5

9:45 PM 7:00 PM

RIO RIO

Canadian Premiere. “Wanna get weird?” So begins a night of redneck revelry that results in one man meeting a grisly end and his bandmates (Michael Abbott Jr. and Andre Hyland) haplessly covering up the depraved details of his fatal “misadventure” from the feckless authorities.

Initially a deadpan farce that plays like a southern-fried Fargo, Daniel Scheinert’s Swiss Army Man follow-up slowly assumes the form of an oddly affecting ballad that leaves us convinced that “people sure are inscrutable on their insides.”

Cast Michael Abbott Jr., Virginia Newcomb, Andre Hyland, Sarah Baker, Jess Weixler, Poppi Cunningham Prod Jonathan Wang, Daniel Scheinert, Melodie Sisk Filmography Swiss Army Man

Canada

UK

Blood Quantum

Boyz in the Wood

JEFF BARNABY, CANADA, 2019, 92 MIN.

Extra Ordinary

WED, OCT 2 SAT, OCT 5

96 96

9:00 PM 9:30 PM

NINIAN DOFF, UK, 2019, 87 MIN.

RIO RIO

FRI, SEP 27 THU, OCT 3

7:00 PM 9:30 PM

RIO RIO

A zombie outbreak has left rural Quebec looking like a butcher’s block and, amidst the blood splatter, a pattern has emerged: while the settler population is being decimated, the Indigenous community at Red Crow reserve appears to be immune to the virus. As the power dynamics of colonization are tipped on their head and hell on Earth is unleashed, Jeff Barnaby (Rhymes for Young Ghouls) goes for the jugular as he delivers a hyper-intelligent, gleefully gory, and legitimately provocative genre epic.

Canadian Premiere. Four teenage ne’er-dowells embark on a forced march through the Scottish countryside in the misguided hope that it will prove rehabilitative. Instead, the trek leaves them easy targets for upper-class predators intent on stalking the most foulmouthed, ADHD game. As shots are fired and f-bombs are dropped, Ninian Doff lets fly with a barrage of set pieces and visual flourishes, ratcheting up the stakes and antic comedy in unison. Bad behaviour might just be these reprobates’ only hope of survival.

Cast Michael Greyeyes, Forrest Goodluck, Kiowa Gordon, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Olivia Scriven, Stonehorse Lone Goeman Prod John Christou

Cast Eddie Izzard, Kate Dickie, James Cosmo, Kevin Guthrie, Jonathan Aris, Alice Lowe Prod Matthew Plouffe, Tobey Maguire, Brian Coffey, Laura Tunstall

Filmography Rhymes For Young Ghouls

ALT

New Zealand

Ireland

Come to Daddy

ANT TIMPSON, NEW ZEALAND/CANADA/IRELAND, 2019, 93 MIN.

SAT, OCT 5 THU, OCT 10

4:45 PM 6:45 PM

SFU RIO

Canada

Extra Ordinary

MIKE AHERN, ENDA LOUGHMAN, IRELAND/BELGIUM, 2019, 94 MIN.

SUN, OCT 6 WED, OCT 9

4:30 PM 9:15 PM

RIO RIO

A reunion between an estranged father and son grows increasingly strange and darkly comic in Ant Timpson’s feature debut. In a home seemingly ripped from the 70s and deposited on a Tofino shoreline, nebbishy Norval (Elijah Wood) ineptly attempts to win his old man’s (Stephen McHattie) approval only to incur his emasculating wrath instead. But then a series of macabre twists indebted to both Poe and Peckinpah sees this psychologically rich chamber drama crashed by some truly menacing outsiders...

Listlessly guiding driving students through rote exercises and evading requests from neighbours to exorcise household items, Rose (Maeve Higgins) is in a rut. Fortunately for her, her arcane “talents” will be pushed to their limits when Christian Winter (Will Forte), a preening one-hit-wonder, forges a pact with the devil in order to reignite his flagging career. As occult forces descend on a sleepy Irish town, Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman raise a little hell in their gently twisted horrorcomedy.

Cast Elijah Wood, Stephen McHattie, Michael Smiley, Madeleine Sami, Martin Donovan Prod MetteMarie Kongsved, Laura Tunstall

Cast Maeve Higgins, Barry Ward, Risteárd Cooper, Jamie Beamish, Terri Chandler, Will Forte, Claudia O’Doherty Prod Katie Holly, Yvonne Donohoe, Ailish Bracken, Mary McCarthy

Australia

USA

Judy & Punch SAT, SEP 28 TUE, OCT 8

4:00 PM 9:15 PM

SUN, OCT 6 WED, OCT 9

9:15 PM 7:00 PM

RIO RIO

6:45 PM 6:30 PM

RIO RIO

Judy (Mia Wasikowska) may be a more skilful puppeteer than Punch (Damon Herriman), but it’s her loutish husband who earns the accolades for their balletic marionette-onmarionette violence. When Punch’s rampant alcoholism leads to an utterly unforgivable (if hilariously staged) accident, Judy is pushed past her breaking point and Mirrah Foulkes’ fiercely feminist feature becomes a dizzying cocktail of satire and slapstick that both skewers chauvinism and administers deserved blunt-force retribution.

When a teenage girl disappears, a community spirals off its axis and plummets into a heightened reality in which even the most banal of high school encounters assumes a hallucinatory air. Employing brilliant production design and striking cinematography, Jennifer Reeder boldly deconstructs the tired “dead girl” plot device and, in the process, gives us a glimpse of the heady, cerebral entertainment that might result if the makers of Riverdale actually downed Twin Peaks with a River’s Edge chaser.

Cast Mia Wasikowska, Damon Herriman, Tom Budge, Benedict Hardie, Lucy Velik, Terry Norris, Gillian Jones Prod Michele Benett, Nash Edgerton, Danny Gabai

Cast Marika Engelhardt, Audrey Francis, Tim Hopper, Kate Arrington, James Vincent Meredith, Ireon Roach, Ty Olwin Prod Brian Hieggelke, Jan Hieggelke Filmography Signature Move

In the Tall Grass

VINCENZO NATALI, CANADA, 2019, 90 MIN.

FRI, SEP 27 SAT, OCT 5

9:30 PM 4:30 PM

RIO IN10

In a pastel-tinged suburb, the American dream is running a dangerously high fever.

After Jill (Jocelyn DeBoer) hands her newborn over to an envious Lisa (Dawn Luebbe), the absurdity only amplifies as the pursuit of happiness runs this pair ragged. They might just kill each other with kindness... if a serial killer doesn’t get to them first. Alternately as comforting as a cardigan and as abrasive as a hairshirt, DeBoer and Luebbe’s deranged comedy is a genuinely bizarre and bizarrely genuine confection.

Canadian Premiere. When adult siblings Becky (Laysla De Oliveira) and Cal (Avery Whitted) hear the cries of a young boy lost within a field of tall grass, they venture in to rescue him, only to become ensnared themselves by a sinister force that quickly disorients and separates them. Cut off from the world and unable to escape the field’s tightening grip, they soon discover that the only thing worse than getting lost is being found. Vincenzo Natali (Cube) helms this adaptation of Stephen King and Joe Hill’s novella.

Cast Jocelyn DeBoer, Dawn Luebbe, Beck Bennett, Neil Casey, Mary Holland Prod Natalie Metzger

Cast Patrick Wilson, Laysla De Oliveira, Harrison Gilbertson, Avery Whitted, Rachel Wilson, Will Buie Jr. Prod Steve Hoban, Jimmy Miller, M. Riley Seleced Filmography Cube; Paris, je t’aime; Splice

Spain

Paradise Hills

The Lodge

JENNIFER REEDER, USA, 2019, 111 MIN.

IN10 RIO

JOCELYN DEBOER, DAWN LUEBBE, USA, 2019, 101 MIN.

USA

Knives and Skin

MIRRAH FOULKES, AUSTRALIA, 2019, 105 MIN.

USA

Greener Grass SUN, SEP 29 FRI, OCT 11

Altered States

ALICE WADDINGTON, SPAIN/USA, 2019, 95 MIN.

VERONIKA FRANZ, SEVERIN FIALA, USA/UK, 2019, 108 MIN.

FRI, OCT 4 FRI, OCT 11

9:15 PM 9:30 PM

RIO RIO

Thanklessly attempting to earn the acceptance of her soon-to-be stepchildren, Grace (Riley Keough) incurs their wrath instead. But in trying to convince Grace that she’s cracking, the two hellions instead unearth the barely repressed anguish, mental instability, and violent impulses of this sole survivor of a suicide cult. Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala follow up Goodnight Mommy with another exquisitely calibrated thriller that’s unrepentantly sinister and dead set on shaking audiences to the core.

Featuring Riley Keough, Jaeden Martell, Lia McHugh, Alicia Silverstone, Richard Armitage, Daniel Keough Prod Simon Oakes, Aliza James, Aaron Ryder

TUE, OCT 1 SAT, OCT 5

9:30 PM 1:45 PM

RIO RIO

Sentenced to a stint in an isolated finishing school where she’s to learn proper manners, Uma (Emma Roberts) instead realizes that the institute may spell her end. After all, her fellow enrollees (including Awkwafina and Eiza González) have acquired a Stepford-like taste for subjugation. As Uma digs in her heels in a battle of wills with the domineering Duchess (Milla Jovovich), Alice Waddington mounts an eerily alluring send-up of wellness culture that isn’t afraid to get its manicured hands dirty.

Cast Emma Roberts, Danielle Macdonald, Awkwafina, Eiza González, Milla Jovovich, Jeremy Irvine Prod Adrián Guerra, Núria Valls

Filmography Kern; Goodnight Mommy

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

97

ALT

ALT

Short Films

Canadian Shorts

Canadian Shorts

Highway to Heaven

Pick

Beyond Belief

No Small Parts

TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 106 MIN.

SUN, SEP 29 SUN, OCT 6

8:45 PM 8:15 PM

TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 108 MIN.

IN10 IN08

Chubby MADELEINE SIMS-FEWER, DUSTY MANCINELLI, CANADA, 2019, 23 MIN.

In a landscape marked by oppression, Korean women and ecological forces seek paths for expression.

A 10-year-old girl struggles with the residual trauma of abuse.

With Christmas approaching, Mr. Jiang learns that his wife won’t be back this year. He and his daughter are left with nothing to do and nowhere to go.

Days of Rage ELI JEAN TAHCHI, CANADA, 2019, 20 MIN.

Trump’s declarations concerning Israel and a Palestinian immigrant’s uncle’s medical diagnosis conspire to throw the latter into crisis, push him into provocative encounters, and jeopardize his relationship.

Grandma’s House SOPHY ROMVARI, CANADA, 2019, 2 MIN.

Travelling to Budapest to meet her extended family for the first time, the filmmaker documents her late grandmother’s apartment through images of the past and present.

Highway to Heaven: A Mosaic in One Mile SANDRA IGNAGNI, CANADA, 2019, 17 MIN.

you in fully realized narratives that leave an

An evocative exploration of the remarkable stories behind Richmond’s No. 5 Road, host to more than 25 houses of worship, including Buddhist, Hindu and Swami temples, a Sikh gurdwara, Shia and Sunni mosques, and multiple Christian denominations.

indelible mark.

Solastalgia MILLEFIORE CLARKES, CANADA, 2019, 13 MIN.

When panic over global crises threatens to engulf her, Ava embarks on a vision-quest to put things in perspective.

The Spirit Keepers of Makuta’ay YEN-CHAO LIN, CANADA, 11 MIN.

The Procession

An experimental exploration of the various spiritual practices of Makuta’ay, Taiwan, from Daoist ritual possession to memories of past Amis sorcerers.

9898

IN10 IN08

CAROLINE SO JUNG LEE, CANADA/SOUTH KOREA, 2019, 11 MIN.

WANG WEIBIN, CANADA/CHINA, 2018, 17 MIN.

In a matter of minutes, these films immerse

9:15 PM 8:30 PM

At the Bottom of the Sea

Canaan

Short Films

WED, OCT 2 WED, OCT 9

Venusian CAMERON MACKENZIE, SUZANNE FRIESEN, CANADA, 2019, 10 MIN.

A woman reconnects with herself.

Hand Job KARA HORNLAND, CANADA, 15 MIN.

In an era of impending doom, a hand model confronts the absurdity of her life after a devastating accident.

Heart Bomb RÉMI ST-MICHEL, CANADA, 2019, 21 MIN.

A struggling actor finds himself at the precipice of fame. Unfortunately, this star-making role demands that he do his own stunts.

I Am in the World as Free and Slender as a Deer on a Plain SOFIA BANZHAF, CANADA, 2019, 12 MIN.

A young woman explores her autonomy, identity, and power through a series of dates in the age of social media.

Labour/Leisure JESSICA JOHNSON, RYAN ERMACORA, CANADA, 2019, 19 MIN.

The Okanagan is marketed as a destination of leisure, recreation, retirement, and wealth.

Behind this façade is a largely invisible agricultural labour force, comprised of temporary migrant workers from the Global South.

Pick ALICIA K. HARRIS, CANADA, 2018, 11 MIN.

A young girl wears her afro to school on picture day and must deal with the unexpected consequences.

A Winter Morning MANNY MAHAL, CANADA, 2019, 7 MIN.

A filmmaker sits down at his computer and gets to work. As a Post-it reminds him, “It’s all a mindset.”

ALT

Canadian Shorts

Canadian Shorts

Flood

Canadian Shorts

Delphine

Reel Youth

Wamin (The Apple)

Now Is the Time

Permanent Records

To Live in Infamy

Twists of Fate

TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 99 MIN.

TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 101 MIN.

TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 103 MIN.

TUE, OCT 1 TUE, OCT 8

9:30 PM 9:00 PM

IN10 IN08

MON, SEP 30 MON, OCT 7

9:30 PM 9:15 PM

IN10 IN08

THU, OCT 3 THU, OCT 10

Short Films

9:30 PM 8:30 PM

Reel Youth Film Festival TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 83 MIN.

IN10 IN08

SUN, OCT 6 MON, OCT 7

7:00 PM 11:15 AM

Flood

The Beach Raiders

Bumblebee

JOSEPH AMENTA, CANADA, 2019, 13 MIN.

TYSON BREUER, CANADA, 2019, 8 MIN.

ADAM BECK, CANADA, 2018, 5 MIN.

MAXENCE PUPILLO, FRANCE, 2018, 3 MIN.

A queer teenage boy takes his younger sister on an adventure for her 10th birthday. When their celebration is interrupted, the price of their seemingly carefree freedom is revealed.

On the last night of summer, two teenagers try to steal some beer from a beachside bar and keep their fairy tale alive for a little while longer.

A young women quietly deals with the loss of her partner and finds solace in her memories.

AMO

The Cut

Body Love

In Which Life Continues Without Time

Delphine

SHERIDAN TAMAYO-HENDERSON, CANADA, 2019, 3 MIN.

In this caustic portrait of society’s power dynamics, a young Lebanese girl rises up against intimidation. An ode to childhood, but also an examination of the wounds it can cause.

A playful investigation of the paradoxes of motion and anxieties inherent in contemplating the commuter life.

My Heart Is Walking Around Outside of My Body

CHLOÉ ROBICHAUD, CANADA, 2019, 15 MIN.

Finding Uranus

2:00

HANA HUANG, CHINA, 2019, 2 MIN.

CHLOÉ CINQ-MARS, CANADA, 2019, 18 MIN.

GRACE LAREY, USA, 2019, 5 MIN.

Recovering from a cesarean section, Emma finally meets her newborn son. As she overcomes her unfamiliarity and slowly falls in love with him, The Cut explores the complexity of the bond between mother and child.

Eyedentity

Deady Freddy ALICIA EISEN, CANADA, 2018, 11 MIN.

IN10 IN10

YOO JUNG HONG, SOUTH KOREA, 2018, 2 MIN.

Falling Deeper

RYAN CHOW, HONG KONG, SINGAPORE, 2019, 5 MIN.

Freedom of Breath

YASIN FARROKHI, IRAN, 2019, 5 MIN.

Frozen in Place

Last autumn, a baby was born.

Putting the “o” in coming-of-age sci-fi odyssey.

After a life well-lived, Freddy is afforded a chilling encore—he must relive his life backwards through the eyes of every bug he has ever killed.

No Crying at the Dinner Table

Ghoulish Galactic Grievances

Jarvik

JOSH OWEN, CANADA, 2019, 14 MIN.

EMILIE MANNERING, CANADA, 2019, 19 MIN.

SARAH ANDREWS, UK, 2019, 2 MIN.

A ghoul follows her dreams, leading her from a friend-filled swamp to the far reaches of outer space.

As the summer nears its end, Léa desperately needs some room to breathe. However, her brother’s mechanical heart constantly reminds her that life hangs by a thread.

Jericho

Now Is the Time

Marlene Heavyshields (Glowing in the Dark Woman)

MATTHEW TAYLOR BLAIS, CANADA, 2019, 6 MIN.

CAROL NGUYEN, CANADA, 2019, 16 MIN.

A collection of family secrets, confessions, and confrontation.

The Physics of Sorrow THEODORE USHEV, CANADA, 2019, 27 MIN.

Sometimes, the apocalypse is a strictly personal affair... We are all immigrants, even if the only country we’ve left behind is childhood, abandoning it along with our collections of chewing-gum wrappers, toy cars, games, and pecks on the cheek. We don’t truly feel at home until we open up our suitcase—this “time capsule” holding the hidden treasures of our youth.

IVAN LI, CANADA/HONG KONG, 2019, 7 MIN.

I’ll End Up in Jail ALEXANDRE DOSTIE, CANADA, 2019, 23 MIN.

Maureen’s daring escape comes to an abrupt end when she drives headlong into a deadly car accident. Stuck in the middle of nowhere, she tries to cover up the tragedy with the help of another lost soul.

Main Squeeze BRENDAN PROST, CANADA, 2019, 17 MIN.

A man discovers a secret power that could change everything.

A couple in an open relationship have their holiday slumber shattered by the unexpected arrival of a secondary partner, who is drunk and on an ill-conceived mission to establish romantic dominance.

Pools

Shadow Trap

Pinch DIEGO MACLEAN, CANADA, 2019, 4 MIN.

SETH FLUKER, CANADA, 2019, 13 MIN.

A sensory exploration of the creative process that follows a musician’s progress in completing her first album.

This Ink Runs Deep ASIA YOUNGMAN, CANADA, 2019, 17 MIN.

All across Canada, Indigenous artists are reawakening traditional tattoo practices—and sometimes lending them a contemporary twist—as a way to reclaim their cultures and identities.

DAMIEN GILLIS, MICHAEL BOURQUIN, CANADA, 2019, 17 MIN.

Accused of heinous crimes and labelled a “terrible savage,” an Indigenous businessman-turned-outlaw hides out during a brutally cold winter and evades a bounty hunter who’s also looking over his own shoulder.

CHRISTOPHER AUCHTER, CANADA, 2019, 17 MIN.

In a quest to find answers as to why the totem pole disappeared from the Haida Gwaii landscape for more than a century, a visit is paid to renowned Haida carver Robert Davidson in his White Rock studio.

The Procession PASCAL BLANCHET, RODOLPHE SAINT-GELAIS, CANADA, 2019, 9 MIN.

After Catherine’s fatal car accident, she speaks from the beyond to her grieving husband, who must endure the inevitable family ritual of the funeral.

Standard of Care JAMES RATHBONE, CANADA, 2019, 7 MIN.

In order to advance her career, Dr. Yusef must learn to trust the capabilities of those around her. But that’s easier said than done when failure on the operating table is a matter of life and death.

Unkept MICHAEL P. VIDLER, CANADA, 2019, 17 MIN.

In this story of family, faith, and belonging, a young boy makes a life-changing decision despite his mother’s expectations.

SASHA ARGIROV, CANADA, 2019, 3 MIN.

G.P.S. Girl Positioning System DEVIN JOHNSON, USA, 2018, 9 MIN.

Home Sweet Home

SARAH ANDREWS, UK, 2018, 2 MIN.

Qirqqut

KADENCE KIKOAK, CANADA, 2019, 4 MIN.

JUBEI QUESNELLE, JAYNA CREIGHTON-FOX, CANADA, 2019, 6 MIN.

Bottle

YEGOR BONDARENKO, UKRAINE, 2017, 4 MIN.

Sekani Dekelth

JACOBY MACDONALD, CANADA, 20018, 5 MIN.

Super Grandma

ISABELLA SPADONE, USA, 2019, 3 MIN.

To You

AMANDA BLAKE, MAIRA GIMENES, JIN LEE, EMMA WATSON, CANADA, 2017, 3 MIN.

Tracks

ALICIA HOLOWNIA, CAITLIN MUNGALL, JESSICA LAU, JOUD SHAWWA, PAIGE INGRAM, SOPHIE MCLEAN, CANADA, 2019, 8 MIN.

u really hurt me

CALLAHAN BRACKEN, CANADA, 2019, 1 MIN.

Wamin (The Apple)

KATHERINE NEQUADO, CANADA, 2017, 3 MIN.

Better Off

JULES BROWN, USA, 2019, 4 MIN.

Human Box

TSAI CHIA-JEN, TAIWAN, 2019, 4 MIN.

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

99

Short Films

ALT

International Shorts

International Shorts

Mentorship Program

Itohime

Way Back Home

A Matter of Identity TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 112 MIN.

THU, OCT 3 SAT, OCT 5

6:00 PM 12:30 PM

IN08 IN08

A Disappearance LAURA SPINI, LAURENCE BROOK, UK, 2018, 16 MIN.

This year, we’re welcoming 14 emerging local filmmakers to enjoy an immersive introductory film festival experience.

The VIFF Mentorship Program is designed to open doors and eliminate barriers for up-and-coming filmmakers, offering opportunities to those who are often under or misrepresented in the film industry. Through exclusive, intimate sessions, our diverse cohort will develop a network of peers and mentors from Vancouver and beyond as part of their tailored festival experience.

Over the course of one night, a fallen TV-celebrity psychic attempts to intervene in a local tragedy in order to claw back her fame.

flush SHERIDAN O’DONNELL, USA, 2019, 14 MIN.

Laura Arboleda Emily Bayrock Dharra Budicha Athena Han Sebastian Hill-Esbrand Caroline Lee Irina Lord

IN08 IN08

Call Connect INDIANNA BELL, JOSIAH ALLEN, AUSTRALIA, 2019, 17 MIN.

On her first shift at a crisis help centre, an untrained student answers to a suicidal caller.

I Signed the Petition

Lee Ann Womack’s “Hollywood”

After a Palestinian man signs an online petition, he is thrown into a spiral of self-doubt.

IVAN SOSNIN, RUSSIA, 2019, 17 MIN.

CHRIS ULLENS, UK, 2019, 5 MIN.

Coming across a children’s book her mother wrote with the biological father she never knew (now a famous author) prompts journalism student Sonya to track him down.

Life with her superficial and unresponsive man sends a woman on a fantasy cinematic road trip.

O Holy Ghost

LAURA RANTANEN, FINLAND, 2018, 11 MIN.

MARK BRADHSAW, UK, 2019, 16 MIN.

A mixture of rapture and disenchantment, O Holy Ghost follows the inner experience of two believers at opposite ends of the spiritual spectrum.

In a desolate Chinese fishing village, a young girl lives a tough life with her brother and their single mother, who is trapped by poverty and struggling to survive.

Itohime NAO IZUMI, JAPAN, 2018, 5 MIN.

A young woman’s poetic exploration of her fractured identity in a digital age, where selfimage is transient and malleable, and old grounding points have been lost.

Liminaali & Communitas After sunset, a man walks along the edges of a largely empty freeway, gathering roadkill...

Masmelos DUVÁN DUQUE, COLOMBIA, 2019, 15 MIN.

With her father’s corruption scandal looming, Melanie throws a party at her family’s country house.

My Generation LUDOVIC HOUPLAIN, FRANCE, 2018, 8 MIN.

This movie critiques our bombardment by corporate logos and mass-consumption symbology.

Romantica.com SHAY FELLNER, ISRAEL, 2019, 15 MIN.

A man gets convinced to go on a date to escape the routine of caring for his ailing wife.

The Sea

Tangle

CAMERON RICHARDS, UK, 2019, 14 MIN.

MALIHE GHLOAMZADEH, IRAN, 2019, 8 MIN.

As Jenny sits on a bench by the beach, she is joined by friends, family, and loved ones in a series of seemingly random encounters that lead to a devastating conclusion.

As a young woman flees her bombed-out home, she drags along strands of things from her life.

MARTA BAYARRI, SPAIN, 2018, 16 MIN.

The Hamber Foundation

3:00 PM 6:00 PM

The Interview

Vaca

Supported by

FRI, OCT 4 MON, OCT 7

MAHDI FLEIFEL, UK/GERMANY/SWITZERLAND, 2018, 11 MIN.

YUCHAO FENG, CHINA, 2019, 14 MIN.

Lukas Maier Kristina Mileska Sam Mohseni Jake Pascoe Zahida Rahemtulla Svava Tergesen Kaayla Whachell

TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 111 MIN.

After one of them becomes a mother, longtime but now-distant friends Sam and Nic attempt to reconnect during a long night full of wine, secrets, and lies.

Pearl

We’re excited to include:

Modern Tales from a Conflicted World

Marga, trapped by her daily grind at the slaughterhouse, lives an unsatisfied life until the day she encounters a certain cow...

Tolerance SHAUNOH, USA, 2019, 4 MIN.

Stolen cookies are the basis for this moody modern parable.

Way Back Home DIEGO FREITAS, BRAZIL, 2019, 17 MIN.

A seniors home gardener offers a retiree a ride home after no one visits him on Easter Sunday.

100

ALT

International Shorts

TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 107 MIN.

6:00 PM 12:15 PM

IN08 IN08

Amparo’s Offerings LEONEL CHEE, MEXICO, 2018, 5 MIN.

Elderly Amparo prepares a ritual meal and an altar to honour her late champion-wrestler husband at a special dinner in her house filled with memories.

Diversion MATHIEU MÉGEMONT, FRANCE, 2018, 23 MIN.

On a rural road, a reporter—racing to cover an accident where a man hit a dog—hits a dog and finds himself trapped in a sensational story even he could not concoct.

Forgiveness MARCELLO COTUGNO, ITALY, 2018, 16 MIN.

A young man’s late-night arrival in a sombre apartment the day after his father’s death is soon interrupted by a series of unexpected visitors.

Grandpa CLIFFORD MIU, TAIWAN, 2018, 14 MIN.

While visiting his failing grandfather at the hospital, 11-year-old Chris see his mother and uncles making a painful and difficult decision.

In the Shadow of the Guacari GREG MÉNDEZ, COLOMBIA, 2018, 15 MIN.

In the midst of a large wetlands, a town crier brings the news that dead bodies have washed up on the banks of the river; one is Abraham’s dear friend Ciro.

Long-Legged Nuria FRANK VERA JIMÉNEZ, ECUADOR, 2019, 18 MIN.

On a warm evening, a daughter tells her elderly blind mother stories as they lie in a hammock, the wind blowing the curtains in the pale candle light... Is it all a strange dream?

Mortis XINDI LOU, USA, 2019, 4 MIN.

A coroner’s-office photographer must suppress his grief when he realizes the body of a badly beaten drag queen being examined is his boyfriend.

Song Sparrow FARZANEH OMIDVARNIA, IRAN/DENMARK, 2019, 12 MIN.

A group of refugees in search of a better life pay a smuggler to take them across the border in the back of a refrigerated meat truck to a safe country...

Troubled Voices, Teen Lives 5:30 PM 11:00 AM

Names for Snow

GUILLAUME FOURNIER, SAMUEL MATTEAU, YANNICK NOLIN, CANADA, 2019, 10 MIN.

REBECCA THOMASSIE, CANADA, 2018, 6 MIN.

Screens with: L.A. Tea Time p. 73

TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 106 MIN.

SUN, SEP 29 TUE, OCT 1

Acadiana May 2017. As the new president makes himself comfy in the Oval Office, it’s just another day in Breaux Bridge Louisiana, where the Crawfish Festival doubles as a theatre of the mythic.

Kill the Boy

Somebody Dies FRI, OCT 4 SUN, OCT 6

Shorts with Features

International Shorts

Mortis

Short Films

IN08 IN09

Disrepute STEPHANE MOUNKASSA, STEFAN SUNDIN, SWEDEN, 2019, 7 MIN.

A substitute teacher is about to dismiss her last class of the week when a boy stands up demanding restitution from his classmates for all the bullying he has endured.

Family Hour MARIIA PONOMAROVA, UKRAINE, 2018, 12 MIN.

When teen Danya gets a visit from his divorced father at his summer arts camp on the day of the camp’s big performance, he is overwhelmed by conflicting emotions.

First Disco HELEN O’REILLY, IRELAND, 2018, 21 MIN.

It’s 1983 and HS freshman Kelly is experiencing her first crush, and school Disco Night is coming on Friday—but she has just got braces and they’ve changed everything.

Kill the Boy JUAN PABLO VILLAVICENCIO BORGES, MEXICO, 2019, 11 MIN.

Everything is a competition when two teens full of irresponsible bravado—a deadly combination—trail-bike into the woods to shoot off a rifle.

The Legend MANON EYRIEY, FRANCE, 2018, 11 MIN.

Aquí y allá LINA RODRIGUEZ, CANADA, 2019, 23 MIN.

Mixing colour 16mm, B&W mini-DV footage and photographs, Aquí y Allá ingeniously upsets conventional notions of static, objective histories and constructs a poetic meditation on the process of time and memory.

Screens with: MS Slavic 7 p. 74

Elvis: Strung Out MARK OLIVER, CANADA, 2018, 5 MIN.

A mash-up of Elvis, drugs, nerves, and bright lights from Vancouver’s Mark Oliver.

Screens with: Other Music p. 95

Forest on Fire REED HARKNESS, USA, 2019, 30 MIN.

In 2017, a teen tossed a lit firecracker into the Columbia River Gorge. As a result, nearly half of 49,000 acres of forest were engulfed in a mosaic of apocalyptic flames.

Reed Harkness delivers an urgently topical, empathetic doc.

Joseph R. Selsey’s belongings were discovered in shoebox by a dumpster in 2015.

They provide us with a rare glimpse into life as a gay man in Vancouver in the 1950s.

Screens with: My Dads, My Moms and Me p. 67

I’m Not Next TRISTIN GREYEYES, CANADA, 2019, 10 MIN.

Screens with: Three Feathers p. 73

Lily

Tender ANTHONY LUCIDO, USA, 2018, 16 MIN.

A teen boy with an autism-like disorder has a difficult life; socially bullied and ridiculed, he often pushes his guardian to the limits when his frustrations boil over.

A man becomes engrossed in an audiobook while walking home on a summer night.

Screens with: Water Over Glass p. 67

Question Period ANN MARIE FLEMING, CANADA, 2019, 5 MIN.

A group of Syrian women, all refugees recently resettled in Canada, are negotiating life in their new home. They have some questions.

Screens with: We Are not Princesses p. 79

Sofia NIKOLAY MICHAYLOV, CANADA/BULGARIA, 2019, 10 MIN.

Moments of daily life in Sofia, Bulgaria, are dissonantly juxtaposed with a conversation between the filmmaker and a cousin who lives there in an atypical portrait of a place and its social reality.

Screens with: DANNY p. 74

Throat Singing in Kangirsuk Eva Kaukai and Manon Chamberland practice the Inuk art of throat singing in their small village of Kangirsuk. Their mesmerizing voices carry through the four seasons of their Arctic land.

DAVID RODDEN SHORTT, CANADA, 2019, 4 MIN.

BEN PEARCE, UK, 2019, 14 MIN.

After a teenage girl witnesses an altar boy being mistreated by her local priest, she must convince her devout Catholic family to act.

DEVAN SCOTT, WILL ROSS, CANADA, 2019, 23 MIN.

Happytime Social Club

Nurtured

OLIVIA ALTAVILLA, AUSTRALIA, 2019, 14 MIN.

Preface to a History

EVA KAUKAI, MANON CHAMBERLAND, CANADA, 2018, 4 MIN.

A mother escapes an abusive relationship with her daughter only to learn that she’ll always be a target of violence. She takes back her power by fighting back for not only for herself but for daughter.

Taboo

Screens with: One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk p. 73

Screens with: Wildland p. 79

Two girlfriends are exchanging text messages with—and spying on—“the Legend”, the most handsome guy in the neighbourhood. One is getting ready for her first night of love.

While driving a stolen rickshaw, a teen boy’s relationship with his younger sister is irrevocably altered over the course of one night.

Follow Rebecca Thomassie, an Inuk woman, around Kangirsuk as she learns the 52 Inuktitut words for snow.

ADRIENNE GRUBEN, USA, 2019, 26 MIN.

Artist, fugitive, trailblazer... the incredible true story of Lily Renée, who escaped Nazioccupied Vienna as a teenager, and went on to become one of the true pioneers during the Golden Age of comics.

Screens with: Ursula Von Rydingsvard... p. 95

Memoirs AARON ZEGHERS, CANADA, 2019, 10 MIN.

The stories of three generations of family members are fragmented and distorted through digital and analog processes in this subversion of personal oral histories.

Screens with: One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk p. 73

Turns MARIANO SOSA, CHILE, 2019, 8 MIN.

A driver and his passenger wind their way through the streets of Valparaíso. An elegant, enigmatic film about a common fear in many places: taking a taxi at night.

Screens with: Santiago, Italia p. 63

When the Children Left CHARLENE MOORE, CANADA, 2019, 11 MIN.

After losing her sister, Angelina embarks on a healing journey to honour her.

Screens with: Jordan River Anderson, the Messenger p. 71

Wildfire BRETTEN HANNAM, CANADA, 2018, 12 MIN.

Stalked by his abusive white father, a rebellious Mi’kmaw runaway meets a two-spirit teenager drawn to his journey. As he learns the Mi’kmaw language and culture from his new companion, a deeper bond begins to grow between them.

Screens with: Three Feathers p. 73

Screens with: DANNY p. 74

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

101

ALT

ALT

MODES

International Shorts

International Shorts

New Acid

Interbeing

MODES 1

MODES 2

TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 82 MIN.

THU, SEP 26 WED, OCT 9

6:00 PM 8:15 PM

TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 95 MIN.

VCT VCT

Sensory experience is heightened, questioned, and examined through different forms—a challenge to submit to the artist.

Umbra FLORIAN FISCHER, JOHANNES KRELL, GERMANY/USA, 2019, 20 MIN.

Developing a dialogue between nature and the filmic apparatus, Umbra captures optical happenings both rare and ubiquitous.

Cavalcade JOHANN LURF, AUSTRIA, 2019, 5 MIN.

Shot on 35mm and lit with a projector beam and strobe light, a hypnotic spinning wheel atop a verdant summer stream becomes a site of double trickery. Through a dizzying trompe l’oeil, the film reveals the incongruities between what is heard, seen, and actually present.

Interbeing MARTINA HOOGLAND IVANOW, SWEDEN, 2018, 11 MIN.

Considering non-linear social structures and differing approaches to trust and fear, Hoogland Ivanow makes use of the thermal optics of body heat to capture the power and commonality of human contact.

The Stroker

MODES MODES sets out to explore how far the form of cinema is capable of bending. Highlighting international video and screen-based artists

PILVI TAKALA, FINLAND/UK, 2018, 15 MIN.

In a hip co-working space in London, Takala disrupts the social equilibrium of the employees with a wellness program aimed at introducing touch in the workplace.

Amusement Ride TOMONARI NISHIKAWA, JAPAN, 2019, 6 MIN.

approaches, these short works expand the

An aging Ferris wheel in Japan is the vantage point for this hypnotic piece. As it rotates, it evokes the movement of film passing through a projector.

frame on art, politics and human experience.

L’Étoile de mer (The Starfish)

uninhibited by the limits of traditional

MAYA SCHWEIZER, GERMANY, 2019, 11 MIN.

Harking back to Man Ray’s 1928 film of the same name, Schweizer (A Tall Tale, VIFF 17) returns to MODES with an immersive collage of material that delves deep into the Mediterranean Sea.

Stay Awake, Be Ready Swatted

PHAM THIEN AN, VIETNAM/SOUTH KOREA/USA, 2019, 14 MIN.

102 102

The streets are sweaty and alive. As the frame expands, so too do the rhythms and mysteries unfolding on this Vietnamese street corner.

SAT, OCT 5 THU, OCT 10

6:00 PM 9:15 PM

VCT VCT

In a world over-influenced by digital expression, these works underscore how we engage with modern technology as it intersects with issues of gender, sexuality, power, and environmental politics.

Hard On JOANNA RYTEL, SWEDEN, 2019, 20 MIN.

A horny single mother fantasizes about being a lesbian. Toys, apps, a younger guy with an oversized head—there are oh so many tools to fulfill her insatiable desires!

Swinguerra BÁRBARA WAGNER, BENJAMIN DE BURCA, BRAZIL, 2019, 21 MIN.

Taking its title from a popular and provocative dance movement in contemporary Brazil, this film captures the intense showdown of rival troupes mostly composed of non-binary members. By highlighting the liberated movements of queer bodies, Swinguerra wages war against Brazil’s bigoted political regime.

Swatted ISMAËL JOFFROY CHANDOUTIS, FRANCE, 2018, 22 MIN.

Using wireframe animation and YouTube clips, a dangerous cyber-harassment prank known as ‘swatting’ comes into focus through personal and traumatic accounts of online gaming.

New Acid BASIM MAGDY, SWITZERLAND/FRANCE, 2019, 14 MIN.

In a post-human reality where animals have evolved to communicate with Internet bots, dark exchanges and emoji-banter ranging from the mundane to the existential emerge...

Kasiterit RIAR RIZALDI, INDONESIA, 2019, 18 MIN.

Tin is a foundational resource for all digital screens, with widespread application for Artificial Intelligence and renewable energy. Natasha, a solar-powered A.I., narrates her obsolescent life cycle from the mines of Indonesia, to the phone in your hand, and ultimately back into the ground.

Index of Directors

A Ackerman, Nance................... 71 Affleck, Neil.............................. 98 Ahern, Mike.............................. 97 Aïnouz, Karim........................... 44 Akin, Levan............................... 45 Allen, Josiah............................ 100 Almodóvar, Pedro................... 31 Altavilla, Olivia........................ 101 Amenta, Joseph....................... 99 Amirani, Taghi.......................... 81 Amp Wong................................ 86 Andrews, Sarah....................... 99 Anthony, Theo.......................... 64 Apted, Michael........................ 80 Arahanga, Becs....................... 57 Archambault, Louise.............. 70 Argirov, Sasha.......................... 99 Aspöck, Frederikke................. 51 Auchter, Christopher.............. 99 Auger, Bridgette...................... 79 Aumua, Amberley Jo.............. 57 Azzam, Itab............................... 79

B Balagov, Kantemir................... 45 Ballús, Neus............................. 57 Banzhaf, Sofia.......................... 98 Barnaby, Jeff............................. 96 Barrese, Beniamino................ 62 Barret, Renaud......................... 95 Basu, Puloma........................... 95 Bayarri, Marta........................ 100 Beck, Adam.............................. 99 Beckhoff, Henning.................. 64 Bédard Marcotte, Sophie..... 73 Bedos, Nicolas......................... 23 Bell, Indianna......................... 100 Bennett, Lewis......................... 74 Biestek, Cynthia....................... 93 Bijlsma, Carine......................... 92 Blake, Amanda......................... 99 Blanchet, Pascal...................... 99 Bohdanowicz, Sofia................ 74 Bollaín, Icíar.............................. 59 Bolt, Adam................................ 77 Bondarenko, Yegor................. 99 Bondi, Federico....................... 62 Bong Joon Ho........................... 21 Bonspille Boileau, Sonia....... 73 Borcuch, Jacek......................... 63 Bourquin, Michael.................. 99 Bracken, Callahan................... 99 Bradhsaw, Mark.................... 100 Breuer, Tyson........................... 99 Brook, Laurence.................... 100 Broomfield, Nick...................... 80 Brown, Jules............................. 99 Bustamante, Jayro................... 57

C Campbell, Deragh................... 74 Cepka, Harry............................. 67 Çevik, Burak.............................. 65 Chamberland, Manon............ 73 Chan Oliver Siu Kuen............. 91 Chandoutis, Ismaël Joffroy....................... 102 Chee, Leonel.......................... 101 Chellas, Semi........................... 70 Chen, Anthony......................... 89 Chen, Vera................................. 91 Chokri, Monia........................... 71

Chow, Ryan............................... 99 Choyning Dorji, Pawo............ 90 Christoffersen, Thorbjørn..... 47 Cinq-Mars, Chloé.................... 99 Clapin, Jérémy.......................... 61 Clarkes, Millefiore................... 98 Clements, Marie...................... 67 Costa, Pedro............................. 64 Cotugno, Marcello................ 101 Creighton-Fox, Jayna.............. 99

D Daniel Cretton, Destin........... 27 Dardenne, Jean-Pierre............ 35 Dardenne, Luc......................... 35 DaSilva, Jason.......................... 73 de Burca, Benjamin.............. 102 DeBoer, Jocelyn....................... 97 Derham, Erin............................ 95 Desplechin, Arnaud............... 61 Diao Yinan................................. 86 Doff, Ninian............................... 96 Dornelles, Juliano................... 45 Dörrie, Doris............................. 44 Dostie, Alexandre................... 99 Dumont, Bruno........................ 61 Dupieux, Quentin.................... 61 Duque, Duván........................ 100 Dyrschka, Halina..................... 92

E Eggers, Robert......................... 27 Egoyan, Atom........................... 19 Eisen, Alicia.............................. 99 el-Toukhy, May......................... 51 Eldar, Nimrod........................... 47 Emigholz, Heinz...................... 95 Ermacora, Ryan....................... 98 Ertürk, Cenk.............................. 49 Eyriey, Manon........................ 101

F Fahrenheit, Ramin.................. 74 Farrokhi, Yasin......................... 99 Fellner, Shay........................... 100 Fiala, Severin............................ 97 Fischer, Florian...................... 102 Fiske, Ellen................................ 83 Fleifel, Mahdi......................... 100 Fleming, Ann Marie................ 79 Fluker, Seth............................... 99 Foulkes, Mirrah........................ 97 Fournier, Guillaume................ 73 Franz, Veronika........................ 97 Freitas, Diego......................... 100 Freshwater, Matasila.............. 57 Friedlander, Sam..................... 45 Friesen, Suzanne.................... 98 Fuemana, Dianna.................... 57

G Garver, Rob............................... 95 Gasmelbari, Suhaib................ 83 Geller, Amy................................ 81 George, Mīria........................... 57 Georgsson, Henrik................. 77 Gerster, Jan-Ole....................... 49 Ghloamzadeh, Malihe......... 100 Gillis, Damien........................... 99 Gimenes, Maira....................... 99 Girard, François....................... 34 Glowicki, Grace....................... 75 Grabsky, Phil............................. 93 Greyeyes, Tristin...................... 73

Gruben, Adrienne................... 95 Gu Xiaogang............................. 90 Guttenbeil-Likiliki, ‘Ofa-Ki-Levuka........................ 57

H Hallin, Ellinor............................ 83 Hannam, Bretten..................... 73 Harkness, Reed....................... 79 Harris, Alicia K......................... 98 Harvey, Kenneth J.................... 93 Hatch-Miller, Rob.................... 95 Hausner, Jessica..................... 49 Hepburn, Kathleen................. 66 Hers, Mikhaël........................... 60 Herzog, Werner....................... 93 Hoaglund, Linda...................... 93 Holland, Agnieszka................. 29 Holownia, Alicia...................... 99 Hoogland Ivanow, Martina.................................. 102 Hornland, Kara......................... 98 Houplain, Ludovic................. 100 Huang, Hana............................ 99 Huculiak, Andrew................... 66 Hudson, Kahlil.......................... 79 Hunter, Carl............................... 51

I Ignagni, Sandra....................... 98 Ingram, Paige........................... 99 Ivanova, Julia............................ 67

J Jaberansari, Ali........................

Jablonski, Alex.........................

Jackson, Kellen........................

Jean, Rodrigue.........................

Jenkin, Mark.............................

John, Rodrigo...........................

Johnson, Devin........................

Johnson, Jessica......................

57 79 67 70 65 65 99 98

K Kaukai, Eva................................ 73 Kikoak, Kadence...................... 99 Kim Yoon-seok......................... 91 Kirk-Gushowaty, Zoe.............. 67 Klein, Joey................................. 71 Köhler, Ulrich............................ 59 Kovgan, Alla.............................. 92 Krell, Johannes....................... 102 Kunuk, Zacharias.................... 73

L Ladkani, Richard.....................

Lapid, Nadav............................

Larey, Grace.............................

Lau Kek-huat............................

Lau, Jessica..............................

Lee Jong-un..............................

Lee, Jin.......................................

Leo Chiang, S...........................

León, Melina............................

Lessovitz, Danielle..................

Letofsky, P.J...............................

Leuze, Mirjam..........................

Lewis, Yonah............................

Li, Ivan........................................

Li, Jill...........................................

Lin Yen-Chao............................

Loach, Ken................................

Lorentzen, Luke.......................

Lou Ye.........................................

76 57 99 91 99 87 99 95 51 51 93 79 73 99 91 98 34 81 89

Lou, Xindi................................ 101 Loughman, Enda..................... 97 Lucido, Anthony.................... 101 Luebbe, Dawn.......................... 97 Lurf, Johann............................ 102 Lutz, Robin................................ 93 Ly, Ladj....................................... 61

M Ma, Johnny................................ 73 MacDonald, Jacoby................ 99 MacInnes, Teresa................... 71 Mackenzie, Cameron............. 98 Maclean, Diego....................... 99 Magdy, Basim........................ 102 Mahal, Manny.......................... 98 Makhmalbaf, Mohsen............ 63 Malick, Terrence..................... 25 Mancinelli, Dusty.................... 98 Mannering, Emilie.................. 99 Marhoul, Václav....................... 33 Mark-Brown, Simon............... 83 Mascaro, Gabriel.................... 47 Matteau, Samuel..................... 73 Matthesen, Anders................. 47 McCartney, Marina Alofagia..................... 57 McKenna, Ryan........................ 71 McLean, Sophie...................... 99 Mégemont, Mathieu............ 101 Meirelles, Fernando............... 35 Méndez, Greg........................ 101 Mendonça Filho, Kleber....... 45 Michaylov, Nikolay.................. 74 Miles, Selina............................. 93 Mirkarimi, Reza........................ 45 Mitrovič, Miloš......................... 75 Miu, Clifford............................ 101 Moon Jeong-yun..................... 89 Moore, Charlene..................... 71 Moretti, Nanni.......................... 63 Mounkassa, Stephane......... 101 Mungall, Caitlin....................... 99

Paolini, Julien........................... 62 Patwardhan, Anand................ 83 Pearce, Ben............................ 101 Peary, Gerald............................ 81 Pema Tseden........................... 87 Ponomarova, Mariia............. 101 Popa, Dan.................................. 73 Porumboiu, Corneliu.............. 59 Prost, Brendan......................... 99 Pupillo, Maxence.................... 99

Q Quesnelle, Jubei...................... 99

R Radwanski, Kazik.................... 74 Rankin, Matthew..................... 75 Rantanen, Laura.................... 100 Rathbone, James..................... 99 Reeder, Jennifer....................... 97 Richards, Cameron............... 100 Rivers, Ben................................ 87 Rizaldi, Riar............................. 102 Robichaud, Chloé................... 99 Rodden Shortt, David............ 67 Rodriguez, Lina........................ 74 Romvari, Sophy........................ 98 Ross, Will................................... 67 Rots, Esther.............................. 51 Rytel, Joanna.......................... 102

S

O’Donnell, Sheridan............. 100 O’Reilly, Helen........................ 101 Obomsawin, Alanis................ 71 Oliver, Mark.............................. 95 Omidvarnia, Farzaneh......... 101 Omori Tatsushi........................ 87 Oreck, Jessica.......................... 65 Owen, Josh................................ 99 Ozon, François......................... 60

Sachs, Ira................................... 47 Sadilova, Larisa....................... 49 Saint-Gelais, Rodolphe.......... 99 Sallitt, Dan................................. 47 Schafer, Nicole........................ 80 Schanelec, Angela.................. 47 Schaub, Christoph.................. 92 Scheinert, Daniel.................... 96 Schweizer, Maya................... 102 Sciamma, Céline..................... 33 Scott, Devan............................. 67 Scott, Jared P............................ 76 Shani, Yaron.............................. 45 Shaunoh.................................. 100 Shawwa, Joud.......................... 99 Shih Li........................................ 89 Shim, Anthony.......................... 66 Shin, Albert............................... 71 Sims-Fewer, Madeleine........ 98 Sironi, Carlo.............................. 63 Skoog, John.............................. 65 So Jung Lee Caroline............. 98 Sommer, Petter........................ 81 Sorín, Carlos............................. 49 Sorogoyen, Rodrigo............... 51 Sosa, Mariano.......................... 63 Sosnin, Ivan............................ 100 Southcombe, Barnaby........... 51 Spadone, Isabella................... 99 Spini, Laura............................. 100 St-Michel, Rémi....................... 98 Suleiman, Elia.......................... 49 Summa, Sara............................ 49 Sundin, Stefan....................... 101 Suwichakornpong, Anocha.................................... 87 Szabó, Réka.............................. 81

P

T

Pahlke, Ariella.......................... 71 Pálmason, Hlynur.................... 59 Pantalon, Jimi........................... 67

Tahchi, Eli Jean........................ 98 Tailfeathers, Elle-Máijá.......... 66 Takala, Pilvi............................. 102

N Nakache, Olivier...................... 61 Nao Izumi................................ 100 Nash, David.............................. 83 Natali, Vincenzo...................... 97 Nebbou, Safy............................ 60 Nelson, Peter........................... 77 Nequado, Katherine............... 99 Nguyen, Carol.......................... 99 Ninagawa Mika........................ 87 Nishikawa Tomonari............ 102 Nolin, Yannick.......................... 73 Norton, Edward....................... 29 Nyholm, Johannes.................. 49

O

Tamayo-Henderson, Sheridan.................................. 99 Tanaka Seiji............................... 91 Taylor Blais, Matthew............ 99 Terzić, Miroslav....................... 57 Thien An, Pham..................... 102 Thomas, Calvin........................ 73 Thomassie, Rebecca............. 73 Thomson, Amanda................. 67 Timpson, Ant............................ 97 Toledano, Éric.......................... 61 Tóth, Barnabás......................... 57 Touzani, Maryam..................... 45 Traub, Daniel............................ 95 Tripathy, Siddharth................. 47 Tsai Chia-Jen............................ 99

U Ullens, Chris........................... 100 Ulrich, Carla.............................. 73 Ushev, Theodore..................... 99

V Valkeapää, Jukka-Pekka......... 47 van Houten, Peter................... 65 Varda, Agnès............................ 95 Velasco, Fabián....................... 75 Vemund Svendsen, Jo............ 81 Vera Jiménez, Frank............. 101 Verreault, Myriam................... 71 Vidler, Michael P. .................... 99 Villavicencio Borges, Juan Pablo............................. 101

W Waddington, Alice.................. 97 Wagner, Bárbara.................... 102 Waititi, Taika............................. 25 Walker, John.............................. 70 Waller, Tom............................... 87 Wang Weiben........................... 98 Watanabe Ayumu.................... 87 Watson, Emma......................... 99 Wech, Michael......................... 77 Whippy, Nicole......................... 57 Wilkinson, Charles.................. 67 Wilplinger, Bastian.................. 64 Winckler, Henner.................... 59 Winter, Alex............................... 79 Witz, Martin.............................. 81 Wood, Andrés.......................... 57

Y Yamashita Nobuhiro.............. 87 Yang Lina................................... 89 Yang Sun................................... 95 Ying Wang................................. 67 Yonfan........................................ 31 Yoo Jung Hong......................... 99 Youmans, Phillip...................... 45 Young, Heather........................ 75 Youngman, Asia....................... 99 Yuchao Feng.......................... 100

Z Zeghers, Aaron........................

Zhao Ji........................................

Zhu Shengze............................

Zhu Xin....................................... Živković, Sanja.........................

74 86 89 91 71

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103

Index of Films by Country & Region

Afghanistan

Ash................................................. 66

Red Snow..................................... 67

Assholes: A Theory.................. 70 At the Bottom of the Sea......... 98

Argentina Joel................................................. 49 Spider............................................ 57 Turns............................................. 63

The Beach Raiders................... 99 Blood Quantum.......................... 96 The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open................................. 66

Call Connect............................ 100 Judy & Punch.............................. 97 Martha: A Picture Story........... 93 Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin.................... 93 Taboo......................................... 101

Clifton Hill.................................... 71

Now Is the Time........................ 99

Conviction................................... 71

One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk................... 73

Daughter...................................... 66

Cavalcade................................. 102

Days of Rage............................... 98

Ich Armer Mensch I, Wretched Man...................... 64

Deady Freddy............................. 99

Neutra - Survival Through Design....................... 93 Sea of Shadows......................... 76

Delphine....................................... 99 Easy Land.................................... 71 Elvis: Strung Out........................ 95 Finding Uranus.......................... 99 Flood............................................. 99 Frozen in Place.......................... 99

Belgium

Gateways to New York............. 81

Young Ahmed............................. 35

Ghoulish Galactic Grievances................................ 99

Bhutan Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom................................. 90

Bulgaria

Qirqqut.......................................... 99 Question Period......................... 79 Raf.................................................. 67 Red Snow..................................... 67 Rustic Oracle.............................. 73 Sekani Dekelth........................... 99 Shadow Trap............................... 99 Sofia............................................... 74

The Spirit Keepers of Makuta’ay.................................. 98

Hand Job...................................... 98

Chile

Turns............................................. 63

Tapeworm.................................... 75 This Ink Runs Deep.................. 99 Three Feathers........................... 73

Balloon.......................................... 87 Buddha in Africa........................ 80 Canaan......................................... 98 Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains................................. 90 Lost Course................................. 91 No. 7 Cherry Lane..................... 31 Our Time Machine.................... 95 Pearl........................................... 100 Present. Perfect......................... 89 The Shadow Play....................... 89 Spring Tide.................................. 89 To Live to Sing............................ 73 Vanishing Days.......................... 91 White Snake................................ 86 The Wild Goose Lake............... 86 The World Is Bright................... 67

France

To Live to Sing............................ 73

Cuba

In the Tall Grass......................... 97

To You........................................... 99

In Which Life Continues Without Time............................ 99

Tracks............................................ 99

Eliades Ochoa: From Cuba to the World................... 93

Resistance Fighters................. 77 Umbra........................................ 102

The Whale and the Raven...... 79 Years of Construction.............. 95

Guatemala Temblores.................................... 57

By the Grace of God................. 60 Deerskin....................................... 61 Diversion................................... 101 Frankie.......................................... 47

Hong Kong Falling Deeper............................ 99

I Lost My Body........................... 61

Finding Uranus.......................... 99

It Must Be Heaven.................... 49

Lost Course................................. 91

Joan of Arc................................... 61

No. 7 Cherry Lane..................... 31

La Belle Époque........................ 23

Present. Perfect......................... 89

The Legend.............................. 101

Still Human.................................. 91

Les Misérables.......................... 61 Miel-Emile................................... 65

Swatted..................................... 102

I’m Not Next................................ 73

Off Season................................... 64

Architecture of Infinity............. 92

The Specials............................... 61

Tito................................................. 75

Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin.................... 93

Amare Amaro............................. 62

In the Shadow of the Guacari.................................... 101

I’ll End Up in Jail......................... 99

Neutra - Survival Through Design....................... 93

Amanda........................................ 60

Aquí y allá.................................... 74

Masmelos................................. 100

The Last to See Them............. 49

2:00................................................ 99

Portrait of a Lady on Fire........ 33

Throat Singing in Kangirsuk................................... 73

L’Étoile de mer (The Starfish)......................... 102

A Voluntary Year........................ 59

Colombia

Synonyms.................................... 57

Hungary The Euphoria of Being............. 81 Those Who Remained............. 57

Iceland A White, White Day................... 59

System K...................................... 95 Talking About Trees................. 83 To Live to Sing............................ 73

India

Varda by Agnès.......................... 95

A Dog and His Man.................. 47

The Whistlers............................. 59

Reason.......................................... 83

Yuli................................................. 59

Who You Think I Am................. 60

Unkept.......................................... 99

Czech Republic

Georgia

Indonesia

The Painted Bird........................ 33

And Then We Danced............. 45

Kasiterit..................................... 102

Canada

Venusian...................................... 98

Acadiana...................................... 73

Jordan River Anderson, the Messenger......................... 71

Wamin (The Apple)................... 99

Killer Queen................................ 74

Wawatay....................................... 98

Denmark

Kuessipan.................................... 71

The Whale and the Raven...... 79

Checkered Ninja........................ 47

L.A. Tea Time.............................. 73

When the Children Left........... 71

Out of Tune.................................. 51

Anne at 13,000 ft....................... 74

Labour/Leisure.......................... 98

When We Walk........................... 73

Queen of Hearts........................ 51

Aquí y allá.................................... 74

Main Squeeze............................ 99

White Lie...................................... 73

Song Sparrow.......................... 101

And the Birds Rained Down........................................... 70

The Stroker............................... 102

Oh Mercy..................................... 61

Jarvik.............................................. 99

American Woman..................... 70

Dogs Don’t Wear Pants........... 47

My Generation........................ 100

Unkept.......................................... 99

The Acrobat................................ 70

Finland

AMO.............................................. 99

I Am in the World as Free and Slender as a Deer on a Plain..................... 98

The Twentieth Century............ 75

The Great Green Wall.............. 76

Liminaali & Communitas..... 100

China

Jojo Rabbit................................... 25

Lara................................................ 49

Santiago, Italia............................ 63 Spider............................................ 57

Standard of Care....................... 99 Symphony in Aquamarine...... 73

Long-Legged Nuria............... 101

Ethiopia

It Was All So Wonderful: The Everyday Magic of Mary Pratt.................................. 93

Sofia............................................... 74

104

The Procession.......................... 99

Haida Modern............................ 67

Highway to Heaven: A Mosaic in One Mile............ 98

Way Back Home..................... 100

Preface to a History.................. 67

Guest of Honour........................ 19

Bacurau........................................ 45

My Window................................. 65

Pools.............................................. 99

The Song of Names.................. 34

Heart Bomb................................. 98

Swinguerra............................... 102

Pinch............................................. 99

Grandma’s House..................... 98

Brazil

The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão.................... 44

Pick................................................ 98

Solastalgia................................... 98

Happytime Social Club............ 67

Divine Love.................................. 47

The Physics of Sorrow............. 99

I Was at Home, but................... 47

Ecuador Vitalina Varela............................. 64

No Crying at the Dinner Table............................. 99

Austria

I Signed the Petition.............. 100

The World Is Bright................... 67

My Dads, My Moms and Me....................................... 67

Chubby......................................... 98

The Cut......................................... 99

A Hidden Life.............................. 25

System K...................................... 95

Cape Verde

Names for Snow........................ 73

Cranks........................................... 71

DR Congo

A Winter Morning...................... 98

Murmur........................................ 75

Canaan......................................... 98 Castle in the Ground................ 71

Wildfire......................................... 73

MS Slavic 7.................................. 74

Bumblebee.................................. 99

DANNY......................................... 74

Little Joe....................................... 49

Memoirs....................................... 74

My Heart Is Walking Around Outside of My Body..................................... 99

A Brother’s Love........................ 71

Australia

Marlene Heavyshields (Glowing in the Dark Woman)...................................... 99

u really hurt me.......................... 99

Water Over Glass....................... 67

Germany Architecture of Infinity............. 92 Beyond the Visible Hilma af Klint............................ 92 Cherry Blossoms & Demons................................. 44

Iran Castle of Dreams....................... 45 Coup 53........................................ 81 Freedom of Breath.................... 99 Marghe and her mother.......... 63

Index of Films by Country & Region

Song Sparrow.......................... 101

Mali

Sole................................................ 63

Spain

Turkey

Greener Grass............................ 97

Tangle........................................ 100

The Great Green Wall.............. 76

The Song of Names.................. 34

Architecture of Infinity............. 92

Belonging.................................... 65

A Hidden Life.............................. 25

Pain and Glory............................ 31

Noah Land................................... 49

Human Nature........................... 77

Tehran: City of Love.................. 57

Mexico Ireland

Amparo’s Offerings................ 101

Extra Ordinary............................ 97

Kill the Boy................................ 101

First Disco................................ 101

Midnight Family......................... 81

Portugal Architecture of Infinity............. 92 Frankie.......................................... 47 Vitalina Varela............................. 64

Sea of Shadows......................... 76

Chained........................................ 45

Morocco

The Day After I’m Gone........... 47

Adam............................................. 45

Romantica.com....................... 100 Synonyms.................................... 57

Amare Amaro............................. 62 Assholes: A Theory.................. 70 Dafne............................................. 62 The Disappearance of My Mother................................. 62 Dolce fine giornata................... 63 Forgiveness.............................. 101 The Last to See Them............. 49

Staff Only...................................... 57 Vaca............................................ 100 The Whistlers............................. 59 Yuli................................................. 59

Symphony in Aquamarine.............................. 73 The Whistlers............................. 59

Netherlands Escher: Journey Into Infinity......................................... 93 Miel-Emile................................... 65 Retrospekt................................... 51

Russia The Acrobat................................ 70 Beanpole...................................... 45 The Interview........................... 100 Once in Trubchevsk................. 49

Come to Daddy.......................... 97 A Seat at the Table.................... 83 Vai................................................... 57

Off Season................................... 64 Santiago, Italia............................ 63

The Great Green Wall.............. 76

Sudan Talking About Trees................. 83

The Great Green Wall.............. 76 Home Sweet Home.................. 99

Nigeria

Japan Amusement Ride................... 102

Norway

Cherry Blossoms & Demons................................. 44

The Men’s Room....................... 81

Children of the Sea................... 87

Palestine

Every Day a Good Day............. 87

I Signed the Petition.............. 100

Hard-Core.................................... 87

It Must Be Heaven.................... 49

Itohime....................................... 100

Motherless Brooklyn................ 29

Lee Ann Womack’s “Hollywood”............................. 100

One Man Dies a Million Times........................ 65

Leonardo: The Works............... 93

Other Music................................ 95

My Father and Me.................... 80

Paradise Hills.............................. 97

Neutra - Survival Through Design....................... 93

The Pollinators........................... 77

Beyond the Visible Hilma af Klint............................ 92 Disrepute.................................. 101 Hard On..................................... 102 Interbeing................................. 102

Nurtured................................... 101

Scheme Birds............................. 83

Stieg Larsson - The Man Who Played With Fire............ 77

O Holy Ghost........................... 100 Scarborough............................... 51 Scheme Birds............................. 83

Senegal The Great Green Wall.............. 76

Switzerland

Staff Only...................................... 57

Architecture of Infinity............. 92

The Sea..................................... 100 Sometimes Always Never...... 51 Sorry We Missed You............... 34

I Signed the Petition.............. 100

Easy Land.................................... 71

Neutra - Survival Through Design....................... 93

Stitches........................................ 57

New Acid.................................. 102

Singapore

Syria

Falling Deeper............................ 99

We Are Not Princesses........... 79

Wet Season................................. 89

Port Authority............................. 51 Present. Perfect......................... 89 The Rabbi Goes West.............. 81 The Song of Names.................. 34 Stuffed.......................................... 95 Subject to Review..................... 64 Super Grandma......................... 99 Tender........................................ 101 Tolerance.................................. 100 Trust Machine: The Story of Blockchain................. 79

Ukraine

The Two Popes.......................... 35

Bottle............................................. 99

Ursula Von Rydingsvard: Into Her Own............................ 95

Family Hour.............................. 101 Mr. Jones...................................... 29

Wawatay....................................... 98 We Are Not Princesses........... 79 What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael.......... 95

USA Assholes: A Theory.................. 70 Babysplitters............................... 45

When We Walk........................... 73 Wildland....................................... 79

Taiwan

Better Off...................................... 99

Boluomi........................................ 91

Body Love.................................... 99

Buddha in Africa........................ 80

Vietnam

Burning Cane.............................. 45

Grandpa.................................... 101

Cunningham............................... 92

No Crying at the Dinner Table............................... 99

South Korea

Human Box.................................. 99

The Death of Dick Long.......... 96

Stay Awake, Be Ready.......... 102

Another Child............................. 91

Wild Sparrow.............................. 89

Devil’s Pie - D’Angelo............... 92

South Africa

Peru

At the Bottom of the Sea......... 98

Boluomi........................................ 91

Birthday........................................ 87

Still Human.................................. 91

Eyedentity.................................... 99

Thailand

Malawi

Parasite......................................... 21

The Cave...................................... 87

Forest on Fire............................. 79

Buddha in Africa........................ 80

Samsara....................................... 89

Krabi, 2562.................................. 87

Fourteen....................................... 47

Poland

Martha: A Picture Story........... 93 Mortis......................................... 101

And Then We Danced............. 45

Philippines

We Are Not Princesses........... 79

Lily.................................................. 95 The Lodge................................... 97

Neutra - Survival Through Design....................... 93

Ridge............................................. 65

Buddha in Africa........................ 80

Song Without a Name............. 51

L.A. Tea Time.............................. 73 The Lighthouse.......................... 27

Krabi, 2562.................................. 87

Scotland

Serbia

Knives and Skin.......................... 97

Sweden

Gateways to New York............. 81

The Great Green Wall.............. 76

Lebanon

Coup 53........................................ 81

Koko-di Koko-da......................... 49

Sole................................................ 63

No Longer Human.................... 87

Boyz in the Wood...................... 96

Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin.................... 93

New Zealand

Niger

Melancholic................................ 91

Bait................................................. 65

Jericho.......................................... 99

One Man Dies a Million Times............................ 65

Marghe and her mother.......... 63

Edo Avant-Garde....................... 93

Just Mercy................................... 27

63 Up............................................. 80

A Disappearance................... 100

Leonardo: The Works............... 93

The Two Popes.......................... 35

Jojo Rabbit................................... 25

UK

I Signed the Petition.............. 100

Devil’s Pie - D’Angelo............... 92

Italy

The Realm................................... 51

Romania

Israel

It Must Be Heaven.................... 49

Paradise Hills.............................. 97

Edo Avant-Garde....................... 93 Elvis: Strung Out........................ 95 flush............................................ 100

Frankie.......................................... 47

Dolce fine giornata................... 63

Malaysia

Mr. Jones...................................... 29

South Pacific Islands

Tibet

G.P.S. Girl Positioning System........................................ 99

Boluomi........................................ 91

The Painted Bird........................ 33

Vai................................................... 57

Balloon.......................................... 87

Gateways to New York............. 81

This list indicates where a film was produced, financed, where it is set or its subject.

Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

105

Index of Films with Screening Times

63 Up p. 80 (Sat, Sep 28, 6:15pm, SFU + Mon, Sep 30, 10:00am, VCT) 2’16

Boluomi p. 91 (Wed, Oct 9, 6:30pm, IN09 + Fri, Oct 11, 4:15pm, SFU) 1’48

Deerskin p. 61 (Thu, Sep 26, 9:00pm, RIO + Mon, Sep

The Acrobat p. 70 (Wed, Oct 2, 8:45pm, CINE + Sun, Oct 6, 6:15pm, CINE) 2’11

Boyz in the Wood p. 96 (Fri, Sep 27, 7:00pm, RIO +

Devil’s Pie - D’Angelo p. 92 (Sat, Sep 28, 7:00pm, IN09 + Mon, Sep 30, 2:15pm, IN10) 1’25

Adam p. 45 (Fri, Sep 27, 2:15pm, IN10 + Wed, Oct 2,

A Brother’s Love p. 71 (Tue, Oct 1, 4:00pm, IN10 +

The Disappearance of My Mother p. 62 (Fri, Oct 4, 8:30pm, VCT + Fri, Oct 11, 4:00pm, VCT) 1’34

Buddha in Africa p. 80 (Tue, Oct 8, 2:00pm, IN10 + Thu, Oct 10, 7:15pm, IN10) 1’30

Divine Love p. 47 (Sun, Oct 6, 9:15pm, RIO + Wed, Oct 9, 1:30pm, IN09) 1’40

Burning Cane p. 45 (Fri, Sep 27, 9:00pm, IN09 + Sun, Sep 29, 3:00pm, IN08) 1’18

A Dog and His Man p. 47 (Sat, Sep 28, 9:30pm, SFU + Mon, Sep 30, 3:30pm, VCT) 1’24

By the Grace of God p. 60 (Sat, Sep 28, 12:15pm, PLAY + Tue, Oct 1, 9:15pm, PLAY) 2’17

Dogs Don’t Wear Pants p. 47 (Fri, Oct 4, 9:30pm,

8:30pm, VCT) 1’38

Amanda p. 60 (Sun, Sep 29, 10:30am, SFU + Sat, Oct 5, 6:15pm, IN08 + Tue, Oct 8, 11:00am, IN09) 1’47

Amare Amaro p. 62 (Mon, Sep 30, 6:15pm, IN08 + Thu, Oct 3, 1:00pm, IN08) 1’29 American Woman p. 70 (Fri, Oct 4, 6:30pm, RIO + Sat, Oct 5, 1:00pm, IN09) 1’25

And the Birds Rained Down p. 70 (Thu, Oct 3, 6:00pm, PLAY + Sat, Oct 5, 1:30pm, IN10) 2’08

And Then We Danced p. 45 (Thu, Sep 26, 6:30pm, PLAY + Sat, Sep 28, 1:30pm, IN10) 1’46

Anne at 13,000 ft p. 74 (Fri, Sep 27, 7:00pm, IN10 + Sun, Sep 29, 3:45pm, IN10) 1’15 Another Child p. 91 (Sun, Sep 29, 1:30pm, IN10 + Mon, Oct 7, 9:00pm, IN09) 1’36 Architecture of Infinity p. 92 (Fri, Sep 27, 1:45pm,

Tue, Oct 8, 9:30pm, IN10) 1’57

Castle in the Ground p. 71 (Sat, Sep 28, 6:45pm, RIO + Sun, Sep 29, 1:15pm, IN09) 1’45 Castle of Dreams p. 45 (Tue, Oct 1, 8:45pm, CENT + Wed, Oct 2, 3:30pm, IN08) 1’26

The Cave p. 87 (Tue, Oct 8, 9:15pm, PLAY + Wed, Oct 9, 3:30pm, PLAY) 1’44 Chained p. 45 (Sun, Sep 29, 6:15pm, IN10 + Thu, Oct 3, 11:15am, IN10) 1’52

IN10 + Fri, Oct 11, 8:45pm, CINE) 1’45

Dolce fine giornata p. 63 (Sun, Sep 29, 11:00am, IN09 + Wed, Oct 9, 9:15pm, PLAY) 1’36

Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains p. 90 (Thu, Sep 26, 6:00pm, SFU + Fri, Oct 4, 11:00am, IN10) 2’34

Easy Land p. 71 (Tue, Oct 1, 8:45pm, IN08 + Thu, Oct 3, 3:15pm, IN08) 1’28

Edo Avant-Garde p. 93 (Thu, Oct 3, 6:15pm, SFU + Sat, Oct 5, 2:15pm, SFU) 1’23 Eliades Ochoa: From Cuba to the World p. 93 (Sat,

VCT + Wed, Oct 2, 11:00am, VCT + Thu, Oct 10, 6:00pm, IN08) 1’26

Sun, Sep 29, 1:00pm, SFU) 1’22

Ash p. 66 (Mon, Sep 30, 8:30pm, PLAY + Wed, Oct 2,

Cherry Blossoms & Demons p. 44 (Fri, Oct 4,

4:45pm, IN10 + Mon, Oct 7, 10:30am, VCT + Wed, Oct 9, 9:00pm, SFU) 1’30

Children of the Sea p. 87 (Sun, Oct 6, 1:00pm, IN09 + Tue, Oct 8, 6:45pm, IN09) 1’51

The Euphoria of Being p. 81 (Fri, Sep 27, 12:30pm,

8:30pm, SFU) 1’44

Assholes: A Theory p. 70 (Wed, Oct 2, 9:00pm, IN09 + Fri, Oct 4, 4:00pm, SFU) 1’22 Babysplitters p. 45 (Fri, Sep 27, 9:30pm, IN10 + Wed, Oct 2, 3:45pm, IN10) 2’00

Bacurau p. 45 (Thu, Oct 3, 9:15pm, PLAY + Mon, Oct 7, 4:00pm, IN10) 2’10

Bait p. 65 (Mon, Sep 30, 8:30pm, IN08 + Fri, Oct 4, 12:45pm, IN08) 1’27

Balloon p. 87 (Sat, Sep 28, 6:00pm, IN08 + Tue, Oct 1,

10:45am, IN10) 1’42

Beanpole p. 45 (Wed, Oct 9, 6:15pm, IN10 + Fri, Oct 11, 12:45pm, VCT) 2’17

Belonging p. 65 (Sat, Oct 5, 11:00am, IN09 + Tue, Oct 8,

6:30pm, CINE) 1’13

Beyond Belief p. 98 (Sun, Sep 29, 8:45pm, IN10 + Sun, Oct 6, 8:15pm, IN08) 1’46

Beyond the Visible - Hilma af Klint p. 92 (Fri, Sep

27, 3:45pm, VCT + Wed, Oct 2, 3:45pm, VCT + Wed, Oct 9, 6:15pm, IN08) 1’33

Birthday p. 87 (Fri, Sep 27, 2:45pm, IN08 + Sun, Sep 29, 6:00pm, PLAY) 2’00

Blood Quantum p. 96 (Wed, Oct 2, 9:00pm, RIO + Sat,

Checkered Ninja p. 47 (Thu, Sep 26, 6:45pm, RIO +

6:00pm, PLAY + Sun, Oct 6, 11:30am, PLAY) 1’50

Clifton Hill p. 71 (Wed, Oct 2, 6:30pm, IN10 + Fri, Oct 4, 4:15pm, IN10) 1’41

Come to Daddy p. 97 (Sat, Oct 5, 4:45pm, SFU + Thu,

Oct 10, 6:45pm, RIO) 1’34

Conviction p. 71 (Thu, Oct 3, 9:00pm, IN08 + Sat, Oct 5, 11:30am, VCT) 1’18 Coup 53 p. 81 (Tue, Oct 8, 6:00pm, PLAY + Wed, Oct 9, 6:00pm, SFU + Fri, Oct 11, 8:45pm, VCT) 1’58 Cranks p. 71 (Mon, Sep 30, 8:45pm, CINE + Fri, Oct 4, 1:15pm, SFU) 1’34

Cunningham p. 92 (Sat, Oct 5, 11:15am, IN10 + Sun,

Oct 6, 9:15pm, IN10 + Thu, Oct 10, 4:45pm, IN10) 1’33

Dafne p. 62 (Fri, Sep 27, 3:45pm, IN09 + Wed, Oct 9,

6:45pm, PLAY) 1’34

DANNY p. 74 (Sun, Sep 29, 6:30pm, CINE + Fri, Oct 4,

8:45pm, CINE) 1’10

Daughter p. 66 (Sat, Oct 5, 7:00pm, PLAY + Tue, Oct 8, 6:15pm, RIO) 1’41

Oct 5, 9:30pm, RIO) 1’32

The Day After I’m Gone p. 47 (Sun, Oct 6, 8:30pm,

The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open p. 66 (Sat, Sep 28, 6:00pm, PLAY + Mon, Sep 30,

The Death of Dick Long p. 96 (Sat, Sep 28, 9:45pm,

11:15am, IN10) 1’45

106

Thu, Oct 3, 9:30pm, RIO) 1’27

30, 7:30pm, IN10) 1’17

VCT + Mon, Oct 7, 11:00am, IN09) 1’35

RIO + Sat, Oct 5, 7:00pm, RIO) 1’40

Oct 5, 9:15pm, SFU + Sun, Oct 6, 1:30pm, RIO) 1’40

Escher: Journey Into Infinity p. 93 (Fri, Sep 27,

IN08 + Thu, Oct 3, 7:00pm, VCT + Fri, Oct 4, 10:00am, VCT) 1’22

Every Day a Good Day p. 87 (Mon, Sep 30, 8:45pm, IN09 + Wed, Oct 2, 4:00pm, IN09) 1’40

Extra Ordinary p. 97 (Sun, Oct 6, 4:30pm, RIO + Wed, Oct 9, 9:15pm, RIO) 1’34 Fourteen p. 47 (Fri, Oct 4, 9:15pm, IN09 + Sat, Oct 5, 3:30pm, IN08) 1’34 Frankie p. 47 (Mon, Oct 7, 3:15pm, PLAY + Tue, Oct 8, 9:15pm, CENT) 1’38 Gateways to New York p. 81 (Sun, Oct 6, 11:00am, VCT + Wed, Oct 9, 6:00pm, VCT) 1’28

The Great Green Wall p. 76 (Sun, Sep 29, 11:15am,

IN10 + Wed, Oct 2, 6:00pm, IN08 + Wed, Oct 9, 11:00am, IN09) 1’32

Greener Grass p. 97 (Sun, Sep 29, 9:15pm, RIO + Fri, Oct 11, 7:00pm, RIO) 1’41

Guest of Honour p. 19 (Thu, Sep 26, 7:00pm, CENT + Mon, Sep 30, 6:00pm, CENT) 1’45 Haida Modern p. 67 (Tue, Oct 1, 6:30pm, PLAY + Fri, Oct 11, 3:00pm, PLAY) 1’25 Hard-Core p. 87 (Sat, Oct 5, 4:00pm, RIO + Wed, Oct 9, 9:00pm, IN09) 2’04

A Hidden Life p. 25 (Sun, Sep 29, 8:45pm, CENT) 2’53

Index of Films with Screening Times

Human Nature p. 77 (Fri, Sep 27, 11:45am, VCT + Sat,

Sep 28, 11:15am, IN10 + Thu, Oct 10, 6:45pm, SFU) 1’34

I Lost My Body p. 61 (Tue, Oct 8, 4:30pm, IN10 + Thu,

Oct 10, 9:15pm, RIO) 1’21

I Was at Home, but... p. 47 (Wed, Oct 9, 12:30pm, IN08 + Thu, Oct 10, 6:30pm, CINE) 1’45

I, Wretched Man p. 64 (Tue, Oct 1, 3:30pm, VCT + Fri,

Oct 4, 9:00pm, IN08) 1’25

In the Tall Grass p. 97 (Fri, Sep 27, 9:30pm, RIO + Sat, Oct 5, 4:30pm, IN10) 1’30

The Lighthouse p. 27 (Sat, Sep 28, 6:00pm, CENT) 1’50 Little Joe p. 49 (Sun, Sep 29, 3:30pm, RIO + Wed, Oct 2, 9:00pm, CENT) 1’45

The Lodge p. 97 (Fri, Oct 4, 9:15pm, RIO + Fri, Oct 11, 9:30pm, RIO) 1’48

Lost Course p. 91 (Fri, Sep 27, 8:00pm, VCT + Sun, Sep 29, 11:30am, VCT) 2’59 Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom p. 90 (Sun, Oct 6, 6:15pm, IN09 + Tue, Oct 8, 1:45pm, IN09 + Fri, Oct 11, 6:15pm, VCT) 1’50

The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão p. 44 (Mon, Oct 7, 9:00pm, CENT + Tue, Oct 8, 2:45pm, PLAY) 2’19

Marghe and her mother p. 63 (Fri, Sep 27, 6:00pm,

It Must Be Heaven p. 49 (Sat, Oct 5, 9:30pm, IN10 +

Martha: A Picture Story p. 93 (Thu, Sep 26, 6:30pm,

IN09 + Sat, Sep 28, 12:45pm, SFU) 1’41

No Small Parts p. 98 (Wed, Oct 2, 9:15pm, IN10 + Wed, Oct 9, 8:30pm, IN08) 1’48 No. 7 Cherry Lane p. 31 (Tue, Oct 8, 6:00pm, CENT + Thu, Oct 10, 3:00pm, PLAY) 2’05 Noah Land p. 49 (Thu, Oct 3, 4:30pm, IN10 + Tue, Oct 8, 7:00pm, IN10) 1’49 Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin p. 93 (Wed, Oct 2, 1:30pm, IN10 + Thu, Oct 3, 9:00pm, IN09)

1’30

Oh Mercy p. 61 (Fri, Oct 4, 9:00pm, PLAY + Sun, Oct 6, 1:00pm, SFU) 1’59 Once in Trubchevsk p. 49 (Sun, Oct 6, 11:00am, IN09 + Thu, Oct 10, 9:00pm, SFU) 1’20

CINE + Mon, Sep 30, 11:00am, IN09 + Fri, Oct 11, 6:45pm, SFU) 1’25

One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk p. 73 (Mon, Oct 7, 6:45pm, IN10 + Wed, Oct 9, 1:00pm, SFU) 2’03

6:30pm, CINE) 1’15

A Matter of Identity p. 100 (Thu, Oct 3, 6:00pm, IN08 + Sat, Oct 5, 12:30pm, IN08) 1’52

One Man Dies a Million Times p. 65 (Sat, Sep 28,

Joan of Arc p. 61 (Sat, Sep 28, 9:00pm, CINE + Wed, Oct

Melancholic p. 91 (Sun, Oct 6, 4:45pm, IN10 + Fri, Oct 11, 9:00pm, SFU) 1’54

Other Music p. 95 (Sat, Sep 28, 2:15pm, RIO + Tue, Oct 1, 6:00pm, VCT) 1’26

The Men’s Room p. 81 (Sun, Sep 29, 1:15pm, PLAY +

Our Time Machine p. 95 (Sat, Oct 5, 6:30pm, CINE +

Fri, Oct 4, 3:45pm, PLAY + Wed, Oct 9, 9:30pm, IN10) 1’15

Sun, Oct 6, 10:30am, SFU) 1’21

Midnight Family p. 81 (Sat, Sep 28, 9:15pm, IN10 + Fri,

Out of Tune p. 51 (Fri, Sep 27, 9:30pm, PLAY + Sat, Oct 5, 3:45pm, IN09) 1’33

Miel-Emile p. 65 (Tue, Oct 1, 8:15pm, VCT + Thu, Oct 3,

Pain and Glory p. 31 (Wed, Oct 9, 6:00pm, CENT) 1’53

Mon, Oct 7, 1:45pm, IN10) 1’37

It Was All So Wonderful: The Everyday Magic of Mary Pratt p. 93 (Sat, Sep 28, 10:30am, SFU + Fri, Oct 4,

2, 1:00pm, VCT) 2’17

Joel p. 49 (Sat, Oct 5, 9:00pm, IN09 + Thu, Oct 10, 1:00pm, IN08) 1’40

Jojo Rabbit p. 25 (Wed, Oct 2, 6:15pm, CENT) 1’48 Jordan River Anderson, the Messenger p. 71 (Wed, Oct 2, 11:00am, IN09 + Thu, Oct 3, 6:45pm, IN09) 1’17

Judy & Punch p. 97 (Sat, Sep 28, 4:00pm, IN10 + Tue, Oct 8, 9:15pm, RIO) 1’45

Oct 4, 4:00pm, IN09) 1’21 4:00pm, VCT) 2’25

Modern Tales from a Conflicted World p. 100 (Fri,

Just Mercy p. 27 (Sat, Sep 28, 9:00pm, CENT) 2’16

Oct 4, 3:00pm, IN08 + Mon, Oct 7, 6:00pm, IN08) 1’51

Killer Queen p. 74 (Mon, Sep 30, 9:15pm, RIO + Wed,

MODES 1 p. 102 (Thu, Sep 26, 6:00pm, VCT + Wed, Oct

Oct 2, 8:30pm, IN08) 1’28

9, 8:15pm, VCT) 1’22

Knives and Skin p. 97 (Sun, Oct 6, 6:45pm, RIO + Wed,

MODES 2 p. 102 (Sat, Oct 5, 6:00pm, VCT + Thu, Oct 10,

Oct 9, 6:30pm, RIO) 1’51

9:15pm, VCT) 1’35

Koko-di Koko-da p. 49 (Sat, Sep 28, 4:30pm, RIO +

Motherless Brooklyn p. 29 (Mon, Sep 30, 8:45pm,

Wed, Oct 2, 6:45pm, IN09) 1’25

CENT) 2’24

Krabi, 2562 p. 87 (Sun, Sep 29, 8:15pm, VCT + Mon,

Mr. Jones p. 29 (Wed, Oct 9, 8:45pm, CENT + Thu, Oct

Oct 7, 3:45pm, IN08) 1’33

10, 1:45pm, IN10) 2’21

Kuessipan p. 71 (Wed, Oct 9, 3:00pm, IN08 + Thu, Oct 10, 6:15pm, VCT) 1’57

MS Slavic 7 p. 74 (Sat, Sep 28, 6:30pm, CINE + Tue, Oct

1, 8:45pm, CINE) 1’27

L.A. Tea Time p. 73 (Sun, Sep 29, 8:30pm, IN08 + Tue,

Murmur p. 75 (Fri, Sep 27, 6:30pm, CINE + Mon, Sep 30,

Oct 1, 1:30pm, IN10) 1’35

1:15pm, IN08) 1’24

La Belle Époque p. 23 (Fri, Oct 11, 6:30pm, CENT + Fri,

My Dads, My Moms and Me p. 67 (Thu, Oct 3,

Oct 11, 9:30pm, CENT) 1’55

Lara p. 49 (Tue, Oct 1, 6:00pm, IN08 + Thu, Oct 3,

1:45pm, IN10) 1’38

The Last to See Them p. 49 (Sun, Sep 29, 6:00pm, VCT + Mon, Sep 30, 1:15pm, VCT) 1’19

Leonardo: The Works p. 93 (Sun, Sep 29, 5:45pm, SFU + Tue, Oct 1, 1:00pm, VCT + Wed, Oct 9, 11:00am, VCT)

9:00pm, IN08 + Mon, Sep 30, 4:45pm, IN10) 1’32

The Painted Bird p. 33 (Sat, Sep 28, 9:00pm, PLAY + Mon, Sep 30, 2:15pm, PLAY) 2’49 Paradise Hills p. 97 (Tue, Oct 1, 9:30pm, RIO + Sat, Oct 5, 1:45pm, RIO) 1’35

Parasite p. 21 (Fri, Sep 27, 9:00pm, CENT + Sun, Sep 29, 3:00pm, CENT + Sun, Oct 6, 9:00pm, CENT) 2’12 Permanent Records p. 99 (Tue, Oct 1, 9:30pm, IN10 + Tue, Oct 8, 9:00pm, IN08) 1’39 The Pollinators p. 77 (Sun, Sep 29, 3:00pm, SFU + Tue, Oct 1, 6:45pm, IN10) 1’33

Port Authority p. 51 (Sat, Oct 5, 6:30pm, IN09 + Sun, Oct 6, 1:45pm, IN10) 1’34 Portrait of a Lady on Fire p. 33 (Sat, Oct 5, 8:45pm, CENT + Thu, Oct 10, 6:30pm, PLAY) 2’00

Present. Perfect. p. 89 (Sun, Oct 6, 9:00pm, CINE + Tue, Oct 8, 3:15pm, IN08) 2’04

7:00pm, IN10 + Sun, Oct 6, 3:15pm, IN08 + Fri, Oct 11, 10:30am, VCT) 1’23

Queen of Hearts p. 51 (Sun, Sep 29, 4:00pm, IN09 +

My Father and Me p. 80 (Sun, Oct 6, 6:45pm, SFU +

The Rabbi Goes West p. 81 (Mon, Oct 7, 6:30pm,

Mon, Oct 7, 1:30pm, IN09) 1’36

Mon, Oct 7, 9:15pm, PLAY) 2’08

CINE + Tue, Oct 8, 11:30am, IN10) 1’18

My Window p. 65 (Tue, Oct 1, 2:00pm, IN09 + Wed, Oct 9, 8:45pm, CINE) 1’19

Raf p. 67 (Thu, Oct 3, 6:30pm, CINE + Sun, Oct 6,

Neutra - Survival Through Design p. 93 (Fri, Sep 27,

The Realm p. 51 (Thu, Sep 26, 9:00pm, PLAY + Sat, Sep

1’25

9:00pm, SFU + Sat, Sep 28, 3:30pm, SFU) 1’42

Les Misérables p. 61 (Wed, Oct 2, 6:30pm, PLAY + Thu, Oct 10, 4:00pm, IN09) 1’42

No Longer Human p. 87 (Thu, Oct 3, 4:00pm, IN09 + Mon, Oct 7, 9:00pm, CINE) 2’00

1:00pm, VCT) 1’28

28, 4:15pm, IN09) 2’01

Reason p. 83 (Mon, Oct 7, 6:00pm, VCT + Tue, Oct 8, 11:15am, VCT) 3’38 Buy tickets and read full film descriptions at viff.org

107

Index of Films with Screening Times

Red Snow p. 67 (Fri, Sep 27, 6:15pm, PLAY + Sun, Oct 6,

Still Human p. 91 (Sun, Sep 29, 3:15pm, PLAY + Sat, Oct

Vitalina Varela p. 64 (Sat, Oct 5, 9:00pm, CINE + Mon,

Reel Youth Film Festival p. 99 (Sun, Oct 6, 7:00pm,

Stitches p. 57 (Thu, Oct 3, 1:00pm, SFU + Mon, Oct 7, 9:30pm, IN10) 1’37

A Voluntary Year p. 59 (Thu, Oct 3, 11:00am, IN09 + Sat, Oct 5, 8:45pm, IN08) 1’26

Resistance Fighters p. 77 (Sun, Oct 6, 5:45pm, IN08 +

Stuffed p. 95 (Sat, Sep 28, 8:30pm, VCT + Sat, Oct 5, 12:15pm, SFU) 1’25

Water Over Glass p. 67 (Fri, Sep 27, 9:00pm, CINE + Sat, Sep 28, 1:30pm, IN08) 1’04

11:00am, IN10 + Tue, Oct 8, 6:00pm, IN08) 1’40

IN10 + Mon, Oct 7, 11:15am, IN10) 1’20

Thu, Oct 10, 2:15pm, SFU) 1’38

Oct 7, 12:30pm, VCT) 2’05

Symphony in Aquamarine p. 73 (Fri, Sep 27, 6:15pm,

We Are Not Princesses p. 79 (Wed, Oct 2, 6:15pm,

10, 9:30pm, IN10) 1’41

IN08 + Sun, Sep 29, 12:30pm, IN08) 1’18

SFU + Fri, Oct 4, 11:00am, IN09) 1’20

Ridge p. 65 (Fri, Sep 27, 8:45pm, IN08 + Wed, Oct 2,

Synonyms p. 57 (Thu, Oct 3, 3:00pm, PLAY + Tue, Oct 8,

1:00pm, IN08) 1’11

9:15pm, IN09) 2’03

Wet Season p. 89 (Fri, Sep 27, 6:00pm, SFU + Sat, Sep 28, 1:15pm, IN09) 1’43

Rustic Oracle p. 73 (Sun, Sep 29, 6:45pm, IN09 + Tue,

System K p. 95 (Sun, Oct 6, 9:30pm, SFU + Thu, Oct 10,

The Whale and the Raven p. 79 (Fri, Oct 4, 9:00pm,

Oct 1, 3:15pm, IN08) 1’40

4:30pm, SFU) 1’35

SFU + Sun, Oct 6, 4:00pm, SFU) 1’40

Samsara p. 89 (Tue, Oct 1, 12:00pm, IN08 + Thu, Oct 3,

Talking About Trees p. 83 (Wed, Oct 9, 1:45pm, IN10 + Fri, Oct 11, 6:30pm, CINE) 1’34

What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael p. 95 (Mon, Sep 30, 6:30pm, IN09 + Tue, Oct 8, 3:45pm, VCT) 1’36

Santiago, Italia p. 63 (Sun, Oct 6, 9:15pm, IN09 + Wed,

When We Walk p. 73 (Wed, Oct 2, 3:30pm, SFU + Fri,

Oct 9, 4:15pm, IN09) 1’28

Tapeworm p. 75 (Mon, Sep 30, 6:30pm, CINE + Wed, Oct 2, 6:30pm, CINE) 1’18

Scarborough p. 51 (Tue, Oct 1, 6:45pm, IN09 + Thu,

Tehran: City of Love p. 57 (Sat, Sep 28, 6:30pm, IN10

Oct 3, 1:30pm, IN09) 1’28

+ Mon, Sep 30, 3:45pm, IN09) 1’42

The Whistlers p. 59 (Fri, Oct 4, 2:00pm, IN10 + Mon, Oct 7, 6:45pm, RIO + Wed, Oct 9, 4:00pm, IN10) 1’37

Scheme Birds p. 83 (Wed, Oct 9, 6:30pm, CINE + Thu, Oct 10, 3:30pm, IN08) 1’27

Temblores p. 57 (Sun, Oct 6, 3:30pm, VCT + Thu, Oct 10, 8:45pm, IN09) 1’47

White Lie p. 73 (Sun, Sep 29, 9:30pm, IN09 + Tue, Oct 1, 4:00pm, IN09) 1’36

Sea of Shadows p. 76 (Fri, Sep 27, 3:30pm, SFU + Thu,

Those Who Remained p. 57 (Fri, Sep 27, 1:15pm, SFU + Sat, Oct 5, 7:00pm, SFU + Thu, Oct 10, 11:15am, VCT)

White Snake p. 86 (Sat, Sep 28, 3:30pm, PLAY + Fri, Oct 11, 9:30pm, PLAY) 1’39

Retrospekt p. 51 (Tue, Oct 8, 12:45pm, IN08 + Thu, Oct

9:00pm, CINE) 2’10

Oct 3, 8:45pm, SFU) 1’44

A Seat at the Table p. 83 (Fri, Oct 4, 7:00pm, IN10 +

Sun, Oct 6, 3:30pm, IN09) 1’40

The Shadow Play p. 89 (Mon, Sep 30, 1:00pm, IN09 +

Tue, Oct 1, 9:30pm, IN09) 2’09

Sole p. 63 (Thu, Sep 26, 8:30pm, CINE + Sat, Sep 28,

3:30pm, IN08) 1’40

Somebody Dies p. 101 (Fri, Oct 4, 6:00pm, IN08 + Sun, Oct 6, 12:15pm, IN08) 1’47

1’24

Three Feathers p. 73 (Sun, Sep 29, 8:45pm, CINE + Mon, Sep 30, 4:00pm, IN08) 1’06

Tito p. 75 (Tue, Oct 1, 6:30pm, CINE + Thu, Oct 10,

8:45pm, CINE) 1’10

To Live in Infamy p. 99 (Mon, Sep 30, 9:30pm, IN10 + Mon, Oct 7, 9:15pm, IN08) 1’41

To Live to Sing p. 73 (Wed, Oct 2, 1:15pm, IN09 + Fri, Oct 4, 6:15pm, IN09) 1’40

Sometimes Always Never p. 51 (Sat, Sep 28, 3:30pm, CENT + Mon, Sep 30, 6:00pm, PLAY) 1’32

Troubled Voices, Teen Lives p. 101 (Sun, Sep 29, 5:30pm, IN08 + Tue, Oct 1, 11:00am, IN09) 1’46

The Song of Names p. 34 (Thu, Oct 3, 8:45pm, CENT +

Trust Machine: The Story of Blockchain p. 79 (Tue,

Thu, Oct 10, 6:00pm, CENT) 1’53

Song Without a Name p. 51 (Mon, Sep 30, 8:30pm, VCT + Thu, Oct 3, 1:45pm, VCT) 1’37

Sorry We Missed You p. 34 (Tue, Oct 1, 6:00pm, CENT + Sat, Oct 5, 6:00pm, CENT) 1’40

The Specials p. 61 (Sun, Oct 6, 6:15pm, CENT + Thu, Oct 10, 11:15am, IN10) 1’54

Spider p. 57 (Wed, Oct 2, 9:00pm, PLAY + Fri, Oct 4, 1:30pm, IN09) 1’43 Spring Tide p. 89 (Tue, Oct 8, 6:00pm, VCT + Wed, Oct 9, 11:00am, IN10) 2’03

Staff Only p. 57 (Mon, Oct 7, 6:30pm, IN09 + Wed, Oct 9, 4:00pm, SFU + Thu, Oct 10, 11:00am, IN09) 1’21 Stieg Larsson - The Man Who Played With Fire

p. 77 (Thu, Sep 26, 9:15pm, SFU + Wed, Oct 2, 11:15am, IN10) 1’35 108

5, 7:00pm, IN10) 1’51

Oct 4, 6:30pm, SFU) 1’18

A White, White Day p. 59 (Fri, Sep 27, 1:15pm, IN09 + Mon, Oct 7, 4:00pm, IN09) 1’49 Who You Think I Am p. 60 (Fri, Sep 27, 3:45pm, PLAY + Thu, Oct 3, 6:00pm, CENT) 1’41 The Wild Goose Lake p. 86 (Thu, Oct 10, 9:15pm, PLAY + Fri, Oct 11, 1:30pm, SFU) 1’53

Wild Sparrow p. 89 (Tue, Oct 8, 4:30pm, IN09 + Thu, Oct 10, 6:30pm, IN09) 1’34 Wildland p. 79 (Sat, Oct 5, 8:15pm, VCT + Mon, Oct 7, 3:15pm, VCT) 1’47 The World Is Bright p. 67 (Sun, Sep 29, 8:15pm, SFU + Thu, Oct 3, 3:15pm, SFU + Wed, Oct 9, 1:00pm, VCT) 1’50

Oct 1, 11:00am, VCT + Thu, Oct 3, 9:00pm, VCT + Mon, Oct 7, 1:15pm, IN08) 1’34

Years of Construction p. 95 (Tue, Oct 8, 8:30pm, VCT

The Twentieth Century p. 75 (Sat, Sep 28, 9:30pm, IN09 + Mon, Sep 30, 6:30pm, RIO) 1’30

Young Ahmed p. 35 (Fri, Sep 27, 6:30pm, CENT + Wed, Oct 2, 4:00pm, PLAY) 1’24

Twists of Fate p. 99 (Thu, Oct 3, 9:30pm, IN10 + Thu, Oct 10, 8:30pm, IN08) 1’43

Yuli p. 59 (Sun, Sep 29, 9:15pm, PLAY + Wed, Oct 2, 12:45pm, SFU) 1’55

The Two Popes p. 35 (Sun, Oct 6, 2:30pm, PLAY + Mon, Oct 7, 6:00pm, CENT) 2’05 Ursula Von Rydingsvard: Into Her Own p. 95 (Wed, Oct 2, 6:00pm, VCT + Fri, Oct 4, 12:00pm, VCT) 1’23 Vai p. 57 (Sat, Sep 28, 11:00am, IN09 + Sat, Oct 5, 9:45pm, PLAY) 1’30 Vanishing Days p. 91 (Thu, Sep 26, 8:30pm, VCT + Thu, Oct 3, 11:30am, VCT) 1’35

Varda by Agnès p. 95 (Sun, Sep 29, 6:00pm, CENT + Tue, Oct 1, 3:45pm, PLAY) 1’55

+ Thu, Oct 10, 1:15pm, VCT) 1’33

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