About
Both in terms of admissions and number of films screened (148,000 and 373 respectively in 2010) VIFF is among the five largest film festivals in North America. We screen films from 80 countries on 10 screens. The international line-up includes the pick of the world’s top film fests and many undiscovered gems.
Three main programming platforms make our festival unique: we screen the largest selection of East Asian films outside of that region, we are one of the biggest showcases of Canadian film in the world and we have a large and important nonfiction program.
Attracting a large, attentive and enthusiastic audience of film lovers, the festival remains accessible, friendly and culturally diverse. As the critics say, VIFF is very much a festival “designed for the benefit of people who love films and people who make them.”
Mandate
Founded in 1982, VIFF is a charitable not-for-profit cultural organization whose mission is:
- to encourage understanding of the world’s cultures through the art of cinema, to foster the art of cinema, to facilitate the meeting in British Columbia of cinema professionals from around the world, and to stimulate the motion picture industry in British Columbia.
- to operate an annual Vancouver International Film Festival, a festive public celebration bringing to British Columbia the best in contemporary Canadian and international cinema and retrospective programs.
- to operate the Vancouver International Film Centre, providing the public and film community with an excellent facility for the appreciation of cinema and related art forms throughout the year.