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Introduction to the film festival

The annual Vancouver International Film Festival is a showcase of exceptional cinema in one of the world’s most beautiful cities. In 2025, the 44th edition of VIFF will present approximately 130 features and 100 shorts and expand the frame with talks, creative development opportunities, performances, and other unique events that celebrate film and film culture.

VIFF's 2024 edition screened cinema from 70 countries and offered Vancouver audiences the opportunity to experience 30 world premieres, 10 international premieres, 42 North American premieres and 49 Canadian premieres.FILM PROGRAMMING SERIES

Galas & Special Presentations: Highly anticipated films screening in our marquee venue.

Showcase: Exceptional films by revered directors, major award winners, and work that's very much of the moment.

Panorama: An array of remarkable narrative films from every corner of the globe.

Vanguard: Rising international talents bring their singular visions to the screen.

Northern Lights: The next wave of Canadian and Indigenous storytellers.

Insights: Documentaries that change the way we see the world.

Spectrum: A collection of innovative nonfiction filmmaking.

Portraits: A kaleidoscope of ground-breaking artists, great performances, and cultural icons.

Altered States: This is where the wild ones come out to play.

VIFF Short Forum: The perspectives and approaches that are elevating short-form storytelling

MODES: International short works that explore how far the form of cinema is capable of bending.

(These series are subject to change).

Awards

Awards & Prizes

At the 2023 edition, VIFF presented the following awards:

Best Canadian Film Award
$15,000 award presented by the Directors Guild of Canada.

Best Canadian Documentary Award
$15,000 award presented by the Rogers Group of Funds.

Vanguard Award
$5,000 award presented by the Lochmaddy Foundation.

Emerging Canadian Director Award
$3,000 award presented by the Directors Guild of Canada.

Best BC Film Award
$10,000 award from Creative BC and $15,000 in post-production services credit supplied by Company 3.

Best Canadian Short Film Award

$2,000 cash prize presented by VIFF

Rules & Terms

2025 RULES & TERMS FOR FILMS

ELIGIBILITY AND ENTRY
1) Submissions should have been completed after June 1, 2024.
2) Submitted feature films must not have been broadcast, distributed on VOD/home video, or screened in-person either at another festival or theatrically in the Vancouver area. (The competitive Vanguard section is restricted to World, International, North American and Canadian premieres.) Submitted short films must not have been broadcast, or screened in-person either at another festival or theatrically in the Vancouver area.
3) All non-English language submissions must have English subtitles.
4) All applicable licenses and waivers of copyrights, moral rights, trademarks and other such intellectual property rights have been secured by the filmmaker(s)

5) Submission fees are non-refundable.

PRESENTATION
Accepted feature films can be exhibited theatrically on DCP. The dates, times, and locations of screenings of selected films is at the discretion of the festival.

SHIPPING WHEN APPLICABLE
1. Once a film has been accepted for participation in the Festival, detailed shipping instructions will be sent to the print supplier.
2. The Festival agrees to cover transportation and insuring prints both ways directly to and from the actual print supplier, or to cover one-way transportation when the print is shipped to or from other festivals.
3. Each print sent to the Festival from outside of Canada enters the country on a Canada Customs "Duty Free Temporary Admissions Permit" and must be returned after the Festival.

LIABILITY
In the case of loss or serious damage to a DCP, the obligation of the Festival is limited to compensating the producer or distributor only to the cost of making a new print or DCP.

Rules

Genre ：Action Comedy War Science fiction Ethics Adventure Crime Family Music Love VR/3D Magic Fantasy Shootout Suspense Youth Inspirational Literary Biography Western Drama others Documentary
Subject ：Unlimited Children Humanistic Animals Food Women Education City Campus Sports Gay Old man Environment Home Political Workplace Special people
Video Format ：AVI HDV MPEG4 DCP MOV MPEG

ELIGIBILITY AND ENTRY
1) Submissions should have been completed after June 1, 2025.
2) Submitted feature films must not have been broadcast, streamed, distributed on VOD/home video, or screened in-person either at another festival or theatrically in the Vancouver area. (The competitive Vanguard section is restricted to World, International, North American and Canadian premieres.) Priority will be given to short films that have not been screened online or in-person at another festival in the Vancouver area.
3) All non-English language submissions must have English subtitles.
4) All applicable licenses and waivers of copyrights, moral rights, trademarks and other such intellectual property rights have been secured by the filmmaker(s)
5) Submission fees are non-refundable.



Evaluation

Jury Profile
Jury Name Judge photos Jury Profile

Authorization type

    Proxy Submission

Duration (several sessions)

    44

Film Festival Features

  • Red Carpet
  • Celebrity Guest
  • Filmscreen
  • Cash prize
  • Trophy
  • Copyright transactions
  • Prize
  • Certificate

Dates & Deadlines

  • 2026-01-20
    Submission start time

  • 2026-04-15
    Earlybird Deadline

  • 2026-05-13
    Regular Deadline

  • 2026-06-03
    Late Deadline

  • 2026-06-03
    Submission end time

  • 2026-08-26
    Finalist notification start time

  • 2026-08-26
    Finalist notification end time

  • 2026-10-01
    Award ceremony start time

  • 2026-10-11
    Award ceremony end time

Categories and fees

  • International Narrative Features
    Video length ：40 - 300
    Open to non-Canadian narrative films with runtimes over 40 minutes.

    2026/04/15
    Earlybird Deadline

    Standard: 60 Dollar

    2026/05/13
    Regular Deadline

    Standard: 70 Dollar

    2026/06/03
    Late Deadline

    Standard: 80 Dollar

    Not available
  • International Documentaries
    Video length ：40 - 300
    Open to non-Canadian nonfiction films with runtimes over 40 minutes.

    2026/04/15
    Earlybird Deadline

    Standard: 60 Dollar

    2026/05/13
    Regular Deadline

    Standard: 70 Dollar

    2026/06/03
    Late Deadline

    Standard: 80 Dollar

    Not available
  • International Shorts
    Video length ：0 - 40
    Open to non-Canadian narrative and nonfiction films with runtimes of 40 minutes or less.

    2026/04/15
    Earlybird Deadline

    Standard: 45 Dollar

    2026/05/13
    Regular Deadline

    Standard: 50 Dollar

    2026/06/03
    Late Deadline

    Standard: 55 Dollar

    Not available

Related film festivalMore

View in the applet

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