Lineup for 2023 VIFF revealed ahead of the 1st fully in-cinema event since the pandemic

Movie lovers in Vancouver are getting their first look at the Vancouver International Film Festival’s 2023 roster, weeks ahead of the official opening date on Sept. 28.

Organizers of the 42nd annual event revealed the lineup on Wednesday, one day before online ticket sales open to the general public.

This year will be the first time since 2019 that VIFF will be a fully in-cinema event, after three years of hybrid festivals due to the pandemic."

On top of the 130 feature films and 100 short films that will be screened during the 11-day festival, VIFF has expanded this year’s program to include live events, performances and exhibitions.

Among the new additions are “Leading Lights,” a selection of international films curated by filmmaker Anthony Shim, and “Women, Life and Freedom” a thematic exploration of cinema by guest programmer Fay Nass of frank theatre company.

Another inaugural event for the festival, “VIFF Live: The Ironworks Series,” invites four artists to perform “boundary-defying” works in Gastown’s Ironworks venue.

“The 2023 film lineup speaks to the themes that are most pressing in our daily lives today, from intimate meditations on motherhood and the dynamics of family to the extensive impacts of climate change on the world around us,” reads a statement from VIFF’s organizers.

The featured films are broken up into 11 categories, such as “Special Presentations: The year’s most anticipated films,” and “Vanguard: Rising international talents.”

Shorter works are categorized based on whether they’re Canadian, international or experimental.

Some standout offerings from the “VIFF Talks” series are “Welcome to Barbie Land,” featuring creative duo Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer, who recently worked on Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie.

The podcast Canadaland will also be hosting a live taping as part of the 2023 VIFF.

In Wednesday’s release, VIFF’s executive director, Kyle Fostner, acknowledged that the festival will be happening during tumultuous time for the film industry, due to ongoing strikes by writers and actors in the U.S.

However, he says VIFF's organizers are excited to bring audiences and industry professionals together again, and “to experience the power and potential film can have as a healing, inspiring and uplifting experience.”

The full festival lineup is now available on VIFF's website, as is information about tickets—which can be bought individually or in discounted packs.

Curtis Voloshuk, VIFF’s director of programming, says this year’s film lineup was selected by one of the largest programming teams the event has seen in years.

“It’s our sincere hope that the result is a program that will resonate with more Vancouverites than ever before,” said Voloshuk in the statement.