Doxa Film Festival

The DOXA Documentary Film Festival features screenings of captivating documentaries in Vancouver. It’s in May at the VIFF Centre and a couple of other theatres.

In 2025 the films run from May 1st to 11th (the last day of which is on Mother’s Day).

This article includes the following information about the festival:

DOXA 2024 Festival | Tickets and How to Watch | Full Programming | Other Information

Vancouver’s DOXA Documentary Film Festival

The DOXA Documentary Film Festival is an annual event that showcases creative documentaries to audiences in Vancouver. The event is organized by The Documentary Media Society which is a non-profit organization based in Vancouver.

The festival has been running since 2001. It features public screenings, live discussions, forums and more. A panel of judges critique all the documentaries and decide on the winners each year. Various awards are usually up for grabs.

In 2025 the DOXA Documentary Film Festival runs from Thursday, May 1st, to Sunday, May 11th.

DOXA Festival

Last year there were over 80 films to enjoy. Most were mid-length or feature films, but there were 34 short films as well. Some of the screenings included live discussions and question and answer sessions.

Tickets and How to Watch

Since the movies have not been assessed by Consumer Protection BC, everyone who attends the in-person screenings must be ages 18+ and a member of The Documentary Media Society. A membership costs $2 and the card has to be shown at the theatre.

On top of the membership (which you just buy once) tickets for in-person screenings cost $16 for adults. Seniors and students cost $14. Last year you could also buy a five-ticket pack for $70 which is valid for any five non-special presentation screenings. Full festival passes for access to all film screenings (except for the Opening Gala) cost $195 per person.

2024 Full Programming

Last year’s in-person screenings took place at four different venues in Vancouver. They were the Vancouver Playhouse, VIFF Centre, the Cinematheque and the SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts. Meanwhile, the social events took place at SFU’s World Arts Centre and The Post at 750.

Featured films at the festival last year included Adrianne & the Castle, nanekawâsis, Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story, Anna, The Real Superstar, and many more. There were films from Canada, USA, France, India, Italy, and other countries.

There were also various in-person events held throughout the run of the festival. These included case studies, discussions, lectures and more with filmmakers and other festival members.

For the full schedule of in-person film screenings and events that happened last year, click 2024 programming. Exact details for the festival in 2025 are to be confirmed.