Doxa Film Festival

The DOXA Documentary Film Festival features screenings of captivating documentaries in Vancouver. Last year it happened as both a virtual and drive-in event.

Dates for the festival in 2022 are May 5th to 15th. This year it takes place as a hybrid event with both in-person and online films.

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 put together by The Documentary Media Society which is a non-profit organization based in Vancouver.

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

In 2021, the DOXA Documentary Film Festival happened as an online and drive-in event between May 6th and 16th. The festival takes place from May 5th until the 15th in 2022, with both online and in-person screenings.

DOXA Film Festival — Drive-in Movies During the Pandemic

Hybrid DOXA 2022 Festival

Similar to the last couple years the 2022 DOXA Documentary Film Festival is set to take place in a modified format due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In 2022 there are nearly 80 films with 55 feature documentaries as well as a number of short documentaries. Live and pre-recorded special events like question and answer sessions and social events are also available.

All of the films are available to watch online during the run of the festival. They are also all shown in-person at various venues in including at the Vancity Theatre (a.k.a. the VIFF Centre or Vancouver International Film Festival Centre).

Tickets and How to Watch

It’s possible to watch any and all of the 2022 DOXA films both online and in-person. Because the movies screened have not been assessed by Consumer Protection BC, everyone who sees them in-person must be ages 18+ and a member of The Documentary Media Society. A membership costs $2 and the card must be shown at the theatre.

On top of the membership (which you need to just buy once) tickets for in-person screenings costs $15 for adults. Seniors and students cost $13. You can also buy a five-ticket pack for $65 which is valid for any five non-special presentation screenings.

The online screenings work a little differently. Each film can be watched at any point from May 5th to 15th, but once admission is purchased it’s only valid for 48 hours. It costs $10 to watch a film or $8 for seniors and students.

For those who want to see as many movies as possible there is the online pass. This costs $75 and gives access to every movie the festival offers. For each one you have 48 hours from when you push play to finish it and the films are all available for one viewing.

Note: Online content of the 2022 festival is only accessible to people in Canada. Prices above exclude additional fees and are subject to change.

2022 Special Presentations

There are four special presentations taking place in 2022. These films are scheduled to be screened along with a Q&A discussion with the filmmakers, giving more insight into their content and the production process.

Below are the special presentation films for this year.

Fire of Love – the story of two volcanologists who explore potentially dangerous sites all over the world.
Love in the Time of Fentanyl – a documentary covering the work of the Overdose Protection Society in Vancouver over the last few years.
Dear Jackie – an exploration of Black life in Montreal, filmed in black and white and created as an ode to Jackie Robinson.
Doug and the Slugs and Me – a biography of Doug Bennett, an East Vancouver musician, created by a childhood best friend of one Bennett’s children.

Doxa Film Festival Outside Vancity Theatre — Vancity Theatre / VIFF Centre

2022 Full Programming

The 2022 in-person screenings take place at four different venues in Vancouver. They are the Vancouver Playhouse, the Cinematheque, the VIFF Centre (Vancity Theatre) and the SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts.

Within the dozens of films on offer there are multiple curated programs. One of them is French French, which shows work by directors Mariana Otero and François Caillat as well as newer French artists. Another is MÈRE. GRANDMOTHER. BABUSHKA., which explores the role and various representations of the “Grandmother Figure” in film.

There are also various in-person events held throughout the run of the festival. The majority of them take place at either the SFU World Arts Centre or The Post at 750. These include panel discussions, lectures, workshops and more with filmmakers and other festival members.

For the full schedule of in-person film screenings and events click 2022 programming.