The Vancouver International Black Film Festival is a film festival that showcases Black films from Canada as well as other countries from around the world.

The 2024 festival takes place online and at Vancity Theatre from December 13th to the 17th. All films star black actors and/or have black directors or producers.

Visit vancouverblackfilmfest.com for tickets and full details about the festival.

The Vancouver International Black Film Festival (VIBFF)

The Vancouver International Black Film Festival celebrates its fourth year in 2024. It provides a platform for Black films while also hosting different workshops and panels to help grow the film industry and create more interest in Black-run productions.

The festival takes place in a hybrid format. Most of the films are available to watch online for the duration of the festival, and many of them also show in-person at the Vancity Theatre, known as the VIFF Centre, located at 1181 Seymour Street in downtown Vancouver. The theatre is also the home of the Vancouver International Film Festival in late September and early October.

The Vancouver International Black Film Festival takes place from December 13th to 17th in 2024. Continue reading below to learn about this year’s films and events.

For tickets and full details about the festival visit the VIBFF website.

2024 Festival Films

The 2024 festival showcases 35 different films, including both short films and feature length productions. One highlight is the award-winning Being Black in Canada short film series. Films to enjoy on the big screen include Sway, Baby Girl and Fight Like A Girl. The VIBFF Black Market, meanwhile, features a number of events with guest speakers and thought leaders from the filmmaking industry.

Events Schedule

The VIBFF schedule as of mid-November is listed below. Exact details are subject to change. For the latest information, see the official VIBFF 2024 Schedule.

Friday, December 13th, 2024

Fight Like A Girl – a feature film about a Congolese woman who escapes her captors and joins an all-women boxing club. Directed by Matthew Leutwyler, the movie stars Ama Qamata, Hakeem Kae_Kazim and Clark Ntambwe. This opening event happens in-person at the Vancity Theatre starting at 7:00 pm. The film isn’t available for online viewing.

Fight Like a Girl Film — Fight Like a Girl at VIBFF in 2024

Saturday, December 14th, 2024

Visualizing Success: The Impact of Storyboards on Production Teams – a workshop led by Kay Shioma Metchie and Heron Hanuman. Participants learn about the importance of storyboarding in the creative process. There are also practical tips to use in future projects. The workshop takes place at the VIFF Studio Theatre at 11:00 am.
Beyond the Lens: Addressing Lighting and Styling Challenges for BIPOC Talent – a panel about overcoming filming challenges faced by BIPOC talent. Moderated by Grace Shutti, the speakers include Lily Yawson, Suvikram Bedi and Jason Pillay. This event happens at VIFF Studio Theatre at 12:30 pm.
Being Black in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver – a series of short films show at Vancity Theatre at 1:00 pm. There are eleven different films at the event. They are self-contained stories about being Black in Canadian cities.
Being Black in Montreal, Ottawa and Halifax – another series of short films at Vancity Theatre at 3:30 pm. This event showcases ten films from three different Canadian cities.
Spotlight Stories: Film Industry Q&A Series – a panel of directors, producers, writers and other experts from the industry share their learnings and experiences at 2:00 pm.
Sway – another feature film screening at Vancity Theatre. Starting at 8:00 pm, this film follows a man who transformed a violent neighbourhood into a safe place. Unfortunately, his life begins to crumble around him.
La Hembrita (Baby Girl) – a feature film from the Dominican Republic about a woman taking in a girl whose mother vanished. The screening takes place at 6:00 pm at the Vancity Theatre.

La Hembrita at Vancouver Black Film Festival — La Hembrita in 2024

Sunday, December 15th, 2024

Online Narrative Short Series – seven different narrative short films are available to watch online. There are films from Canada, America, Brazil, France and Curacao.
Curating Cinematic Experiences: The Film Programmer’s Role in Festival Sessions – an online question and answer session starting at 3:00 pm. Moderated by Juliet Mawusi, this event features Jean-François Méan. Online attendees get to learn about the role of a film programmer and how important aspects of each event are selected.

For tickets and full details about the festival visit the VIBFF website.

Admission Prices

There are various types of passes and tickets available in 2024.

Tickets for in-person screenings cost about $12 per person, except for the opening night event which costs $20 each. For folks wanting to attend all in-person events, there’s an all-access pass available for $39. People who only plan on watching films online can purchase the online version of the pass for $45.