2026 VIFF Film Festival

The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) is a movie festival that takes place in autumn at various theatres in downtown Vancouver.

In 2026 the festival takes place from October 1st to 11th. Most of the film screenings are at the VIFF Centre on Seymour Street in downtown Vancouver. Many, however, are shown at other theatres too. In total, the festival hosts over 200 film showings and other events.

Note: The VIFF Centre is the theatre venue where the Vancouver International Film Festival is based and where many of its films take place. Located at 1181 Seymour Street, the VIFF Centre hosts other films and events throughout the year as well.

Visit viff.org for the venue and festival’s official website.

This article contains the following information about the Vancouver Film Festival:

Vancouver International Film Festival

Vancouver Film Festival in 2026

The VIFF is one of the largest film festivals in North America. It features 200+ screenings where up to 100,000 people or more attend it each year. In 2026 the festival runs from October 1st to 11th.

The festival showcases internationally-acclaimed and award-winning films as well as lesser known movies. It also boasts the largest selection of Asian-produced films of any festival outside of Asia, and one of the largest collections of Canadian-made productions anywhere.

Many of the films at the VIFF are in English, but a significant number are also in a foreign language with English subtitles. There are typically films from as many as 70+ countries, and all in their original languages.

Visit viff.org for full details about the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Film Festival in Vancouver

2026 marks the 45th anniversary of the VIFF. Featured genres include action movies, comedies, dramas, documentaries, science fiction, horror and more.

In total, there are well over 200 films to enjoy during the festival’s run this year.

Festival Films

The VIFF features numerous films from around the world. This year’s festival includes 85 shorts and 160 feature films.

Films are organized by date, content types, genres, theatre venues and countries of origin to help attendees find movies they might be interested in.

The five movies selected for the “film spotlight” series in 2026 are Crocodile, Nowhere to Lay My Eyes, Rose, The Story of Documentary Film, and Take Me Home. All but one of those films are from outside of North America.

Below are some details on a few of the different series on offer at the VIFF this year. Visit the Vancouver International Film Festival website for the full list of films showing at the festival.

Canadiana Films

There are 16 films in 2026 that were selected to be part of the Northern Lights series. They’re all created by Canadian filmmakers and include a mix of world premieres and touring productions.

Some of the films on offer this year include Ba’s Book, winner of the 2026 Cannes Doc Documentary Magazine Award, the thriller and crime drama A Safe Distance, and Send the Rain, the world premiere of a movie about a Japanese-Canadian woman who takes a road trip through rural BC to visit her grandma who’s beset by wildfires.

BC Feature Films

The BC Spotlight series has some overlap with the Northern Lights series, but also includes other great films that weren’t selected to be featured in the latter series.

These films offer the chance to see Vancouver and other parts of the province on the big screen (without pretending to be somewhere else). There’s a mix of both non-fiction movies (like Man in Motion: The Rick Hansen Story, about the famed Canadian athlete) and fictional ones (like Whatcha Want, about a trophy wife who rediscovers the joy of dancing to try and find her own freedom once again.

Indigenous Films

There are nearly two dozen films in the Indigenous Cinema series in 2026. They cover a wide range of genres and subject matter, and don’t only feature those indigenous to Canada!

While some are set in Canada, like Seventeen which takes place in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, there are plenty of international films in this category. That includes Árru from Norway, A Distant Call from Indonesia, Where the River Begins from Colombia, and more.

Special Presentations

The Special Presentations series includes some of the higher profile films screened at VIFF this year, many of them award-winners at other festivals. That includes Fjord, the Palme d’Or winner at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.

Other notable films in this year’s program are Paweł Pawlikowski’s Fatherland, Peter Farrelly’s I Play Rocky, and Noah Segan’s The Only Living Pickpocket in New York.

Vancouver Film Festival

Film Festival Ticket Prices

Admission prices to the VIFF vary depending on your age and the type of event. 2026 prices are below. Regular screenings range from $17 to $22 per person.

(Note: Prices and other details are subject to change.)

2026 Regular Screenings

Adults: $22
Students/Youth: $19
Seniors (ages 65+): $20
People requiring wheelchair accessible seating: $17

Tickets for VIFF+ members cost $19, or $17 for VIFF+ Premium or Patron members.

Ticket Packs and Festival Passes in 2026

For movie lovers planning to attend multiple film screenings, ticket packs and festival passes are a good way to save money. Below are the regular rates for some of the multi-ticket packages this year. VIFF+ members again get discounted rates.

Six-ticket Pack: $126
10-ticket Pack: $200
Festival Pass: $495
Platinum Pass: $1,300

Note: All ticket packs and passes are subject to availability, so admission to all shows isn’t guaranteed in all cases.

Visit viff.org for tickets and more information about the festival.

Ticket Purchase Options

Tickets can usually be purchased in one of three ways: (1) online, (2) in-person before the festival starts at the box office at 1181 Seymour Street, or (3) during regular box office hours at any of the various participating theatres between the first and last day of the festival.

Vancouver International Film Festival

Film Festival Venues

Some of the theatres that commonly participate in the festival are below.

The Birdhouse – a venue at 44 West 4th Avenue in Vancouver.
Chan Centre – the performing arts center at UBC.
Fifth Avenue Cinemas – at 2110 Burrard Street (near 4th Avenue).
Granville Island Stage – the theatre operated by the Arts Club Theatre Company on Granville Island.
International Village Mall – at 88 West Pender Street (near Chinatown).
Rio Theatre – located at 1660 East Broadway (by Commercial Drive). Note: This is a licensed venue and audience members must be age 19+ and have valid ID.
SFU Woodwards – located at 149 West Hastings Street (near Abbott Street).
The Cinematheque – located at 1131 Howe Street (near Helmcken Street).
Vancouver Playhouse – located at 600 Hamilton Street (near Dunsmuir Street).
HR MacMillan Space Centre – the space museum at Vanier Park.
VIFF Cinema and Studio Theatres – located at 1181 Seymour Street (near Davie Street).

VIFF Live

VIFF Live is a series of events that take place over the course of the main festival. While some include filmmaking elements, they’re live performances that can feature musicians, dancers and multimedia artists.

VIFF Live is not new in 2026, but this year’s festival has a more expanded lineup of live shows to make it a more prominent part of the festival. Tickets to each show typically cost around $35 to $60.

Below is the 2026 VIFF Live schedule. Click Here for details on each of the shows.

Friday, October 2nd: The Last Angel of History: 30th Anniversary Screening at the VIFF Centre
Friday, October 2nd: MUTEK x VIFF Live at the SFU Fei and Milton Wong Theatre
Saturday, October 3rd: The KLF: 23 Seconds to Eternity at the VIFF Centre
Saturday, October 3rd: TAKKUUK with Tarrak + Silla at the SFU Fei and Milton Wong Theatre
Sunday, October 4th: Kelly Moran with Bahar Khazei + XEL at the SFU Fei and Milton Wong Theatre
Monday, October 5th: An Evening with Cristóbal Tapia de Veer at the VIFF Centre
Monday, October 5th: Los Thuthanaka at The Pearl
Tuesday, October 6th: ERASERHEAD XIU XIU at The Rio Theatre
Wednesday, October 7th: Derrick Gee’s Radio Hour at Granville Island Stage
Friday, October 9th: Jóhann Jóhannsson’s Cinematic Suites: The Denis Villeneuve Scores at the Chan Centre

About the Film Festival

The festival is hosted by the Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society which is a non-profit organization that also looks after the year-round programming of the VIFF Cinema at the Vancouver International Film Centre.

More Information

Below is a list of other information that’s good to know.

VIFF Festival Memberships are valid year-round at the VIFF Cinema.
As the majority of VIFF films are not rated, in most cases attendees need to be at least 18 years old (and 19+ for films at The Rio Theatre because it’s a licensed establishment, meaning that alcoholic beverages are available there during the show).
All VIFF films are in their original languages. The ones not in English include English subtitles.

Visit viff.org for tickets and the festival’s official website.