VIFF 2013: Vancouver International Film Festival Preview
byOur fair city is preparing for another incredible year of the Vancouver International Film Festival (“VIFF”) beginning on September 26th. I am very proud to once again be an official VIFF media partner, and a media partner for a hand-picked Canadian film that will screen during the festival (more details on that will follow over the coming weeks). Tickets are on sale today as we lead up to the catalogue launch and the hottest movie — and gala — season in town. Here is a quick VIFF 2013 Preview to get you started:
New VIFF Venues
With the movie theatre landscape changing in Vancouver over the last year there are a few new venue options available for 2013. VIFF now has three distinctive neighbourhoods: Granville and Davie, Commercial and Broadway, Gastown/Crosstown (with the latter offering 3,600 comfortable seats on 6 screens within seven blocks of each other).
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The Centre in Vancouver for the Performing Arts Exceptionally grand and well-provided 1800 seat auditorium with a HUGE screen. International guests will be very impressed. Cineplex Odeon International Village |
Vancouver Playhouse Gracious and Spacious. We’re installing the latest in digital cinema technology. Rio Theatre SFU’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts |
VIFF’s traditional non-profit homes include the Vancity Theatre, VIFF’s own state-of-the-art facility, showing festival films (and serving beer and wine) year-round, and The Cinematheque, VIFF’s treasured neighbour and colleague.
Film Series
Canadian Images
Canadian Images Opener: All the Wrong Reasons on September 27th and September 28th.
Dragons and Tigers
Master director Jia Zhangke’s most popular film yet, A Touch of Sin is a Cannes prize-winning drama shows China’s gangsters, massage parlours, vicious bosses and desperate workers drawn into a whirlwind of violence, passion and vengeance. Winner, Best Screenplay, Cannes 2013.
Information on other series such as Altered States, Arts and Letters, Cinema of Our Time, International Shorts, Non-Fiction Features, Special Presentations, and Spotlight on France will be released in the coming weeks.
Must See BC
Preview. Promote. Vote! As part of the new BC Spotlight program, VIFF 2013 is thrilled to present a dozen feature films from our own creative backyard. The Must See BC campaign invites audiences to preview the lineup, promote BC filmmakers and vote on the must see festival screenings. And there are rewards. Follow the tag #MustSeeBC and @VIFFest on Twitter for more information.
Gala Screenings
Opening Gala
The Canadian premiere of Nebraska, with Bruce Dern, Will Forte, June Squibb, Bob Odenkirk, and Stacy Keach, will open VIFF this year at The Centre for Performing Arts.
BC Spotlight Gala
The BC Spotlight Gala will pay tribute to the late Babz Chula through the screening of Ben Ratner’s Down River — a beautiful example of local storytelling.
Closing Gala
The Face of Love with Annette Bening, Ed Harris, Robin Williams, Amy Brenneman, and Jess Weixler will be screened on October 11th to close out VIFF this year.
Tickets on Sale Now
The online box office is officially open today for ticket packages and passes. The in-person box office will be open on September 14th. The VIFF Mini Guide is available online as PDF download or around town and the full program catalogue will be on sale September 19th.
Be sure to follow along on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest festival information.
