VIFF Opening and Closing Gala Films for 2016
byThe 35th annual Vancouver International Film Festival (“VIFF”) has announced the Canadian co-production Maudie, about real-life Nova Scotian artist Maud Lewis, will be its Opening Night film and the Terrence Malick IMAX documentary, The Voyage of Time: The IMAX Experience as its Closing Night film. The two films exemplify both the exceptional content being produced in this country, and the ambitious artistry of today’s filmmakers bound to inspire audiences during VIFF, which runs from September 29th to October 14th.
VIFF Opening Gala Film
September 29, 2016: Maudie stars Sally Hawkins as the arthritic artist who overcame her physical disability to become one of Canada’s most famous folk artists. Ethan Hawke co-stars as her husband in this story of perseverance. Director Aisling Walsh will be on-hand to introduce the film.
VIFF Closing Gala Film
October 14, 2016: Coinciding with VIFF’s 35th anniversary, The Voyage of Time: The IMAX Experience took almost four decades to come to fruition and was shot in 35mm at the hands of auteur Terrence Malick. The documentary, narrated by co-producer Brad Pitt, transforms the birth of the universe into pure visual spectacle.
Special Guests
VIFF also unveiled this week, a sampling of the hundreds of guests that are expected to attend the festival. Spiritual author and public speaker Eckhart Tolle will make the world premiere of Milton’s Secret on September 30th, which is based off Tolle’s book of the same name. The actors of the film, Mia Kirshner, David Sutcliffe, and William Ainscough will be joining him.
On October 1st, writer-director Nate Parker is expected to attend for his film, The Birth of a Nation, which he also stars in. Meanwhile, Canadian actress Tatiana Maslany is expected to present the drama The Other Half. Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files, will be honoured with the Industry Builder Award for his sustainable production methods on The X-Files revival season at the Sustainable Production Forum on October 7. Finally, Canadian musician and actor John Mann will attend the BC Spotlight Awards Gala screening of Spirit Unforgettable on October 8th.
Tickets
Screening tickets start at $15. Passes and ticket packs became available online September 1st, with single tickets available online starting September 8th and in-person September 15th. Tickets for talks and events will also be available at this time. All tickets will be available for purchase at online.
Each year VIFF relies on the hard work of more than 1,000 volunteers to assist in running the festival. Volunteer registration is now open. Follow VIFF on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more information about the festival, its events, special guests, and films.
