Vancouver International Film Festival Early Deadline

Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada

ABOUT THE VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (VIFF)

Vancouver International Film Festival is the home of film and film culture in Western Canada.

Driven by passion and curatorial excellence, VIFF encourages understanding of the world’s cultures through the art of cinema. We believe that film has a unique ability to celebrate the complexity of the human condition and that it is our responsibility to steward that power toward creating meaningful change in our world.

Founded in 1982, The Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society is a not-for-profit cultural organization that operates the internationally acclaimed Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) and the year-round programming of the theatres at the VIFF Centre.

Canadian Submission Categories

• Canadian Narrative Features
  Open to narrative films with runtimes over 25 minutes directed by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident with Canada listed as one of the countries of production OR with 51% or more Canadian financing. Feature length films must not have been broadcast, distributed on VOD/home video, or screened in-person either at another festival or theatrically in the Vancouver area.
• Canadian Documentaries
  Open to nonfiction films with runtimes over 25 minutes directed by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident with Canada listed as one of the countries of production OR with 51% or more Canadian financing. Feature length films must not have been broadcast, distributed on VOD/home video, or screened in-person either at another festival or theatrically in the Vancouver area.
• Canadian Shorts
  Open to narrative and nonfiction films (including animation) with runtimes of 25 minutes or less directed by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident with Canada listed as one of the countries of production OR with 51% or more Canadian financing. VIFF will consider short films that have been made available online.

International Submission Categories

• International Narrative Features
  Open to non-Canadian narrative films with runtimes over 25 minutes. Feature length films must not have been broadcast, distributed on VOD/home video, or screened in-person either at another festival or theatrically in the Vancouver area.
• International Documentaries
  Open to non-Canadian nonfiction films with runtimes over 25 minutes. Feature length films must not have been broadcast, distributed on VOD/home video, or screened in-person either at another festival or theatrically in the Vancouver area.
• International Shorts
  Open to non-Canadian narrative and nonfiction films with runtimes of 25 minutes or less. Short films must not have been screened either at another festival or publicly in the Vancouver area. VIFF will consider short films that have been made available online.

DEADLINES & FEES

Opening Submission Date
January 22, 2025

Notification Date
August 15, 2025

Event Date
October 2 – 12, 2025

Visit the Vancouver International Film Festival website for more information.