Vancouver International Film Festival Kicks Off Tomorrow; Top 10 Must-See Films Announced

The Vancouver International Film Festival kicks off tomorrow and it's expanding the frame of the film festival model by offering attendees a multidimensional approach to the film industry that is immersive, experiential and interactive.

VIFF knows that choosing what to see and do can be difficult but have no fear, they have your top 10 must-see films and events to get you ready for the festival!

TOP 10 MUST SEE FILMS AT VIFF

Meditation Park*Opening Night Gala*
Maria (Cheng Pei Pei) has spent decades of devoted marriage dutifully excusing the prejudices and vices of her husband (Tzi Ma). But when she discovers another woman's thong in his pocket, she embarks on some unintentionally comic sleuthing which soon introduces her to new East Vancouver communities and ultimately sets her on the course to self-discovery. Mina Shum makes an inspired return to narrative feature filmmaking with this richly detailed, emotionally rewarding and unmistakably Vancouver story.
THU SEPT 28, 7:00 PM, THE CENTRESAT SEPT 30, 12:30 PM, PLAYHOUSEWED OCT 11, 6:15 PM, RIO

The Hidden Sword*Special Presentation*
In 1933, Chinese soldiers led by Shen Feixue defeat a Japanese attack on the Great Wall using only swords. But Shen disappears, and an imposter takes his place. Allied with the glamorous and lethal beauty Zhihui, they try to steal Master Kong's ultimate sword techniques. But heroic young Kong Dingyi stands in their way. China's new master of elegant chivalric swordplay, Xu Haofeng, spices brilliantly choreographed action with sparkling eroticism in this dazzling, star-studded, comic-action masterpiece.
WED OCT 4, 9:00 PM, PLAYHOUSESAT OCT 7, 2:30 PM, THE CENTREWED OCT 11, 9:00 PM, RIO

The Green Fog - A San Francisco Fantasia*Special Presentation*
This multi-experiential, visual and sound collage by award-winning filmmaker and cultural iconoclast Guy Maddin in collaboration with brothers Evan and Galen Johnson (The Forbidden Room, Seances) re-imagines Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo. Originally commissioned by SFFILM with support from Nion McEvoy and Stanford Live, this must-attend event features the world-renowned Kronos Quartet performing live the score composed by Jacob Garchik.
TUE OCT 10, 8:00 PM, THE CENTRE

Indian Horse*Special Presentation*
In this moving adaptation of Richard Wagamese's novel, Stephen Campanelli condemns Canada's most deplorable transgression while celebrating our national game's transcendent power. Languishing in a residential school, Saul Indian Horse finds salvation on a sheet of ice. But while a preternatural hockey sense lets him slip bodychecks with a dancer's grace, he can't evade the ramifications of past abuses. Saul's strength in this struggle is a testament to the Indigenous peoples' indomitable spirit.
SAT SEPT 30M 6:30 PM, PLAYHOUSEMON OCT 2, 1:45 PM, INTL VILLAGE 10WED OCT 11, 9:00 PM, PLAYHOUSE

Lady Bird*Special Presentation*
Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson (Saorise Ronan) is in her senior year at a Catholic high school in Sacramento, a city she sarcastically dubs "the Midwest of California." Running the full gamut of teenage emotions, she falls in and out of love; reaches an apex with her best friend (Beanie Feldstein), only to shift away afterwards; and battles over just about everything with her overworked mother (Laurie Metcalf), who is antagonized because of her frustrating frugality and her legitimate concern for Christine's post-secondary future.
MON OCT 9, 4:00 PM THE CENTRE

Borg vs. McEnroe*Special Presentation*
At the grand old age of 25, Borg is on course for his fifth straight Wimbledon title. His patient, unflappable style and impeccable technique have made him unbeatable. But McEnroe, at 21, is aggressive, brilliant and unpredictable, and he's ready to put his stamp on Centre Court. Director Janus Metz comes from documentary (including the intense Afghan war doc Armadillo), but he shoots the game in ways we have never seen before and elicits superb performances from Shia LaBeouf as McEnroe and Sverrir Gudnason (an uncanny lookalike) as Borg. The always-excellent Stellan Skarsgård is the Swede's trainer and mentor. It's the first tennis movie to truly ace it.
SAT OCT 7, 8:45 PM, CENTRE FOR ARTS WED OCT 11, 6:30 PM, CENTRE FOR ARTSFRI OCT 13, 3:30 PM, PLAYHOUSE

The Square*Special Presentation*
Ruben Östlund's (Force Majeure, VIFF 14) hilarious yet deadly serious satire sees selfish Swedish art curator Christian (Claes Bang, perfect) preparing an upcoming piece called The Square, an interactive work described as "a sanctuary of trust and caring." Hardly... Soon things are spiralling out of control in Christian's personal and professional life. "A potent, disturbing work that explores the boundaries of political correctness, artistic liberty and free speech in provocative ways."-Hollywood Reporter
FRI SEP 29, 9:00 PM, CENTRE FOR ARTS TUE OCT 3, 3:15 PM, PLAYHOUSE

Call Me By Your Name*Special Presentation*
In the summer of 1983, "somewhere in Northern Italy," Elio (Timothée Chalamet), the 17-year-old son of an American archeology professor (Michael Stuhlbarg), lounges, reads, composes and shows a slight interest in a local girl his age. But then his father's apprentice washes up on the Mediterranean coast. Oliver (Armie Hammer) is a chef d'oeuvre with an impressive physique, and Elio's ploy to pass the time is diverted just as his passions reach full bloom. A visceral urge, consummated in a late-night dance to the propulsive rhythms of The Psychedelic Furs' "Love my Way," brings their desires to the forefront and heightens the boy's dilemma of denial: "Is it better to speak, or die?"
THUR OCT 5, 9:00 PM, THE CENTRESUN OCT 8, 9:00 PM, THE CENTRETHUR OCT 12, 3:15 PM, THE CENTRE

Mountain*NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE - Special Presentation*
Scale the heights with this breathtaking, immersive documentary, as director Jennifer Peedom takes us up the peaks in her exploration of mountain climbing. Along for the thrill ride are Richard Tognetti and his Australian Chamber Orchestra, who give us a succession of rousing pieces to carry us through the journey. Narrated by Willem Dafoe and graced with some moments of quieter beauty to go with the thrills, this is doc filmmaking at its most powerful and a big-screen experience if ever there was one.
SUN OCT 8, 4:00 PM, THE CENTRETHURS OCT 12, 6:30 PM, THE CENTRE

Happy End*Special Presentation*
When her older lover Orlando (Francisco Reyes) dies suddenly, transgendered Marina (a stunning Daniela Vega) faces horrible prejudice from officials investigating his death-and worse from the man's family. Director Sebastián Lelio (VIFF 13 standout Gloria) has fashioned a radiant tribute to one woman's strength. "Five Stars! [This] trans tale stands alongside Almodóvar... It may be a timely film, but it is its timelessness, as well as its depths of compassion, that qualify it as a great one."-Guardian
TUES OCT 3, 6:15 PM, THE CENTRETHURS OCT 5, 3:30 PM, THE CENTRESUN OCT 8, 6:15 PM, THE CENTRE

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