The Vancouver International Film Festival 2017

The Vancouver International Film Festival attracted over 150,000 people watching films from 70 countries on nine screens

Credit: Paul Duchart

Coery Ouellet, Lucas Talent agent/manager; and Stephanie Renwick, VIFF team leader hospitality

More than 150,000 people watched films from 70 countries

This year’s festival attracted an audience of over 150,000 people from September 28 until October 13, 2017. Films from 70 countries played on nine screens , and access to the festival parties was the hot ticket. The VIFF opening gala at the Vancouver Club got the party started, followed by the Lighthouse Pictures party at the Imperial on Main Street. The BC Spotlight party at the Blackbird Public House on Dunsmuir closed down the festival along with the Women in Film + Television Vancouver at Library Square and the closing gala at the Centre for Performing Arts.

Showing more than 350 films, VIFF treated audiences to fiction, documentary and genre-defying films, leaving viewers in awe of creators from around the world and the filmmaking talent that exists here in Canada. In terms of admissions and number of films screened, VIFF is among the five largest film festivals in North America. The international lineup includes the pick of the world’s top filmfests and many undiscovered gems.

Credit: Paul Duchart

PoChu AuYeung, VIFF program manager, international films; and Alan Franey, VIFF director international film program

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Andrew Jha, Finale Post VP sales; and Don Thompson, Finale Post president

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Zach Lipovsky, Mech-X4 executive producer/director; and Esther Cohen, Carrier Talent Management agent

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Walter Daroshin, Leo Awards founder; and his daughter, Tamara Daroshin, stunt performer

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Helen Yagi, VIFF publicist; and Jason James, director of VIFF film Entanglement

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Dawn Fry, Acton Ostry Architects business development; her husband, Green party city council candidate Pete Fry; Camille Sullivan, actress on CTV’s The Disappearance; her husband, Jimmy Sigmund, DTES outreach worker

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Barbara Small; Sandy Wilson, award-winning filmmaker; and Leonard Schein, Ecojustice board member and Coast Mental Health Foundation chair

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Charles Wilkinson, Haida Gwaii: On the Edge of the World producer/director; Tina Schliessler, producer; Kevin Eastwood, executive producer; and Roger Larry, Relevision founder and Cool Daddy director

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Aisling Gearney, Vancouver Economic Commission senior account manager; Claire Campbell, Vancouver Economic Commission marketing and branding co-ordinator; and Lisa-Jane Hayfron, freelance PR

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Agam Darshi, Dirk Gently actress; Juan Riedinger, VIFF film Once There Was a Winter actor; Jennifer Spence, UBCP nominated actress You Me Her; and her husband, Ben Ratner, UBCP nominated actor Ganjy, appearing in upcoming film Wonder

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Justine Warrington, Richard Says Goodbye actress; and Kryshan Randel, Feel Like Jumping director

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Ari Wise, Core Music Agency principal and VIFF composer for Public Schooled and Unarmed Verses; and his wife, Pamela Wise, Premiere Talent Management manager

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Terry McEvoy, VIFF Canadian Images programmer; and Gabrielle Cendese, Corner Gas Animated TV series actress

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Michael Eklund, Dirk Gently/Wynonna Earp actor; and Paul Duchart, Fifty Shades Freed/Van Helsing actor

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Nettie Wild, Uninterrupted documentary filmmaker that screened under Cambie Street Bridge this summer; Dennis Foon, VIFF film Indian Horse screenwriter; Sandy Wilson, award-winning filmmaker; and Paul Armstrong, Cool Daddy producer and Crazy 8s executive director

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Lizzy Karp, Telus Storyhive marketing; and her husband, Pat Kelly, Kelly & Kelly partner

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Mackenzie Gray, Dirk Gently/Legion/Riverdale actor; and Fiona Vroom, Altered Carbon/Dirk Gently/Man in High Castle actress

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Sabrina Furminger, The Westender Reel People columnist; Chris Ainscough, Crow Music principal and composer; and Nicole Oliver, My Little Pony voice actress and Wonder film actress

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Ken Hegan, Blast Radius senior copywriter and independent filmmaker; Samantha Stanway, Aquilini Brands brand manager; and Paul Martin, Peacock & Martin Fine Wine Spirits & Beer principal

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Cameron Grierson, 13 Miles/Dragged Across Concrete actor; and his agent, Ally Copeland, Premiere Talent Management

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Paloma Kwiatkowski, Richard Says Goodbye actress; Alex Barima, Exorcist series regular/Public Schooled actor; Michael Karl Richards, Chesapeake Shores actor; and Carrie Lloyd, talent agent

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Riaz Meghji, Breakfast Television host; and his wife, Lori Massini, entertainment lawyer

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Kailey and Samantha Spear, Spear Sisters Productions

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Alex Cendese, actor/writer/producer; his wife, Gabrielle Cendese, Corner Gas Animated actress; and Steve Bacic, Wonder actor

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Shannon Kohli, The Magicians director; and her husband, Craig Powell, Once Upon a Time/The Exorcist camera operator

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Leeta Liepins, Our City Tonight co-host; and Jody Ivanick, AAREA director of investments

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Daniel Elias, Integral Artists agent; and Nicole Oliver, My Little Pony voice actress and Wonder film actress

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Adrian Holmes, 19-2/Arrow/Skyscraper actor, is interviewed on the red carpet

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Tiera Skovbye, Riverdale actress; Emily Haine, Gregoire actress; and Alex Duncan, The Magicians actress

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The Crazy 8s team: Stephanie Habler, co-producer; Paul Armstrong, executive director; and Julie Bruns, associate producer

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Danielle Bilodeau, CUE Agency owner; Bryce Hollweg, The MRG Group director of Operations; and Jennifer Paterson, KC Talent talent agent

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Mitch Ainley, The Magicians actor; and Candace Fulton, Kirk Talent agent

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Jason Whyte, CFAX 1070 and eFilmcritic movie reviewer and promoter; Sage Brocklebank, actor; and Roger Larry, Relevision principal and Cool Daddy director

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Kiran Sancious, fashion designer; and Lesley Diana, The Promotions People principal

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Grace Chin, Vancouver Asian Film Festival director; and Charles Singh, actor/producer

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Shawn Tagseth, Demonware developer; and S. Siobhan McCarthy, Red Trike Media Inc. filmmaker/executive producer

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VIFF award winners James Brown, Never Steady, Never Still producer; and Kathleen Hepburn, Never Steady, Never Still director

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Lilloet Fox, singer/actress; and Katrin Bowen, writer/director

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From the film Dangers of Online Dating: Tony Giroux, actor; Annabel Maclean, actress; Peter New, actor

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Esther Cohen, Carrier Talent agent; Zach Lipovsky, Mech-X4 director and executive producer; and Chad McMillan, actor/producer/venture capitalist

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Theresa Tran, Vancouver Magazine media consultant and sales co-ordinator; Valerie Tian, Deadshack actress; and Tracy Pham, Norsat International marketing and communications specialist

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Shane Koyczan, award-winning spoken word poet and author, featured in the BC Spotlight film; and Julie Rogers

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Alison Boulier, VIFF Telus photographer

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Don Fiorvento, lawyer; and Stephanie Schiffner, actress/musician

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Robyn Weiner, Synergy Cinema owner/producer and production manager; and Sarah Kalil, Women in Film & TV Vancouver president

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Melanie Rose Wilson, actress; Katharine Goodenow, actress; Nalani Wakita, actress; and Shannon Kehler, actress

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Lauren Stanley, Savoury Chef Foods corporate events sales specialist; and Megan Mauracher, Vancouver Film School marketing co-ordinator

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Willie Aames, actor/filmmaker; and Winnie Hung, UBCP executive board director

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The closing gala at the Centre for Performing Arts

Credit: Paul Duchart

The closing gala at the Centre for Performing Arts