Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) 2004Vancouver, British Columbia, USASeptember 23 October 8, 2004Deadline: June 15, 2004
The 23rd annual Vancouver International Film Festival encourages the understanding of other nations through the art of cinema, to foster the art of cinema, to facilitate the meeting in British Columbia of cinema professionals from around the world, and to stimulate the motion picture industry in British Columbia and Canada. More than 150,000 people attended 500 screenings of more than 300 films from more than 50 countries. In 2003 there were a record 261 feature and mid-length films, plus 85 shorts.
The broad spectrum of fiction and nonfiction films from around the world is divided into the following sections:
* Cinema of Our TimeFeaturing the best new cinema from around the world. Last year 61 films from 29 countries were presented, 17 of which were North American or International Premieres.* Canadian Imagesthe biggest showcase of Canadian film in the world. At VIFF 2003 there were 95 Canadian films, including a record 35 features, four mid-lengths and 58 shorts. Deadline: June 15, 2004* Dragons and Tigers: The Cinemas of East Asiathe largest annual exhibition of East Asian films outside Asia; 61 films were screened last year, including three world premieres, 26 international premieres, eight North American premieres, six Canadian premieres, and one English-Canadian premiere.* Nonfiction Features - Vancouver film fest-goers love documentary films in 2002 documentaries won both popularity-based awards, while last year another, The Corporation, was named the Most Popular Canadian film. The 2003 program included a record 68 feature-length documentaries, including three world premieres, eight international premieres, seven North American premieres and 14 Canadian premieres.* Spotlight on FranceThis annual sidebar celebrates the unique achievements of Frances strong national cinema.* Archival SeriesLast year's series, Los Angeles Plays Itself, provided a look at the unique relationship between the world's most famous film city and it's dominant industry.Theme
Coinciding with the festival will be the 19th annual Film and Television Trade Forum, September 22-25. The forum brings together some of the world's leading experts in the field. New Filmmakers Day is September 25.
The entry deadline for international submissions is July 5, 2004. For more information, visit www.viff.org.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
