7 minute read
Letters of Welcome
A message from the Prime Minister of Canada
Dear Friends:
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I am pleased to extend my warmest greetings to everyone attending the 2021 Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF).
This much-anticipated event offers a wonderful opportunity to experience some of the best cinema from around the world. I am certain that everyone in attendance will be entertained and engaged by the diverse selection of films being screened during this 40th anniversary edition of VIFF, and that the many talks, workshops, performances, and other events planned for this year’s festival will enhance the experience for everyone involved.
It continues to be a challenging time for planning and hosting events. That is why I would like to thank the festival organizers and volunteers for their hard work and dedication in ensuring this year’s VIFF could still take place. Your efforts ensure the continued success of this outstanding event.
Please accept my best wishes for a memorable experience.
Sincerely,
The Rt. Hon. Justin P. J. Trudeau, P.C., M.P.
A message from the Premier of British Columbia
As Premier of the Province of British Columbia, I’m pleased to welcome everyone to the 2021 Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF).
Over the past 40 years, the Vancouver International Film Festival has grown into an internationally renowned festival that showcases BC as a vibrant cultural destination and promotes our local film industry. After an innovative online festival last year, it is wonderful to see audiences safely welcomed back to in-cinema screenings at the newly renovated VIFF Centre and partner theatres throughout Vancouver.
I would like to recognize the numerous organizers, volunteers, adjudicators, and sponsors whose hard work and dedication to film have made this event such a success for the last four decades. I have no doubt that this year’s selection of diverse films and powerful stories from Canadian and international filmmakers will impress fans and critics alike, and I congratulate the filmmakers and all those involved in the productions for their inclusion in this prestigious event.
Enjoy the festival!
Honourable John Horgan
A message from the Mayor of Vancouver
On behalf of the City of Vancouver and my colleagues on City Council, I want to extend my congratulations to the organizers of the 40th annual Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF).
Film is a multifaceted art form that gives power to its storytellers, allowing us to gain insight and understanding into the distinct perspectives of the people who make them. This year’s VIFF program will showcase a vibrant blend of international selections from every corner of the globe. These films come from some of the world’s boldest creators, including inspired work from Canadian storytellers. VIFF is also an opportunity to learn more about these films through engaging and interactive conversations with the filmmakers.
Thank you and congratulations to the filmmakers, artists, organizers, and volunteers for another successful year of VIFF.
Mayor Kennedy Stewart
A message from the Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport
Welcome to the 40th Vancouver International Film Festival. What an outstanding milestone for one of the most prestigious film festivals.
VIFF celebrates the world’s differences and diversity through film, right in our own backyard. Undeniably, the COVID-19 pandemic shined a light on the importance of the arts as an instrument for bringing people and communities together. I know it’s been a challenging year, but as they say, the show must go on. I am so happy for the organizers, artists, fans, and volunteers that we can finally return to the screenings in person.
B.C. is home to the best creative talent and vibrant arts communities. Congratulations on pulling together the best of our province’s storytellers and visionaries.
Now is our opportunity to restore our sense of hope and optimism through the powerful and visionary work VIFF promises.
T’ooyaksim’ N’iisim’
Honourable Melanie Mark Hli Haykwhl Ẃii X _ sgaak
A celebration of artistry in film, festivals provide an important venue to showcase Canadian creativity across the country and beyond. That is why we are proud to support the Vancouver International Film Festival! Congratulations on your 40th anniversary!
This past year more than ever, Canada has shown the many innovative and resourceful ways in which we make our audiovisual sector thrive. We have given the world many reasons to take notice of Canada and why we continue to be a partner of choice!
Our mission to foster and elevate authentic storytelling from Canadians of all backgrounds, especially those of underrepresented communities, is more pressing than ever before. At Telefilm, our priority to create a more representative screen-based industry continues as our efforts across all our initiatives, including our funding programs, increase.
Stronger together, I want to thank and congratulate the Vancouver International Film Festival for continuing its work of uplifting a diversity of voices through films and celebrating the brilliance of Canadian content at home and around the world.
As always, continue to watch Canadian films wherever they are available and tell others to do the same!
Christa Dickenson
A message from the Chief Executive Officer of Creative BC
Congratulations from all of us at Creative BC on 40 dynamic editions of the Vancouver International Film Festival! VIFF is one of the world’s most prominent festivals and we are pleased to support ongoing clever adaptations, but we are most excited to be hosted again in person.
Creative BC is devoted to uniting and championing the success of BC’s creative industries. We are proud to support a local festival with such a long history of engagement, growth, and innovation. VIFF has truly anchored a culture of film in this province, connecting the local ecosystem nationally and internationally with diverse creators and audiences since its inception in 1982.
VIFF has always played a vital role in our community, highlighting vibrant storytelling and diverse voices, strengthening our province’s reputation and brand as a premier destination and leader in motion pictures.
Our sincerest congratulations to the team and volunteers at VIFF! Thank you for your courageous creativity and commitment to us in BC and beyond. It is wonderful that for this momentous anniversary you will bring BC together in-person once again, while using newfound digital capacities to maintain accessibility across the province to the best in domestic and international film for 2021.
Prem Gill
A message from the Executive Director and Board Chair of VIFF
We are delighted to welcome you to the 40th edition of the Vancouver International Film Festival.
The past eighteen months have been challenging for everyone. Arts organizations like ours have been stretched to their limits, fighting for survival amidst great uncertainty. Despite considerable roadblocks, our remarkable team has adapted the festival experience for our ever-changing world.
The 40th festival boasts a more focused, carefully considered program. Our in-cinema offerings will be complemented by an online program, sharing the majority of our lineup with anyone unable, or unready, to attend in person.
VIFF will also be presenting in-person screenings beyond the downtown core. For the first time, we’ll share our films and love of cinema with audiences in Powell River, Terrace, and West Vancouver. This is the first step in an ambitious long-term plan to share our films, filmmakers, and stories with every corner of the province.
We’re proud to bring the very best international films to Vancouver, expanding our perspective and offering us inspiration. Likewise, VIFF features incredible local films that bring our artists, culture, and stories to the global stage.
Many thanks to our partners, sponsors, staff, and many incredible volunteers for making this happen. We also acknowledge and thank our dedicated board members who have supported the changes as they emerged. And, we thank you for joining us. Together we’re bringing art back to the community, and the community back to the arts.
2022 OUTBACK WILDERNESS
