Celebrating its 31st year, the Victoria Film Festival (VFF) 2025 returns from February 7–16, showcasing creative voices and diverse stories from Vancouver Island, Canada, and around the world.
The festival features an exciting lineup of events, including the Opening Gala and SpringBoard, where filmmakers and industry professionals come together to connect and collaborate. Audiences will also enjoy a selection of the finest Canadian and international films.
Sandra Oh from CAN I GET A WITNESS? Photo credit: Ed Araquel
Here’s a look at the B.C. films featured at this year’s festival.
ARI’S THEME
Directed by Nathan Drillot & Jeff Lee Petry
Ari Kinarthy’s existence is marked by worry and vigilance around his health, as he struggles with spinal muscular atrophy which has progressively weakened his muscles and left him vulnerable to infection and sickness. Yet he was born with the soul of an artist and a passion for music and remains curious and eager to collaborate with other musicians despite his limited physical strength. Anticipating the end of his life, Ari has an ambitious goal: to create music that will capture his experiences and memories and to leave a legacy through which people will remember him.
ARTHUR ERICKSON: BEAUTY BETWEEN THE LINES
Directed by Danny Berish, Ryan Mah
This documentary weaves together the complexities of Erickson’s life, his visionary business, and his iconic buildings, offering a profoundly personal portrait of one of the most influential and celebrated architects of our time.
BETWEEN PICTURES: THE LENS OF TAMIO WAKAYAMA
Directed by Cindy Mochizuki
The film paints a riveting portrait of the Japanese-Canadian photographer’s life through an eclectic blend of archival footage, animation, illustrations, voice-overs, and interviews. The film deftly showcases how Wakayama, fueled by his burgeoning passion for activism, traded Canada’s calm for the tumultuous American South in the 1960s to join the fight for equality.
CAN I GET A WITNESS?
Directed by Ann Marie Fleming
In a not so distant future, there is a reality where in order to save the planet, “death is everyone’s job”, with 50-year-olds taking the sacrifice, while teenage artists need to document it.
FAIRY CREEK
Directed by Jen Muranetz
The blockades protesting the logging of the Fairy Creek watershed on Vancouver Island. It offers an intimate look behind the scenes of the protest, capturing the relentless struggle of the activists who battled not only the logging company but also the RCMP, who were tasked with enforcing court orders granting the loggers access to the land.
FORBIDDEN MUSIC
Directed by Barbara Hager
This documentary exploring the extraordinary partnership between Kwakwaka’wakw Chief Mungo Martin and Jewish ethno-musicologist Dr. Ida Halpern. Nearly 75 years ago, they preserved hundreds of Indigenous songs at risk of being lost to cultural genocide.
SWEET SUMMER POW WOW
Directed by Darrell Dennis
Shot on Vancouver Island, this comedy features a deeply personal exploration of love, identity, and tradition. It captures the intersection of tradition and modernity, illustrating how both can shape and challenge our most intimate relationships.
THE STAND
Directed by Chris Auchter
This documentary shines a light on the 1985 conflict between the Haida Nation and colonial governments, as well as their logging interests on Lyell Island in Haida Gwaii.
THE CHEF & THE DARUMA
Directed by Mads K. Baekkevold
Shot in Vancouver, Vancouver Island, and Japan, The Chef & the Daruma is a mouth-watering film tracing a journey of immigration, identity, and reinvention. Mads K. Baekkevold, in his first feature documentary, creates a loving tribute to a man who has devoted his life to sharing food.
Explore the full lineup, discover special events, and secure your tickets on the official website.
