VIFF partners with SFU Woodward’s as a screening venue

This year, the Vancouver International Film Festival will come to SFU Woodward’s. Celebrating its 33rd year, this annual festival brings some of the best films from around the globe to Vancouver, and is making a stop at all of SFU’s campuses.

VIFF and SFU have partnered to host free screenings of this year’s official VIFF selections at both the Surrey and Burnaby campuses — screenings at the Woodward’s campus are part of the regular ticketed programming. Anyone can view seven films that were hand-picked by artistic director Alan Franey and representatives from both SFU Burnaby and Surrey, free of charge. At Burnaby, Class Enemy, The Womb, Before the Last Curtain Falls, and Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story will play on October 1 and 2, while on October 8 and 10 Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story, Horses of Fukushima, Noble, and Flowing Stories will play in Surrey.

Class Enemy by debuting director Rok Bicek revolves around a group of Slovenian teens who blame their new and demanding German teacher when one of their classmates commits suicide. The Womb, a thriller from Peru, follows the life and pregnancy of Mercedes, played by Mayella Lloclla. Things take a dark turn for Mercedes when she is hired as a housemaid by wealthy widow Silvia, played by Vanessa Saba. Before the Last Curtain Falls follows a troupe of 60 and 70-year-old gay and trans performers on the last leg of a huge tour.

By filmmakers Jen Rustemeyer and Grant Baldwin, Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story speaks on the colossal and shocking waste of food currently occurring in North America. Horses of Fukushima tells the stories of horses destined to the meat trade that are ironically saved by the the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Featuring Brendan Coyle (Downton Abbey), Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones) and Ruth Negga (12 Years a Slave), Nobel  tells the inspiring story of Christina Noble who finds her life’s work in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Flowing Stories is a bittersweet documentary following the lives of a family in Hong Kong over many decades, featuring real home video footage, and photos.

The VIFF presence will be strongest at the SFU’s Woodward’s campus, as the Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema at Goldcorp Centre for the Arts will present 60 screenings. Through SFU Woodward’s cultural programs, this festival will be made available to both the SFU community and all those living in Vancouver. This partnership allows amazing films to be seen by students, staff, faculty and the greater public, giving us all the opportunity to experience this world-renowned festival.

For all students who wish to attend the film festival, use promo code VIFF14SFU for a discount. A true celebration of the art of film, VIFF will be at SFU Woodward’s from September 25 to October 10. For more information, visit sfu.ca or viff.org