The VIFF Experience 2026 #1

Our favorite time of the year is here as Chloe and I are unleashed on the Vancouver International Film Festival in its 45th year. Lots of great films screening over the 11 day event and we've meticulously scheduled our picks but with a pretty big difference this year: Chloe is just over halfway through her pregnancy. We kick things off with our pre-festival watches: Ladies And Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney - Matthew Rankin gets animated with his documentary on the rise of the Former Prime Minister. Fugs Film! - A doc on an unknown to us counter culture band in the 60s. Prosecution - A German thriller uncovering White Nationalism in the judicial system. The Beloved - Javier Bardem doing a dark version of Sentimental Value. Take Me Home - A very personal drama from writer and director Liz Sargent Then, we kick off the festival: Wicker - Olivia Colman gets a specially created husband in a fun fable we can't talk about. Clarissa - An adaptation of Virginia Woolf set in Lagos featuring Sophie Okonedo and Ayo Edebiri The Only Living Pickpocket In New York - John Turturro giving us a little Uncut Gems Lite.