Open Call for 2020 Festival Submissions

VAFF is the longest running pan-Asian diaspora film festival in Canada. It was founded in 1995 and debuted in September 1997. Since then, tens of thousands of film lovers have experienced a diverse selection of North American-Asian and international films, in English and in other languages.

Vancouver Asian Film Festival (VAFF) is dedicated to promoting and celebrating the diversity and depth of Asian culture and identity in film and media, and to help North American Asian actors and filmmakers more authentically and more powerfully define and express themselves on screen.

Through its annual film festival and many other programs and events hosted in Vancouver, VAFF’s mission is to be the “go-to” forum for the public and the film industry to engage in and support the rise of Asian influence in film and media in the world. VAFF envisions a world where North American Asian actors and filmmakers have the resources and opportunities to shape mainstream culture in a powerful and positive way.

Each year VAFF attracts close to 4,000 audience members over its four-day festival and year-round events. It also reaches many more through word of mouth, pre-festival events, and traditional and social media throughout the year.

VAFF is entirely organized and produced by a group of dedicated volunteers, and is made possible by generous financial support from corporate sponsors, public funders and private donors.

Artists

Being the platform where a number of successful Asian filmmakers first showcased their work, VAFF’s international visiting artists have included Justin Lin (Fast & Furious, 2009), Quentin Lee (White Frog, 2012), Benson Lee (Seoul Searching, 2015), Evan Jackson Leong (Linsanity, 2013), Jessica Yu (Grey’s Anatomy), Tze Chu (Gotham), and Freida Lee Mock (Return with Honor, 1998), as well as Canadian filmmakers Julia Kwan (Everything Will Be, 2014), Mina Shum (Meditation Park, 2017), Ann Marie Fleming (Window Horses, 2017), Ben Lu (Blood and Water), Phil Planta (Beyond Redemption, 2016), and Jeff Chiba Stearns (Mixed Match, 2016). Attending performers have included Edison Chen (Infernal Affairs II, 2003), Tzi Ma (Arrival, 2016), Osric Chau (Arrow), Ludi Lin (Mortal Kombat), Anastasia Lin (Miss World Canada 2015), Agam Darshi (Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, 2017), Sarita Choudhury (The Hunger Games, 2014), and Rizwan Manji (The Dictator, 2012).

Awards

Available awards include juried awards for Best Canadian Short and Best Canadian Feature, presented by Telefilm Canada; juried awards for Best Director for Canadian Short and Best Director for Canadian Feature, presented by the Directors’ Guild of Canada—British Columbia; juried awards for Best Cinematography for Canadian Short and Best Cinematography for Canadian Feature, presented by International Cinematographer’s Guild 669; audience-voted People’s Choice Awards for best Overall Feature, Overall Short, Overall Performance; and a curated award for Outstanding Contribution: Diversity in Film, to an Asian North American creative industry professional with a significant body of work or advocacy.

Programming/Industry

Programming at the four-day November festival includes 12-15 film programs incorporating feature length and short films and videos (dramatic narrative, documentary, experimental and animation) featuring an Artist/Concept Spotlight, International Spotlight, International and Canadian Shorts, Q & A sessions, the VAFF Industry series including panel discussions and networking, and gala events.

Venue

All screenings for the VAFF24 four-day festival in November have traditionally taken place at the Cineplex Odeon International Village Cinemas, a multiplex theatre within downtown Vancouver’s historic Chinatown and Gastown districts. VAFF24 venue information will be announced in Fall 2020.