It’s an exciting year for the Victoria Film Festival as they mark 30 years of sharing film and culture with the Greater Victoria community!
“2024 is all about celebrating our anniversary and focusing on what we’ve achieved over the past three decades in our community,” says Rikhita Nair, Marketing & Communications Coordinator for the festival.
This year’s festival will run from Feb. 2 - 11 at the Vic Theatre and open with ‘Seven Veils,’ a feature film by renowned Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan, who will be in attendance for the Q&A session at the end of the screening.
‘Seven Veils’ was released in September 2023, during the Toronto International Film Festival, and is a reflection on the mental toll people endure in their artistic pursuits. The main character Jeanine, played by Amanda Seyfried is dealing with repressed trauma as she creates a production of the biblical opera ‘Salome’.
The festival will also feature two world premieres, ‘Our Time To Be Kind’ and ‘The Great Salish Heist’, which addresses the stealing of sacred artifacts from indigenous graves and the subsequent consequences.
The selection process is a combination of submissions and choices made by our group of programmers, notes Nair. This year’s lineup features a variety of films, including several local productions and a selection of documentaries that showcase the diverse nature of British Columbia’s filmmaking talent.
“In an age of being able to see anything (and not), we bring a focus and curate a program with over 1200 entries that we consider the best from current films produced,” says the Kathy Kay, the Festival Director for the past 27 years.
Beyond the festival
- The Vic Theatre: The Vic Theatre (operated by Victoria Film Festival) is active throughout the year and showcases independent and cult films, including the popular Cult After Dark series.
- The Free B Film Festival: Victoria Film Festival hosts free screenings ofclassic movies at Beacon Hill Park throughout August on Fridays and Saturdays, find more information online here and find a full line up of events hosted by Victoria Film Festival at victoriafilmfestival.com.
“Along with our many year-round community events, we also support the CineKids Education Program,” says Nair. “We help facilitate in-school screenings of age-appropriate, educational films and support the annual FilmCAN competition which encourages aspiring young filmmakers to collaborate and learn vital skills needed in the film industry.”
Don’t miss the 30th annual Victoria Film Festival at Vic Theatre this February! Tickets are available for purchase at www.victoriafilmfestival.com. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram for the latests news and events!