The 31st edition of the Victoria Film Festival, the longest-running film festival on Vancouver Island, will feature over 90 films, setting a new record for the event. The festival, which runs from February 7 to 16, will screen a total of 92 feature films and 28 short films, spanning international, North American, and B.C. premieres.
The announcement was made Thursday evening at a pre-festival launch party held at Monkey C Interactive’s Artcade on Fort Street. The festival’s screenings will take place at seven venues, including The Vic Theatre, Cinecenta, and Alix Goolden Performance Hall.
Festival director Kathy Kay expressed excitement about the 2024 lineup, noting, “Heading into our 31st festival, I’m pleased we’re still able to find films that can astound, inform, and entertain. This year’s lineup has broad appeal, with some unique entries we are excited for people to have an opportunity to watch.”
Building on the success of last year’s festival, which saw 35 sold-out screenings, the 2024 festival is poised to deliver another exciting program. Last year’s event also attracted high-profile guests, such as two-time Academy Award nominee Atom Egoyan, Emmy Award winner Eric McCormack, and Tony Award winner Don McKellar.
Although this year’s guest list has yet to be revealed, festival-goers can look forward to a selection of highly anticipated feature films, including Meet the Barbarians, a satire directed by actress Julie Delpy; Midas Man, a Beatles-themed biopic starring Emily Watson; Riff Raff, a comedy featuring Jennifer Coolidge, Bill Murray, and Pete Davidson; Bring Them Down, an Irish thriller starring Barry Keoghan; and The Penguin Lessons, a film led by Steve Coogan and directed by Peter Cattaneo, the filmmaker behind The Full Monty.
In addition to the feature films, the festival will showcase a range of thought-provoking documentaries, including Fairy Creek, which focuses on the logging protests on Vancouver Island; The Stand, a retrospective by Victoria director Christopher Auchter about the Haida Nation’s pivotal 1985 blockade; and music documentaries on artists such as Blue Rodeo, Broken Social Scene, Paul Anka, Peaches, and Liza Minnelli.
As the festival prepares for its 10-day celebration of cinema, it promises to offer something for every film lover, with an exciting mix of premieres and crowd-pleasers.
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