VANCOUVER, BC (February 17, 2022) — Women In Film and Television Vancouver (WIFTV) has announced the date and lineup of the 17th annual Vancouver International Women in Film Festival (VIWFF). The festival, which will take place virtually from March 8-13, 2022, includes 33 films from 12 countries, made up of 17 Canadian films — with 9 from local BC filmmakers.

The festival screenings will open with an exclusive one night only presentation of Donkeyhead, followed by a live Q&A with director Agam Darshi. Throughout the week there will be a special presentation of Querencia, with web-series creator, director and lead actor Mary Galloway, and a special presentation of Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers’ Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy, with representatives from the film and co-presented by the National Film Board.

VIWFF 2022 is proud to showcase women and gender diverse filmmakers and creatives, including the stories and voices of Canadian and international Indigenous, Black, and Women of Colour, trans women and gender diverse people, in an official selection of 6 feature films and 26 shorts, plus one web-series. This year’s festival will be accessible Canada-wide.

“The team at VIWFF is thrilled to present this year’s program of films, all made by women and gender diverse filmmakers. We hope these films inspire creativity, instil confidence, and incite change,” says Festival Director Anaïsa Visser.

Now in its 17th year, VIWFF continues to provide a platform for challenging gender imbalance and the lack of equity and diversity in the screen-based media industry. This year’s virtual component of VIWFF showcases an international lineup of short and feature-length films, from narrative and documentary to experimental and animation. The festival also plans to have an in-person component later in the year.

The feature film slate includes Canadian films Donkeyhead, directed by Agam Darshi, Run Woman Run, directed by Zoe Leigh Hopkins, and Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy, directed by Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, and a special presentation of the web-series Querencia, with the participation of the creator and director, Mary Galloway.

The shorts programs include an array of narrative, documentary, and animated films. Canadian highlights include animated short Elles, by Mélanie Saint-Germain (Western Canadian premiere); documentary short The Hairdresser, by Lorraine Price (Western Canadian premiere); narrative short Perfect Daughter, by Jasleen Kaur. Local BC shorts include Srikandi, by Andrea Nirmala Widjajanto, Wildflower, by Heather Perluzzo, and The Isobel Imprint, by Ali Grant.

For international films, VIWFF will be welcoming the North American premieres of Granni E-minem, from South Korea, and Do You Remember Me?, from Switzerland and set in Ethiopia. VIWFF will also be the Canadian Premiere for short films Clinch, from the Netherlands, and A Birthday Party, from the United Kingdom.

VIWFF 2022 is also proud to present a slate of select live-streamed events, including an International Women’s Day Panel on March 8th, featuring major players in diversity and inclusion efforts. The film programs are mostly on demand on the festival platform, through the festival dates March 8-13, 2022 inclusive, with some events having live screenings. Tickets and festival passes go on sale online starting February 22.