VIFF 2026 opens with B.C. stories on the red carpet through Oct. 11

The Vancouver International Film Festival opened its 2026 edition on Oct. 1, running through Oct. 11 with a mix of world cinema, live events and industry sessions across Vancouver. Festival organizers list regular adult tickets starting at $22, with packs, passes and VIFF+ member discounts also on sale, and the VIFF Centre box office reachable at 604-683-3456. Opening-day coverage from CityNews Vancouver put local talent front and centre. Director Arnold Lim premiered The Bryce Lee Story, about a young Asian boy who pretends to be related to Bruce Lee to fit in at school — a film Lim set on Vancouver Island, where he grew up, calling B.C. "a character in the film." Ten-year-old Cordelia Chao, who plays Mei Lee, said the role "makes bold choices." Separately, Hayley Gray's Send the Rain — an intergenerational story of love, culture and wildfires — also made its world premiere; actor Erika Prevost called it "a family story" and said filming left her "plotting a move" to Vancouver. Filmmaker Joella Cabalu, director of First Comes Love: Nakabingwit, told CityNews Vancouver has "so much talent" that often gets overlooked in Canadian cinema. Lim framed VIFF as "a celebration of independent film and Canadian art" that helps preserve Canadian stories on screen. Programmes, artist-industry sessions and education events are listed on the festival site for the full Oct. 1–11 run. Sources: VIFF 2026; CityNews Vancouver.