You Nearly Missed: Vancouver Asian Film Festival’s final days

by V. S. Wells on November 9th, 2023 at 12:20 PM

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Now in its 27th year, the Vancouver Asian Film Festival highlights established and emerging Asian Canadian and Asian American talent.

Though the festival wraps up on Sunday (November 12), there’s still plenty left to see.

Documentary Finding Freedom: The Endless Pursuit of an Elusive Dream follows the stories of refugees seeking asylum, telling their own stories through mobile phone footage.

The closing feature, playing at Scotiabank Theatre on November 11, is GONTA: The Story of the Two-Named Dog in the Fukushima Disaster, following a family dog left behind in the wake of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

“For 27 years VAFF has been providing an important stage for Asian filmmakers to shine, showcasing their deeply personal stories to audiences,” actor Grace Park, this year’s VAFF Ambassador, says in a statement. “Moviegoers from different walks of life are able to experience these offerings of culturally rich stories and perspectives from around the world that we hope will positively impact them for years to come.”

There’s also a panel on Sunday discussing whether racialized narratives are becoming mainstream; industry events still to come; as well as a party and awards ceremony.

And a packed slate of digital programming means there’s a variety of programming to watch online, too—including shorts selections, narrative features, documentaries, and comedy.