Vancouver: Actor Carrie Coon will be the first recipient of the Vancouver International Film Festival’s (VIFF) new Luminary Award in the acting category, honouring excellence and dedication to the art of moving image, reported Variety.
The 'White Lotus' actress is also set to take part in a wide-ranging conversation at the event. Her upcoming film 'The Liberation' will also be screened at the festival.
VIFF, which is set to begin on October 1, will feature talks, panels and masterclasses bringing filmmakers, craftspeople, producers, programmers and other industry professionals to Vancouver. The festival will also present Luminary Awards to Markus Schleinzer for directing excellence and Leah Nelson for screenwriting, reported Variety.
The festival's VIFF Talks series kicks off October 3 with editor Matthew Hannam, whose recent credits include Halina Reijn's 'Babygirl' and Noah Baumbach's 'White Noise'. Hannam, who will be discussing his collaborative approach, began his career as an assistant editor in Winnipeg, working with Canadian auteurs like Guy Maddin.
Producer Haley Johnson will discuss the making of 'Obsession', the independently produced film made on a shoestring budget that went on to gross over $500 million worldwide. The October 4 conversation will focus on the film's production and subsequent trajectory, including a studio bidding war following its Toronto premiere.
On October 5, production designers Brandon Tonner-Connolly and Matt Hyland will discuss working together to build the surreal, immersive world of Jane Schoenbrun's 'Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma.'
The VIFF Talks series concludes October 7 with Mark Mothersbaugh, DEVO co-founder and composer behind Wes Anderson's 'Rushmore', 'The Royal Tenenbaums' and 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou', among others.
According to Variety, the festival will also showcase its Composer Filmmaker Accelerator, an initiative connecting emerging composers with filmmakers through mentorship and hands-on collaboration.
It will be curated by three-time Emmy-nominated composer Miriam Cutler, whose credits include 'RBG', 'Love Gilda' and 'Lost in La Mancha'.
The 2026 CFA showcase will take place October 8.
Among the filmmakers and industry figures also expected at VIFF are Canadian icon Rick Hansen, actor and 'School for Defectors' producer Daniel Dae Kim, and Canadian directors Matthew Rankin, Marie Clements and Zach Lipovsky.
