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VIFF Podcast

VIFF Podcast

Written by: Vancouver International Film Festival
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About this listen

Bringing you exclusive in-depth conversations with industry-leading filmmakers, creators and cultural luminaries, recorded live at the Vancouver International Film Festival and year round at VIFF Centre.

~ About VIFF ~

Beyond film exhibitions, VIFF strives to engage and empower communities, encourage dialogue and champion local artists. With decades of experience and an unwavering commitment to creating exceptional programs, VIFF has transformed into a highly esteemed annual festival and a premier arthouse cinema.

Founded in 1982, the Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society is a not-for-profit cultural society and federally registered charitable organization that operates the internationally acclaimed Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) and the year-round programming at VIFF Centre. All year, VIFF produces screenings, talks, conferences and events that act as a catalyst for the community to discover the creativity and craft of storytelling on screen.

© 2026 VIFF Podcast
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Episodes
  • Why documentaries are the door to understanding with Elöise King (The Shadow Scholars)
    Feb 19 2026

    From travel bans to the risk of criminalization for her film's subjects, Elöise King had to persevere through many hurdles to get her documentary, The Shadow Scholars, to screen.

    In The Shadow Scholars, cameras follow Patricia Kingori, the youngest Black woman professor in Oxford’s 925-year history, on her compelling global investigation into Kenya’s hidden essay mills — an industry where an estimated 40,000 highly educated yet underemployed Kenyans make ends meet by writing academic papers for wealthy Western students. As the film touches on an ethical gray area— facing many assumptions and judgments in the global north— King was determined to suggest a new worldview.

    In this episode of the VIFF Podcast, we talk with King about the simple pleasure of diving deep into research, how documentaries can open doors to other worlds, and how education can mobilize us to think beyond the systems we live within.

    This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.

    Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the x
    ʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

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    42 mins
  • How painting provides a portal with Jenn Strom (The Painted Life of E.J. Hughes)
    Feb 5 2026

    In the 20th Century, painter E.J. Hughes quietly helped reshape the artistic landscape of British Columbia. Each canvas was a place of worship for the artist who was famously too shy to attend his own art exhibitions. Hughes' legacy has left us with many opportunities to bask in the beauty of this province through each brush stroke.

    Jenn Strom's The Painted Life of E.J. Hughes explores Hughes’s life not only as an artist but as a devoted, humble human being. In this episode of the VIFF Podcast, we speak with Strom about her passion for archival work, the importance of being present in the process of artmaking, and how art can help you experience your own environment in a whole new way.

    This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.

    Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the x
    ʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

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    36 mins
  • Brishkay Ahmed on embracing identity, and what we can learn from Afghan women
    Jan 22 2026

    Growing up, Ahmed felt at odds with her Afghan identity. She describes herself as a rebellious child, not understanding the need for a head scarf, often finding herself "irked" by assumptions about her, before she even knew herself. Perceptions about Afghanistan perpetuated by "breaking news" from CNN certainly didn't help. In her latest work, In The Room, Ahmed sets out to change the conversation.


    Today, Ahmed is proud of her identity. But the journey to this place of embrace was not linear. In In The Room, Ahmed interviews five women who in their own right, have taught her something about herself, and the many complexities, beauties, and struggles Afghan women face on their own unique paths.


    In this episode of the VIFF Podcast, Ahmed reminds us that in a time where women's rights are under siege, you, with your story in hand, can be an agent of hope.



    This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.

    Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the x
    ʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

    Show More Show Less
    47 mins
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