VIFF bucks film biz trend

TONY MONTAGUE
Special to The Globe and Mail

The posters are up, the programs are out and, with just a few days to go before the first screenings, the buzz is mounting around town for the 25th edition of the Vancouver International Film Festival, which starts on Thursday.

The event draws about 150,000 movie buffs -- a figure second only in North America to the estimated 250,000 who attend the Toronto International Film Festival. And despite its relative lack of Hollywood glitz, the Vancouver event has clearly won over local cinephiles.

VIFF has come a long way since its creation in 1982, when it had just one venue, the Ridge Theatre, and no financial support from the public sector.

"We asked for a grant of $5,000 from Telefilm -- the only agency at the time funding such events -- and were refused," recalls Festival Cinemas president Leonard Schein, who helmed VIFF through its first four years. "We were told that if people in Vancouver wanted to attend a film festival in Canada, they should go to Montreal or Toronto. It was three years before we got any funding from a government agency."

Despite the economic challenges, VIFF grew rapidly, and in 1986, its special Expo edition featured 380 films spread over five weeks. The festival was already one of the city's premier cultural attractions.

Alan Franey, who took over as director in 1988, refers to "three pillars" of programming that have given VIFF its distinct character. Canadian productions were a strong presence from the beginning; East Asian movies emerged as a major focus from the mid-eighties onwards; and in the past decade, the number of non-fiction films screened has grown dramatically.

"Twenty years ago, you couldn't draw flies to even the best documentaries," Franey notes. "There was a real prejudice against them. Then a shift started, where many people -- not just me -- discovered that many of their festival favourites were non-fiction.

"The batting average for non-fiction is often very high. What's happened is that filmmakers have transcended its formal limitations. You get a lot of highly educated and very intelligent artists working in the medium -- people who have a trust in the cinematic language to present a full, rich picture of a subject that needs attention."

While the festival has always included commercially oriented movies from the major studios, Franey has never tried to make VIFF a celebrity and business destination in Toronto's mould.

"We don't need to do that. . . . It's important for people to realize this isn't just us being bloody-minded. . . . Why should taxpayers' money be spent on anything but providing access to good films that wouldn't otherwise be seen? We aim to emphasize new talent and provide a complementary opposite to what's on commercial screens the rest of the year."

VIFF doesn't go looking for new ways to be unique, Franey says -- its identity has evolved organically, in response to outside developments. At the same time, it's clear that he is prepared to buck trends and resist pressures.

"In the past 15 years, there's been a fundamental shift in the way films are shared internationally. It's less in the spirit of international exchange and more in the spirit of business. There's a general sense that government shouldn't be supporting culture. A lot of film agencies around the world have been eviscerated and replaced by private interests.

"I lament a lot of those changes. I think we're impoverished by the increasing dominance of the bottom line for everything. Filmmakers who aspire to art often have a very hard time finding an audience, and I think festivals are there to provide that service."

Franey sees another related role for VIFF, one that has increased over time. The 16-day event nurtures its own community of passionate cineastes.

"I always used to stress the fundamental relationship of filmmaker and audience at a festival. But what's equally important now, I think, is the primary connection between the people attending each year -- how they strike up conversations about the films, make friendships and have a strong sense of sharing. In a world where everything can be brought into our living rooms, that social and festive aspect is very important."

The Vancouver International Film Festival runs Sept. 28 to Oct. 13. For venue, schedule and ticket information, call 604-683-3456 or visit http://www.viff.org.