With the 2011 Vancouver International Film Festival fading into memory, today’s post constitutes VanRamblings’ final entry covering the 30th annual VIFF, the focus on the films which garnered an overall audience appreciation, based on the many thousands of ballots cast, according to meticulous VIFF calculation the top 10% of films screened at VIFF, receiving an audience score of between 4.4 and 5.0, for 28 films in total.
That many of VanRamblings’ favourites — including Corpo Celeste, My Little Princess, Wish Me Away, Michael, Mitsuko Delivers, Tyrannosaur, Without, The Singing City, The Jewel, Like Crazy, Martha Marcy May Marlene and Restoration, among many, many others, did not make the final ‘audience favourites’ list just goes to show how subjective is the experience of filmgoers seeking a window on the world through their attendance at VIFF.
Here, then, are the top VIFF 2011 vote-getters, in alphabetical order …
- The Artist, director Michel Hazanavicius (France)
- Benda Bilili!, directors Renaud Barret, Florent de La Tullaye (France)
- Blood in the Mobile, director Frank Piasecki Poulsen (Denmark/Germany)
- Cairo 678, director Mohamed Diab (Egypt)
- Crazy
Wisdom: The Life and Times of Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche, director Johanna Demetrakas (USA/Canada) - Crime After Crime, director Yoav Potash (USA)
- First Position, director Bess Kargman (USA)
- Flamenco, Flamenco, director Carlos Saura (Spain)
- Flirting with Heights, director Jean-Michel Bertrand (France)
- The Girls in the Band, director Judy Chaikin (USA)
- Give Up Tomorrow, director Michael Collins (USA/UK)
- How to Die in Oregon, director Peter D. Richardson (USA)
- In Darkness, director Agnieszka Holland (Poland/Canada)
- Koran by Heart, director Greg Barker (USA/UK)
- Mama Africa, director Mika Kaurismäki (Finland/Germany/South Africa)
- Miss Representation, director Jennifer Siebel Newsom (USA)
- Pina 3D, director Wim Wenders (Germany/France/UK)
- The Price of Sex, director Mimi Chakarova (USA)
- Pure, director Lisa Langseth (Sweden)
- The Sandman, director Peter Luisi (Switzerland)
- Seediq Bale (international title: Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale), director Wei Te-Sheng (Taiwan)
- A Simple Life, director Ann Hui (Hong Kong)
- Sing Your Song, director Susanne Rostock, (USA)
- Somewhere Between, director Linda Goldstein Knowlton (USA)
- Taste the Waste, director Valentin Thurn (Germany)
- There Once Was an Island: Te Henua E Nnoho, director
Briar March (New Zealand/USA) - Woman
in a Septic Tank, director Marlon N. Rivera (Philippines) - You’ve Been Trumped, director Anthony Baxter (UK)
In a press release issued by VIFF, Festival director Alan Franey announced:
“We are delighted to report that the 30th Vancouver International Film Festival has broken attendance and revenue records. Admissions topped 152,000, up from 148,000 in 2010. Ticket sale revenues also reached a new high of $1,178,811 … up from $1,074,025 last year.”
VIFF continues to be among the top five film festivals in North America in terms of both attendance and number of films included: 386 films screened at VIFF this year, 240 of which were feature length productions.
More 30th annual Vancouver International Film Festival highlights:
Attendance: 152,000 admissions
Films: 386, 240 feature length, 39 of which were Canadian productions
Screenings: 633 public + 36 media / passholder preview
Countries: 80
World Premières: 20
International Premières (first screenings outside home country): 30
North American Premières: 40
Canadian Premières: 40
