FAQs
SUMMER FEST 2023
The VIMFF Summer Fest is a free, family-friendly outdoor event that features award-winning mountain films, live performances, artisan market, food trucks, a beer garden, fun activities and more! The event is being held to celebrate Canadian Multiculturalism Day (June 27).
It’s at The Shipyards in North Vancouver. Summer Fest starts at 3:00pm and ends at 9:00pm.
Yes! This event is free and for all ages. Everyone is welcome. Children and dogs are also welcome in the beer garden.
Yes, the whole event takes place in the outdoor areas of The Shipyards. The beer garden will be covered by a large marquee so that our guests will be able to watch the live performances and film programs on stage in the shade.
There will be a a beer garden in front of the stage where there’ll be live performances and screenings of award winning mountain films. There will also be a climbing wall, Tality Sauna, as well as several community and partner tables including Arc’teryx, Parks Canada, Treeline Collective, The Hive climbing gym and more. We will have an artisan market on St Roch dock, and several food trucks too.
There are three film programs that each run for between 1 – 1.5 hours. There will be 17 films playing in total.
You can register for the Community Activities via our Eventbrite page.
VIMFF x Essential Cycles Community Mountain Bike Ride
Tickets for the Community Mountain Bike Ride cost $15 and all profits will be given to Colour the Trails. More details about the event can be found on the Eventbrite page.
VIMFF x Arc’teryx Community Run
The Community Run is free for all to join. More information can be found on the Eventbrite page.
The Climb Base5 Outdoor Climbing Wall is located near the Splash Park. This activity is free and for all ages. The only requirement is that you’ll need to have closed shoes to participate, all other equipment is provided.
The North Shore Celtic Ensemble will play from 3:00 – 3:30pm.
Peter “Not So” White will be performing a traditional Indigenous warrior dance from 4:30 – 5:00pm.
Born to Bhangra will be performing a traditional dance from 6:30 – 6:45pm.
More information on our event page.
The Water Wagon will be set up near the large crane where you can fill up your water bottle. There’s also water fountain located near Welcome Parlour shop, under the covered space where the Splash Park is. You can also refill water bottles at the water fountain or using the taps/sinks in the restrooms.
Public restrooms can be found under the covered area (at the back) opposite from the Splash Park.
Prepare your tastebuds for an awesome lineup of food trucks! Dos Amigos will serve up their renowned Tex-Mex style tacos, burritos, and more, while Japadog will be selling their Japanese style hot dogs with authentic ingredients. We also have Indish and Super Thai Food joining us. There are also many restaurants nearby that you’re welcome to get takeout from and come back to eat inside the beer garden or sit around the stage to enjoy the programming.
Cool off with a refreshing beverage in the beer garden and grab some food while you sit back and enjoy mountain films and live performances. There will be beer from RnB Brewing, cider from Windfall Cider, cocktails from Olé. We have plenty of non-alcoholic options available too, including Tality Kombucha, Nonny Beer, coke, ginger ale, tonic, apple juice and more. Children and dogs are welcome, and you’re welcome to bring in food from the food truck, order via a food delivery app or get food from a neighbouring restaurant.
Don’t forget to bring your reusable mug to receive a discount on your drink and help us reduce waste at this event!
There will be seating in the beer garden, and limited seating outside the beer garden in Shipbuilder’s Square. You’re welcome to bring your own camping chair or blanket and find a spot within the beer garden or in front of the stage.
You can find more information about parking at the Shipyards website. There is free street parking further up Lonsdale, and the event space is also accessible by the Seabus or buses.
The event is totally free and outdoors. There will be seating in the beer garden, but you may want to bring your own chair or picnic blanket if you plan on watching the films as seating is limited and may fill up!
We are committed to reducing waste at our event, so please bring your own water bottle to fill up at the Water Wagon during the day.
If you plan on having a drink in the Beer Garden, make sure to bring your own reusable cup and you’ll get 50c off your drink of choice.
Reel Rock 17
You can learn more at the Reel Rock website here.
We will be hosting 3 in-person Reel Rock Shows.
April 4 at Rio Theatre
April 5 at Rio Theatre
April 6 at Centennial Theatre
There is no online option for streaming.
Early Bird pricing is available from March 13-19. On March 20, early bird pricing will end.
Yes we do! We want to make the films accessible to everyone, so for those experiencing hardship due to their current economic situation, we have created a discount code to give $2 off all tickets. Apply the coupon code, “vimff23” at checkout to receive this discount.
If these tickets are for anyone other than yourself, you may enter their information in the Attendee Field at checkout and they will receive an email with their ticket. Tickets will not be restricted to the person whose name is on the ticket, so as long as each person in your party has a ticket (using either the ticket QR code or their name).
Our Terms & Conditions page, agreed to at the time of purchase, outlines our refund and exchange policy.
VIMFF 2023 Festival
The VIMFF 2023 will begin on February 24. We will be hosting in-person events in Vancouver from Friday, February 24 to Sunday, March 5. Our online Festival will run from noon on February 24 (PST) to 11:59pm on Sunday, March 26 (PDT).
Yes! We are offering both online and in-person programs.
IN-PERSON SHOWS
We’ve curated 20 afternoon and evening shows including 70 engaging films and 8 speakers. Additionally, we’re hosting 9 morning and afternoon workshops as part of this festival.
ONLINE OPTIONS
In addition to our in-person events, we will have the full line-up of films available online from noon on Friday, February 24 (PST) to 11:59pm on Sunday, March 26 (PDT). Tickets will be available to purchase until 11:59pm on Sunday, March 12 (PDT).
You can either buy tickets to individual shows or you can purchase an Online Film Pass which will give you access to 68 films across the 12 online shows. Visit our Online Shows page to see the list of shows and the films included. See below for pricing information for our online shows.
Note: The Feature Film: Pasang: In the Shadow of Everest is only available to view from noon on Friday February 24, 2023 (PST) to noon on Sunday March 12, 2023 (PDT). It is only available to viewers in Canada.
Each show is a collection of films. Each show is roughly 1.5 – 2 hours in length can contains between 1-8 different films. For this festival, our shows are offered both in-person and online. The content will differ slightly between the in-person and online shows, as we have presentations and speakers at in-person shows that won’t be available online. Click the links to browse our list of in-person shows and online shows.
Yes! Simply add whichever combination of shows you’d like to see to your cart and check them out in one transaction. If you purchase in-person ticket(s), you’ll be asked in the check-out to provide the information for each attendee, including name and email address. If the ticket is for you or you want to receive all in-person tickets to your email address, you can copy your billing details into the attendee information fields. If you’re purchasing multiple in-person tickets, and want each person in your party to receive their ticket separately, simply fill in their names and email addresses where prompted.
For our in-person offerings, we are offering 16 evening shows, 2 matinees, 2 feature films, and 9 workshops.
For our online shows, we are offering 12 different shows with nearly identical films to our in-person program.
The films available between both online and in-person are identical except for the below exceptions:
In-Person Only:
- A White Dream
- The Last Mountain
Online Restricted:
- Feature Film: Pasang: In The Shadow of Everest is available to stream for 2 weeks from February 24 – March 12 and in Canada Only.
For the VIMFF 2023 Festival, we are offering an Online Film Pass. This pass includes access to all 68 films, which are screened as part of the available shows. The Online Film Pass is $90 (plus applicable taxes + service fees) and will be available for purchase until 11:59pm on Sunday, March 12 (PDT). An early bird discount is available prior to January 23.
We do not offer passes to see multiple in-person shows, they must be purchased individually.
The VIMFF 2023 Online
The VIMFF 2023 Online is comprised of 12 shows (68 films in total) that will be available to view from noon on Monday, February 24 (PST) to 11:59pm on Sunday, March 26 (PDT). Tickets for the The VIMFF 2023 Online will be available to purchase until 11:59pm on Sunday, March 12 (PDT). Once you’ve purchased your ticket, you’ll be able to access the films via the VIMFF Online Portal at any time during this viewing window.
Note: The Feature Film: Pasang: In the Shadow of Everest is only available to view from noon on Friday, February 24, 2023 (PST) to noon on Sunday, March 12, 2023 (PDT). It is only available to viewers in Canada.
Pricing:
EARLY BIRD: December 1 – January 22
Festival Pass: $75
Early Bird pricing ended at 11:59pm on Sunday, January 22
Regular: January 23 – March 12
Individual Show: $18
Feature Film: $10
Festival Pass: $90
All online show sales end at 11:59pm on Sunday, March 12 (PDT)
Visit our Online Shows page to see the full list of shows, workshops and feature films available for purchase.
You have until 11:59pm on Sunday, March 12 (PDT) to purchase your tickets to the VIMFF 2023 Online. The viewing window for the VIMFF 2023 opens at noon on Friday, February 24 and ends at 11:59pm on Sunday, March 26 (PST) except for Feature Film Pasang: In The Shadow Of Everest which ends on March 12.
All 68 films except for 1 feature film are available to stream from worldwide.
Feature Film: Pasang: In the Shadow of Everest is only available to view from noon on Friday, February 24, 2023 (PST) to noon on Sunday, March 12, 2023 (PDT). It is only available to viewers in Canada.
If you have any questions that haven’t been answered here, please contact tickets@vimff.org. We’ll be checking this email regularly and will get back to you as soon as we can.
Please avoid contacting us from a @hotmail.com email as we will not be able to respond to you due to Hotmail security issues. If you don’t hear from us, please contact us from a different email domain.
Buying Tickets
Visit our purchase tickets page on our website. If we have an upcoming show, you’ll see a link to purchase. If we don’t have an upcoming show, you’ll be able to sign up to our newsletter to be notified when tickets are available to purchase for our next show.
If you’re trying to purchase a ticket to a show and need help, watch this video for more information on how to purchase a ticket.
You only need to purchase one ticket per household. If you’re planning on watching with a few members of your household, we encourage you to consider donating a few extra dollars during checkout, to support the VIMFF and our non-profit partners.
Yes! We would love to help you treat your friends and family to a ticket!
If you are all watching in the same location, you only need one ticket. If you’d like to purchase a ticket for someone in a different location, simply checkout a ticket to the show in their name, with their email address. This will ensure that the instructions and viewing information get sent directly to them.
Please note, you can only check out one online show ticket per transaction, so if you want to buy multiple tickets for different people, you’ll need to check them out in separate transactions.
Watch this videos for instructions on how to gift a ticket.
ONLINE SHOW DISCOUNT:
Yes we do! We want to make the films accessible to everyone, so for those experiencing hardship due to their current economic situation, we have created a discount code to give $2 off single online show tickets, $1 off a single feature film ticket, and $5 off a Festival Pass. Apply the coupon code, “vimff23” at checkout to receive this discount.
Please note, this discount is not available for in-person event tickets.
For our in-person shows, we’re excited to offer 2 new discounts new this festival.
ONLINE SHOW DISCOUNTS:
MULTI-SHOW OFFER
Get 10% off when you add 2 or more different in-person show tickets to your cart (incl. evening shows, matinees and features. Excl. workshops). Discount is automatically applied in cart.
FILM WORKSHOP SERIES
Add all 3 Film Workshops to your cart for $90 (Adults) / $80 (Youth/Senior). Saves 15-20% depending on ticket type. Discount automatically applied in cart.
If you are a school or aligned business looking for a unique discount, please contact tickets@vimff.org with a request.
Yes, we will be providing English subtitles for all films that will be screened online. When you click into a film on the VIMFF Online Portal, on the bottom right of the screen, click the subtitle icon between the casting and full screen icons. Click on it to select and turn on English subtitles for that film.
No, we aren’t offering the films for purchase or separate rental at this time.
No. Our license with the filmmakers only stands for the specific viewing period we offer. If you would like to view previous films in our program, we suggest contacting the filmmaker to see where it is available.
How to Watch
We will be using our VIMFF Online Portal to screen films and interactive online events that are part of our shows. Once you purchase your ticket, you’ll be directed to join our VIMFF Online Portal, and this is where you can view films or event during the viewing period of each show. Watch this video for a tutorial on how to watch the films and the features within the VIMFF Online Portal.
Once you’ve setup your account on the VIMFF Online Portal you can view the content within your browser or through our VIMFF Apple TV App.
If you purchase your ticket before the viewing window opens, you will receive a confirmation email with all the instructions you’ll need to set up an account on the VIMFF Online Portal and watch the films/events once the viewing window opens.
This video provides more instructions on setting up your VIMFF Online Portal account.
Step 1: Visit our VIMFF Online Portal and login at: https://watch.vimff.org/
You will be sent an invitation to join the VIMFF Online Portal when you purchase a ticket to a show. Please make sure you follow the directions to set up your account. If you have created an account previously with us, the content will be ready to stream when the viewing window starts with your existing credentials.
Step 2: All the content that is part of the show will be in the VIMFF Online Portal for you to watch. Click on the image of the film you want to view to see more information about it, or click “Watch” to play the film.
After you purchase a ticket, you should receive an email titled “Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival – On Demand Invite” with a link to join the VIMFF Online Portal.
If you did not receive this email, first check your spam folder. If it’s not there, you can get automatically get a new invite email by following the below steps:
- Visit the VIMFF Online Portal at: https://watch.vimff.org/
- Click the “Forgot?” link on the login screen, and enter your email address
- Check your email for a email titles “Password reset” and follow the prompts to gain access to your account
If this doesn’t work for you, please email tickets@vimff.org and we’ll get you set up on the platform!
We’re excited to now offer a native VIMFF Apple TV app for those with a physical Apple TV box (not just the Apple TV App). Learn more about setup here or download the app here.
- Make sure your computer is close enough to your TV for the HDMI cable to reach.
- Connect one end of the HDMI cable into your computer.
- Plug the other end of the cable into an available HDMI port on the TV. Take note of the HDMI input number.
- Using the TV’s remote control, set the TV to the HDMI input that matches the port you connected the cable to.
- If your computer’s display does not automatically appear on your television screen, you may need to have the computer manually detect the display:
- Windows: Right-click on the desktop and select “Display Settings” > “Detect” > “Multiple displays”, and select “Duplicate these displays”), and click Apply.
- Mac: Go to the Apple Menu and choose “System Preferences”. Choose “Displays”, and hold down the “Option” key to show the “Detect Displays” button. Click on “Detect Displays” while holding down the Option key.
- Occasionally some viewers may receive a ‘Playback Error’ message on a black screen when trying to view a film.
- If you see this, try shutting down your web browser and restarting it. This will usually clear the error.
- If you still get this error, the next step is clearing your browser cache. Each browser varies slightly for how to do this, so it’s best to google it if you don’t know how. Once your cache is cleared, refresh your browser and see if the film will play.
- If the video is sticking, try close your browser, and re-open. If it is sticking in the same place, click on the playback time-line a little further forward and keep watching.
- If you are still having problems, restart your computer, and only open the browser window.
- If other people share your internet connection, ask them not to up- or download large files or engage in heavy streaming.
The VIMFF Online Portal uses technology called DRM (Digital Rights Management) which protects the film content from being illicitly recorded or share.
When the trailer content plays without issue but the film content does not play it can mean:
If using an HDMI cable:
It can be that you have a low quality HDMI cable that does not support HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection). Try an alternative method.
If using a Smart TV browser:
Many browsers built into Smart TVs do not support DRM. Try an alternative method.
If using AirPlay or Chromecast:
Depending on the device, some receiving devices do not support DRM protection. Try an alternative method.
If trying to stream directly in a browser on your device or computer:
You may have an out of date browser. Most browsers updated since 2019 support DRM. If your browser is up to date, it may be your operating system that is not up to date. Try a different browser or device.
- Click the three dots at the top right corner of your browser
- Click “Settings” then “About Chrome”
- If there is an update available, there will be a button offering this update.
- Click the three lines at the top right corner of your browser
- Click “Options” then “General”
- Scroll down to “Firefox updates” and click on the “Check for updates” button
Chromecast
You can cast to a 3rd generation or newer Chromecast stick.
To Chromecast from an Android phone or tablet:
- Make sure your Chromecast devices is on the same Wi-fi network as your mobile device
- After the video is playing, tap the “Cast” icon in the bottom right corner of the video player. If the icon doesn’t appear, unfortunately casting is not supported on your device.
To Chromecast from your computer:
- Make sure you’re using Google Chrome as your browser.
- After the video is playing, tap the “Cast” icon in the bottom right corner of the video player. If the icon doesn’t appear, unfortunately casting is not supported on your device.
AirPlay
You can AirPlay from most browsers if you have an AirPlay compatible TV or streaming box by selecting the AirPlay button in the bottom right-hand side of the player. If the icon doesn’t appear, unfortunately casting is not supported on your device.
- Compatible Smart TVs include select Samsung, LG, Sony and VIZIO models.
- Compatible streaming boxes include AppleTV Gen4 and above, and select Roku HD streaming devices running the most up-to-date software.
Apple TV
VIMFF now offers a native Apple TV App. Learn more here.
Other Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! All of our content can be viewed from anywhere in the world.
Note: For our 2023 Festival, the Feature Film: Pasang: In the Shadow of Everest is only available to view from noon on Friday February 24, 2023 (PST) to noon on Sunday March 12, 2023 (PDT). It is only available to viewers in Canada.
