The 45th Vancouver International Film Festival announced its 2026 juried awards winners Wednesday night, with ‘Nina Roza,’ ‘In the Heart of the South’ and ‘How We Stand’ among the top recipients.
The Story
The 45th Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) announced its 2026 juried awards winners on Wednesday night, recognizing films across its Summit, Horizon, Tides, Arbutus, Vanguard and Short Forum competitions.
In the Summit competition, the jury selected Geneviève Dulude-De Celles’ “Nina Roza” as the Summit Award winner, calling it a compassionate exploration of the immigrant experience, identity and belonging. The film follows a protagonist returning to his hometown for the first time in 28 years, drawn back by the mystery surrounding a young artistic prodigy. A special mention in the category went to Ian Bawa’s “Strong Son.”
For the Horizon Award, the jury selected Nyla Innuksuk’s “In the Heart of the South,” describing it as a strong example of Canadian cinema and praising performances by Anna Lambe and Zorga Qaunaq, along with a “polished cinematic approach.” Nathan Donovan’s “Clubfoot” received the Horizon jury’s special mention.
Banchi Hanuse’s “Ceremony” won the The Tides Award, a feature centered on the disappearance of ooligan fish from Bella Coola and the Nuxalk Nation’s efforts to protect and preserve its lands and waters. The jury highlighted “beautiful cinematography and inventive storytelling,” and said the film documents community members “consistently challenging the boundaries of imposed systems” while reflecting the resilience and generosity of ancestors. Carol Nguyen’s “Still Night, Burning House” received a special mention.
Marie Clements’ “How We Stand” took the Arbutus Award, recognizing British Columbia filmmaking. The jury described the story of sisters separated by tragedy as confronting “difficult and traumatic history” by bringing it into “vivid, real, human focus,” adding that its surrealist style, storytelling and “powerful heroines” both entertain and demand self-reflection. Hayley Gray and Kaayla Whachell’s “Send the Rain” earned a special mention.
In the Vanguard category, “Hear the Yellow,” directed by Banu Sıvacı, received the Vanguard Award. The jury praised the film’s “remarkable depth,” “originality,” “singular cinematic language” and “emotional precision,” describing how, through “bold character work and intelligent use of metaphor,” it creates a powerful dialogue between rural and urban, and between a family separated by time. Samuel Urbina’s “That Shadow Fading” was awarded a special mention.
The Short Forum Award went to “Pre-Parenting,” an animated film by Taiwan-based filmmaker Yu Yu, with a special mention for Kamal Aljafari’s “Going Home.”
VIFF 2026 is wrapping its 45th edition on Oct. 11. The juried awards were decided by the following juries: Summit Award jury members Rhia Aden, Nach Dudsdeemaytha and Caitlyn Sponheimer; Horizon Award jury members Arjun Ayillath, Madeleine Davis and Michael Mann; Tides Award jury members Selwyn Jacob, Lyana Patrick and Jeff Lee Petry; Arbutus Award jury members Josephine Anderson, Brenda Lieberman and David Taylor; Vanguard Award jury members Joaquin Cardoner, Caroline Monnet and Sarah Shamash; and Short Film Award jury members Tanvi Bhatia, Ariel Bond and Thanh Lieu.
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