The 30th Vancouver Asian Film Festival will run 5 to 15 November, opening with the Canadian premiere of the 30th-anniversary edition of Shopping for Fangs.
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The Vancouver Asian Film Festival (VAFF) is marking its 30th anniversary with a lineup that includes the Canadian premiere of the 30th-anniversary edition of the John Cho vampire indie Shopping for Fangs as the opening-night screening.
Shopping for Fangs will be shown at 6:30 p.m. on 5 November at Cineplex Odeon International Village. The film follows a Los Angeles resident played by John Cho who suspects he is turning into a werewolf.
Quentin Lee and Justin Lin previously launched the original film in British Columbia, and it opened the very first Vancouver Asian Film Festival in 1997. The 30th-anniversary screening returns that same title to open VAFF’s 2026 run.
In a statement, director Quentin Lee said he and Justin Lin were “thrilled to bring the Canadian premiere of the 30th-anniversary edition of Shopping for Fangs to the Vancouver Asian Film Festival as it celebrates its own 30th anniversary,” calling it “a full-circle moment” and noting he and Lin are “VAFF alumni.”
VAFF founder Barbara Lee said the festival’s 30-year history is “a story of talent, courage, resilience and community,” adding, “Today, we are not asking for a place in Canadian cinema. We have earned our place, and we are shaping the future of Canadian and global storytelling.”
Beyond the opening title, the festival runs from 5 to 15 November and presents over 100 titles over 11 days, with screenings at Cineplex Odeon International Village and virtual options available across Canada. The theme for this year’s run is “Our Legacy. Our Future.”
Isle Child is selected as the festival’s Centrepiece Spotlight, with a Western Canadian premiere on 7 November. The festival’s closing screening on 14 November is Sisa, presented for its Canadian premiere.
The festival also includes VAFF Industry Week, running 7 to 14 November, with eight public panels and masterclasses covering topics including artificial intelligence in post-production, television development, funding models, and licensing and distribution.
VAFF says the entire festival concludes on 15 November with the OVASIAN Awards Gala at Scotiabank Theatre Vancouver at 6:30 p.m., followed by a closing reception at SUMU Restaurant. Tickets are available through vaff.org, with individual tickets for the 5 November opening screening and OVASIAN Awards Gala passes available online prior to 5 November.
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