By Julian-Ray Fortaleza
There is something special about watching movies during the Vancouver International Film Festival. You never really know what you are walking into. One screening might leave you laughing, another might make you uncomfortable, and another might have you thinking about it long after the credits roll.
VIFF 2026 had plenty of those experiences. From Filipino Canadian stories to body horror, Japanese animation and Hollywood underdog tales, these are five films that stood out to me this festival, in no particular order.
1. Species
Body horror has always been an effective way to explore what makes us uncomfortable about ourselves, but Species takes that idea somewhere particularly unsettling.
What makes the premise interesting is how it turns physical discomfort into something that reflects the pressures of everyday life. The body becomes the battleground for expectations that are simply too much to bear. It is grotesque, uncomfortable and difficult to look away from.
Sometimes the best horror films are not really about monsters. They are about the things we have normalized in everyday life, even when those things are slowly destroying us.
2. The Debut
There is something funny about watching people chase their dreams, but there is also something uncomfortable about seeing ambition become an excuse for bad behaviour.
The Debut explores the complicated relationship between artistic expression, personal ambition and the people who surround us. It is an interesting look at what happens when people pursue their passions while navigating the expectations of others.
3. Look Back
Few things are as bittersweet as looking back at the people who helped shape who we are.
Look Back explores the relationship between two aspiring manga artists whose friendship and creative partnership change their lives. Their journey moves from youthful ambition to heartbreak, exploring the complicated relationship between art, friendship and loss.
There is something universal about wanting to create something meaningful and finding someone who understands why it matters to you. Sometimes that connection pushes us to become better than we ever imagined. Sometimes life intervenes in ways that leave us wondering what might have been.
The film’s emotional strength lies in the relationship at its centre. It reminds us that the people who influence our lives do not simply disappear when circumstances change. They become part of the stories we tell ourselves.
4. First Comes Love: Nakabingwit
It takes courage to put your heart on the screen like this. Joella Cabalu’s First Comes Love: Nakabingwit is a deeply personal exploration of love, relationships and identity within the Filipino diaspora.
What makes the film particularly meaningful is its willingness to acknowledge that love does not automatically make uncomfortable conversations easier. Sometimes loving someone means asking them to understand experiences they have never had to think about themselves.
I appreciate seeing these stories told with humour and vulnerability rather than reducing an entire community to familiar stereotypes. Cabalu takes something personal and gives audiences an opportunity to recognize themselves in it, even if their own relationships look different.
It is a reminder that communication is not simply about saying the right things. It is about being willing to listen when the conversation becomes difficult.
The world premiere at VIFF was made even more memorable by Cabalu organizing an “Isang Bagsak” applause with the audience. It was a fitting way to begin a film about community, connection and the things that bring us together.
Cabalu has put a considerable piece of herself on the screen, and thankfully, audiences are given something meaningful in return.
5. I Play Rocky
Everyone loves an underdog story, but I Play Rocky explores what happens when the underdog refuses to let someone else tell his story.
The film follows Sylvester Stallone’s struggle to get Rocky made, including his insistence on playing the lead rather than simply selling his screenplay. As someone who appreciates boxing, the story behind one of cinema’s most recognizable boxing films is especially appealing.
But the film’s appeal goes beyond the sport. It is about protecting your vision when everyone else sees the risks more clearly than the possibilities.
There are moments in the movie where it genuinely felt like watching a young Sly Stallone. The acting from the leads in this movie is superb and do not be surprised if you see some acting nominations from this one at the next Oscars.
Honorable Mentions
Still Night, Burning House
Some family stories remain unspoken for years, not because nobody cares, but because nobody knows how to begin the conversation.
Carol Nguyen’s Still Night, Burning House follows the Vietnamese Canadian filmmaker and her family as they investigate the mysterious death of her uncle. Through family memories, records and rituals, Nguyen explores the grief that can linger across generations when questions remain unanswered.
What makes the documentary so affecting is that the search for answers becomes something much bigger than solving a mystery. It becomes a search for understanding, for the things a family has carried in silence and for the chance to finally grieve together.
Families have their own ways of dealing with pain. Sometimes silence feels like protection, but it can also leave wounds open for years. Nguyen approaches these difficult subjects with patience and sensitivity, allowing the family’s emotions to surface without forcing easy answers.
The film was already a moving experience on its own, but the post-screening Q&A with Nguyen made it even more memorable. Hearing the director speak about the film and its deeply personal subject matter added another layer to the experience. It was a reminder that behind every documentary are real people who have to live with the stories being told on screen.
That conversation was one of the highlights of my VIFF experience. It gave the audience an opportunity to reflect on the film beyond the screening itself and reinforced just how much courage it takes to turn something so personal into a story that others can connect with.
Still Night, Burning House may be an honourable mention on my list, but it is a film that deserves to be seen.
Pocket Mirror
Adrian Murray’s Pocket Mirror deserves a mention for its unsettling take on modern isolation. The film follows a lonely woman whose suspicions about the people and world around her begin to unravel her sense of reality.
There is something particularly timely about a story in which someone turns to artificial intelligence for reassurance while becoming increasingly uncertain about the people around them. The combination of awkward humour, suspense and alienation makes its premise intriguing.
Sometimes the most frightening thing is not knowing whether your instincts are right, especially when you have nobody you fully trust to help you make sense of them.
Final Thoughts
VIFF 2026 offered a reminder of how many different ways there are to tell a story. These films explore ambition, identity, relationships, grief and the pressures of everyday life, each finding its own way to connect with an audience.
A film does not have to be perfect to leave an impression. Sometimes it is enough to make you think differently about something you thought you understood, or to remind you of a feeling you have struggled to put into words.
That, to me, is what makes a festival like VIFF worth returning to year after year. You arrive looking for movies, but you leave with stories, conversations and experiences that stay with you long after the festival ends.
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