Geneviève Dulude-De Celles’s “Nina Roza”, Nyla Innuksuk’s “In the Heart of the South” and Marie Clements’s “How We Stand” are among the films deemed worthy of the grand prize at the 45th Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF).
The festival announced Wednesday night the winners of the 2026 juried awards, which recognize films in the Summit, Horizon, Tides, Arbutus, Vanguard and Short Forum competitions.
The Summit Award went to “Nina Roza,” directed by Dulude-De Celles, which the jury praised for its compassionate exploration of immigrant experience, identity and belonging. The film is about a hero who returns to his hometown for the first time in 28 years, fascinated by the mystery surrounding a young artistic genius. “We all know what it’s like to be homesick,” said the jury. “We were all amazed by this film’s direction, original performances, stunning cinematography and evocative music.”
Special mention went to Ian Bawa’s “Strong Son”.
For the Horizon Award, the jury selected Nyla Innuksuk’s “In the Heart of the South,” describing the film as “a powerful example of Canadian cinema.” The jury praised the performances of Anna Lambe and Zorga Qaunaq and the “lush cinematic approach”.
Nathan Donovan’s “Clubfoot” received a special mention from the Horizon jury.
Banchi Hanuse’s “Ceremony” received the Tides Award for a film about the disappearance of ooligan fish in Bella Coola and the Nuxalk Nation’s efforts to protect and preserve its lands and waters. “Through beautiful cinematography and imaginative storytelling, the film documents the strengths of community members who draw on the resilience and generosity of their ancestors while constantly pushing the boundaries of imposed systems,” the jury said.
Special mention went to Carol Nguyen’s “Still Night, Burning House.”
The Arbutus Award, which recognizes British Columbia filmmaking, was given to Marie Clements’ “How We Stand,” the story of sisters separated by tragedy. The jury said the film “confronts the difficult and traumatic history by bringing it into vivid, real, human focus. Its surrealist style, masterful storytelling, courage and strong female protagonists entertain, educate and demand self-evaluation, both as individuals and as a society.”
Hayley Gray and Kaayla Wachell’s song “Send the Rain” earned special mention.
Directed by Banu Sıvacı, “Hear the Yellow” received the Pioneer Award, praised for its “remarkable depth”, “originality”, “unique cinematic language” and “emotional precision”, with the jury noting that it “transports us into a vivid and specific landscape with bold character work and clever use of metaphor, while also creating a powerful dialogue between rural and urban and a family separated by time.”
“That Shadow Fading” by Samuel Urbina received special mention from Vanguard.
The Short Forum Award was given to Taiwanese filmmaker Yu Yu’s animated film “Pre-Parenthood,” and Kamal Aljafari’s “Going Home” received a special mention.
The jury awards come as VIFF completes its 45th anniversary on October 11.
Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) 2026 Juries
Summit Award: Rhia Aden, Nach Dudsdeemaytha, Caitlyn Sponheimer
Horizon Award: Arjun Ayillath, Madeleine Davis, Michael Mann
Tide Reward: Selwyn Jacob, Lyana Patrick, Jeff Lee Petry
Arbitus Prize Jury: Josephine Anderson, Brenda Lieberman, David Taylor
Pioneer Award Jury: Joaquin Cardoner, Caroline Monnet, Sarah Shamash
Short Film Award Jury: Tanvi Bhatia, Ariel Bond, Thanh Lieu