6pm Festival begins - doors open at The Sid!
All screenings at Sid Williams Theatre, 442 Cliffe Avenue, Courtenay

7:00 pm - Welcome & K’ómoks First Nations address
& Opening Night Feature Film - The Art of Adventure

In 1957, renowned wildlife artist Robert Bateman and fearless biologist Bristol Foster were a pair of young men, finding their way. Looking for adventure – and meaning – the two set off on a 30,000 kilometre trek that would change both of their lives. Driving their beloved Land Rover – The Grizzly Torque – through Africa, India, and beyond, they came back with experiences that would shape their careers.

Interview with the filmmakers follows the screening.

9:00 pm - Opening Night Party
Pass and ticket holders welcome!
Gladstone Brewing Co. 244 4th Street
across from the Sid Williams Theatre

Festival schedule subject to changes.
Make sure to check back for updates.

All screenings at Sid Williams Theatre, 442 Cliffe Avenue, Courtenay

10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Short Film Program - “Canada’s Best”
Filmmakers from across the country entered their works in our festival – and these are some of our favourites.

There’s everything from a silent film about umbrellas to a slick gangster caper. An animated film about …. life, to a tender portrait of living after loss. Enjoy a different way of seeing Canada from some of the country’s up and coming filmmakers.
Filmmakers in attendance! Stay after for a Q & A.
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10:00 am - 11:30 am
Workshop #1 - TALES from the WRITER’S ROOM
with Larry Bambrick
Upstairs at Gladstone Brewing Co.
Get your workshop tickets here.
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1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Short Film Program - “Best of the Island”
Presented by CineVic, part of their Short Circuit Film Festival

From a lonely Cyclops looking for a friend, to a young woman coming to terms with her traumatic past, the short films in this block celebrate original storytelling from Vancouver Island.

We also celebrate filmmakers from the rest of the country – including the story of a nightclub magician…who might be more than he seems.
Filmmakers in Attendance! Stay after for a Q & A

Short Film Winners in these categories announced after the screenings.
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3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Workshop #2 - WHAT does an EDITOR DO?
with Daria Ellerman, IATSE 891
Upstairs at Gladstone Brewing Co.
Get your workshop tickets here.
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7:00 pm - Feature Film
Akashi
When Kana, a Japanese artist living in Vancouver, returns to Tokyo for her grandmother’s funeral, she finds herself caught between two worlds — the life she’s built abroad and the one she left behind. As family expectations close in and an old flame, Hiro, reappears, Kana begins to question where she truly belongs.
Interview with Director, Mayumi Yoshida.
Stay after for a Q & A.
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9:00 pm - Informal gathering at Gladstone
All welcome!
Gladstone Brewing Co.

10:00 am - 11:30 am
Live Script Readings
Gladstone Brewing Co. “Engine Room” (main level)
244 4th Street, Courtenay
Hear the winning short film scripts read live by local actors from Sitka Stage & Scene.
** This is a free event **
Stay after to network with your fellow enthusiasts.
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10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Short Film Program - “Around The World”
A tender portrait of finding love, even at the end of life. Two young boys who fight make-believe monsters…while real-life monsters lurk nearby. An ancient board game explodes into an animated treat for the senses.

These are some of the amazing short films we’ve found from across Canada and around the world. Sometimes the best things come in small packages.

*Short Film Winner in this category announced after the screening.

1:30 pm - Feature Documentary
Saints and Warriors
On the remote islands of Haida Gwaii, the Skidegate Saints are more than a basketball team: they are a symbol of pride, resilience, and the unbreakable spirit of their community. For over 60 years, the All Native Basketball Tournament in Prince Rupert BC, has been a gathering place for First Nations communities. A celebration of culture, identity, survival, and basketball It’s a tournament the Saint shave long dominated.

Saints and Warriors follows the Saints as they defend their championship at the 2024 All Native tournament, even as a wave of challengers emerges from the Lower Mainland and the community fights for sovereignty over their lands, waters, and the future of Haida Gwaii itself.

Stay for an interview with Director, Patrick Shannon.
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3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Workshop #3 - DIRECTING Actors - Building TRUST, with Allyson Leet
Upstairs at Gladstone Brewing Co.
Get your workshop tickets here.
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7:00 pm - Closing Night Feature Film
Dancing On The Elephant
Sheila McCarthy and Mary Walsh play Nora and Edna, two women who form an unlikely alliance over a shared distaste for their nursing home. Soon they’re plotting one last rebellious adventure.

Funny, poignant, and heart-warming, Dancing On the Elephant is a fitting final film to this year’s CVIFF – celebrating the power of a good story to bring us together.

Dancing On the Elephant has won awards for its screenplay, editing, and acting, including Outstanding Performance (Mary Walsh) at the Atlantic International Film Festival (2025).

Followed by Festival Closing Remarks
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9:00 pm - Closing Night Party
Pass and ticket holders welcome!
Gladstone Brewing Co.