VIFF Launches Institute With Global Film Projects — SkimNews
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- VIFF established the Institute for the Moving Image to expand its industry programming, introducing first-ever Works in Progress (WIP) and international co-production initiatives aimed at advancing film projects through targeted industry engagement
- Rame Ibrahim, program lead of the Institute for the Moving Image, stated the WIP selections were chosen to diversify project types and participant backgrounds, featuring filmmakers from India, Mexico, Venezuela, Nigeria, Yemen, Peru, and China
- Ana Belén Asfura, Institute director, emphasized that projects were evaluated based on uniqueness of vision, subject-matter merit, market readiness, viability, and existing support, reflecting a strategic curation process
- Kyle Fostner, VIFF’s executive director, described the new model as intentionally small and hands-on, designed to create meaningful face-to-face meetings between filmmakers and industry decision-makers structured around each project’s specific needs
- Jason Lapeyre’s co-production project The Auschwitz Volunteer will use a hybrid docudrama format to tell the true story of Polish soldier Witold Pilecki, who voluntarily entered Auschwitz to organize resistance from within
- Don Palathara’s Indian psychological drama Monkey Play, about grieving parents who take in a feral child, is among the selected WIP projects exploring loss, perception, and emotional ambiguity
- Gursimran Dalta, producer of the animated co-production Galeo of the Seawalkers, highlighted its roots in Indonesian maritime cultures, calling it a visually and emotionally distinct family adventure grounded in regional folklore
Why it matters: VIFF’s shift to a curated, project-driven model responds to long-standing filmmaker feedback about insufficient support for completion, creating a new pathway for global independent films to access funding and distribution—especially those from underrepresented regions and communities. The focus on international co-production aligns with growing industry demand for cross-border collaboration.
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