Vancouver International Film Centre, Film center and movie theater in downtown Vancouver, Canada
The VIFF Centre is a cinema and film centre at 1181 Seymour Street in downtown Vancouver, designed by Hewitt and Kwasnicky Architects and opened in September 2005. It houses the 170-seat VIFF Cinema and the 40-seat Lochmaddy Studio Theatre, plus offices for the Vancouver International Film Festival. The 2019-2020 renovation added a 17-ft screen, a media lab, an education suite and an atrium video wall.
The building, designed by Hewitt and Kwasnicky Architects, opened in September 2005 for that year's Vancouver International Film Festival, and the Vancity Theatre began year-round repertory programming that December. Renovations completed for the 2020 festival added a 17-ft screen, the 40-seat Lochmaddy Studio Theatre, a media lab and an education suite. A further 2024 renovation installed a 4k projector and Dolby Atmos sound.
The centre programs films from around the world, including many that rarely reach commercial screens. Screenings often draw people who enjoy talking about cinema, and post-screening conversations with directors or guests are a regular part of the experience.
The centre is in downtown Vancouver and easy to reach on foot or by public transit from most parts of the city. It is accessible for people with mobility needs, and some events allow drinks inside the screening room.
The centre has a laboratory where visitors can try technologies like virtual reality and immersive image formats, which is unusual for a venue of this size. This space is open not just to film professionals but also to curious members of the public who want to see how moving images are evolving.
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