Western Canada’s largest documentary festival is back for a milestone year. DOXA Documentary Film Festival runs April 30 through May 10 in Vancouver, bringing 40 features and 29 shorts from filmmakers around the globe.
The lineup includes 27 Canadian films alongside international work from 41 countries. Four films will have their world premieres at the fest: *Under the Red Roof* by Yushi Nagamatsu, *Illustrated Legacies: Graveyard of the Pacific* by Tanner Zurkoski, *The Flower and the Flood* by Elisa González, and *Bubba* by Kayli Koonar.
“We are excited to celebrate 25 festival editions highlighting important, entertaining and relevant documentary films,” says Artistic Director Sarah Ouazzani. “This is an important milestone, and we are pleased to share a great program with the Vancouver film community once again this year.”
Opening night features *Bella Sutra*, a live cinematic performance directed and narrated by OK Pedersen. The piece reflects on life as an innkeeper in Bella Coola, BC, tackling the rural/urban divide and what Pedersen calls our current “communication crisis.” Musicians Eden Glasman and Jakob Tokarczyk will accompany the performance on April 30 at SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts.
The mid-week gala spotlights local talent with *Concrete Turned to Sand*, directed by Vancouver filmmakers Jessica Johnson and Ryan Ermacora. The doc follows oyster farmers on Cortes Island as they navigate ocean warming and acidification. Both directors will participate in an industry panel on May 2.
Sara Dosa’s *Time and Water* closes the festival on May 9. The Oscar-nominated director (*Fire of Love*) crafted a meditation on climate grief and memory, centered on Icelandic writer Andri Snær Magnason and built from home movies, photographs, and myths.
DOXA’s Justice Forum returns for its 16th year with *Saigon Story: Two Shootings in the Forest Kingdom* as its special presentation. The film explores the families connected to the famous Saigon Execution photograph. Oscar-nominated filmmaker Kim Nguyen will attend.
The festival is also highlighting South Korea as its Country of Honour, with guest curation by Byungwon Jang, Head Programmer of the DMZ International Documentary Film Festival. The program includes *Beyond Now, Nyein* and *Untold*, plus shorts *The Silent Bearers* and *Last May in Theatres*.
Other notable titles include Sundance selections *AMERICAN DOCTOR* and *The Oldest Person in the World*, TIFF premieres *Bouchra* and *Powwow People*, and Berlinale entry *Traces*.
Screenings happen at SFU’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, The Cinematheque, and VIFF Centre. Forty filmmakers and industry leaders will be in attendance.
Tickets and festival passes are available now at doxafestival.ca.
