(Vancouver, September 5, 2007) Ninety feature-length films in this year's VIFF are nonfiction: an amazing one-third of the festival, which together will draw an audience of as many as 50,000 people. This is not a record for the VIFF—2004 included 100—but it does demonstrate the continued distinctive personality of the festival, and the tastes of an audience for which content is king.

Documentaries and essay films appear throughout the seven sections of the Festival, and include 12 Canadian premieres, nine North American premieres, 14 international premieres, and eight world premieres. Please see attached list.

Festival Director Alan Franey comments, “We're tremendously excited by the quality of the nonfiction films we've seen this year. The last few months viewing such a high calibre of submissions has been not only enlightening, entertaining and enraging, but the process has also renewed one's hope in the possibility of positive change in the world. There are simply so many doors that they open, and despite the terrors they sometimes relate, these films redeem a movie world of empty spectacle and comic-book sequels."

"This year we are subdividing the nonfiction features section by grouping the films on arts, music and letters together. These are perennially popular with Vancouver audiences who this year will discover sixteen films covering, for example, musicians as well known as Mozart, Anita O'Day and Scott Walker, or as fresh as Swiss experimental yodelers, Basque experimental percussionists, and Argentine chamamé instrumentalists. The balance of the nonfiction features section is once again incredibly diverse. Current events issues of politics, the environment, human rights and global conflict form the spine of the series, but the films range from space travel to the Kentucky Derby, and from extreme skiing to the Zen of cooking.”

Nonfiction films abound in other sections as well. Eleven of the previously-announced Kyoto Planet Climate for Change series films are documentaries (see below). The number for Canadian Images is 15. Dragons and Tigers includes three, while Arthur Dong's Hollywood Chinese and Carlos Saura's Fados will both receive Special Presentations. Arthur Dong will be a Festival guest.

Autism: The Musical (USA) Tricia Regan's documentary follows five autistic kids and their families over the course of a year as they write and stage their own musical production. Love, family and good old-fashioned showmanship triumph in the face of this baffling disorder. "As riveting as it is revelatory."— Variety Canadian Premiere

Balaou (Portugal) After the death of his mother, filmmaker Gonçalo Tocha sets sail with a French couple, Florence and Beru, across the Atlantic on a voyage to accept the oblivion of things. A fascinating and gripping document of daily life on the choppy waters of the high seas. International Premiere

Banished (USA) Documentarian Marco Williams ( Two Towns of Jasper ) reveals a hidden chapter in America's racial history by telling the stories of the violent expulsion of African Americans by their white neighbours in three Southern communities in the late 1800s and early 1900s. International Premiere

Between Heaven and Earth (Netherlands) The heat, dust and sweat of the fairground are almost palpable in Frank van den Engel and Masma Novikova's elegant documentary that follows two circus families in modern day Uzbekistan. This age-old art form, once a cultural lodestone, finds its existence threatened by post-Soviet era politics. Canadian Premiere

The Big Sellout ( Germany) Director Florian Opitz's scathing documentary breaks down the high cost of privatization around the world, with a little help from Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz. But this is no lecture. It is a memorably intimate look at a few individuals' lives as far afield as Bolivia, South Africa, the UK and the Philippines.

Calle Santa Fe (Chile/France) Carmen Castillo was pregnant and injured when her partner Miguel Enriquez, secretary general of the Movement of the Revolutionary Left (MIR) was killed by Pinochet's henchmen. After decades of exile in Paris, she returns home to trace the legacy of the struggle of her own generation with observations that are deeply felt and broad in scope.

The Champagne Spy (Israel/Germany) A fascinating real-life tale of intrigue, espionage, love and betrayal, Nadav Schirman's film relates the life and times of a high-level Mossad agent who posed as an ex-Nazi millionaire, champion horse breeder and leisurely socialite. He took on this long-term personae so that he could mingle with scientists and the Egyptian elite. The tale is told by his mystified son. Nadav Schirman will be a Festival Guest. Canadian Premiere

Copacabana (Argentina) Nuestra Señora de Copacabana, the festival from Buenos Aires' Bolivian immigrants, is a colourful celebration of song and dance. Martín Rejtman uses this as a starting point for a uniquely constructed documentary essay, a simultaneously detached and intimate communal portrait. Canadian Premiere

Daughters of Wisdom (USA) A groundbreaking look at Tibet's first monastery for women, Bari Pearlman's intimate portrait of a rare and extraordinary spiritual community—and the women who created it—is firmly in the tradition of such hits as The Saltmen of Tibet and The Cup . "Beautiful, important and poignant."— Filmmaker

Drowned in Oblivion (Belgium/France) "Le Cercle des noyés" is the name given in Mauritania to black political prisoners imprisoned from 1987 in the old colonial fortress of Oualata. Pierre-Yves Vandeweerd's ruminative piece pushes the art-documentary envelope with haunting images and narration that illuminate the stories of these near-forgotten men. North American Premiere

The First Saturday in May (USA) The Kentucky Derby—the most exciting two minutes in sports—is given incredibly engaging behind-the-scenes treatment by directors The Hennegan Brothers as they follow six leading contenders for many months and reveal the emotion, skill and luck required to win the big race. A fascinating, heart-pumping, unforgettable ride. International Premiere

Flying: Confessions of a Free Woman (USA/Denmark) Jennifer Fox ( An American Love Story ) delivers this monumental video diary/personal documentary about modern womanhood that is formally sui generis but thematically universal. "By turns playful, sexy, tragic and contemplative, Flying is an addictive soap about sexuality and sisterhood."— The New York Times . Jennifer Fox will be a Festival Guest.

For the Bible Tells Me So (USA) What does the bible actually say about homosexuality? The hermeneutics of hate are detailed in Daniel Karslake's documentary that follows five Christian families, each with a gay member. Winner of Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Seattle Film Festival. “Powerful…a brave and noble effort..."— Salon

Forever (Netherlands) A day in the life of the famed Paris cemetery Père-Lachaise turns into a supremely graceful meditation on the importance of art in life. Documentarian Heddy Honigmann's ( O Amor natural, The Underground Orchestra ) best film to date.

Hear and Now (USA) Director Irene Taylor Brodsky tells the fascinating story of her deaf parents who, after living in silence for 65 years, decide to have cochlear implant surgery (still the world's only prosthetic sense). Of interest to all, but a must-see for anyone who is losing their hearing or knows someone who is.

How to Cook Your Life (Germany) The art of Zen and vegetable preparation is at the heart of director Doris Dörrie's delightful documentary profiling Zen Master Edward Espe Brown. A luscious feast of philosophy and food, with heaping helpings of wit and wisdom, make this film a complete joy. Canadian Premiere

In the Shadow of the Moon (UK) "The excitement, majesty and extraordinary human accomplishment of the American lunar program of the 60s and early 70s is rousingly captured in [David Sington's documentary]. [He] deftly mixes a treasure trove of archival footage with engaging commentaries of surviving astronauts from all nine Apollo moonshots..."— Variety

It Happened Just Before (Austria) A striking mix of docudrama and art-film techniques, Anja Salomonowitz's debut deals with the global phenomenon of trafficking in women. Using true stories, she weaves together the tales of a customs official, a villager, a brothel bartender, a diplomat and a taxi driver, all of whom may be involved. North American Premiere

Join Us (USA) It's not that much of a jump from rock stars to cult leaders as Ondi Timoner's ( Dig! ) new film demonstrates. Timoner follows four families who're attempting to rebuild their lives after the unholy devastation wrought by one Pastor Raimund Melz, and his Mountain Rock Church. International Premiere

Kabul Transit (USA) Filmmakers David Edwards and Gregory Whitmore's assemblage of fragmentary moments creates a fully realized portrait of a country in a state of transition. A radical departure from the polemical style much favoured by recent American documentaries, this elegant docu-essay is a depiction of humanism at its most compelling. Canadian Premiere

Lillie & Leander: A Legacy of Violence (USA) In 1908, a black man named Leander Shaw raped and murdered a white woman named Lillie Brewton. In retaliation, a lynch mob butchered Shaw. Almost 100 years later, racial conflict remerges when Lillie's great-great-grand niece discovers Shaw's brutal killing was simply the beginning of the story.

International Premiere

Losers and Winners (Germany) Required viewing for anyone wanting to do business with China, Ulrike Franke and Michael Loeken's fascinating cross-cultural documentary observes the dismantling of a nearly new German coking plant by a contingent of Chinese who will reassemble it back home... Winner of Best International Documentary at the 2007 Hot Docs Festival.

Made in China (USA) John Helde rediscovers the little known history of American kids growing up in pre-World War II China, through the personal experiences of his own father. Vintage home movies, family photographs and personal interviews provide an intimate glimpse into this exotic time and place, and the people who called it home. International Premiere

Manda Bala (Send a Bullet) (USA) Jason Kohn's brilliant documentary manages to make "scintillating connections between one of the planet's largest amphibian breeders, a São Paulo plastic surgeon, a fat-cat politician and a professional kidnapper, each of whom plays a role in the sprawling cycle of violence and corruption that is modern Brazil."— Variety . Jason Kohn will be a Festival Guest. Canadian Premiere

The Monastery: Mr. Vig and the Nun (Denmark) Winner of the grand prize at IDFA, Amsterdam's prestigious documentary festival, Pernille Rose Grønkjær's enthralling film focuses on a recalcitrant octogenarian who clashes with the head nun of a Russian Orthodox sect after he donates his broken-down pile of a castle to them for use as a monastery.

Nanking (USA) The rape of Nanking (now known as Nanjing) serves as the focus of director Bill Guttentag's atypical documentary that pulls no punches in delineating the carnage. “[It] represents a vital addition to the small body of reportage on a tragedy whose repercussions continue to be a source of pain and controversy.”— Variety

The Operating Theatre (Switzerland/France) Benoît Rossel's beautifully constructed documentary provides a revelatory look into the inner workings (quite literally) of the operating room. The different aspects of the surgeon's art (from the mechanical to the philosophical) are examined with depth and insight through the initiation rites of an apprentice surgeon. International Premiere

Operation Filmmaker (USA) What do you get when you mix a young Iraqi film student, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, actor/director Liev Schreiber and a documentarian who finds herself becoming part of her own story? Misguided altruism and genuine humanity collide to incendiary effect in director Nina Davenport's revelatory film.

The Orange Chronicles (USA/Ukraine) A stolen election, a poisoned candidate and a fragile democracy—the 2004 Orange Revolution in the Ukraine had all the elements of a Hollywood thriller, except it was entirely real. Filmmaker Damian Kolody found himself in the middle of it all while working as a volunteer International Election Observer. North American Premiere

Out of Time (Austria) Harald Friedl's sad and thoughtful documentary shows us an old and cherished way of life that is dying out. With genuine poetic sympathy, he follows the fortunes of four shops and their elderly, retiring proprietors—a butcher, a pharmacist, a leatherware purveyor and a button seller—and shows the effects of big business on small.

Potosí, the Journey (Israel/France) Potosí, Bolivia, was once one of the largest and richest cities in the world, thanks to its devilish silver mines. At 4,100 metres, it's also the highest. Three decades after filmmaker Ron Havilio ( Fragments* Jerusalem ) and his wife spent their honeymoon there, they return to richly chronicle the present and the passing of time. North American Premiere

Profit motive and the whispering wind (USA) Loosely based on Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States , John Gianvito's poetic essay eloquently captures the vanishing tradition of American radical idealism as seen through a guided tour of the final resting places of some of its most controversial political figures (including Malcolm X, Eugene V. Debs, and Sacco and Vanzetti).

Salud! (USA) Wherever there is injustice—and, for that matter, wherever there is justice—there is someone fighting it, a fact that comes delightfully to light in Connie Field's documentary about the Cuban medical system and its work in other developing countries. Some might turn green with envy. The perfect in-depth complement to Sicko !

Steep (USA) Big mountain skiing came of age in the 1970s, when apparently suicidal young men took to the slopes to prove their mettle against near vertical inclines. Mark Obenhaus's thrilling documentary features some of the sport's most famous practitioners, including the late, great Doug Coombs. International Premiere

Strange Culture (USA) When artist Steve Kurtz awoke to realize that his wife had tragically died in her sleep, a surreal sequence of events ensued that led to his being held as a suspected terrorist. Lynn Hershman Leeson's genre-bending reconstruction exposes the US government's rapacious tactics in the so-called war on terror.

Taxi to the Dark Side (USA) This hard-hitting documentary by Alex Gibney ( Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room ) uses the disappearance of a Kabul taxi driver at the hands of the American military to ask tough questions about American interrogation practices and the culture that produced the atrocities at Bagram and Abu Ghraib.

The Trap: What Happened to Our Dream of Freedom (UK) Individual freedom is (was) the dream of the 20th century, but the ideal has withered in recent years, as long-standing laws are dismantled in the name of international security. In this masterful work, Adam Curtis ( The Power of Nightmares ) demonstrates how our increasingly diminished definition of freedom has deprived us of meaning and wreaked havoc around the world. International Premiere

The Tree (Argentina) An elderly acacia tree is the centre point of Gustavo Fontan's lyrical and poetic meditation on the circuitous nature of life and death. As the filmmaker's aging parents debate the tree's fate (it was planted in honour of a first-born child), time moves resolutely forward. "A triumph of personal filmmaking."— Variety Canadian Premiere

La Trinchera Luminosa del Presidente Gonzalo (USA) Dryly humorous and filled with subtle ironies, the films of artist Jim Finn are sui generis . His latest re-enacts a day in the life of a group of female Shining Path guerillas held prisoner at the Canto Grande prison in Peru. "La trinchera luminosa" refers to the prisoners' cellblocks, which they considered "shining trenches of combat." International Premiere

War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death (USA) "Media/political critic Norman Solomon accuses the Bush administration—and many before it—of using misleading language, news manipulation, half-truths and outright lies to win public support for military actions of questionable necessity...presents a stimulating argument."— Variety. Narrated by Sean Penn.

The War on Democracy (UK) Director John Pilger makes the case that the US, despite its self-proclaimed status as the champion of freedom, works actively to undermine and sabotage the principles of democracy, especially in Latin America. Startling interviews with Hugo Chávez and a number of former US government officials back Pilger's theory. North American Premiere

War/Dance (USA) "This heart-rending documentary, about Ugandan children of war, earns its tears more honestly than most nonfiction work... Directed by... Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine, [it] focuses on a group of children in a northern Ugandan refugee camp, who, having survived... are preparing for a national music and dance competition..."— The New York Times

We Are Together (UK) The Agape Orphanage in South Africa is home to children abandoned by parents who have died of AIDS. As the orphanage choir prepares for a concert series, this becomes a testament to the sweetness of music and the tenacity of children. Winner, Audience Award, Special Jury Prize, Tribeca Film Festival.

Anita O'Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer (USA) Jazz icon Anita O'Day survived and overcame alcoholism, rape, abortions, a 20-year heroin habit, arrests and jail time. Robbie Cavolina and Ian McCrudden's intimate portrait features interviews with O'Day and her contemporaries, as well as great footage of legends like Gene Krupa, Louis Armstrong, Stan Kenton and others.

Ballerina (France) Behind the ravishing performances—and there are many on offer here—lies the discipline and rigour involved in the training of some of Russia's top ballerinas. Director Bertrand Normand's documentary looks at the sophistication and unique skills of Russian ballerinas by following five principle dancers from the Mariinski Theatre, formerly known as the Kirov Ballet. North American Premiere

Black White + Gray: A Portrait of Sam Wagstaff and Robert Mapplethorpe (USA) Collector/curator Sam Wagstaff and photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, along with the phenomenon that was Patti Smith, were at ground zero during the heady days of the 70s New York art scene. Director James Crump's documentary cannily recaptures the dark glamour of that period.

Chamamé—Music, People, Poetry (Germany/Argentina) Chamamé is a lively, often melancholy strain of music from northern Argentina that has been gaining quite an international following lately. Cosima Lange follows four exemplary interpreters—Chango Spasiuk, Gicela Méndez Ribeiro, Monchito Merlo and Alberto Bofill—into their homes, bars and the open countryside. World Premiere

Echoes of Home (Switzerland) The undulating art of yodeling lies at the heart of this sweet, odd and utterly entrancing documentary that explores the porous boundaries between musical styles—from Mongolian throat singing to modern composition. Winner of the Tagesspiegel Readers' Jury Prize at the Berlin Film Festival.

A Father's Music (Germany) Famed Austrian conductor Otmar Suitner's affair with a much younger woman resulted in a divided life, quite literally—he had two different families separated by the Berlin Wall. When Suitner's grown son attempts to rediscover and reclaim his father's past (including rare footage of his performances), secrets are uncovered and startling new memories created.

Forbidden Lie$ (Australia) Where do you draw the line between con and artist? For author Norma Khouri, who famously faked the story of an Islamic honour killing in her memoir Forbidden Love , the difference between fiction and reality is entirely negotiable, as depicted in this involvingly twisted tail of deceit and redemption.

In Search of Mozart (UK) There's more to Mozart than Amadeus in Phil Grabsky's new documentary. A combination of the composer's letters and music creates a fully fleshed portrait of genius, with narration from Juliet Stevenson. "An adamantly linear, myth-busting stride through a prodigiously talented life."— The New York Times

In the Company of Actors (Australia) Director Ian Darling's documentary is a behind-the-scenes look into the thespian machinery of Cate Blanchett's star turn as Hedda Gabler (Ibsen's legendary doomed heroine). As the production travels from Sydney, Australia, to Brooklyn's prestigious BAM theatre, the actors must reinterpret their roles before the curtain rises. International Premiere

My Kid Could Paint That (USA) Four-year-old Marla Olmstead rocketed to fame as a precocious painter when her canvases became a sensation in the art world. Was she the genuine article or the product of pushy parents? The making and breaking of a tiny art star is chronicled in Amir Bar-Lev's stylish and intelligent documentary.

Nömadak Tx (Spain) Fascinating and exhilarating by turns, Raúl de la Fuente's documentary trails the Basque musical duo Oreka Tx as they take their primitive instrument known as the txalaparta (basically wood planks, hit with sticks) around the world to jam with musicians from Mumbai to the Arctic Circle. A delight. Canadian Premiere

On the Rumba River (France) A progenitor of Congolese rumba,“Papa Wendo” Kolosoy had his first hit record more than 60 years ago in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Jacques Sarasin's remarkable documentary juxtaposes “Papa's” life and music with a trenchant account of the tragedies that have befallen Kolosoy's country. Canadian Premiere

Schindler's Houses (Austria) Heinz Emigholz's latest terrific entry in his "Photography and Beyond" series consists of a precise filming of 40 Los Angeles houses by Austro-American architect Rudolph Schindler, one of the key figures in modernist American architecture. This very unique film also amounts to an up-to-date portrait of contemporary life in Los Angeles.

Scott Walker: 30 Century Man (UK) Hugely influential (Bowie, Eno, Radiohead, Johnny Marr, Sting, Jarvis Cocker, Damon Albarn—all of whom appear here—count themselves as big fans) and notoriously reclusive musician Scott Walker is the subject of Stephen Kijak's superb documentary. "Exemplary... Five Stars!"— Time Out, London

A Walk Into the Sea: Danny Williams and the Warhol Factory (USA) "[This] documentary about the brief life and mysterious disappearance of editor-filmmaker Danny Williams is the latest, absorbing contribution to the growing corpus of films about neglected but significant figures who passed through Andy Warhol's Factory."— Variety. Featuring interviews with John Cale, Paul Morrissey and other Factory regulars.

Wonders Are Many: The Making of Doctor Atomic (USA) Opera explodes in director Jon Else's documentary that follows the artistic team of John Adams and Peter Sellars over the course of a year as they prepare for the premiere of Dr. Atomic, an opera based on the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the first nuclear bomb test in 1945. International Premiere

All but one of the films in our new environmental series are eligible for the adjudicated Kyoto Planet "Climate for Change" Award and its accompanying $25,000 prize. The nominees are:

The Planet (Sweden) Spanning the globe from Kenya to Greenland, directors Michael Stenberg, Johan Soderberg and Linus Torell compile startling new evidence of a dying planet. An exploding human population, coupled with metastasizing industrial growth, means that we will soon outstrip the earth's ability to sustain life. Canadian Premiere

4 Elements ( Netherlands) Fire, water, earth and air as seen through the experiences of Siberian smokejumpers, Alaskan king crab fishermen, German miners and Russian cosmonauts. Lushly photographed, Jiska Rickels' stunning documentary provides a glimpse into the tenuous and oft-times dangerous relationship between people and the planet.

Man on Land (France) Director Ariane Michel's latest docu-essay takes us to a remote spot in Greenland. There, the clash between human and animals takes on a new perspective when nature's POV is given the dominant (long) view. Winner of the Grand Prize, Documentary Festival of Marseilles. North American Premiere

Garbage Warrior (UK) Architect Michael Reynolds started building houses out of garbage (old tires and empty pop bottles) almost 30 years ago—it's taken until now for the world to catch on. Oliver Hodge's portrait of this environmental firebrand makes you want to drop everything and start building Reynolds'-style "Earthships”. Oliver Hodge will be a Festival Guest.

casting a glance (USA) The inimitable James Benning casts much more than just a glance at Robert Smithson's inspired and influential 70s artwork, the Spiral Jetty . This great earthwork, realized at the Great Salt Lake in Utah, "gives evidence of a succession of man-made systems mired in abandoned hopes..."—Benning. North American Premiere

About Water (Austria) The truth of Byron's famous line "Til taught by pain, men really know not what good water is worth" is amply demonstrated in director Udo Maurer's new documentary (co-written with Michael Glawogger). As fresh drinking water becomes increasingly precious the world over, human life hangs in the balance... North American Premiere

The Unforeseen (USA) When a developer's subdivision in Texas threatens a fragile limestone aquifer and a swimming hole, the locals fight back... "Observing locally and thinking globally, Laura Dunn's astonishing debut documentary is the kind of transformative viewing experience that has made the current period a golden age for nonfiction film." —Variety. Laura Dunn will be a Festival Guest. Canadian Premiere

Khadak (Belgium/Germany/Netherlands) The fate of Mongolia's nomads is given a dramatic re-working in Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth's stunningly shot feature. A young shepherd goes on a picaresque journey when his family is transplanted from the countryside to the city. Shot through with mystical overtones Khadak also features a mesmerizing score.

Bing Ai (China) An extraordinarily intimate yet epic story of Bing Ai, a Chinese peasant woman who lives near the Yangtze River's Three Gorges Dam Project and refuses to move when ordered by the authorities. Shot over ten years, Feng Yan's film chronicles Bing Ai's labour, loves and her indomitable willpower. Director Feng Yan will be a Festival Guest. World Premiere

Keepers of Eden (USA) The remote part of the northwest Amazon basin that stretches into Ecuador is one of the most bio-diverse places on earth. What's happening there today is shocking. Yoram Porath's flinty film is a story of the native Huaorani people and their efforts to fight against particularly rapacious oil interests. World Premiere

The Green Chain (Canada) These seven monologues from different perspectives on the logging industry and the environment will challenge your point of view regardless of your stance. Writer/director Mark Leiren-Young presents a nuanced and engaging look at one of BC's biggest and most controversial industries. Mark Leiren-Young will be a Festival Guest.

Also included in the Climate for Change series is:

Taken for a Ride (USA) Never mind who killed the electric car, who killed public transit? The inauguration of our Climate for Change series allows us to go back in the vaults for this exemplary film (ineligible for the award since it is from 1997) which explains so well how we got into this mess we're in. How did we become addicted to oil in the first place? How did our cityscape become hostage to the automobile? The story is more nefarious than we've been led to believe.

Several other films with environmental interest are included in other sections of the festival.

The Nonfiction Features program is graciously sponsored by CBC.

The Vancouver International Film Festival has a reputation for presenting the best in world cinema. More than 150,000 patrons are expected to attend 550 screenings of more than 300 films from 75 countries, making it one of the largest and most successful film festivals in North America. Comprehensive information and schedules will be available at www.viff.org and the Starbucks Hotline at (604) 683-FILM (3456). Tickets go on sale September 8 through the VISA Charge-by-Phone line at 604-685-8297 and on the web at www.viff.org .

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