“White Boy Rick”, as he was called, was a novelty: A white teenager seemingly running a major inner-city drug operation. In May of 1987, 17-year-old Richard Wershe Jr. was charged with a non-violent, juvenile drug offense. By the time of his arrest he was already a Detroit legend, frequently making front-page headlines and leading the local television news. In this film, gangsters, hit men, journalists and federal agents struggle to explain why he remains in prison at nearly 50 years old. The possible explanation is more stunning than the crimes Wershe was alleged to have committed.

Chico Buarque is a constant presence in Brazil's art scene and makes up its citizen's popular culture. This wealth in music, poems, theater and novels has been created over the last 50 years and in this film Chico Buarque converses about his memories, shows, daily life, work methods, creative process, in summary all his trajectory. The musician’s search for his German brother, whom he never got to meet, serves as one of the axis for the narrative.

The story of Barry Minkow, a young and charismatic figure in business who reaches CEO status by lying and scheming his way to the top.

As a blind librarian, dispirited cricketer and desolate psychiatrist each seek retribution and release, their lives overlap under eerie influences.

Darkness and light, as seen by VIFF’s favourite Buddhist erotist. Part of the TOKYO LOOP animation anthology produced by ImageForum Japan.

The story of the Italian national tennis team that won the Davis Cup in ’76 and reached the final three more times in the following years.

The fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks, an event that marked the end of the Byzantine Empire.

A documentary that profiles the life and work of artist Shepard Fairey. We follow his roots through punk rock and skateboarding to his creation of the iconic Obama HOPE poster, and the controversy that surrounds it.

A star - A hero - A legend - Few athletes compare to the sheer magnetism of Diego Maradona. In a career spanning 5 decades he brought unimaginable skill to the game of football. He did the impossible - and then he did it again and again. Now, football is left without a God. Reflect and celebrate the incredible life and achievements of the greatest ever - Maradona.

An actress preparing to play in a historical epic is terrorized by someone faxing her pages from her stolen diary; has colorful flashbacks of her affair with a now-deceased man; and imagines black-and-white film-within-a-film scenes of the movie she is about to appear in.

A girl is engaged to the local richman, but meanwhile she has dreams about the legendary pirate Macoco. A traveling singer falls in love with her and to impress her he poses as the pirate.

In the early 1960s, Henry Ford II and Enzo Ferrari went to war on the battlefield of Le Mans. This epic battle saw drivers lose their lives, family dynasties nearly collapse, and the development of a new car that changed racing.

Under pressure to continue a winning tradition in American tennis, Mardy Fish faced mental health challenges that changed his life on and off the court.

A teacher conducts an experiment in an American high school where students learn how easy it is to be seduced by the same social forces which led to the horrors of Nazi Germany. Based on a true story.

Based on life of Patna-based mathematician Anand Kumar who runs the famed Super 30 program for financially weak IIT aspirants in Patna.

A documentary on Argentinean soccer star Diego Maradona, regarded by many as the world's greatest modern player.

Bad boy or football genius? Famed French footballer Nicolas Anelka's controversial legacy is examined in an unflinching documentary.

In Chile's Atacama Desert, astronomers peer deep into the cosmos in search for answers concerning the origins of life. Nearby, a group of women sift through the sand searching for body parts of loved ones, dumped unceremoniously by Pinochet's regime.

Mike Todd is a Broadway producer struggling to produce the film. Around the World in 80 Days. In Mexico, Mario Moreno, a young entertainer is struggling to get some respect, and he manages to become a star. A twist of faith makes them partners. Together they won the Oscar for Best Picture.