VIFF highlights include comedies, literary adaptations

The 34th annual Vancouver International Film Festival opens today, and until Oct. 9, the festival will be bringing Vancouver audiences films from B.C., Canada, and around the world.

This year's festival offers everything from Dheepan, a French film about an ex-Tamil Tiger fighter who leaves the war for Paris, to Monty Python: The Meaning of Live, a documentary about the comedy troupe's latest reunion show.

"There's hundreds of films, many of them appealing to all tastes, some of them more challenging, some of them dealing with difficult subjects," said Alan Franey, VIFF's director of programming. "But there's something for everyone. There's comedy, there's horror films."

Franey told The Early Edition's host Rick Cluff aboutfive can't miss films from VIFF 2015.

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Brooklyn

"It's a Canadian co-production about a very intelligent, determined young woman who wants to emigrate from post-World War II Ireland to Brooklyn. But then she goes back home and complications ensue. Where does she want to make her life? And who does she want to make it with?"

Room

"A wonderful film, Canadian co-production it just won the audience award at the Toronto festival."

One Million Dubliners

"It's about a large cemetery in Dublin, and it really takes you into the cemetery.You get to meet the people who run the place, who give tours, and over some time you watch several funerals, but you'd never imagine subject matter like that could be so heartwarming and endearing. It's truly an incredible film."

Dark Horse

"It's about some villagers in Wales who have horses but never thought about entering the horse races. They put their money together and find they're not doing too badly. It's an unbelievably heroic make-good story."

I Saw The Light

This documentary about the life of country singer Hank Williams will close out the festival. "We're looking at the galas for very accessible, popular entertainment that you can pretty much guarantee everyone is going to like."

To hear the full story, click the audio labelled:5 can't miss films from the 2015 VIFF