Vancouver Film Festival Audience Award Winners: 'I'm Playing Rocky' and 'The Ceremony' Among Big Winners

Peter Farley's 'I'm Playing Rocky' won the Audience Award in the Galas and Special Presentations section at the 2026 Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF). The film, which tells the story of the struggle behind Sylvester Stallone's journey to write and star in 'Rocky,' was one of 10 titles chosen by audiences as favorites across the festival's programs.

Peter Farrelly's I Play Rocky won the Audience Award in Galas and Special Presentations at the 2026 Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF).

The film, which tells the story of the disability behind Sylvester Stallone's journey to make and star in "Rocky," was among 10 titles voted by audiences as favorites in the festival's programming categories — including international cinema, emerging filmmakers and Canadian films. Related Stories Director Stefano Solima's Monster Florence in 'Totally Different' Season 2 of Netflix's hit serial killer series: A Very Complicated Story to Tell (Exclusive) 'A Different World' has been renewed for Season 2 on Netflix.

Bunchi Hanuse's documentary "Ceremony," which previously won the Tides Jury Prize, won in the showcase category. It follows the disappearance of the oligan, a culturally important fish in Bella Cola, and the Nuxalk nation's efforts to understand its decline. Popular in Variety

Former Pixar animator Louis Clichy's Iron Boy, which explores issues of disability and agricultural modernization, won the Panorama Award. The Pioneer Award went to Fernanda Salgado's "Ana, En Passant," an animated film about a young black woman who returns to her late grandmother's hometown in Brazil.

Cody Lightning's hockey drama "Smudge the Blades," following a team of aboriginal youth in northern Alberta, won a Northern Lights Award.

Other winners in this category include Faraz Shariat's "The Chase" (Focus on New German Cinema: High Tension), Esmahan Bekrat's "Concrete Land" (Insight), Otilia Portillo Padua's "Forest Girls" (Spectrum), Rebecca Tansley's "Naturm Partins" and May P. Partinowitz: "Jim Queen" Nicholas Atane (Altered States).

The 45th Vancouver International Film Festival was held from October 1 to 11 and featured 162 feature films and 91 short films representing 76 countries.