KDocsFF

KDocsFF, Metro Vancouver’s premier social-justice film festival, goes far beyond just showcasing the world’s best activist documentaries. Its programming is only the beginning: a vehicle, a catalyst, a jumping-off point for discussion and community action.

Founded by KPU instructor Janice Morris, KDocsFF began as a single-film night in 2012 and grew to hold its first official film festival in 2015, doubling in size and scope for each of its first three years. With KDocsFF 2024: Journeys in Solidarity, the fest celebrates its momentous 10th Annual Film Festival—19 films over 5 days at the Vancouver International Film Centre.

KDocsFF's mission is to engage, through documentary film, documentary activism, and community dialogue, in critical thinking and understanding about ourselves, our communities, and our world. It operates five engagement streams—the annual film festival, a year-round program, a community outreach program, a social justice lab, and a YouTube Channel ("KDocs Talks").

When you come to a KDocsFF event, you will leave not only having experienced world-class documentary film, but also an understanding of documentary activism, a new or renewed sense of awareness, and a personal commitment to community solution-building, anti-oppression, and social justice.

KDocsFF sees its job as bringing audience members together with filmmakers, activists, organizers, advocates, and community groups—and then getting off the stage. The festival brings together a wide range of people—filmmakers, film subjects, activists, organizers, advocates, performers, community groups, educators, young and old alike, and people of all backgrounds—with the sole goal of asking them to engage.

KDocsFF succeeds where many festivals fail, delivering on its promise of building awareness, engagement, and community solution-building. Its testimonials speak for themselves.

The organization is particularly proud of its Community Outreach Program, which organizes screenings and facilitates workshops, town hall meetings, or discussions at schools, community groups, and other organizations interested in documentary film and documentary activism. KDocsFF will work with groups to customize content. The KDocsFF Community Outreach Program is free.

KDocs Talks, meanwhile, are led by experts in the field and are designed as a resource to be shared or used in classrooms. Meant to spark discussion and social change, the videos feature keynote addresses and panel discussions and take on issues including Indigenous rights and governance, genocide and war, institutionalized racism, climate change, migrant labour, housing rights, prison justice, and much more.  The videos carry a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.

Launched in 2023, KDocsFF Social Justice Lab is a vibrant interdisciplinary makerspace for KPU students, faculty, and staff who want to materialize calls to action. Outfitted with craftivism equipment, the Lab supports the creation of artifacts that can be brought back to the classroom.