Canada🇨🇦 | festivalsVancouver International Film FestivalAsian cinema, Northern Lights, short film blocks, Howe Street screenings | things to do and best time to go

Downtown and Yaletown put you closest to the main screening venues, with Gastown and the Granville Street area the most social for solo backpackers. Gastown has cobbled streets, late-night bars and plenty of travelers in the same boat, so striking up conversation is easy. It is a short walk or one SkyTrain stop from Waterfront Station to most theaters. Granville Street is lively and close to the Playhouse, though it gets rowdy late at night, so keep valuables close and skip the side streets after midnight. Mount Pleasant and Main Street are calmer, with cafes, breweries and cheaper beds, and the … read more 👉

Downtown and Yaletown put you closest to the main screening venues, with Gastown and the Granville Street area the most social for solo backpackers. Gastown has cobbled streets, late-night bars and plenty of travelers in the same boat, so striking up conversation is easy. It is a short walk or one SkyTrain stop from Waterfront Station to most theaters. Granville Street is lively and close to the Playhouse, though it gets rowdy late at night, so keep valuables close and skip the side streets after midnight. Mount Pleasant and Main Street are calmer, with cafes, breweries and cheaper beds, and the 99 B-Line and Expo Line connect you downtown in about 15 minutes. Kitsilano suits you if you want beach access and a quieter base, though it is further out. Avoid the Downtown Eastside after dark, which has visible street poverty and is best crossed only on main routes. Book early, since festival weeks fill the best-located dorms.