20th Anniversary Festival Director
Patricia de la Maza
patricia(at)vlaff.org
Patricia is a highly respected professional in arts administration; she had a prolific career in Television and Politics in Mexico before moving to Canada, where she was in charge of the Cultural and Media Affairs department at the Consulate General of Mexico in Vancouver for the past 12 years.
Among many accolades, she was the organizer behind the cultural section of Mexico Fest, an outdoor festival that took place at Robson Square in pre-pandemic times that would bring together more than 10,000 visitors for a weekend in September to enjoy Mexican arts and culture. She has also worked tirelessly for the inclusion of women in all facets of life.
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Managing Director
Valentina Acevedo Montilla
valentina(at)vlaff.org
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Programming Director
Christian Sida Valenzuela
christian(at)vlaff.org
Christian has been involved with VLAFF since 2006, first as a member of the Board of Directors, then as the Volunteer Coordinator, Theatre Manager, Box Office Manager, and Shorts Programmer. He was the Programming Director from 2008-2010 and the Executive Director from 2011-2021. In 2022, he became VLAFF’s Artistic Director. Christian is a well-known figure in the Latin American film circuit and has been a jury member at film festivals in Rio de Janeiro, Havana, Cartagena, Valladolid, Guadalajara, Biarritz, and Huelva, among others. Christian was also a jury member for the Colombian National Documentary Prize. In addition to participating in panels and workshops, Christian is also the founder and director of the Festival del Nuevo Cine Mexicano de Durango in Mexico. In 2015 he received an official recognition from the Consulate General of Colombia in Vancouver, for his work promoting Colombian cinema. He is the director and co-creator of the 2021 feature Santuario: El viaje perrote de Paty Aguirre.
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Festival Consultant
Anne-Mary Mullen
annemary(at)vlaff.org
Volunteer Coordinator
Dani Rodríguez
volunteer(at)vlaff.org
Youth Jury Coordinator
Ana Tonso
Graphic Design
Zatu Straftäter
Programming Assistant
José Luis Cano
Volunteer & Theatre Operations
Dani Rodríguez
Bookkeeper/Accountant
Alexandre Nicolaieff, CPA
Technical Coordinators
Emma Pollard
Ad Sales + Sponsorship
sponsorship(at)vlaff.org
Please click here to meet our Programming and Curatorial Team!