VHS is recognized for curating top quality programming and creating a supportive and inclusive network for emerging and established filmmakers alike. Now in its sixth year, VHS has become a significant cultural event for the city of Vancouver. The festival's mission includes bolstering the local filmmaking community and connecting it to a wider, global community -- at VHS connectivity is key.

VHS has always been an advocate for equity on and off screen, and in 2020, successfully achieved its goal of having more than 50% of its films from female directors or filmmakers. In 2022, the VHS began a concerted campaign to seek out works from under-represented groups such as BIPOC filmmakers, and members of the LGBTQ2S+ communities. In 2023, this mission continues in earnest with the creation of a new dedicated Outreach Coordinator role with the 2023 goal of having 50% of our programming come from under-represented groups.

VHS is devoted to finding selected works -- feature films, short films and screenplays alike -- that contain elevated narratives that challenge archaic ideas about what the horror genre might have traditionally encompassed. The VHS is committed to fostering the growth of student (or emerging) filmmakers early in their careers, supporting them as they develop their craft and connecting them to a broader filmmaking community. The VHS is interested in horror that moves the needle forward in terms of messaging, inclusivity, representation and thoughtful narrative.

“What scares us is what unites us, and what unites us is powerful.” - Meghan Hemingway, VHS Artistic Director.

The Vancouver premiere of Terrifier 2 at VS 2022

VHS 2022 also introduced the festival's first industry panel sponsored by UBCP/ACTRA -- VHS Talks: "The Female Gaze" -- which featured director Karen Lam, actor and chair of UBCP/ACTRA's women's committee Enid-Raye Adams, and horror scholar and critical analyst Dr. Kelly Doyle.