VIFF Announces Inaugural Luminary Award Honorees: Carrie Coon, Markus Schleinzer, Leah Nelson

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The festival will present the awards at special events featuring in-conversation sessions and film screenings.

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The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) has announced the launch of the VIFF Luminary Awards, a new honour recognizing excellence and dedication to the art of the moving image. The inaugural winners are Carrie Coon , Markus Schleinzer, and Leah Nelson. The awards will be presented during the 45th Vancouver International Film Festival, running October 1–11, 2026.

'The VIFF Luminary Awards celebrate the most exciting artists contributing to film culture, those who are dedicated to the form, strengthening cinema with their uncompromising vision,' says Kyle Fostner, Executive Director of VIFF. ' Carrie Coon brings a rare, fearless intelligence and emotional resonance to every role. Markus Schleinzer works with remarkable precision and restraint. And, Leah Nelson proves that Vancouver's talent is nothing short of world class. Each of these artists are exemplary contributors to contemporary film culture, and we are honoured to recognize them in this inaugural year.'

The VIFF Luminary Awards will be presented to their recipients at special events featuring in-conversation sessions and film screenings.

The Close-Up: In Conversation with Carrie Coon will take place Sunday, October 4, 1:15pm, at the Lindsay Family Stage at Granville Island.

Carrie Coon has established herself as one of stage and screen's most formidable acting talents. Her riveting performance in The Nest demonstrated her uncanny capability of oscillating between fierceness and fragility, and the ensemble His Three Daughters served as a showcase for her deftness and generosity in playing off other performers. Her acclaimed work in The Leftovers, Fargo, The Gilded Age, and The White Lotus proves she is one of the industry's most captivating talents. Her stage credits include lauded Broadway productions of Bug and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf . The Liberation, screening at this year's VIFF, finds Coon delivering a powerhouse performance that will factor into the awards conversation and be talked about for years to come.

VIFF is honoured to present Carrie Coon with a VIFF Luminary Award, recognizing her tremendous contributions to the art of the moving image. In the wide-ranging conversation that will follow the screening, Coon will discuss the collaborative spirit and conviction she developed in acclaimed regional theatre companies and now brings to her work with visionary film and television directors.

Rose (Canadian Premiere) will screen Monday, October 5, 6pm, at the Lindsay Family Stage at Granville Island, with a Q&A to follow.

Markus Schleinzer is an Austrian filmmaker whose work is defined by an unflinching precision and an extraordinary economy of means. Best known internationally as the long-time casting director for Michael Haneke, Schleinzer made a striking directorial debut with Michael, which premiered in competition at Cannes and announced him as a filmmaker of rare and unsettling conviction. His follow-up, Angelo, further cemented his reputation for work that is formally rigorous, morally complex, and deeply humane. Rose, screening at this year's VIFF and already generating significant awards conversation following its celebrated run at Berlin — w here it won Best Performance — represents the fullest expression yet of a singular cinematic vision that demands attention.

VIFF is honoured to present Markus Schleinzer with a VIFF Luminary Award, recognizing his approach to character, restraint, and the moral weight he brings to every frame.

Tangles will screen Friday, October 9, 5:45pm, at the Vancouver Playhouse, with a Q&A to follow.

Leah Nelson is a Vancouver-based filmmaker and co-founder of Giant Ant, the Emmy Award-winning animation studio whose clients span some of the world's most celebrated brands and broadcasters. With Tangles, her debut animated feature adapted from Sarah Leavitt's beloved graphic novel, Nelson has announced herself as a filmmaker possessing exceptional sensitivity and depth, crafting a story about memory, caregiving, and the bonds between mothers and daughters with a tenderness and precision. Having premiered at Cannes 2026 to widespread critical acclaim, Tangles is now resonating with audiences around the world.

VIFF is honoured to present Leah Nelson with a VIFF Luminary Award, recognizing her helming of a visually accomplished and emotionally rich film that also represents a landmark achievement for Vancouver's animation industry and community.

For more details, visit viff.org/talks .

The Liberation film screening — Sunday, Oct. 4 at 10:30am, Lindsay Family Stage at Granville Island. Tickets: $22

The Close-Up: In Conversation with Carrie Coon — Sunday, Oct. 4, 1:15pm, Lindsay Family Stage at Granville Island. Tickets: $58

Rose film screening (Canadian premiere) — Monday, Oct 5 at 6pm, Lindsay Family Stage at Granville Island. Tickets: $22

Rose film screening — Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 6:30pm, The Park Theatre . Tickets: $22

Rose film screening — Friday, Oct. 9 at 3pm, Rio Theatre. Tickets: $22

Tangles film screening — Friday, Oct. 9 at 5:45pm, Vancouver Playhouse. Tickets: $22

Tangles film screening — Sunday, Oct. 11 at 3pm, The Park Theatre . Tickets: $22

Tangles film screening — Sunday, Oct. 11 at 9:30pm, Rio Theatre. Tickets: $22

The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) is one of Canada's leading film organizations and an internationally recognized cultural institution. VIFF presents the annual Vancouver International Film Festival, operates the VIFF Centre, Vancouver's premier arthouse cinema, and leads artist development initiatives through the Institute for the Moving Image. Founded in 1982, the Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society is a not-for-profit cultural society and federally registered charitable organization. VIFF is presented on the traditional and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil‑Waututh) Nations.

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/VIFF-to-Honor-Carrie-Coon-Markus-Schleinzer-Leah-Nelson-20260929)._