I Play Rocky: VIFF 2026
The Vancouver International Film Festival returns for their 45th year this October 1-11 for another curated season celebrating the best in independent, Canadian, documentary, and international shorts and features.
In 1975, after watching Muhammad Ali fight Chuck Wepner, a broke, struggling actor named Sylvester Stallone wrote a screenplay about an underdog boxer. Refusing to sell his script unless he could play the lead, Stallone’s gamble paid off, transforming both his career and American cinema forever.
I Play Rocky traces that improbable journey, capturing the chaos, setbacks, and unlikely collaborations behind an independent production that became a cultural landmark. Directed by Oscar-winner Peter Farrelly (Green Book), this is as much a film about creative risk as it is about boxing, celebrating the persistence required to protect an uncompromising vision. Buoyed by Anthony Ippolito’s charismatic turn as a young Stallone, I Play Rocky is an affectionate, crowd-pleasing reminder that some of Hollywood’s biggest success stories begin as long shots.
Sunday, October 11
Doors: 5:45 pm | Film: 6:15 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Tickets HERE
VIFF thanks the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations for their continued stewardship of the unceded and occupied land on which our work takes place. As an organization founded and predominantly directed by settlers and immigrants, we understand our responsibility to seek out and build authentic relationships with Indigenous communities, and to allow this ongoing dialogue to influence our practices. As part of this process, we remain committed to collaborating with and supporting Indigenous artists, filmmakers, curators, and audiences.
