Only Living Pickpocket in New York: VIFF 2026
Only Living Pickpocket in New York: 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.
A hustler with a particular set of skills and especially sticky fingers, Harry Lehman (John Turturro) wasn’t made for these times. A knack for lifting wallets undetected on crowded New York City subways is of little use in a world that has gone cashless. Now staring down 70 and struggling to provide adequate care for his disabled wife, Harry finds his circumstances growing even more desperate when he fences a highly valuable USB stick stolen from an extremely vengeful crime family.
Much like the unwaveringly analogue Harry, Noah Segan’s feature, The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, is a charming throwback that recalls the underworld dramas of the 1970s and scrappy American independents of the 1990s. As Harry races against the clock and hops between boroughs in a bid to recover the USB stick, Turturro delivers an exquisite performance as a wiseacre who is typically one step ahead of everyone but now finds himself behind the eight ball.
Tuesday, October 6
Doors: 5:15 pm | Film: 5:45 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.
