Idiotka: VIFF 2025
Idiotka: VIFF 2025
Canadian Premiere
Margarita (Anna Baryshnikov) is an aspiring clothing designer who lands a spot on a new fashion competition show. A third-generation immigrant living in the Russian part of West Hollywood, she helps her ailing grandmother and ex-con father pay bills by selling counterfeit clothes online, but when the producers show more interest in her struggle than her talent, she must decide if chasing her dream is worth betraying her family’s trust.
The cynical worlds of fashion and reality TV serve as a backdrop for a charming family comedy in Nastasya Popov’s directorial debut, combining haute couture with cutting satire. The film’s fictional show Slay, Serve, Survive is a pitch-perfect parody featuring a colourful wardrobe of creations ranging from gag-worthy showstoppers to runway disasters. Idiotka’s heart lies in its focus on Margarita’s cultural identity as she tries to define herself amidst a contest intent on sensationalizing her family secrets.
Monday, October 6
8:45 pm
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.
