VIFF announces 2023 lineup, including odes to Mr. Dressup, Priscilla Presley, and a truly misguided missionary [Video]

The Vancouver International Film Festival has rolled out its lineup for 2023, and while the opening and closing movies got spotlight coverage at a Wednesday morning press conference, let’s take a second to focus on some of the deeper cuts.

Fascinating (not to mention idiotically misguided) only begins to describe The Mission, which tells the story of John Chau, who­—determined to bring the teachings of Jesus to an isolated Indigenous tribe off the coast of India—ended up dead for his troubles.

Canadians of a certain vintage will already be lining up, bowties in place, for Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe, which celebrates the great children’s entertainer Ernie Coombs. And Priscilla, from the always-inventive Sofia Coppola, brings the story of Priscilla Presley’s Elvis and Me bio to the big screen, with Cailee Spaeny playing the former Mrs. Presley between the ages of 15 and 27.

Those three highlight films are among the nearly 140 features and 100 shorts screening …