The 45th Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) returns to Vancouver from October 1–11, 2026, bringing audiences an exciting selection of international and Canadian cinema.

This year, South Asian Post and Filipino Post are proud to support The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony, a powerful documentary that celebrates girlhood, resilience and possibility, while exploring broader questions about gender rights and the importance of creating opportunities for young women, particularly those growing up in marginalized communities.

We are proud to support a film that brings these young women’s stories to the big screen and invite Vancouver audiences to see the world through their eyes.

About The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony

Set in Karachi’s Machar Colony, one of Pakistan’s largest and most marginalized fishing settlements, The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony follows a group of young girls who discover new possibilities through gymnastics. The community is home to thousands of undocumented residents and faces significant barriers to income, education and healthcare.

For the girls at the heart of the film, gymnastics becomes much more than a sport. It offers a space for friendship, confidence and self-expression in a highly conservative environment. As the team trains for the National Women’s Gymnastics Competition, the young athletes navigate both the exhilaration of pursuing their dreams and the social barriers that continue to shape their lives.

Nosheen’s deeply empathetic documentary is ultimately a celebration of girlhood, resilience and possibility, while exploring broader questions around gender rights and the importance of creating opportunities for young women, particularly within marginalized communities.

The film is a Canada/Pakistan/USA co-production and is presented at VIFF as part of the Northern Lights program. Running 92 minutes, it is presented in Urdu, Bengali and English with English subtitles.

About the Director

Habiba Nosheen is a Pakistani-born journalist and filmmaker and a Peabody and three-time Emmy Award winner. Her work has been supported by organizations including PBS FRONTLINE, JustFilms, Firelight Media, ITVS, the Center for Asian American Media, CBC, the National Film Board of Canada and the Canada Media Fund. Her previous films include Outlawed in Pakistan and The Devil’s Advocate.

Vancouver Screenings

The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony will screen three times during VIFF 2026:

Friday, October 9 — 5:30 PM
Lindsay Family Stage at Granville Island

Saturday, October 10 — 12:00 PM
VIFF Centre – VIFF Cinema

Sunday, October 11 — 6:00 PM
Alliance Française

Tickets: Book tickets for The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony at VIFF

South Asian Post and Filipino Post invite audiences across Vancouver’s South Asian and Filipino communities, as well as film lovers throughout the Lower Mainland, to experience this moving story of young women, resilience and the transformative power of opportunity on the big screen.