Podcasts about Vancouver International Film Festival

Filmmaker Emilija Gašić joins VIFF's Vanguard series programmer Sonja Baksa to discuss 78 Days, a found-footage film that won the Vanguard Award at VIFF 2024. Shot on hi-8 tapes in her native Serbia, the film follows three sisters documenting their lives during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999. Inspired by her own childhood memories, Gašić's decision to use analog tape lent to the "docufiction" quality of the film.In this conversation, Sonja and Emilija unpack the film's unconventional process and the Vanguard series' focus on "films that are pushing the boundaries of cinema", and how Gašić's journey from Lord of the Rings fan to NYU Tisch grad shaped her voice as a director.This episode was recorded during the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival. This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

In this episode of the VIFF Podcast, program manager and senior programmer PoChu AuYeung sits down with acclaimed Canadian animator and filmmaker Ann Marie Fleming to discuss her latest film, Can I Get a Witness?, which screened at VIFF 2024. Set in a near future where citizens are required to exit life at 50 to combat climate change and inequality, the live-action film stars veteran Vancouver actor Sandra Oh, along with newcomers Keira Jang and Joel Oulette. Ann Marie reflects on the emotional and ethical questions at the heart of the story, as well as the film's themes of sustainability, technology reduction, and community care. This episode was recorded during the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival. This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

In this episode of the VIFF Podcast, programmer Alan Franey interviews American filmmaker Connie Field about her documentary feature Democracy Noir, which explores the rise of Viktor Orbán in Hungary and its global implications. The film follows three women—a journalist, a nurse, and a politician—who fight against Orbán's regime, highlighting Orbán's manipulation of democracy to maintain power, including changing the constitution to require a two-thirds parliamentary majority for amendments. Field discusses the parallels between Orbán's tactics and those of other authoritarian leaders (such as Trump) and the broader impact on global democracy. Despite its relevance, distribution challenges persist, particularly in the U.S.This episode was recorded during the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival. This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

Musqueam filmmaker Faith Sparrow-Crawford joins VIFF short programmer Casey Wei to talk about Uncommon Ground, her haunting sci-fi short set in 2171. They dig into themes of ancestral connection, mental health, and the deep bond between main character Tawny and her aunt. Faith shares how storytelling runs in her family, why the short film format speaks to her, and how she's collaborating with her father on a larger TV series. Plus: a glimpse into her next project exploring Musqueam traditions around grief.This episode was recorded during the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival. This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

In this episode of the VIFF Podcast, Curtis Woloschuk sits down with Canadian filmmaker Josephine Anderson to talk about her latest documentary Curl Power. Having premiered at VIFF 2024, Curl Power follows five teenage girls chasing curling glory while navigating the emotional terrain of adolescence. Anderson reflects on the challenges of long-term observational filmmaking, the power of trust between subject and filmmaker, and the unexpected mentorship of Olympic champion mothers. Plus, Josephine and Curtis discuss how experimenting with virtual reality can expand creativity and deepen the approach to storytelling.This episode was recorded during the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival. This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

On this episode of the VIFF podcast, programmer Alan Franey sits down with Mark Levinson to talk about his film, The Universe in a Grain of Sand. Levinson, who is a former theoretical particle physicist as well as a producer on films such as Mystic Pizza and Teen Wolf, details why he transitioned from physicist to filmmaker—influenced by his findings at Berkeley's Pacific Film Archive.The Universe in a Grain of Sand premiered at the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival and explores the potential of quantum computing to solve complex problems, honing in on Levinson's view of AI as an extension of human creativity that could also bridge the gap between technology and our understanding of the universe.This episode was recorded during the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival. This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

On this episode of the VIFF podcast, director Liz Cairns joins VIFF programmer Curtis Woloschuck to talk about her feature film debut, Inedia. The film, which premiered at VIFF 2024, follows a young woman with mysterious food allergies who joins a remote island community practicing alternative healing methods. Curtis and Liz discuss the director's deep attachment to the writing of Inedia, casting and directing, and how to maintain intuition on a larger production.This episode was recorded during the the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival. This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

In this episode of the VIFF Podcast, Year Round Programmer Tom Charity sits down with iconic Canadian filmmaker and (sometimes) opera director Atom Egoyan to discuss his latest film, Seven Veils, starring Amanda Seyfried. The film premiered during VIFF 2023 and was inspired by his remount of the opera Salome. Touching on trauma, abuse, and the artistic interpretation thereof, Adam talks about his experience directing opera and the controversies surrounding the original production.This episode was recorded during the 2023 Vancouver International Film Festival. This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

In this episode of the VIFF Podcast, Vancouver filmmaker Devan Scott speaks with VIFF Year-Round Programmer Tom Charity about his experimental feature Preface to a History, co-directed with Willa Ross. The film explores mental health struggles through the characters Vlad and Sophie—Vlad immerses himself in audiobooks, while Sophie grapples with career dissatisfaction.Scott shares how his experience listening to a 105-hour audiobook about the Third Reich while on a ski trip inspired the film and discusses the importance of sound design in shaping its unconventional storytelling. He also reflects on the challenges of shooting with a minimal crew in Vancouver and Pender Island, the influence of filmmakers like Chantal Akerman and Jacques Tati, and the evolving collaboration between him and Ross.This episode was recorded during the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival.This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

In this episode of the VIFF Podcast, Director of Programming Curtis Woloschuk speaks with filmmaker Karen Chapman about her narrative feature Village Keeper, which explores themes of trauma, grief, and economic disparity through the story of a Toronto single mother.Chapman shares her desire to capture "lived-in" moments on screen, and how location plays a vital role in shaping character and story, highlighting the impact of class and economic realities on filmmaking.Chapman reflects on the challenges of directing while eight-and-a-half months pregnant, the need for better industry support for mothers and underrepresented filmmakers, and the value of mentorship programs like the Canadian Film Centre and TIFF Talent Lab (which helped shape her career).This episode was recorded during the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival. This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

In this episode of the VIFF Podcast, Director of Programming Curtis Woloschuk interviews filmmaker Yuqi Kang about her documentary 7 Beats Per Minute, which explores the world of free diving and the connection between humanity and nature.Kang shares how a YouTube clip sparked her own free diving journey and led her to meet Jessea Lu, a prominent Chinese free diver who became the subject of her film. She reflects on the challenges of underwater cinematography, from unpredictable weather to capturing authentic moments beneath the surface, and the importance of adapting to nature's elements.Kang also discusses her transition from documentary to narrative filmmaking and how Vancouver's cultural and creative environment has influenced her work.This episode was recorded during the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival.This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

In this episode of the VIFF Podcast, feature film coordinator Natalie Murao interviews filmmaker Jerome Yoo about his debut feature film Mongrels, which follows a Korean immigrant family in rural Canada dealing with grief amid trying to belong in their new home country.Yoo shares about how he found talent in Korea, his casting process, and the challenges of working with 14 dogs while shooting the film. Plus, they discuss the importance of natural emotions and incorporating traditional Korean instruments into the film's score.This episode was recorded during the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival.This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

In this episode of the VIFF Podcast, Short Forum programmer Casey Wei interviews filmmaker Deborah Devyn Chaung about her short film Strawberry Shortcake, a genre-defying Freudian fantasy that explores a teenage girl's relationship with her mother. Chuang shares the deeply personal inspirations behind the film and the challenges of directing intimate scenes. Plus, they discuss the film's intricate set design, the symbolism of “strawberry shortcake” as both innocent and provocative, and Chuang's aspirations to develop the short into a feature.This episode was recorded during the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival.This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

On this episode of the VIFF Podcast, Laura Arboleda sits down with filmmaker Thea Loo, director of the documentary Inay (Mama).Thea shares the creative process behind the film, which explores the mental health impact of migration from the Philippines to Canada on the children of caregivers. Hear about the film's evolution from a five-minute concept to a feature-length documentary, the challenges of blending personal storytelling with archival research, and collaboration with her husband, Jeremiah.This episode was recorded during the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival.This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

On this episode of the VIFF Podcast, Director of Programming Curtis Woloschuck sits down with filmmaker Mads K. Baekkevold, director of The Chef & the Daruma. Mads shares his creative process and talks about the journey of capturing Chef Hidekazu Tojo's life and legacy. Tune in to hear about Mads' influences, from Tampopo to Jiro Dreams of Sushi, the serendipitous beginnings of the film, and the power of authentic voices.This episode was recorded during the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival.This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

To say that actress Teagan Vincze's filmography is varied is an understatement. Her lengthy list of credits includes critically acclaimed roles in indie hits – like when she played a compassionate sex worker in Daughter, Anthony Shim's critically acclaimed first feature that screened at the Vancouver International Film Festival, or when she played a fiery adult film star in The Cannon, a nuanced role for which she was nominated for a Leo Award – as well as nuanced performances in an array of studio and network fare, including Dead Boy Detectives, The Unauthorized Melrose Place Story, and a long and growing list of Christmas movies, including A Cowboy Christmas, where we finally got to see her as the romantic lead . [NOTE: This episode was recorded before it was announced that A Cowboy Christmas will be available to view in Canada on Tubi; check our episode footnotes for more information] . No matter the role or genre, Teagan's work is fearless, and lifts roles above any cliches. In this compelling and introspective conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Teagan talks about what she's learned portraying “taboo” roles in multiple screen projects (including Daughter and The Cannon), the importance of intimacy coordinators, and the special magic of her first time as the lead in a holiday rom-com. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

In this special episode, Sook-Yin Lee, the iconic radio and TV broadcaster, musician, film director, actress, and trailblazing MuchMusic veejay, and Chester Brown, the acclaimed alternative cartoonist, swing by the YVR Screen Scene Podcast studio to talk about Paying For It. The feature film – which had its premiere in Toronto and screened at the Vancouver International Film Festival – is a live-action adaptation of Chester's best-selling graphic novel that was inspired by the end of his relationship with Sook-Yin (who, in the film, is represented by a character named Sonny who works as a veejay at MaxMusic). Here's the premise for both the book and the film: In the late 90s, Chester and Sonny are a long-term, committed, romantic couple. When Sonny wants to redefine their relationship, Chester, an introverted cartoonist, starts sleeping with sex workers and, in the process, discovers a new kind of intimacy. “Paying For It: a comic strip memoir about being a john” was adapted for the screen by Sook-Yin and Joanne Sarazen; the film was directed by Sook-Yin and stars Dan Beirne as Chester and Emily Le as Sonny. In this riveting interview, Sook-Yin and Chester speak candidly about their journey to bring this story to the screen, art as activism, and if Canadians are ready to talk about sex work as work.Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

The 2024 edition of the Vancouver International Film Festival has come and gone. The team took a week to recover (and editor Marina took an additional week to edit – oops) but here we are: a final wrap on this year's festival. Join Steve Stebbing (Letterboxd, X, Website), Bill Harris (Letterboxd, X), Melissa McDowell (Letterboxd, X), … Continue reading After the Credits Episode 327: VIFF 2024 Wrap

In this episode of the VIFF Podcast, filmmaker Asher Penn talks about his debut feature documentary, Physician, Heal Thyself, with VIFF Year Round Programmer Tom Charity. The film is a searingly intimate portrait of the celebrated expert on addiction, stress, and trauma, Dr. Gabor Maté. Physician Heal Thyself follows Gabor's life's journey, from his start as a young contrarian to a contemporary icon.This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

Greetings programs!  On this week's show, we're taking on two exciting films.  First up, a BC shot indie film that played as part of the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival, Inedia.  Then we turn our attention to a new Netflix release, the single location mystery movie It's What's Inside.  Both of these films are exciting for some of the same, and some entirely different reasons, and we have a lot to say about each of them!  Additionally we talk about Transformers One for a solid few minutes, which means this episode has coverage of three films we both liked!  BONUS CONTENT:     Greetings patrons! This week's bonus round has Matthew asking what our favourite version of "And Then There Were None" is because there are lots to choose from, and Simon asks us to consider which films Hans Zimmer didn't score, but we would like to hear a score for by him. Patronage starts at just $2 CAD per month and you get a bonus episode to accompany every regular episode. Link: https://www.patreon.com/posts/october-6th-hans-11357335EPISODE HOMEPAGE:     Visit this week's episode homepage for JustWatch-powered links to everywhere you can buy, rent, or stream each of these titles.  The links update based on availability when you look (and where you are when you look), so if you don't see one please check back later.  We post these for every film we cover and using them helps us keep the show going. Link: https://awesomefriday.ca/2024/10/podcast-inedia-its-whats-inside-transformers-one/SUPPORT:             Patreon:    http://patreon.com/mcsimpson Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/matthewsimpson CONNECT WITH US:        Awesome Friday: https://awesomefriday.ca        Matthew: https://stretched.ca/ Simon: https://temporarypen.com/ Email: comments@awesomefriday.ca SHOW LINKS: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/awesome-friday/id480100293 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4kwPQGeBvVFVtewkCbrbA9 Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/18daf305-2c59-4718-bd5c-0dc393173353 Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/show/2775782 Goodpods: https://goodpods.app.link/ulvugeHonjb IHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/85390621/ Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes480100293/the-awesome-friday-movie-podcast Meanwhile, relax and enjoy your flight. 

The 2024 edition of VIFF just wrapped its 43rd year. We discuss our thoughts on the festival and review some of the films watched. Joining the show is Todd Pengelly, Marta Djordjevic and Christopher Cross. We review Anora, Universal Language, All We Imagine As Light, Conclave, A Different Man, The Girl With a Needle, No Other Land and Rumours. Read Dakota's reviews of Inedia, A Different Man, Conclave, The Mother and the Bear and Rumours. Read Marta's reviews of All We Imagine as Light and The Girl With The Needle. Subscribe to McFly's Movie House and follow Marta on Twitter and Instagram. Read Christopher's reviews for Universal Language and Matt and Mara. Follow Christopher on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Todd on ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠. Leave a comment on Spotify for what movies you saw at TIFF! Follow Contra Zoom on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Check out more great Contra Zoom content on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠That Shelf⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Listen to Contra Zoom on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Anchor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Google Play⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Overcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RadioPublic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Breaker⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Podcast Addict and more! Please ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rate and review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠contrazoompod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Create your ⁠⁠podcast⁠⁠ today! #madeonzencastr

The Vancouver International Film Festival is in full swing and while the ATC team has been seeing movies, we haven't managed to connect for an update. But not to worry, that all changes now as Bill Harris (Letterboxd, X) and Marina Antunes (Letterboxd, Instagram) return to the old days of on-the-fly recordings with this VIFF … Continue reading After the Credits Episode 326: VIFFing 2024 Style

Greetings programs!  Our favourite time of year is back; the Vancouver International Film Festival is on now! The 2024 edition features a ton of great films, and we're here to talk about two of them: Gillian McKercher's family drama Lucky Star and Edward Berger's All Quiet on the Western Front follow-up Conclave.  It's a good discussion about two films we liked, so join us! BONUS CONTENT:     To celebrate the festival, in this week's bonus episode, we talk about some of our favourite films from past festivals.  Listen in to hear us rave about Special Actors, Columbus, The Lobster, Another Round, and more!  Support starts at $2 CAD per months, a bargain!  Link: https://www.patreon.com/posts/sept-30th-bonus-11309581EPISODE HOMEPAGE:     Visit this week's homepage for JustWatch powered links for each film.  These links update based on film availability whever you are so if you don't see a link be sure to check back later.  If you use these links it goes a very amount of the way to helping us keep the lights on, and we poste them for every movie we cover. Link: https://awesomefriday.ca/2024/09/viff-2024-lucky-star-conclave/PAST VIFF COVERAGE:     You can also check out all of our coverage from previous editions of VIFF on the homepage, which includes several podcast episodes and dozens of reviews and interviews. Link: https://awesomefriday.ca/tag/viff/SUPPORT:             Patreon:    http://patreon.com/mcsimpson Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/matthewsimpson CONNECT WITH US:        Awesome Friday: https://awesomefriday.ca        Matthew: https://stretched.ca/ Simon: https://temporarypen.com/ SHOW LINKS: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/awesome-friday/id480100293 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4kwPQGeBvVFVtewkCbrbA9 Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/18daf305-2c59-4718-bd5c-0dc393173353 Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/show/2775782 Goodpods: https://goodpods.app.link/ulvugeHonjb IHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/85390621/ Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes480100293/the-awesome-friday-movie-podcast Meanwhile, relax and enjoy your flight. 

Jerome Yoo (the filmmaker behind the critically acclaimed short films Gong Ju, Idols Never Die, and Recess: Third Street) stops by the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to discuss Mongrels, his feature film directorial debut that has its world premiere at the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival. Set in rural Canada in the 1990s, Mongrels follows a Korean family attempting to find footing in a new land while navigating the dark forests of grief. Dad Sonny has been hired to eradicate the feral canines plaguing the town, while sensitive son Hajoon figures out what it means to be a man. Finally, young Hana, missing her mother, dreams up ways to make her return.Mongrels is lyrical, sorrowful, dreamlike, surreal, disturbing, and surprising: an exceptional mix that is precisely what anyone familiar with Jerome's previous work would expect to see in his first feature. In this fascinating conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Jerome talks about the day on Mongrels when he directed 14 dogs, his cohort of rising Asian Canadian filmmakers (which includes Lawrence Le Lam and Mayumi Yoshida), and the parallels between his own immigrant journey and Mongrels' surreal story. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

GUEST: Curtis Woloschuk, Director of Programming at VIFF Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The federal Liberals face a non-confidence vote in Ottawa. We bring you the latest and discuss the implications of the vote with Sanjay Jeram, political science professor. Then, we take your calls on B.C.'s health care system. Finally, our guests are Chef Hidekazu Tojo, and director Mads K. Baekkevold, on the new Chef Tojo documentary, "The Chef and the Daruma," premiering next week at the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Molly McGlynn is a writer and director who was born in Montreal to Irish parents and grew up in the United States.  Mary Goes Round, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2017 and has screened at dozens of film festivals and won multiple awards, including the Panavision Independent Cinema Award at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, Best Feature Film at the Vail Film Festival and Best Narrative Feature at the Annapolis Film Festival.    Selected television credits include Workin' Moms, The Wonder Years, Grace and Frankie and The Big Door Prize. Additionally, she was the producing director on Season 2 of Bless This Mess.   Her second feature film, Fitting In, (fka Bloody Hell), starring Maddie Ziegler and Emily Hampshire, had its World Premiere at SXSW in the Narrative Spotlight section in March 2023. Its International Premiere was at the prestigious Deauville American Film Festival and its Canadian premiere was at the Toronto International Film Festival. It won Best Canadian Feature Film at the Vancouver International Film Festival and was nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film by the Directors Guild of Canada.   She also hosts the podcast Hello, My Mom is Dead, an honest and authentic look into grief and loss.   Mayer Rokitansky Küster Hauser (MRKH) syndrome is a condition affecting approximately 1 in 5000 female births and leading to the absence or underdevelopment of the uterus, cervix and vagina. There are 2 types of MRKH, Type 1 as typified above and Type 2, in addition to the above may also affect the kidneys, bones, heart or hearing. Find out more and get support here www.mrkhconnect.org   Want to watch: YouTube Meisterkhan Pod (Please Subscribe)

UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck — Episode 264Welcome to UnSpun - your go-to podcast and YouTube show for current events.In this episode of Unspun, hosts Jodie Vance and George Affleck dive deep into the US presidential debate, sharing their insights and reactions from both sides of the political spectrum. They discuss Kamala Harris's performance, Donald Trump's debate tactics, and the media's spin on the event. Shifting gears, they delve into local issues involving addiction and rehabilitation, highlighting John Rustad's controversial stance on involuntary treatment and a related film at the Vancouver International Film Festival. The conversation also touches on housing challenges, Air Canada pilot strike potential, and the political landscape in BC and federal elections. Visit our website to learn where to watch and listen at UnSpunPodcast.com.If you need to reach out, email george@curvecommunications.com.

In this episode of the VIFF Podcast, BC-based film producer Mike Johnston talks about his his transition from directing to producing with VIFF Director of Programming, Curtis Woloschuck. He highlights the complexities of financing and managing co-productions, with Beehive and Wild Goat Surf as turning points, and an upcoming international co-production with Colombia, Memoria. Together, Mike and Curtis reflect on the resilience and future of the Vancouver film community.This conversation was recorded remotely during VIFF 2023.This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

Show notes below:   Talking Shit With Tara Cheyenne is a Tara Cheyenne Performance Production www.taracheyenne.com Instagram: @TaraCheyenneTCP  /  FB: https://www.facebook.com/taracheyenneperformance Podcast produced, edited and music by Marc Stewart Music www.marcstewartmusic.com    © 2024 Tara Cheyenne Performance   Subscribe/follow share through Podbean and Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts and Spotify.   Donate! To keep this podcast ad-free please go to:  https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/13386   Links: https://www.adamgrantwarren.com/ https://realwheels.ca/disability-tour-bus/ About Adam: Now based in Vancouver, Adam was born and raised in Newfoundland, Canada. He started writing professionally in his early twenties, as a radio columnist for the CBC Morning Show. In that time, he also became Newfoundland's youngest ever winner of both the Arts and Letters Award for Fiction, and the George Story Medal of Excellence in the Arts. Adam then moved west to study – and eventually teach – at Vancouver Film School. His films have since screened as official selections at festivals including California's Newport Beach Film Festival, the National Screen Institute's Online All-Star Reel, and the Vancouver International Film Festival – where Float took home the honours for Best Canadian Short in 2012. In 2016, Conocerlos: Get to Know Them earned him his first BC Film Award nomination for Best Screenwriting. In dance, Adam is an associate artist with All Bodies Dance Project. His choreography and collaborations have featured at festivals including Vancouver's 12 Minutes Max, Victoria's SKAMpede, and Calgary's Fluid Festival. His current residency at The Dance Centre finds him working alongside TJ Dawe, Su-Feh Lee, and longtime collaborator Naomi Brand on a new solo piece: Good Bully. Beyond his residency, Adam is also part of New Works' CanDance Exchange and Propeller's Digital Disability and Dance initiative in Ottawa. In the theatre, Adam is a Jessie Award winning actor whose west coast performance highlights include productions of his own shows, Last Train In and Lights, as well as Touchstone Theatre's Kill Me Now, and Realwheels Theatre's CREEPS. Looking ahead, his latest play, Saturday Nights at Axles, is in development at Realwheels, where he is now Co-Artistic Director. About Tara:   Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg, is an award winning creator, performer, choreographer, director, writer, and artistic director of Tara Cheyenne Performance, working across disciplines in film, dance, theatre, and experimental performance. She is renowned as a trailblazer in interdisciplinary performance and as a mighty performer "who defies categorization on any level". Along with her own creations Tara has collaborated with many theatre companies and artists including; Zee Zee Theatre, Bard on the Beach, ItsaZoo Theatre, The Arts Club, Boca De Lupo, Ruby Slippers, The Firehall Arts Centre, Vertigo Theatre (Calgary).  With a string of celebrated solo shows to her credit (including bANGER, Goggles, Porno Death Cult, I can't remember the word for I can't remember, Body Parts, Pants), multidisciplinary collaborations, commissions and boundary bending ensemble creations Tara's work is celebrated both nationally and internationally.  Tara is known for her unique and dynamic hybrid of dance, comedy and theatre. She is sought after for creating innovative movement for theatre and has performed her full length solos and ensemble works around the world (highlights: DanceBase/Edinburgh, South Bank Centre/London, On the Boards/Seattle USA, High Performance Rodeo/Calgary etc.). Recent works include a collaboration with Italian dance/performance artist Silvia Gribaudi, empty.swimming.pool, (Castiglioncello, Bassano, Victoria and Vancouver), ensemble creation, how to be,  which premiered at The Cultch, and her solo I can't remember the word for I can't remember, toured widely, and her newest solo Body Parts has been made into a stunning film which is currently touring virtually. Tara lives on the unceded Coast Salish territories with her partner composer Marc Stewart and their child.

On this episode, my guests are Jesse Mann (editor-director) and Tyson Sadler (director), the brains behind the documentary The Last Tourist. Jesse is both a picture editor and director whose professional work has spanned commercial, tv and film projects. The Last Tourist is her second feature film as editor. Her first film, as both editor and director, Material Success, screened internationally and won the Audience Choice at the Canadian Film Festival and Best Film at the Canadian Film Festival (2012). Most recently, she both directed and edited the online horror mini-series “The Confinement” (2021). She is a member of the Directors Guild of Canada and an associate member of the Canadian Cinema Editors. Jesse has an B.F.A. from Ryerson University's School of Image Arts.Tyson Sadler is an explorer, traveller and award-winning filmmaker. He has directed video content and documentaries for The New York Times, Associated Press, and The Huffington Post. His films have been screened at festivals around the world including Tribeca Film Festival, South by Southwest, The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and the Toronto International Film Festival. An early pioneer i virtual reality documentary, he has worked tirelessly to use cutting edge technology to tell stories that build empathy around causes such as climate change, forced migration, and human rights.Show Notes:The Film's InceptionIndustry PolarityRegulating TravelAddressing the Root ProblemsGreenwashing Animal and Child Welfare TourismHow the Wealth Gap Increased During COVIDWhat was Left on the Cutting Room FloorHomework:WATCH THE FILM HEREThe Last Tourist Film Website | Instagram | FacebookThe Last Tourist TrailerJesse Mann's Website | InstagramTyson Sadler's Website | InstagramTranscript:Chris: Welcome Jesse and Tyson to the End of Tourism Podcast. Jesse: Thanks Chris for having us. Tyson: Thanks for having us. Chris: Thank you so much for joining me today to talk about your documentary film, The Last Tourist. So, it was released in 2022 to great reception.And as you might imagine, many of my listeners have pointed me in its direction. And after watching the film, I found myself really grateful that people finally approached these themes in the medium of documentary filmmaking and with what seemed to be a budget to do justice to what those themes confront. And so first I'd like to ask you two how The Last Tourist got started and what the inspiration behind the film's creation was and how did you decide to write a treatment for it? Tyson: Ultimately, you know, I think the inspiration for The Last Tourist came from a combination of personal shared experience and a shared passion for travel and particularly responsible travel.You know, in early 2018, I was approached [00:01:00] by the executive producers to write a treatment, for a short film around responsible tourism in the country of Peru. And through, you know, some follow up conversations, we sort of quickly realized that we had an opportunity because, a large scale documentary, on the subject of responsible tourism just didn't exist yet. I mean, we have wonderful films out there which challenge our conversations with our relationship with climate change and our relationship with our food source like An Inconvenient Truth or like Food Inc., but we didn't at that time yet have a documentary which really challenged our perceptions of the global impact of the travel and tourism industry and so over conversations with with our team and the producers we quickly realized that we had a unique opportunity to make "An Inconvenient Truth" for the travel industry and in early 2018, we seized on that opportunity to explore the positive and negative impacts of tourism on destinations.Jesse: And I think just to add to what Tyson was saying, I think originally [00:02:00] it started off as a short project and yourself and the executive producers who brought us together kind of pushed for it to become the large scale project that had ended up being filmed in 15 different countries or 16 with 400 hours of footage.So, sometimes you don't know, especially myself as a co-writer and editor, when you come on to a project, in the initial stages, you think, "Oh, you know, this is wonderful. It sounds like a great project." I had been an avid traveler, lived in a few different countries over 20 years and I thought, yeah, this is a story that needs to be told, but I will say in no way in the beginning, did I ever think it was going to be, and I think Tyson didn't either, was it going to be such a huge project. And you comment, Chris, on the expansiveness of the subject and the different kind of facets of the tourism [00:03:00] industry we were able to look at.And really I have to say that I'm happy that we got to touch on all those points and to the chagrin of my personal sleep and Tyson's as well, but it started off small, I have to say that, and it grew into something tremendous that I think we're very proud of.Tyson: It really was a natural progression of our desire to raise awareness about responsible tourism and its consequences. We had our world premiere, honestly, I think it was about two years ago now at the Vancouver International Film Festival, two years ago. And a little over two years ago, a little over two years ago.And the film is still doing a festival run. Just last weekend, Jesse was at the the Innsbruck Film Festival and it's still been getting a wonderful response, great conversations around it. And we're streaming on platforms around the world, you know, Crave in Canada, Hulu in the U.S., Amazon Prime in other countries. I was just in French Polynesia and was able to find our film on Amazon Prime, which was really delightful [00:04:00] to see that. Jesse: Yeah, it makes us happy as filmmakers to know that the story that we spent a lot of time trying to create in a way that we thought would connect with audiences worldwide is actually getting out there. And so it's really nice to be speaking to you on your podcast as well and kind of extend that out to potentially more people who haven't seen the film or some who just want to talk more about the topics. Chris: And I wanted to ask you two, given the fact that the film was released, you know, still very much in a pandemic during the, the COVID 19 times what the reactions were given the fact that tourism had ground to a halt in that time you know, I received a lot of Mail regarding your film, like, ah, you have to check this out.You have to watch this, right? And so a lot of people really excited about the project, about the film. But then I guess I'm also curious about[00:05:00] if there was much of an industry backlash in regards to the degree of sincerity perhaps around which the film exhibited these kind of deep and sometimes dire consequences that visit themselves on places and people in the name of tourism.Tyson: Yeah. I think the reactions to the film have been in my experience, almost entirely positive. But people don't come to me with criticism, they come to me with congratulations, but I think there's a lot of individuals in the tourism industry and sponsors that have really welcomed our film, The Last Tourist, as a necessary and eye opening piece of work.It sparked a lot of interesting conversations and prompted the industry to, in many ways, I think, reevaluate some of their practices. You Jesse: If we back it up to when we were just when we were meeting with all of the different professionals that we interviewed across the different facets of the tourism industry, I mean, when you and I were writing the story, there were so [00:06:00] many different conflicting opinions on how to solve one issue that we still come across that sometimes when we meet those industry experts outside of, let's say, film audiences.Because When we were writing it, we had to kind of decide which side of the coin we were going to follow through our story with, and whether it's a topic of let's say regulation, that was a topic that Tyson and I had a lot of conversations about when we were making the film because the industry in itself is kind of very polarized in terms of regulation.There's some strong proponents within the tourism industry who want regulation. And then there's some who are very against it. And Tyson and I had a lot of conversations about that. And I think we still do when we meet certain industry professionals out there and I think that's a really important topic as well.[00:07:00] Now that you are bringing up, post covid and the pandemic where we saw kind of what happens when things are shut down. You know, we see both the positive and the negative. I mean we mentioned it in the film, but almost every single person that we interviewed in our film lost their means of income during that time. Gone.And at the same time, the world experienced kind of you know, a refuge from, you know, airplane emissions and damage to destinations. And, you know, these were calculable things like we could see that this was a definite impact. So, I think there's these kind of topics and these conversations are where we see a lot of polarity.And I think that we tried our best to focus on the people and the developing nations in our story. But, there are a lot [00:08:00] of stories that were left on the cutting room floor and so it is good to discuss them after in a podcast like this. I know that's kind of a long winded interjection, but I do believe that we do have some polarity for sure Tyson and I have come across, but just not in terms of what Tyson is talking about, in terms of not not so much with the audiences It is more a bit in the industry. Tyson: I'll share an observation. During the process of creating this film, we interviewed literally dozens of travel experts, you know from academics to tour operators across the industry.It's universally recognized that responsible tourism and sustainable tourism is a good thing. But then when we dive a little bit deeper I found a very fractured kind of industry because everybody believes that they know how to do responsible tourism, right. And everybody else, often, isn't executing responsible tourism correctly.And so, on a foundational level, sure, we all believe in responsible tourism, but I think, the approach at how we get there isn't universally accepted, throughout the industry, and I think [00:09:00] that that's, on a basic level, we kind of explore those themes in the film as well as we interview people who kind of take different approaches to how to engage responsibly with tourists and host communities.Jesse: And we had to make some hard decisions, obviously based on the research that was coming in on what side we wanted to promote in the story. But sometimes I think it's fair to say, Tyson, if you agree with me that we did try to leave it a bit more open for audiences to try to make their own decision based on what we had learned, because it's not always an easy answer for every situation.It's quite nuanced, I think. Tyson: Absolutely. Chris: And you mentioned Jesse, regulation. In terms of the people you interviewed and your research, generally speaking, what does that look like, or what might that look like in particular locales or within the industry?Jesse: Well, I think we've seen quite a bit of it post pandemic because where we thought there was going to be [00:10:00] an ease back into traveling that has not happened. All the reports are coming back in that tourism is back up in droves and a lot of the same problems, if not more are back with travel again.And so we've seen places like Machu Picchu has started regulating the amount of people that are able to visit annually. Worldwide, there's different popular tourist destinations who have decided to limit the amount of tourism and tourists that come to certain destinations.You know, I think when it comes to destinations, we just have to be really careful that it doesn't become a tax that is elitist because that happens a lot with regulation across the board. You've seen it with cigarettes, you've seen it with airfare as well. You're paying a higher price for travel. And although I do believe personally and Tyson, you [00:11:00] can speak to this as well, but because we haven't discussed this recently, but when you put a strong tariff or tax on travel, I think it is important, but I think it has to be calculated so that it's not elitist because if we only have people traveling in the world who can afford it, if it becomes so unaffordable, this is totally against the core value of travel, which is to unite all people of all different socioeconomic statuses and really connect with different cultures and people, and if it's just suddenly becomes for people who can afford a really overpriced flight, I think that will completely take away the value of the core value of travel.But I do strongly believe that, and this I think is a very controversial thing to say. I do believe that things have to be regulated and there has to be something done, especially about the amount of flights that are happening on this planet. Because, you know, for instance, I don't know the statistics for Canada, but I was looking at it the other day for[00:12:00] the UK.And I think something like 70 percent of all flights in the UK are taken by 15 percent of the population, and I don't doubt that that's very similar for a lot of the Western world without knowing all the statistics specifically, so I think that that has to be really taken into consideration when putting out regulation in terms of flights or destinations and such.Chris: Yeah, I've thought about it quite a bit as well, and the elitization of travel, and this understanding that, well, we remove subsidies, for example, for air travel or other things, that we'll just have rich people flying around the world, which is more often than not the case already. Most flights are undertaken for business travel and that's a huge thing that I think most people don't know about, but instead of getting people with corporate backed funds or just rich people flying around the world, we're obviously looking for people with strong principles and good behavior to be the ones [00:13:00] traveling.But then how do you measure that? How do you quantify that in a way that honors the kinds of worlds we want to live in? And it's not just this like, oh, it's impossible. Sure. And we could take that understanding that to quantify such a thing would be next to impossible, but then it could also open up these kind of doors of imagination where in like what kind of infrastructures would we want to put in place that were not maybe Government sanctioned or not maybe top down, but actually from the bottom up, creating these kind of international or intercultural bonds and practices between people that would allow not just for the kinds of people who locals in quote unquote "destinations" want to receive to be able to travel, but then also to create the conditions whereby that kind of, for lack of a better word, behavior or principles could be deepened in the world.I mean, it'd be extremely difficult to, [00:14:00] to manage, but How would you quantify that? How would you measure that? Jesse: Yeah, and I think that's such a, such a complicated issue and I love what you're saying though. I think it's absolutely wonderful. And I do think it's possible to move in that direction.I'm not sure I have the answer for that and maybe Tyson wants to speak to it, but I also want to say that something that I think could be part of the solution is also promoting train travel as well. And I know that that kind of that stops at domestic. But at the same time, you know, I think governments should be allocating a lot of funds to push train travel to create and develop train travel and to also subsidize train travel more because it's just a wonderful way to reduce emissions and to actually continue allowing people to travel. Tyson: Yeah. There are some countries here in Europe, Jesse, and I think Europe is just far beyond a lot of the rest of the world. Canada, I think we're still living in the dark ages, you know, when it comes to long [00:15:00] distance train travel.Jesse: That's a shame. It hasn't been made a priority. Tyson: It just doesn't exist.Chris: Well, I'm curious also for you two how your own travels in your lives might have come to bear on your production or pre production and research in the film. Maybe you could tell us a little bit of how you've seen the world over the course of your life and your travels and if that came to bear at all in the making of the film.Tyson: Personally for me, I traveled extensively, for 20 years prior to embarking on this film. I worked in the travel industry. I worked for an airline for many years. I was also a journalist and I've done work for several large publications, which allowed me to travel to very, some very remote and exotic destinations around the world.This travel really exposed me to the beauty and the wonder of the world. But also the environmental and the cultural challenges that a lot of these destinations face. You know, the experiences, with travel for both work and for pleasure, I think they served as a [00:16:00] catalyst, for me just to delve deeper into this topic.And so when I was approached about directing and writing a film on this topic, I don't think there could have been a better fit. Like it just, everything just kind of fell into place and I just felt like I was really well poised because prior to that I had traveled to 70 different countries in a number of different capacities.I had personally engaged in a number of behaviors that we are critical of in the film in terms of animal interaction, you know, interaction with other cultures. And my travel through two decades was really an eye opening and learning experience for me. And what this film really is, I think for me and in many points in the film is a reflection of my past travels and things that have been illuminated in my mind in terms of what are some important aspects that we really need to address if we want to be more conscious and responsible travelers.Jesse: And I think from my end I surely [00:17:00] had not traveled to as many destinations as Tyson. But I did indulge my wanderlust in my twenties and thirties. I lived in a few different countries, Holland, South Africa, Germany, Canada. And I think that the absolute best aspect for me personally of travel is meeting the people.I absolutely love meeting people in different cultures and seeing the differences and the similarities and learning the wisdom as much as I possibly can in such a moment of my life, when I'm in a destination, if it grants me such a gift. And I think from that, I still do have such a deep, deep gratitude to my privilege and being able to travel in and meet such people.I've made such beautiful friendships over the course of 20 years and many I still keep in touch with across the various places I've lived. And I think that when you come back, [00:18:00] perhaps from living in different cultures in different countries and you come back to your home, the place you were raised in and where you were born and where you were raised culturally, and you can note the vast differences, and it's not a negative thing, but you start to pick up on the ways in which many people can see different cultures or different countries in a way that is completely disconnected from the actual truth and and this knowledge often comes with privilege.I was privileged enough to be able to travel to these destinations to meet certain people and to dissuade certain prejudices, but not everyone can. And so part of this film, I have to say, ironically, is that if you can't travel, this film is also a wonderful film to watch because it's something that you can meet these people [00:19:00] in these destinations.You know, there's so many places that I've been to also that are so many places I have not been to that were featured in the film as well. And with documentary filmmaking and making, and especially as an editor, I really do feel like I get to know these people so well, and I don't think that's just exclusive to myself.I think audiences, hopefully, if I've done it correctly, if Tyson and I have, have made the film correctly, that these people's hearts have come through in the film. And, this is something that Tyson and I really worked hard on. And I'm sorry if I'm deviating from the question a bit, but it does connect very deeply to my love of travel is is people and also my love of editing people and so it was something we worked really hard to focus on is how do we give these people a podium. They have their voice there. They're saying their truths. How do we give them a podium [00:20:00] and as the white filmmakers who are coming into different countries, how do we take a step back and really let them preach their wisdom? And so it was a balance for us really in finding the right voices, obviously speaking to the right professionals and speaking to professionals within different cultures that you see featured in the film and really making sure that their knowledge, their voice, their direction was giving us direction on how we edited and formulated the story and stories of everyone that we met in the travels of the production as well. Chris: And on that note, I'm curious for each of you, what was the most important topic or theme that came up in the film for you personally?Tyson: For me, maybe it's an echo of Jesse's sentiments there, but really it comes down to the impact on the communities that so graciously host us when we when we do travel. Travel you know has you know has an encyclopedia [00:21:00] of challenges that come with traveling responsibly unless we address the people. And I think we address this and the the film addresses this, but we can't begin to you know to start focusing on the environment unless we first focus on the communities who are there and helping them emerge from poverty. We can't begin to focus on how we can solve the problem of poaching in the African savannah unless we first address the root causes of why it's there and how it affects the host communities and how poverty affects people's decisions to be involved in this trade. Jesse: That was something that Jane Goodall was was really adamant about speaking in the film about as well Tyson: Yeah, and so to answer your question Chris, I mean ultimately it comes down to the communities and the people, the humanity of it all. First, we need to address the human aspect and then we can address the secondary aspects of what it means to be a responsible traveler.[00:22:00] Jesse: So for me, personally, the most incredible voices in the film that when they came in, I just thought, "oh, wow," were definitely Lek from Elephant Nature Park and one of our contacts in Kenya Judy Kefergona, who ended up being one of the main speakers and narrators throughout a huge portion of our film.These two women were just heroes. Like just with Judy, with the words that she was able to express for the people working in not just only the tourism industry in Kenya, but the people of Kenya who were vulnerable to unethical tourism, and then speaking to so many different subjects that were connected to so many different stories worldwide with such eloquence and such power and such knowledge [00:23:00] and encourage really, I think. She spoke about these topics. I was just enamored, just blown away and so grateful for her coming onto our film and Lek Chailart is just a modern day hero. She is the tiniest woman with the biggest heart who when I saw her story in our film against the backdrop of these beautiful giants, these elephants that she has rescued. And essentially she's an elephant whisperer in the truest sense of the word. And it's just such a magical thing to see.Listeners won't be able to understand this. I'm getting goosebumps when I just talk about her and this was the kind of thing that when Tyson and I were looking through footage and looking through stories that we were looking for, "Oh, that's the moment, ah! the moment. I got the goosebumps. That's it. It's there. And we found it in the stories, not just these two women, everyone you see featured in the story and some that were left on the cutting room floor, unfortunately there that gave us beautiful insight that we still used in crafting the story, that just wasn't able to [00:24:00] make it into the actual film for timing constraints.But really, I would have to say that these two, it's not specifically the stories, although both of them touch on really important stories, including child welfare and animal welfare, which to me, those two stories were really close to my heart. And we felt really strongly that they needed a really important part in the film.But it was really these two women who I just felt so grateful for in the film. Chris: I mean, the, the chapter on animal welfare was quite devastating for me in part because it had reminded me that in my early twenties, I had visited Thailand and I had gone to an elephant sanctuary. Not a zoo but a sanctuary, and had the opportunity to ride an elephant for a short time, and I felt really uncomfortable probably because I was on top of an elephant, just the kind of immediate awkwardness of such a thing, having never seen one in person, having never [00:25:00] experienced that before, but also kind of like, "what am I doing here?" And so, that part of the film really kind of opened up for me why I felt that perhaps existential discomfort, not just about being on top of an animal of that size, but in the context of the dynamic, you around how that was happening and why that was happening and not having the context for it so long ago.And of course, this is one of the things that we touch on in the episodes, in the interviews, in the podcast, is how can we come to understand these things when our visits are so short in these places, when we are only in a place for just a very brief time and there's really no context for the history and the culture and the political dynamics that surround these things.And then, most travelers, most tourists just end up leaving and the consequence of one's presence on the scene is kind of forgotten, at least by the tourist or traveler. Yeah, so thank you for [00:26:00] for that. Jesse: That question did come up actually at the recent screening of the film in Innsbruck at the Nature Film Festival, whereas someone in the audience asked very specifically, even though it would be great to stay at a destination for a long time, most people are, saving up for short travel when they have time off work. And they need to take this kind of tour because they can only afford this one. And what do you say to those people who want to travel better, but feel like they're kind of stuck or don't know where to go. But I would say in short, I think that touches on an issue that we have in the modern world with a lot of things. We are all overtired, overworked, and we don't have time to be ethical, we don't have time to do the research, we don't have time to investigate, if anything is against our core values, and we don't have time to and I get that, you know, it's not easy for everybody.And if you do have the [00:27:00] time and you are able to really do a deep dive then you're very privileged, because you have the time, which just means that you have the money. So we did try to give a lot of smaller tips at the end of the film in terms of how you can do smaller acts of, of kindness and of conscious traveling, to travel local, to put money into local economies to make sure that you're not requesting your sheets to be washed every day, making sure that you're traveling using reusable, to make sure that you're and I guess this goes into a little bit more of the extensive questioning is to ask the destination that you're traveling to what their policies are in connection with the locals, in connections with the environment. Unfortunately, there is a lot of greenwashing in tourism. And you know, that's in all industries right now worldwide. So it's not going to be so easy for someone who isn't an investigative [00:28:00] journalist to really find out the truth behind it all the time, but we can do our best.And there are quite a few links on the website thelasttouristfilm.com where you can see some of the different organizations that we spoke with that have lists upon lists of different collaborating companies that you can look to that can can show you places that are not greenwashing or that are working with locals, but back to the idea of taking the time and it is about taking the time, whether it's an hour even, just to take the time and do a bit of research and this especially comes back to the topic of child welfare and people who are still, en masse, volunteering worldwide to orphanages and orphanages where children have existing family members and that these orphanages have become of monetary value to developing nations [00:29:00] because they make money and it's really easy for us to pass judgment on places that do this, and it's definitely wrong, but if we as travelers are going there and saying with our travel dollars, this is something we want to invest in, then people in developing nations are going to say, this is how I make money.And it's the same with animal welfare. You pay for an animal sanctuary that you haven't done the research on. They're going to keep perpetuating that cycle. It's going to be the same with child welfare. So, if you do want to be ethical, you have to fit in a little bit of research in your travel time. And that's it. And I know it's not so easy for everybody.Tyson: Yeah, I'd like to expand a little bit on a theme that sort of both of you have talked about. Jessie, you had mentioned greenwashing. Chris, you had mentioned that you had been to an elephant sanctuary in Thailand. One of the most memorable takeaways that I had from this film is just the massive amount of greenwashing [00:30:00] and deception that exists within the industry.I came to know a lot of companies that appeared to just be normal travel companies doing the same thing that has been going on in the travel industry but marketing "green" although nothing really changes. It's just their marketing strategy that's changed. If we look at, for example, in Thailand, there are a number of places that call themselves an elephant sanctuary, an elephant retirement home, an elephant rescue center. And we can't rely on those names anymore to know that the service provider is giving us an ethical experience. We really need to ask deeper questions. It's the trend in the industry now to use this type of language, " sustainable," "responsible," "eco," all of these buzzwords.And I've just come to find these completely meaningless, in those terms. We really need to ask some deeper, more challenging questions of these experiences and the tour operators and the service providers to actually know whether what they're doing is ethical or not because it is very easy to call yourself a [00:31:00] sanctuary, when in fact, it's the complete opposite. If it truly was an elephant sanctuary, we wouldn't be able to ride the elephants, in that place and they would be providing them a life of dignity free from exploitation. And it's the same with children. Calling these places orphanages ,I think it's a misnomer. It's incorrect. You know, 70 percent of children who live in these quote unquote "orphanages" actually have at least one living parent.But it's all under the guise of trying to gain sympathy from the traveler. "Oh, come see an elephant at a retirement home. Come see a child at an orphanage." It's just a piece of marketing that doesn't reflect the truth. We have a lot of companies doing the same unethical practices they've been doing for decades.However, they've just really changed their marketing to appear more green.Chris: Yeah, it seems to be a never ending cycle where responsible isn't good enough, that now we got to be regenerative. So many of these words just end up becoming, marketing tools. Tyson: I'm hearing that word a [00:32:00] lot more these days as well. Chris: Yeah, so how do we proceed, not just with a degree of dedication towards research and, and and planning, but also deep discipline as to how these words are unfortunately, as you said, becoming kind of meaningless in their significance..I want to take a little turn with you both to ask about what happened as the film was going through post production and its release because most of the footage that you have is quote unquote pre pandemic and the COVID 19 pandemic hit, obviously, in 2020 and from what I understand your team was entering into the post production process and, of course, tourism ground to a halt almost completely, worldwide. And throughout the film, there are people that you two interview that contend with the consequences and context of tourism and look [00:33:00] to a more honorable path that it might take. But I'm curious in regards to the people that you did interview who had found a degree of success and perhaps within a more small scale, a more honorable way of doing tourism that those flights, those trains, the reception of people in their villages went from a hundred to zero, basically overnight.So much of the dire consequences of tourism revolve around or end up as exile, local people can't afford to produce food anymore in their places. And the education systems kind of move them towards getting jobs in the next city or even in other countries, and I'm curious in the context of the film and I guess the treatment that you put forward, you know, never perhaps thinking that something like this could happen. What was the fallout among the people that you interviewed in regards to their understandings of tourism and if it was [00:34:00] still this kind of for lack of a better word, golden goose or calf or sacred cow that they could rely on for the rest of their lives.What did you hear kind of in the ether as you were doing that post production? Tyson: I think it substantially expanded the wealth gap. I think during COVID the people that were hit the hardest are the people in the tourism industry that often are paid the least.Depending on what their jobs were, they were the ones who were suffering layoffs and they were the ones whose businesses couldn't afford to sustain themselves. And so I think, for the most vulnerable populations, the pandemic was absolutely devastating.People couldn't afford to put food on the table and pay rents, not just, I think, in developing countries, but even in the developed world. Airlines were laying off massive amounts of employees. Hotels were cutting staff. This was a global challenge that affected everyone. However, at that same time, we did hear stories that, you know, CEOs of major airlines were taking million dollar bonuses[00:35:00] for cutting costs. And that was an observation of mine, through that experience, you know, that the people who needed tourism the most for daily sustenance and to put bread on the table were the ones who were absolutely the most affected and the people kind of at the top of the tourism industry were still fine and they were also taking bonuses, which really bothered me just because the wealth gap just seemed to get further and further apart through that. But we do know, with the stories, that were featured in our film... there's a wonderful lodge in Ecuador, a homestay that we look at and they lost their income during that time.The elephant sanctuary in Thailand, the one that does do great work, not one that greenwashes an elephant sanctuary but they lost a lot of revenue where it was very challenging to feed the elephants and to house the elephants because they didn't have that revenue coming in to support the project. Jesse: We were hearing in in Africa, right?Some of the rangers [00:36:00] were who were placed in defense of the elephants and animals and rhinos and such were just gone. They just weren't there anymore at that time because if they're not getting paid, they can't stay there. And so poaching also went up in those areas as well.But you know, I think that in terms of what the positive was, I think a lot of people were hoping that post COVID that there was going to be hope for change, for renewal for doing things differently. And I think this was in when we were in post that this was maybe, potential to show people how things can be different by showing kind of the polar opposite and the effect and also showing how intrinsically connected people's livelihoods are to this industry and how vulnerable they are to massive change like this. I mean, the Dominican Republic that has [00:37:00] almost 90 percent of their GDP related to tourism? Tyson: Island nations are the ones who are most affected by tourism. You know, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic. The Caribbean islands specifically. I don't know if it's as high as 90%, but the vast majority of their GDP from island nations comes from the travel and tourism industry, and they were certainly hit the hardest during the pandemic. Jesse: And so I think that we can see from that, I think the hope for us during post production was, okay, you know, this is a horrific blow to the people most vulnerable in this industry, but if we can get this message out after the pandemic, perhaps this could be something that could really change. And to be fair, change is slow sometimes and I mean, it's wishful thinking that post pandemic right after that suddenly everyone was going to become ethical travelers but I see so much potential just in the discussions online the people that we're [00:38:00] meeting at different screenings, the interest that we're getting worldwide, just to have these conversations and see that there is an interest in change.And when you talk about moving change, it does often come from the people, and I think, across the world over the past few decades, we've all been seeing again, I think our power as people, as citizens, as individuals, and the power that we have to come together over certain issues that we feel need radical change and even if it is slow change, I do see the inklings of that change happening within the tourism industry and I think it's really positive.Tyson: You still have a lot of work ahead of us. Chris: Amen. I think that's really, really important and, and perhaps fits properly inside of the context of the dominant culture, at least of North America or the quote unquote West, wherein, the pandemic also produced a deepening of the [00:39:00] culture of "everything now."Suddenly it was like, "okay, well, I can't go out here, so everything has to be deliverable, and at the tip of your fingers, right? And what might come with that is this notion that, we also expect social change to happen overnight. Right? And that it might be overshadowed by this kind of dominant culture of wanting everything now and also the unwillingness to do the necessary work, which is sometimes generational.Right? Not just a week or a month or a year, but generations.In that regard, the themes of the film are extremely broad and you go into a lot of detail and depth with each. So I'm very grateful for that, but I'm also curious what might've gotten left out.What might, one day end up on a director's cut of the film. Jesse: Oh, so much. Tyson: Ask the editor. Jesse: Oh. Well, I mean, you had so many stories that you brought [00:40:00] to the table that were beautiful, beautiful stories. Forgive me. I don't remember his name and you'll remember Tyson.But one of the. Tyson: I know who you're talking about. Jesse: Oh, do you? One of the men you interviewed at the UN had a really beautiful story to tell. And then we also had a really beautiful story from Costa Rica. An animal welfare and environmental story. Oh, my goodness. There were so many stories.Tyson: We had a wonderful story from Cusco Peru with an organization that was putting the first female porters on the Inca Trail and really fighting for gender equality on the Inca Trail.Jesse: What was that company's name again, Tyson? Well, the reason why I bring it up is because it's so unique that I just think, "oh, we should definitely highlight that to listeners" because they were taking female porters and they were reorganizing the whole industry based on their [00:41:00] precedent because they were treating porters with dignity, with safe conditions, with, valuable wages and this is something that's just not done across the industry on the Inca Trail with the male porters and there was some really, really horrific footage that we came across of the way these porters were living just not too far from where the tourists were sleeping comfortably in their tents. And this is a wide practice across the industry and Miguel from this company Evolution Treks and the gallon, do you remember his full name, tyson? Tyson: Miguel Angel Gongora Jesse: from Evolution Treks, yeah, a wonderful, wonderful man who was really, really passionate about changing the industry. And we spoke with many of the female porters, and yeah, that was a story that we were really, really sad to lose that [00:42:00] story. Tyson: Yeah. Yeah. With only 90 minutes, you know, we yeah, really had to make some challenging decisions on what to be included in the film and I really feel that a 90 minute film can scratch the surface, it can spark some interest in a number of these themes, but certainly, and maybe that's next steps for us, but I certainly think that what this the subject matter, deserves is a series, you know, cause we could dive much deeper.Jesse: Tyson and I have been talking about it. Tyson: Yeah, we, we can dive much deeper into each of these subjects and create a 90 minute doc on each of them. And so, at some point in the future, we'll be making some pitches and writing some additional treatments into how we can make a six part series and expand on the themes in this film, you know, from the environment to gender inequality to animal welfare and everything deserves a lot more time, but hopefully, what we've done with this film is just been able to spark a number of conversations and inspire people to go and do some additional research [00:43:00] into how these themes impact these communities.Chris: Yeah, well, thank you both so much for that. I have a lot more questions, but maybe that'll also be saved for a sequel. Jesse: Yeah, we'd love to speak to you again, Chris, if you'd like, in the future. Chris: That'd be great. Before we finish, I'd like to ask you what might be next for you two in your respective filmmaking and writing lives?Tyson: My world currently revolves around photographing wildlife particularly large wildlife. Yeah, I've been spending a lot of time traveling recently and in the ocean. I mentioned to you, I mean, tomorrow I'm hopping on a flight and I'm heading to Norway to go photograph large marine mammals in Norway. So that's that's where my life is taking me right now is in pursuit of wildlife filmmaking and photography. Jesse: Although I wish I could, I could say similarly, I right now my life is a little bit calmer. I had a baby 20 months ago. So, I've been on an extended maternity leave [00:44:00] and I'm currently just in development of projects for the future.I finished up this project in full right before my child was born. And I still have a few projects that were finished up recently, but as of the moment I'm completely in development and yeah, I really look forward to developing something with Tyson in the future in regards to what he was talking about a series on travel and on a lot of stories that we were so passionate and so blessed to come across, but that we just didn't have the ability to give the podium to in our film, but yeah, so I'm really excited for the future and just coming from this festival that I was at recently, I'm just so invigorated with the energy of the audiences and the passion to travel better and to demand better travel from the industry and from travelers as a whole. So this just really gives me a lot of hope. Chris: Well, congratulations on your [00:45:00] motherhood. Thank you. And having a little one in your life and this work and Tyson and the opportunity to be able to travel as you do, and to try to honor the lives of those beautiful four leggeds and no leggeds and the tailed and finned ones. So finally, how can our listeners watch The Last Tourist? Are there any screenings coming up? Jesse: Definitely on the website, thelasttouristfilm.com, right when you go to the webpage, there's a whole list of all the different avenues you can watch the film.But maybe Tyson could elaborate more. Tyson: Absolutely. Yeah, you can connect with us on Instagram at Last Tourist Film, as well. We're just kind of wrapping up the fall festival season before we do some additional screenings next spring. We just wrapped up in Germany and Iceland.I think streaming is the best way to find us, in Canada we're streaming on Crave. In the United States, we're streaming on Hulu. Delta Airlines, Emirates Airlines. In other countries around the world, you can also find us, I [00:46:00] know in France, in French Polynesia, Hong Kong on Amazon Prime. And there's a number of other markets that the film will be opening in very shortly which is really exciting.It's not available everywhere, unfortunately, around the world, but if you have a desire to see it, you know, please get in touch with us and we'll do our best to make sure that you have an opportunity to see the film. You can host a private screening. There's a number of ways that you can see this film, but please let's keep the conversation going.Let's get in touch. I'd love to hear from a number of the listeners, and let's find a way that we can allow everyone to see this film. Jesse: And what's been really exciting is we've got a lot of interest from schools. So, educational screenings have been happening all across the world, and that's just been amazing.Those are the best for us, I think. And I would just say, if any of the listeners have any further questions for us, we're always open to taking questions and chatting. Personally, Tyson and I can both be reached at our Instagram. So you can I think Tyson's is @TysonSadler, and mine is [00:47:00] @JesseMann, two S's, two N's. So if you want to leave that for your listeners, they're welcome to contact us. And anyone who's listening can contact us directly that way, who want to host a screening or find out ways to watch. Chris: Absolutely. Yeah, I'll make sure that all the websites and handles are available for our listeners at theendoftourism. com. And on behalf of them on behalf of myself, I'd like to thank you both for joining me today. Your film is incredibly inspirational, necessary, and deeply important for these times and I don't doubt that our listeners think the same. So, I wish you the most beautiful paths ahead on your travels with your families.And ...We get the opportunity to speak again sometime. Tyson: Thank you, Chris. This has really been a meaningful conversation. Thank you. Jesse: Yeah. Thank you so much for giving us this space and I wish you all the same. Chris: My pleasure. Get full access to ⌘ Chris Christou ⌘ at chrischristou.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of the VIFF Podcast, filmmaker Zarrar Kahn talks about his debut feature film, In Flames, with VIFF Director of Programming Curtis Woloschuk. In Flames, which premiered at Cannes 2023 and screened at VIFF 2023, follows a mother and daughter navigating loss and supernatural forces in Karachi, Pakistan. After the death of the family patriarch, a mother and daughter's precarious existence is ripped apart. They must find strength in each other if they are to survive the malevolent forces that threaten to engulf them.This conversation was recorded remotely.This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

In this episode of the VIFF Podcast, documentary filmmakers Jeremy Schaulin-Rioux and Kirk Thomas along with legendary streetball player Joel Haywood talk with VIFF Director of Programming Curtis Woloschuk. Handle With Care: The Legend of The Notic Streetball Crew chronicles the rise, fall and rebirth of The Notic, an upstart streetball collective. While their creative basketball moves brought them global fame as teenagers, it set them at odds with the status quo in a battle involving self-expression, race and rejection. Driven by a twenty year quest to finish their mixtape trilogy, the documentary charts how a group of friends from Vancouver, Canada played outside the confines of the NBA but left an imprint on the game forever.This conversation was recorded remotely.This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

Michael and David speak of many things ... part of the reason they always seem to have so much fun. Among other things Michael speaks of how he manages to invite "the muses" and keeps his art both open and discreet at the same time.  He also speaks of his work as musical composer for the brand new Disney series, Star Wars: The Acolyte.  I always have speaking with Michael: our times always feel rich and multi-dimensional.2023 Pulitzer Prize-winning and Emmy- and Grammy-nominated composer Michael Abels is best known for his genre-defying scores for the Jordan Peele films GET OUT, US and NOPE.  The score for US won a World Soundtrack Award, the Jerry Goldsmith Award, a Critics Choice nomination, multiple critics awards, and was named “Score of the Decade” by The Wrap.  Both US and NOPE were shortlisted for the Oscar for Best Original Score.  In 2022, Abels' music was honored by the Vancouver International Film Festival, the Middleburg Film Festival, and the Museum of the Moving Image.  NOPE was awarded Best Score for a Studio Film by the Society of Composers & Lyricists.  Other recent projects include the films BAD EDUCATION, NIGHTBOOKS, and the docu-series ALLEN v. FARROW.  Current releases include CHEVALIER (Toronto Intl Film Festival) and LANDSCAPE WITH INVISIBLE HAND (Sundance 2022), his second collaboration with director Cory Finley.  Upcoming projects include THE BURIAL (Amazon), and a series for Disney Plus.Abels' creative output also includes many concert works, including the choral song cycle AT WAR WITH OURSELVES for the Kronos Quartet, the Grammy-nominated ISOLATION VARIATION for Hilary Hahn, and OMAR, an opera co-composed with Grammy-winning recording artist Rhiannon Giddens.  The New York Times named OMAR one of the 10 Best Classical Performances of 2022 and said, “What Giddens and Abels created is an ideal of American sound, an inheritor of the Gershwins' “Porgy and Bess” but more honest to its subject matter, conjuring folk music, spirituals, Islamic prayer and more, woven together with a compelling true story that transcends documentary.”Abels other concert works have been performed by the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, the Los Angeles Master Chorale and many others.  Some of these pieces are available on the Cedille label, including DELIGHTS & DANCES, GLOBAL WARMING and WINGED CREATURES.  Recent commissions include EMERGE for the National Symphony and Detroit Symphony, and a guitar concerto BORDERS for Grammy-nominated artist Mak Grgic.Abels is co-founder of the Composers Diversity Collective, an advocacy group to increase visibility of composers of color in film, gaming and streaming media.https://michaelabels.com/

In this episode we welcome Canadian filmmaker Pier-Philippe Chevigny, director of Richelieu in  conversation with  VIFF Director of Programming Curtis Woloschuk.Drawing from neo-realist traditions, beautifully photographed and elegantly constructed, Richelieu paints an undeniable portrait of a crisis unfolding across North America. Director Pier-Philippe Chevigny avoids didacticism and delivers an assured, emotionally resonant first feature which announces the arrival of a new Canadian talent.This conversation was recorded during the 2023 Vancouver International Film Festival.–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

In this episode we welcome Mark Mangini, sound designer of films such as Blade Runner 2049, The Fifth Element, and Gremlins in conversation with film producer Matt DrakeMark Mangini has made it his life's work to create the unimagined worlds and fabricated sonic realities of the most epic films you can imagine. Known for films including Blade Runner 2049, Star Trek I, IV and V, The Fifth Element, and Gremlins, Mark is a six-time Oscar nominated sound designer, winning twice for Dune and Mad Max Fury Road.We go behind-the-scenes as Mark shares the secrets behind creating the most memorable sound art of these monumental films.This conversation was recorded during the 2023 Vancouver International Film Festival.–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations. The Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society is a not-for-profit cultural organization that operates the internationally acclaimed Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF), and year-round programming at VIFF Centre. See what's playing now at viff.org.

In this episode we welcome Meredith Hama-Brown, director of the feature film Seagrass, in conversation with Sonja Baksa, Programmer + Program Lead at VIFFHaving decamped to a Gabriola Island couples' retreat in a last-ditch attempt to save their crumbling marriage, preoccupied Judith (Ally Maki) and Steve (Luke Roberts) leave their young daughters to their own devices. In turn, 11-year-old Stephanie (Nyha Breitkreuz) quickly ditches six-year-old Emmy (Remy Marthaller) in favour of a pack of unruly teens and their accompanying temptations. Abandoned and adrift, the introverted Emmy grows fixated with an eerie cave and convinced that her late grandmother has been conjured as an unseen ghost.Drawing from her own childhood experiences, writer-director Meredith Hama-Brown demonstrates a profound talent for eliciting unspeakably nuanced, frequently heartbreaking performances from Breitkreuz and Marthaller. Likewise, she deftly investigates the unique tensions of Judith and Steve's interracial marriage (including her infatuation with another man). All the while, Norm Li's highly observant cinematography provides a practically mesmerizing degree of intimacy. A deftly orchestrated, deeply moving portrait of a family at the brink of implosion, Seagrass sees Hama-Brown exude compassion and conviction in an accomplished debut.Meredith Hama-Brown is an actress, producer, and director. She is best known for her short Broke Bunny (2018), which won the Telus Sea to Sky Award at the Vancouver International Film Festival. With this short, she also won Best Narrative Film Award at Las Cruces International Film Festival and Best Film Award at the Future of Film Show. In 2020, Brown was selected for the TIFF Filmmaker Lab and was awarded the Canada Goose Fellowship for her first feature film, Seagrass (2023).This conversation was recorded remotely in March 2024.–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations. The Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society is a not-for-profit cultural organization that operates the internationally acclaimed Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF), and year-round programming at VIFF Centre. See what's playing now at viff.org.

The award-winning documentary feature Union Street chronicles the ongoing effects of racism, displacement, and the cultural erasure of African-Canadians in Vancouver. Before systemic and political mechanisms destroyed Hogan's Alley – the historic Black neighbourhood located on Union Street – in the 1970s, the area was the home of train porters, speakeasies, juke joints, and a thriving community, and a regular touring stop for iconic musicians like Jimi Hendrix, Louis Armstrong, and Ella Fitzgerald. The reverberations of this thriving community and its intentional and egregious erasure are still felt – and in the face of adversity, a new generation of Black Vancouverites is working tirelessly to rebuild community and facilitate Black joy.Union Street elevates and amplifies the voices of Black Vancouverites who have decided to create their own spaces. It examines how community spaces can help people heal from racism-related trauma, which is especially important in a city where the powers-that-be actively worked to erase you. Union Street was an official selection of the 2023 Vancouver International Film Festival and the 2023 Reelworld Film Festival, where Jamila Pomeroy, the film's director, won the award for Outstanding Director for a Feature Film. The film is now available on Telus Optik TV Channel 8 and the Telus Originals website. Jamila joins Sabrina Rani Furminger to talk about the past, present, and future of Vancouver's Black community, and how what happened when she tried to organize a party on Union Street speaks volumes about the barriers that exist today. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

In this episode we welcome Corey Payette, director of the movie musical Les Filles du Roi, in conversation with the film's editor Christian Díaz Durán.Adapted from Urban Ink's stage production, this locally-shot film screened at VIFF 2023. Les Filles du Roi tells through song the powerful story of the young Kanien'kehá:ka girl Kateri and her brother Jean-Baptiste, whose lives are disrupted upon the arrival of the “Daughters of the King” in ‘New France' (now Montreal) in 1665.Corey Payette is an interdisciplinary storyteller, writer, composer, producer, and director in film and theatre. Since 2014, he has been the Artistic Director of Urban Ink, a position first held by Marie Clements, at one of Canada's most ambitious theatre companies. Payette wrote the music, lyrics, and directed the acclaimed musicals Children of God, Les Filles du Roi, and Starwalker, among others. He is a member of the Mattagami First Nations, with French-Canadian and Irish ancestries. Les Filles du Roi is his first feature film.This conversation was recorded at VIFF Centre in March 2024.–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations. The Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society is a not-for-profit cultural organization that operates the internationally acclaimed Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF), and year-round programming at VIFF Centre. See what's playing now at viff.org.

Back in 1978 John Carpenter made his third feature film, Halloween for only $300,000. It went on to be a massive box office hit and spanned a franchise that has released 13 films. The film came out 45 years ago October 17th, 1978 so we celebrate the enduring legacy of the film. Joining is our resident Halloween super-fan Brodie Cotnam. Check out this handy guide to understand how the Halloween franchise works. Listen to Scaretroducing's podcasts on Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends. Check out this ⁠Criterion Shelf ⁠ article on That Shelf featuring a contribution by Dakota on Dark Star, John Carpenter's first film. Read Paulo Bautista's reviews from the New York Film Festival, including The Boy and the Heron, The Zone of Interest and more! Read Dakota's Best of the Vancouver International Film Festival blog post. Read Brodie's review of Joan Baez I Am Noise. Watch Brodie's short film ⁠⁠The Gift⁠⁠ that he wrote and follow him on ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠. Support the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ko-fi by sending us a tip⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Check out more great Contra Zoom content on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠That Shelf⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Listen to Contra Zoom on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Anchor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Google Play⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Overcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RadioPublic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Breaker⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Podcast Addict and more! Please ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rate and review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Send a screenshot with your 5-star rating and review to contrazoompod@gmail.com and we will send you free stickers! For more information, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠contrazoompod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thank you Eric and Kevin Smale for the original theme songs, Jimere for the interlude music and Stephanie Prior for designing the logo. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/contrazoompod/message

When you think about film, art and creativity, government policy probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind. Make no mistake about it, our policy makers & politicians can crucially impact the art we make, who gets to make it, & the culture we consume. Good policy can create a thriving, diverse culture — & bad policy can destroy it. Mattea Roach joins Matt Hatfield, Haydn Wazelle, Karen Lam, & Dennis Heaton for an unforgettable LIVE podcast taping with the Vancouver International Film Festival at the Rio Threatre. They explore the contentious Bill C-11 & its potential to disrupt the status quo, & the hot strike summer the media industry is having this year. Host: Mattea RoachCredits: Aviva Lessard (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor in Chief)Guests: Matt Hatfield, Haydn Wazelle, Karen Lam, Dennis HeatonBackground reading:Bill C-11: What to know about the Online Streaming Act from The Globe and MailHow the Online Streaming Act will support Canadian content from The ConversationTaming the tech giants will cause collateral damage from Policy OptionsWriters Guild of Canada Studying Tentative WGA Deal for Precedent in Local Contract Talks from The Hollywood ReporterSponsors: DouglasIf you value this podcast, Support us! You'll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You'll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you'll be a part of the solution to Canada's journalism crisis, you'll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We wrap up our Vancouver International Film Festival coverage with two excellent interviews. First is Caitlyn Sponheimer, the writer, director and lead actor from Wild Goat Surf. We follow that up with Olga Petsa, an actor from I Used To Be Funny. Check out our VIFF Wrap Up podcast. Read our reviews of Aitamaako'tamisskapi Natosi: Before the Sun and Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person. Read our reviews from the New York Film Festival by Paulo Bautista. Support the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ko-fi by sending us a tip⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Check out more great Contra Zoom content on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠That Shelf⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Listen to Contra Zoom on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Anchor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Google Play⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Overcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RadioPublic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Breaker⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Podcast Addict and more! Please ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rate and review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Send a screenshot with your 5-star rating and review to contrazoompod@gmail.com and we will send you free stickers! For more information, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠contrazoompod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thank you Eric and Kevin Smale for the original theme songs, Jimere for the interlude music and Stephanie Prior for designing the logo. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/contrazoompod/message

Steve Stebbing is back with his favourite films from The Vancouver International Film Festival and more on What The Hell Should We Watch This Weekend! HEY, DO YOU LIKE PODCASTS? Why not subscribe to ours? Find it on Apple, Google, Spotify & Tune In

Chen Drachman is an Israeli-American, award-winning actress and filmmaker based in NYC.She was a film and TV major in high school in Israel specializing in scriptwriting, producing and editing. She became a permanent resident through an application of excellence in the field of production. Her acting credits include Last Week Tonight, and The Path, starring Aaron Paul. Chen's first film, The Book of Ruth, starring Tony and Emmy Awards nominee, Tovah Feldshuh, has been in numerous festivals in the U.S. and abroad, including Cinequest, the Chelsea Film Festival, the Vancouver International Film Festival and more. The film won Best Narrative Short at the San Diego Jewish Film Festival, Best Family Short at the Deep in the Heart Film Festival, Best Narrative Short at the South Dakota Film Festival, and more. Since it concluded its run at the festival circuit, it had more than 125K views online through Omeleto. Her second film, But I'm a Shoe, starring The Legend of Korra's Janet Varney, won Best Script at the SENE Film Festival and is set to premiere in late 2023. www.chendrachman.com

Mareya Shot, Keetha Goal: Make the Shot is a film borne of the South Asian diaspora. This spirited documentary feature follows four junior hockey players of South Asian descent through the 2021-2022 season as they strive to be drafted into the NHL. The film also follows their families – the South Asian parents who made sacrifices in order to pay for their kids to be able to participate in this game, even if they didn't grow up with it themselves; the grannies in their sarees and heavy parkas cheering on their grandsons from the stands – and the coaches, trainers, and journalists determined to change the game from the inside. Mareya Shot, Keetha Goal: Make the Shot screens at the 2023 Vancouver International Film Festival. Filmmaker Baljit Sangra visits the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk identity, legacy, representation, and the South Asians making it big in Canada's game. Episode sponsors: Biz Books and The Drama Class

In honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (September 30), we're releasing this special interview with filmmaker Jules Koostachin about her family's journey to heal from the intergenerational trauma caused by residential schools. It's a journey she explores in her new documentary feature, WaaPaKe (Tomorrow). For generations, the suffering of residential school Survivors has radiated outward, impacting Indigenous families and communities. In her efforts to help the children of Survivors, including herself and her family, Jules makes the difficult decision to step in front of the camera and participate in a circle of truth. She is joined in this courageous act of solidarity by members of her immediate family – including her mother Rita and one of her sons, Asivak – as well as an array of voices from Indigenous communities across Turtle Island. Moving beyond burying intergenerational trauma, WaaPaKe (Tomorrow) – which screens on October 1st and 4th at the 2023 Vancouver International Film Festival – is an invitation to unravel the tangled threads of silence, unite in collective freedom and power, and explore what intergenerational healing looks and feels like. Says Jules: “Who am I without that trauma?” Episode sponsors: Biz Books and The Drama Class

Steve Stebbing gives us a teaser of the Vancouver International Film Festival and the movies hitting the big screen on What The Hell Should We Watch This Weekend. HEY, DO YOU LIKE PODCASTS? Why not subscribe to ours? find it on Apple, Google, Spotify & Tune In

Interdisciplinary artist Lisa Birke's work results from the collision of video, performance art, and installation. She is interested in the stories that we re-cite and re-brand and how these inform our conception of the world and the tragi-comic perception of ourselves. Recently, Birke has been exploring immersive multi-media approaches using special effects, AR, and 360 videos. Her award-winning video work has seen more than100 screenings and installations at film festivals, media centers, and in galleries and museums internationally, including the Vancouver International Film Festival, Slamdance Film Festival, Florida Film Festival, International Short Film Week Regensburg, TIME is Love, The New Museum of Networked Art, and Remai Modern. Birke is an Assistant Professor of Digital and Extended Media and area chair of the Digital and Integrated Practice area in the Department of Art & Art History at the University of Saskatchewan. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/experimentalfilmpodcast/support

On this SPECIAL EDITION of The Movie Podcast, Daniel and Shahbaz are joined by actress CHLOE VAN LANDSCHOOT of MGM+ series FROM. Chloe is a true rising star, and an incredibly talented actress and dancer. Chloe's character is a former med student who acts as the only doctor in the town that everyone is inexplicably trapped in, and prior to this Chloe herself was a nurse working frontline in the COVID wards through the various peaks of the pandemic. Chloe also wrote, co-directed and acted in TIDAL, a short film which got accepted into a number of film festivals including Vancouver International Film Festival, Atlantic International Film Festival, Beverly Hills Film Festival and Manchester Film Festival, to name a few. FROM Season 2 premieres April 23, 2023 on Paramount+ in Canada.Watch and listen to The Movie Podcast interview now on all podcast feeds, YouTube, and TheMoviePodcast.caContact: hello@themoviepodcast.caTHE MOVIE PODCAST ON ET CANADA!THE MOVIE PODCAST MERCHANDISE NOW AVAILABLE!FOLLOW USDaniel on Twitter, Instagram, and LetterboxdShahbaz on Twitter, Instagram, and LetterboxdAnthony on Twitter, Instagram, and LetterboxdThe Movie Podcast on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Discord, and YouTube

Some people thought the world was going to end on December 21, 2012. Ten years later, we're taking a look back at what people were expecting. Check out Ryan's new EP, Before What Came After, releasing January 20th. Watch The Race to Alaska (with an original score from Spencer). “Bracing, immersive and wonderfully congenial, this film is a tribute to the spirit of adventure.” - Vancouver International Film Festival