Podcasts about yvr screen scene podcast

The Vancouver-shot Dil Rakh: Gloves of Kin tells the story of Sukh Sidhu, a South Asian man who spent 20 years in jail for a crime he didn't commit. Upon his release, he returns to the small predominantly white town where his life went sideways, where racism abounds and where his son Dayton is in deep with a group of petty criminals who barely conceal their contempt for his brownness. Dayton is pissed with his dad for leaving the family for 20 years, and reconciliation seems impossible – until father and son find common ground in the boxing ring. Dil Rakh: Gloves of Kin is one part drama, one part boxing, one part commentary on racism in small town North America, and 100 per cent heart; in other words (and in the opinion of YVR Screen Scene host Sabrina Rani Furminger), it's a game-changer. The film won the Sundar Prize for Best BC Film at the 2024 Sundar Prize Film Festival and is currently available for streaming on Amazon Prime. Actors Dalj Brar (who also wrote and directed) and Umar Farook Khan join Sabrina in the YVR Screen Scene Podcast lab to talk the evolution of representation, boxing, changing the game, and keeping the faith.Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Five years ago, actor Giles Panton swung by the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about voicing Iron Man in Marvel Battleworld: Mystery of the Thanostones, the sleighful of Christmas movies in his filmography, what he learned playing the minister of propaganda for the American Reich in Amazon Prime's critically acclaimed dystopian series The Man in the High Castle, and the Barbie commercial that broke up his band. It's a fantastic episode (which you can find in the episode footnotes or wherever you listen to podcasts), but a lot can change in five years. For instance, you can move from being the guy that always loses the girl in the rom-com to the guy who gets her. You can win a Leo Award for Best Performance in an Animation Program for your work in animated horror anthology series Red Iron Road AND a UBCP/ACTRA Award for voicing Carnage and Norman Osborne in Absolute Carnage. You can get an ADHD diagnosis that explains so much of how you move through the world. You can become a dad. In this compelling conversation – at times poignant; at times funny; always authentic and entertaining – Giles reflects on the many changes of the last five years, what it takes to be a leading man, working with Andrea Brooks on Snowy with a Chance of Christmas, pursuing joy, constructing grilled cheese sandwiches, and how his ADHD diagnosis changed his life. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

In this special episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Allegiance star Supinder Wraich and executive producer Nimisha Mukerji reflect on the crime procedural's emotionally searing second season. Season one introduced us to Sabrina Sohal (played by Supinder), a star rookie police officer in the CFPC who must grapple with the limits of the justice system as she fights to exonerate her politician father Ajeet Sohal, played by friend of the pod Stephen Lobo. Season two finds Sabrina earning a probationary spot as a detective in the Serious Crimes Unit, and with a new partner: Detective Corporal Zak Kalaini played by Samer Salem, from a CFPC branch in Alberta, who has a much different style of policing than Sabrina.Allegiance is set and produced in Surrey, British Columbia, and is very much a character in its own right. Season two brought us even deeper into the community, and also into issues that are at once specific to Surrey and also universal: issues like violence against women in the South Asian community; sexual predation of teen boys; violence against the unhoused; PTSD; and also grief: how we navigate it, and how we need to fold it into our lives somehow or risk losing ourselves altogether. In the first half of the episode, Supinder Wraich reflects on Sabrina's journey in season two, her own journey in Sabrina's detective shoes, and healing through representation. In the second half of the episode, executive producer and director Nimisha Mukerji reflects on the emotional resonance of Allegiance's second season, and what Sabrina Sohal represents for her. Episode sponsor: Directors Guild Of Canada, BC District Council

Actor-filmmaker Ben Immanuel (Down River) and actress Gabrielle Miller (Corner Gas) swung by the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to discuss Are We Done Now? The comedy-drama tells the story of therapist Pamela (played by Gabrielle) and her diverse young clients as they participate in a (fictionalised) documentary exploring the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on their mental health. Through this experience, they—and the filmmaker, played by Ben—gain unexpected self-insight, leading to a deeper understanding of their identities and roles in our transformed world. Besides Gabrielle, this comedic and emotionally resonant film stars Favour Onwuka, Eliot Ramsay, Natalie Farrow, Giacomo Baessato, Jennifer Spence, and Camille Sullivan—and on April 12 and 13, it will screen at VIFF Centre as part of National Canadian Film Week. In this thoughtful interview, Ben and Gabrielle reflect on filming a comedy-drama about COVID during the (mostly dramatic and not very funny) first year of COVID, and the impact of unprocessed pandemic grief on artists. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Emily Bett Rickards (Arrow's Felicity Smoak) swung by the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to discuss one of the most wildly entertaining, audacious, and empowering films of this or any year, Queen of the Ring. Emily shines as Mildred “Millie” Burke, the legendary professional wrestler and single mom who defied incredible odds to become the first million-dollar female athlete and longest reigning champion at a time when the sport was banned across most of America. Queen of the Ring was written and directed by Ash Avildsen. The cast also includes Walter Goggins, Josh Lucas, Francesca Eastwood, Tyler Posey, and Marie Avgeropoulos. Queen of the Ring opens in Canada on April 4, including at VIFF Centre and the Rio Theatre in Vancouver, and Emily joined Sabrina Rani Furminger on the pod to talk about Mildred's commitment to intersectionality, muscularity, and femininity, what she learned about Millie by jacking up for the role, and the conversation she'd love to have with the late wrestling star. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Our very own Sabrina Rani Furminger recently joined Sasha Pobochii on the Cultural_Front.UA Podcast to talk about her upcoming documentary Our Hall (about her family's long history of activism), how the events of February 24, 2022 altered Ukrainians (in Ukraine, displaced, and diaspora), and how non-Ukrainians can hold space for Ukrainians during this tumultuous time. And before that, Sabrina gives an update on the new season of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast.

Chris Haddock's impact on the Vancouver and Canadian television landscapes is undeniable. He's a showrunner, writer, producer, and all-round storyteller whose filmography includes Da Vinci's Inquest, Da Vinci's City Hall, Intelligence, Boardwalk Empire, and The Romeo Section. He's been instrumental in launching the careers of some of our local industry's shining stars, and centred Vancouver in the majority of his shows. All of this is to say that, if anyone knows the television landscape in this country, it's Chris Haddock – and with this landscape in the midst of profound change, we invited Chris onto the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about about the lessons he's learned over the course of his storied career, how artists can change with the times or resist, and the joys and challenges of both. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Powerhouse actress Sharon Taylor swings by the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about her role on Cross, the number one Amazon Prime series in the world. Cross stars Aldis Hodge as the famous detective from James Patterson's books and, later, films starring Morgan Freeman and Tyler Perry – but this is not your grandparents' Alex Cross. Yes, this Alex Cross, like the Alex Crosses of yore, uses forensic psychology to identify murderers and bring them to justice. But the Alex Cross of 2024 is more of a fully fleshed human being. We see the fullness of his life as a Black man, father, widower, friend, lover, and detective in a white supremacist world upended by the murders of George Floyd and Sandra Bland. Cross on Prime is sexy, dark, addictive, and made even more delicious by the presence of the aforementioned Sharon Taylor. Sharon plays Oracene Massey, Cross's immediate boss, which is a tough position to be in, because it's hard to be Cross' boss sometimes, especially when you're very pregnant, and there's a serial killer terrorising your city and your team. In this funny and fascinating conversation between long-time friends, Sharon and Sabrina delve into the joys and beautiful challenges of Sharon's juicy role in this critically acclaimed thriller. NOTE: Crucial spoiler talk re: Cross occurs between 34:34 and 44:28. If you don't want to be spoiled, skip ahead! 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

Lynda Boyd first appeared on the YVR Screen Scene Podcast in 2020 to discuss her incredible acting journey (which includes an exceptional six-season run on Republic of Doyle), and in the years since, she's been busy. She had a wonderful run on Virgin River that ended with a river of tears when her character Lilly passed away. She reunited with Victor Garber on Family Law, where she played a divisive, cunning, and kinda really awful talk show host named Crystal Steele. She's a mainstay of Hallmark holiday rom-coms. And she currently has a fantastic role on Sullivan's Crossing, which follows young neurosurgeon Maggie Sullivan as she flees the challenges of her life in the big city and returns to the idyllic Nova Scotia campground owned and operated by her estranged father. Lynda Boyd shines as Maggie's mum, Phoebe Lancaster, who seemingly turned her back on turbulent love in Sullivan's Crossing for something a little less turbulent (but, ultimately, not actually) in the big city. In this fascinating and funny conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Lynda Boyd reflects on her reaction to Lilly's death on Virgin River, reuniting with Allan Hawco on Sullivan's Crossing, her turn as an Ann Coulter-type talk show host on Family Law, and where she'd like to take audiences next. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

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

300 episodes after her first appearance on the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, actress Veena Sood returns to talk about her three seasons (soon to be four!) playing cool mama Nisha on CTV's Children Ruin Everything, and going back to her improv roots in Colin Mochrie's Arts Club Reunion (which takes place July 19 and 20 at Vancouver's historic Stanley Industrial Alliance Theatre). Also: What impact is “wokeness” having on the comedy scene? Is the film and television industry actually, truly, and *really* diverse and inclusive? What's it like acting opposite Kim Coates (who played her season one boyfriend, Graham, on Children Ruin Everything)? And – most pressing of all, at least to Sabrina – does she still want to be a cowgirl?

Award-winning actress Sara Canning (Remedy, The Vampire Diaries) returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about Sweetland. Based on the book by Michael Crummey and adapted for the screen by Christian Sparkes, who also directed, Sweetland draws its inspiration from Newfoundland's controversial resettlement program, which has removed hundreds of communities from the map. As the film opens, the government is ready to resettle the far-flung fishing community of Sweetland with a healthy pay-out, but only if the entire community signs up for the move. Retired fisherman Moses Sweetland is one of the last hold-outs, which doesn't make him popular in town. Sara is Clara, the mother of a very special young boy who has a kinship with Moses but who would benefit from treatment and therapies that aren't available in Sweetland but are available in St John's. Sweetland is devastating, stirring, and haunting – and for Sara, a born Newfoundlander and long-time fan of the book, the film is something of a homecoming. On May 17, Sweetland will begin an extended at VIFF Centre in Vancouver. In this special episode featuring one of British Columbia's – and Newfoundland's – finest actresses, Sara talks about her journey to and with Sweetland, how place influences story, and the Newfoundland of it all. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Actress Loretta Walsh (When Calls The Heart) returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to discuss The Lifespan of a Fact, the based-on-real-life play that she's producing and starring in this month at Studio 16 in Vancouver. The Lifespan of a Fact tells the story of a fresh-out-of-Harvard fact checker for a prominent but sinking New York magazine, a talented writer with a transcendent essay about a high stakes event concerning a teenage boy, and a magazine editor-in-chief who needs to balance truth and art with the unsentimental realities of the magazine business. The Lifespan of a Fact is funny but, given how it holds up a mirror to our culture's current fascination with bending lies into “alternative facts,” it's also terrifyingly timely. As Emily the editor-in-chief, our dear Loretta shares the stage with longtime collaborator Ben Immanuel and Tal Shulman from So Help Me Todd, under the direction of renowned theatre artist Jennifer Clement. The Lifespan of a Fact runs May 2nd to the 12th at Studio 16, and the May 8 performance will feature a post-show Q & A with the cast, director, and special guests. And that's not all: Loretta can currently be seen in season 11 of Hallmark Channel's wildly popular When Calls the Heart, which kicked off its latest season on April 7. In this compelling and at times emotional interview, Loretta talks about The Lifespan of a Fact, how When Calls The Heart's Florence has changed since season one, acting opposite Hrothgar Mathews, and the ways that theatre can soothe a broken heart. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Jennifer Spence (Travelers, Continuum) returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about her leading role in The Trades, a new half-hour single-camera comedy series on Crave. Set in a blue-collar community where the high stress of working in a refinery are balanced by the comedic high-wire antics of its plant workers, The Trades centres around Todd (played by Robb Wells, AKA Ricky from The Trailer Park Boys), a pipefitter, and his sister and roommate, Audrey (Moonshine), who follows in her big brother's footsteps pursuing a career in the trades as a carpenter. Jennifer plays (and shines as) Chelsea, an ambitious young executive from head office who arrives in town, announces she's the new site manager, and immediately sets about making changes. At its heart, the eight-part comedy series – which is produced by Trailer Park Boys Inc and Kontent Use Productions for Crave – is a love letter to skilled trade workers, written with grit, humour, and heart. In this entertaining and fascinating episode, Jennifer talks The Trades, dick jokes, welding, East Coast vibes versus West Coast vibes, and naughty parade floats. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Filmmaker Kevin Eastwood returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to discuss his latest documentary. The Society Page – which premieres on Knowledge Network on March 17 – is an in-depth look at the life, craft, and impact of Malcolm Parry, Vancouver's iconic society columnist. For 40 years, Malcolm was a stealthy presence at events, photographing arguably more Vancouverites and VIPs during that time period than anyone else for his influential society column in the Vancouver Sun. The Society Page delves into Malcolm's role in cataloguing and shaping the city's cultural landscape, as well as his work as a journalist and editor who launched the career of numerous other icons, including Douglas Coupland (without whom this film wouldn't have been made). In this fascinating episode, Kevin discusses Malcolm Parry, the role of a society columnist in any given city, and what we can learn about that city through their lens. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Actress Crystal Balint (Midnight Mass) returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about her work in The Fall of the House of Usher, how the actors, crew, and TPTB dealt with the highly publicized cast upheaval, what it means to her to be part of Mike Flanagan's “Flanaverse,” and her delicious role on CBC's new crime procedural Allegiance. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Ukrainian filmmaker Khrystyna Syvolap returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to discuss her journey to find work in the Vancouver film and television industry after arriving in Canada with her young daughter in spring 2022, her February 10 screening of Viddana at North Vancouver's Centennial Theatre (a fundraiser for the Adam Tactical Group), and why people outside of Ukraine should care about the war. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Filmmaker Dylan Maranda and actor Brendan Meyer swing by the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to discuss Master of the House, a fast-paced genre short that seeks its inspiration from the thrilling world of fine dining. Master of the House, which was shot at the Michelin Star restaurant Kissa Tanto in Vancouver, follows Vincent, a young sommelier, played by Brendan (who starred in all eighty episodes of the Vancouver-shot Mr. Young, and turned in a stellar performance in The OA). Vincent struggles to balance friendship and ambition the night an acclaimed critic (played with searing, sneering fire by Matthew McCaull) dines at his workplace “Reclamation”— a restaurant hyped on reinventing Indigenous cuisine. The performances are on point; the score – which is pulsating jazz – enhances the anxiety of the situation; the themes of white supremacy, reconciliation, and personal truth are timely. In this fascinating conversation, the filmmaker and the actor pull back the curtain on the inspiration for and making of this visceral, fast-paced, and blistering film. Episode sponsors: Biz Books and The Drama Class

Filmmaker Bruce Sweeney and actors Gabrielle Rose, Camille Sullivan, and Jeff Gladstone swing by the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about She Talks To Strangers, their smart and crowd-pleasing black comedy currently screening up at the 2023 Whistler Film Festival. Camille is Leslie, a single woman who happily shares her life with her favourite being on the planet, an Australian Shepherd named John. Leslie has a strained relationship with her mother, Staci (that's Gabrielle, playing Camille's mom for the third time), with whom she has to bargain in order to take care of John. One day, after hearing some mysterious sounds coming from the basement suite, Leslie discovers that her deadbeat ex-husband, Keith – that's Jeff – has moved in “to lie low for a while,” and – well, we're a #nospoiler zone here on the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, so we'll just say that hilarity ensues (which is no surprise given that this is the team that brought us the equally brilliant Kingsway). In this special Saturday drop, Bruce, Gabrielle, Camille, and Jeff talk behind-the-scenes shenanigans (which include cream of mushroom soup and freezers), true crime podcasts, and being ride-or-die for Vancouver stories. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

In July of 2013, Canadian law enforcement authorities announced that they'd thwarted a terrorist plot to blow up the British Columbia Legislature. A couple from Surrey – John Omar Nuttall and Amanda Ana Korody, who were recent converts to Islam – had been arrested for planting pressure cooker bombs at the Legislature in Victoria on Canada Day. It was a chilling story – but Canadians would soon learn that the story was chilling for entirely different reasons other than “terrorists in our midst.” That story is laid out in Manufacturing The Threat, filmmaker Amy Miller's critically acclaimed documentary that dives into the unsettling world of agent provocateurs and entrapment within Canada's national security apparatus. Manufacturing The Threat is a thrilling and emotional film, which examines that deeply disturbing episode in Canadian history when an impoverished couple was coerced by undercover law enforcement agents into carrying out a terrorist bombing. Shining a light into the murky world of police infiltration, incitement, and agent provocateurs, the film shows how Canada's policing and national security agencies, granted additional powers after 9/11, routinely break laws with little to no accountability or oversight. And there's nothing to suggest it's not still happening today. Manufacturing The Threat had its world premiere at the 2023 DOXA Documentary Film Festival, and is screening at VIFF Centre in Vancouver until October 20. Amy Miller dropped by the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about the threat posed by agent provocateurs to marginalized communities in Canada, and why she had a challenging time bringing this story to the screen. Episode sponsors: Biz Books and The Drama Class

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

The Vancouver Queer Film Festival (VQFF) is the second-largest film festival in the city and the largest queer arts event in Western Canada. Its milestone 35th edition (which kicks off on August 10) is a full-throttle, 11-day ride through 92 short and feature-length films from 27 countries, and it comes at a pivotal moment in queer history. Charlie Hidalgo, artistic director VQFF's producing organization Out On Screen, visits the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to discuss joy as a form of resistance, and the ways that VQFF is working to foster community and amplify queer voices during this time of increased intolerance against LGBTQ2S+ people. Episode sponsors: Biz Books and The Drama Class

Donia Kash is an actor, performer, storyteller, and filmmaker whose growing list of credits includes Motherland: Fort Salem, So Help Me Todd, The 100, Snowpiercer, A Million Little Things, Hearts in the Game, and a couple of impressive “firsts”: The Secrets of Bella Vista, which represented the very first time that a Hallmark Movie featured an openly non-binary actor, and The Holiday Sitter, which marked the very first time Hallmark Channel put a gay couple at the centre of one of their films. In this contemplative episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Donia talks about the joys and challenges of being a “first,” walking the red carpet at the 2023 GLAAD Media Awards (and basking in the presence of Idina Menzel), their short film Ketchup With Me, navigating the film industry as a Persian actor, and why they've always wanted to be a Mighty Morphin Power Ranger. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

It's been three years since we last had the phenomenally talented Marci T. House in the YVR Screen Scene Podcast hot seat. Back then, we spoke about her then-upcoming role in Julie and The Phantoms, #covidlife, stage acting vs. screen acting vs. architecture, the many ways CBC's Strange Empire was ahead of its time, and why she stays in Vancouver. Since then, Marci has been busy in an array of projects. She lit up the stage in Harlem Duet, a performance that critics called “stellar” and “superb.” And in the critically acclaimed and absolutely thrilling eight-part series The Devil in Ohio, she played Adele Thornton, Suzanne's coworker who'd heard a few things about the darkness hiding in Amon County. She had a fantastic role in Tribal as Victoria Mann, a task force leader who spars with Brian Markinson's Buke, and another as Charlotte, Bean's mama, in Ivy and Bean. More recently, she's been helming Monster High as Headmistress Bloodgood, and she had a powerful role in Rukiya Bernard's poignant short film, Meditation 4 Black Women, which was created as part of the internationally renowned Crazy8s filmmaking competition. Marci also got a puppy named BiBi, a smol French bulldog with his own Instagram account, @bibilefrenchbouledogue. In this riveting and fun interview – which includes plenty of input from BiBi – Marci talks Monster High, Meditation 4 Black Women, her newfound passion for onesies, what actors lose when they can't audition in a room, how far the industry has really come since the summer of “hashtag activism,” and the BiBi of it all. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Sonita Henry's filmography would make for one hell of a marathon on SyFy. Sonita played the President's Aide in The Fifth Element, present in that iconic final scene where Milla Jovovich's Leeloo and Bruce Willis' Korben get it on in the regeneration chamber. She was the doctor who delivers James T. Kirk in the heart-stopping opening minutes of 2009's Star Trek. She portrayed a colonel (who's transformed into a Dalek) in the 2013 Doctor Who Christmas special. And she was the archetype of every female villainess when she played Medea in the Vancouver-shot Olympus. Sonita's credit list also includes a wealth of nuanced performances in top-tier British television, including Luther, Father Brown, and Midsomer Murders, and a leading role as a brilliant investigator (and insecure new mum) in The Chelsea Detective. In the season-opener of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast – recorded during Sonita's recent visit to Vancouver – Sonita lays out her origin story, which includes driving across America with only a 45-minute driving test under her belt, navigating ethnic ambiguity and a sometimes unfriendly industry, the home she found in the science fiction realm, and why her upcoming role in Black Cake is a new career highlight (and not just because one of her bosses is Oprah Winfrey). Stick around until the end for a special appearance by none other than the Grand Empress of Sci-Fi. Episode sponsors: The Drama Class + Biz Books

Sabrina Rani Furminger, host and executive producer at the YVR Screen Scene Podcast. https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/yvr-screen-scene-for-ukraine-tickets-551507131677?aff=erelexpmlt

Bob Frazer returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to pour one out for Alban Hearst, the anti-witch terrorist leader he played for all three seasons of Freeform's brilliant Motherland: Fort Salem. In seasons one and two, Alban toyed with all of Motherland: Fort Salem's favourite witches – and in the series' third and final season, Alban plunged to new depths of unhinged hate, while also revealing himself to be intimidated by his sneering sister (played by Emilie Ullerup). Bob reflects on his time in Alban's tailored suits, while also previewing his role in Safehaven, the upcoming fantasy series in which he plays a (gasp!) good guy. Episode sponsors: Biz Books + The Drama Class

Actor and playwright Hiro Kanagawa (Star Trek: Discovery) returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about Forgiveness, his adaptation of Mark Sakamoto's acclaimed memoir that tells the story of a real-life family confronting the atrocities of the past and finding within itself a way forward. Forgiveness tells the parallel stories of Sakamoto's maternal grandfather Ralph, a Canadian soldier of European descent who spent years in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp, and Mitsue, his paternal grandmother, who was one of the thousands of Japanese Canadians interned by the Canadian government. In the face of tremendous adversity and transgressions, they chose not to live a life of anger but instead to embrace forgiveness—a gift of love they passed down to their families. Forgiveness had its world premiere in Vancouver earlier this month and will open in Calgary this spring. In this fascinating conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Hiro reflects on the connection between past and present, why a play about the past is especially timely in 2023, the role that art can play in moving important conversations forward, and how his experience with Forgiveness has changed how he sees his work. Episode sponsor: Biz Books and The Drama Class

Amanda Tapping is beloved around the world for iconic roles on Stargate SG-1 and Sanctuary and her ever-growing list of television directing credits (including an impressive run as an executive producer on the cult favourite Freeform series Motherland: Fort Salem); Sabrina Rani Furminger is host of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast. Since Amanda and Sabrina's first interview together in January 2013 (for a Westender cover story entitled “What's next for Amanda Tapping?”), the pair have grown to become dear friends. In late November 2022, the pals packed their bags and flew to Paris, where Amanda was scheduled to appear at Paris Manga alongside her former Stargate SG-1 co-star Richard Dean Anderson – and while sipping bubbly beverages at a sidewalk bistro on the eve of the convention, they decided to record an episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast. Tune in as Amanda and Sabrina break with the podcast's usual studio format and discuss their decade of friendship, the last days of Motherland: Fort Salem, Richard Dean Anderson, and what comes next. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Jewel Staite and Paul McGillion are two wildly talented actors with lengthy filmographies and stellar reputations. Jewel is beloved for her work on Firefly, Serenity, Stargate Atlantis, her hilarious tweets and TikToks, and for her leading role as Abigail Bianchi on the award-winning and critically acclaimed television series Family Law. And Paul is renowned for roles on Stargate Atlantis, Firefly Lane, The Flash, and for being one of the nicest humans in the Vancouver film and television industry. Both Jewel and Paul have previously appeared on the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, and during those appearances, both Jewel and Paul spoke about the other with a whole lotta love. For our milestone 250th episode – and the sixth in our #IndustryBFFs series – Jewel Staite and Paul McGillion sit down with Sabrina Rani Furminger to talk about their friendship, convention adventures, food, and one potent margarita machine. Episode sponsor: UBCP / ACTRA

Actor Adrian Petriw appeared on the YVR Screen Scene Podcast in 2019 and 2020 to talk about his voice acting career and eat babka with host (and fellow Ukrainian) Sabrina Rani Furminger. But those previous appearances were before February 24, 2022, when Russia fully invaded Ukraine, displacing and traumatizing millions of Ukrainians, killing thousands, and mobilizing Ukrainians in the diaspora to do whatever they could to help. In the first month of the war, Adrian and Sabrina co-produced YVR Screen Scene For Ukraine, a gala fundraiser and online auction that raised more than $37,000 for Ukrainian humanitarian relief. Eight months later, Ukrainians continue to fight for their right to exist – and Ukrainians in the diaspora have seen public interest in Ukraine ebb and flow, come and go. Says Sabrina: “There is a special pain that comes with watching the world lose interest in the genocide of your people, a special rage that takes over when people you thought were your friends tweet that Ukraine should negotiate with the terrorists intent on erasing it from the map, and a special gratitude that surfaces when the world – and the media, and your friends – bears witness.” In this emotional and freewheeling episode, Sabrina and her Ukrainian-brother-from-another-mother Adrian talk about the war, what it's been like to navigate the entertainment industry as Ukrainians in the diaspora while Ukrainians in Ukraine fight for their lives, and how allies can help. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

For three seasons, Catherine Lough Haggquist portrayed General Petra Bellweather on Freeform's Motherland: Fort Salem. The dramatic series imagined a world where the witches of Salem entered into a pact with non-magical humans that made them a celebrated and powerful military force – and General Bellweather rose through the ranks (and the series) to become the highest ranking witch in the military. This gave Cat the opportunity to kick ass both literally and figuratively, which she discussed during her first appearance on the YVR Screen Scene Podcast after Motherland's first season. This most recent season of Motherland: Fort Salem – which was its triumphant third and final season – saw Petra trying to protect witchkind while under the constant surveillance of an antagonistic non-magical civilian state. In this compelling conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Cat reflects on Petra's journey (including that iconic pen scene), her final days on Motherland: Fort Salem, working with Sheryl Lee Ralph, Demetria McKinney, and Bob Frazer, and how her experience in Petra's world changed her own. Episode sponsor: UBCP / ACTRA

Morgan Holmstrom plays a nurse who takes no guff and gives everything she has to the people she loves on CBC and Paramount Plus' action-packed dramatic series SkyMed. In the APTN limited series Shadow of the Rougarou, she lights up the screen as a Metis-Cree fur trapper who must face the curse that ripped her life apart as a child – a role for which she was nominated for a 2022 Leo Award. And in Day of the Dead, she played former Special Forces working on a fracking crew whose discovery of a mysterious body plunges her into the middle of a zombie invasion. These are powerful women; women with agency; women who kick ass, who know who they are, and who can be at once vulnerable and volatile. They're all thrilling characters of substance, which is also an apt description for Morgan herself. In this fascinating episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Morgan talks about her journey to SkyMed, the surprising way she prepped for her Day of the Dead role, how COVID changed her approach to The Work, and elephants. Episode sponsor: UBCP / ACTRA

You would be hard-pressed to find a bigger fan of the Vancouver Grizzlies than Kat Jayme. Not only did Kat grow up a fan of the ill-fated NBA franchise, but she's parlayed that childhood passion into a number of films, including We The West, 2018's festival hit Finding Big Country (in which she successfully tracked down NBA enigma Bryant “Big Country Reeves), and The Grizzlie Truth, in which she seeks to investigate a sprawling sports mystery: who is responsible for robbing Vancouver of the Grizzlies? To die-hard fans of the Vancouver Grizzlies, the team's abrupt move to Memphis in 2001 is much more than a sore spot, it's an unsolved mystery and possibly a criminal conspiracy. And there is no one on this planet better suited to tackle this mystery than Kat Jayme, and her findings – in the form of wildly entertaining, wholly gripping, and surprisingly heartwarming The Grizzlie Truth – has its world premiere at the 2022 Vancouver International Film Festival. In this fascinating episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Kat reflects on her spectacular journey into the heart of a baffling sports mystery. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Showrunner Dennis Heaton returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about The Imperfects, his latest fantastical series that premiered on Netflix earlier this month. The Imperfects are Tilda, Abbi, and Juan, three 20-somethings who band together to hunt down the scientist responsible for turning them into monsters via experimental gene therapy and forcing him to make them human again. Tilda is a banshee. Abbi is a succubus. Juan is a chupacabra. But these monsters aren't nearly as monstrous as the humans they encounter in their quest. Ten episodes of The Imperfects dropped on September 8, and it hit the Netflix Top 10 all over the world almost immediately – which speaks to the deliciously rendered characters, to the nuanced performances of the leading trio Morgan Taylor Campbell, Rhianna Jagpal, and Iñaki Godoy and veteran stars Italia Ricci, Rhys Nicholson, Rekha Sharma, and Kyra Zagorsky, and to the writing and entire conceit of the show. In today's episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Sabrina grills Dennis about the hows and whys of The Imperfects, including his long history with monsters, his experience in the director's chair, how the show found its Sarkov, the Easter egg he'd planned for fans of The Order, and what #Chupi fans should do if they want more. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Kandyse McClure's filmography is populated by a staggering range of characters. On the critically acclaimed and beloved Battlestar Galactica, Kandyse portrayed Anastasia “Dee” Dualla, a passionate woman who fought, loved, dreamt, and, ultimately, succumbed to despair. As Nicte Batan in the third and final season of Motherland: Fort Salem, she wrestled with her character's past as a terrorist while forging unexpected alliances. As Sam in Neill Blomkamp's wildly entertaining horror film Demonic, she embodied the stuff of nightmares; and as Golden Eyes in the genre-defying feature film Sew the Winter to My Skin – a role for which she was nominated for an African Movie Academy Award – she somehow managed to speak volumes about the impact of oppression on humanity without actually speaking many words at all. Other recent work includes GenZeroes (the cutting-edge project championed by friend of the pod Aleks Paunovic), Charmed, Limetown, the bonkers Netflix series Ghost Wars, and a standout role as Viola Desmond, the entrepreneur who challenged segregation in Nova Scotia in the 1940s, in an iconic Heritage Minute. The projects and roles are wildly different, but the thread that unites them is the humanity, authenticity, and conviction that Kandyse brings to each one. In this riveting episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Kandyse reflects on her journey from South Africa at 11 years old, grieving Dee, moving into her “villain era,” and dancing in her trailer.Content warning: This episode contains frank talk about suicide. If you're thinking about suicide or are worried about a friend or a loved one, the Canada Suicide Prevention Service is available 24/7/365 at 1.833.456.4566. You can also find links to international suicide prevention and mental health support services in the footnotes for this episode on our web site. You matter. You're not alone.Episode sponsor: UBCP / ACTRA

Actor Praneet Akilla (Nancy Drew, Motherland: Fort Salem) returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about his leading role in CBC's SkyMed. The sexy, action-packed dramatic television series was inspired by the real-life experiences of SkyMed showrunner Julie Puckrin's sister and brother-in-law who met flying air ambulances in the North. In this contemplative and at times raucous interview, Praneet talks about Chopper, SkyMed, what it means to him that Telugu cinema is having a moment (thanks to the success of RRR), and his most embarrassing Zoom call ever. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Jesse Inocalla is a wildly talented voice actor best known for his stunning work voicing Soren on Netflix's The Dragon Prince. Soren can be cocky and brash but also charming, charismatic, a little dim, and kind, and Jesse's inspired performance hits all of those beats. Jesse's lengthy and growing filmography also includes Spider-Ham in Marvel Battleworld: Mystery of the Thanostones, Reptil in Marvel Super Hero Adventures, Scorm in LEGO Chima, and Sasa in YooHoo & Friends. In this entertaining and engrossing episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Jesse talks about growing up the son of a “bad monk” turned stuntman, voicing Soren, the joys and challenges of building and sustaining a career in the animation realm, and waking the world up to Filipino culture. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Khrystyna Syvolap arrived in Canada with her 8-year-old daughter nearly three months ago, seeking refuge from Russia's unjust assault on Ukraine. Khrystyna is a commercial director who has directed television, short films, and a feature film (2020's Viddana). She's a member of the Ukrainian Film Academy and was on Forbes Magazine's list of Ukraine's "30 Under 30" for 2021. And for the moment at least, her life is here in Vancouver. In this special episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Sabrina speaks with Khrystyna about her journey from Kyiv to Vancouver, as well as the myriad of challenges faced by Ukrainian film professionals turned refugees who arrive in Canada with little more than their lives and want to get to work. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

What comes to your mind when you hear the words “Doug and the Slugs”? If you live in Canada and grew up in the 1970s and 1980s, you probably think of one of the hottest party bands of the era fronted by the unlikeliest of rockstars: the late, great Doug Bennett. And you probably smile, because songs like “Too Bad” and “Real Enough” and “Making It Work” and “Day By Day” and their accompanying music videos were fun, and because Slugmania was real.You can revisit the songs and the men who made them in Doug and the Slugs and Me, a fascinating and fun documentary by Vancouver filmmaker Teresa Alfeld about the man that publicist-turned-MuchMusic VJ Denise Donlon describes in the film as “more a carnie than a sex symbol.” The film follows the rise of the Vancouver band and its frontman through archival footage, interviews with band members, Doug's family, and icons like Ed the Sock, Bif Naked, Ron Sexsmith, and Sir Bob Geldof. We also hear from Doug himself through the journals he left behind. Doug and the Slugs and Me is a film about the Slugs, about music, making music, legacy, friendship, ego, dreams, grief, and the documentarian's starting point, namely: “What happened to this man we thought we knew?”Documentarian Teresa Alfeld – who grew up next to the Bennett family and was best friends with one of Doug's daughters – visits the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about Doug and the Slugs and her remarkable film, which screens at the 2022 DOXA Documentary Film Festival. Episode sponsored by Fish Flight Entertainment

Filmmaker Shakil Jessa is determined to make the kind of films he needed to see when he was a queer Muslim teenager. This determination is particularly evident in Imran and Alykhan, a short film about two boys who fall in love at a Muslim youth retreat but have to keep their relationship a secret from those around them; the film will premiere on May 7 at Crazy8s. Shakil recently wrapped his first development deal with WarnerMedia for a story about a queer Muslim teenager going to university for the first time. He was the youngest member to have joined the WarnerMedia Access x Canadian Academy Writers' Program, and he's currently working on a new limited series about a South Asian teen from Toronto who leads a crime ring that robs $11 million from the world's biggest influencers.In this boisterous episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Shakil talks about his experiences bringing queer Muslim stories to the screen, moving into spaces in the industry that don't have long histories of platforming queer BIPOC filmmakers, and why diversity and representation matter to young people in particular. Episode sponsored by Fish Flight Entertainment

Kathleen Robertson visits the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about her years acting on Maniac Mansion and Beverly Hills 90210 and her current gig showrunning Roku's hit series Swimming With Sharks. The last – a dark thriller – is a reimagining of the 1994 film of the same title, about a Hollywood assistant who turns the tables on an abusive boss. But this time, the Hollywood assistant and the abusive boss are women: played by Kiernan Shipka and Diane Kruger respectively. Donald Sutherland, Thomas Dekker, Finn Jones, Erica Alexander, Ross Butler, and Gerardo Celasco also make appearances – as does Kathleen herself. In this fascinating and entertaining interview, Kathleen pulls back the curtain on Swimming With Sharks. She also takes us into her career journey, and talks about reinvention in an industry that isn't always welcoming of women who want to expand into new roles. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Sabrina Rani Furminger, host and executive producer at the YVR Screen Scene Podcast. Event details: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/yvr-screen-scene-for-ukraine-tickets-291027339607

Lea Salonga is the beloved singer and performer who won a Tony Award for originating the role of Kim in Miss Saigon, and who built a global fanbase for her work as the singing voices for Jasmine in Aladdin and as Mulan in Mulan and Mulan 2 – work for which the Walt Disney Company bestowed upon her the title of Disney Legend. She was the first Asian woman to play Eponine in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway and returned to the beloved show as Fantine in the 2006 revival. She has performed on the Oscar stage and on stages around the world. She starred in the critically acclaimed Sony musical-drama Yellow Rose and in the animated series Centaurworld for Netflix. She is currently filming Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin for HBO Max, and will soon embark on her “Dream Again” tour, which makes a highly anticipated stop at Vancouver's Queen Elizabeth Theatre on April 12. Lea was one of the first to do it the way she does it on West End and Broadway stages. She uses her magnificent voice not only to entertain, but to draw awareness to issues that matter, including anti-Asian hate. In this special episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Lea talks about her remarkable journey, breaking barriers, her “Dream Again” tour, and why she is a proud member of the BTS ARMY. Episode Sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Agam Darshi returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about Donkeyhead, the feature film that she stars in, wrote, and directed. Agam plays Mona, a failed writer who carves out a life of isolation while caring for her ailing Sikh father. When Mona's father has a debilitating stroke, her three successful siblings – played by Stephen Lobo, Sandy Sidhu, and Huse Madhavji – show up on her doorstep determined to take control of the situation. What ensues is heartbreaking, hilarious at times, riveting, and ultimately healing.Donkeyhead had its world premiere at the Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival in Toronto in December 2021, and was acquired by Array, Ava DuVernay's distribution company that elevates and amplifies the work of BIPOC filmmakers. It hit Netflix in January, and in March 2022 it will open the 2022 Vancouver International Women in Film Festival before opening in Canadian theatres nationwide. It's a big moment for Agam, and for all of us who crave stories we haven't heard and seen before. In this poignant interview, Agam speaks about her Donkeyhead journey, the support she received from luminaries like Deepa Mehta, Kim Coates, and Ava DuVernay, and where she plans to take us next. Episode Sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Dan Payne is a versatile actor. From John Dover on The Good Witch to Traeger in Mech X-4, from Beast in Disney's wildly popular Descendants films to a high-powered real estate mogul in the first episode of Family Law, Dan's handles comedy, action, genre fare, children's entertainment, and drama with apparent equal ease. And he's got five Leo Awards nominations – and two wins, one for Aliens Stole My Body and the other for Aliens Ate My Homework – to show for it. Dan makes it look easy, but it's not easy. Not only is there real skill behind Dan's effortless-looking performances, but as he's moved through his career, he's wrestled with depression. Dan says that depression has been a constant companion for years – and once you know that fact, it makes his entire body of incredible work all the more incredible. In this special episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Dan talks about the characters, projects, joys, and challenges that have made him the in-demand actor he is today, and his journey with depression. Episode Sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

We're All In This Together is a feature film about three sisters who struggle to find a way to work together when their mother's long tenuous mental health takes her over a waterfall in a barrel. The sisters are each plagued by their own demons – their own insecurities, addictions, traumas, mental health woes, and issues with each other – but it's only when they learn to speak directly to each other, see the hurt in each other, acknowledge the pain that their mother's mental illness has had on them all that they're actually able to help her and themselves. We're All in this Together is as moving as you'd expect from that description, and also surprisingly funny. Most importantly, it deftly and directly addresses the impact that relationships can have on our mental health, and shows what can happen when we don't talk about mental illness within our families.We're All In This Together was brought to the screen by Katie Boland. Katie is an actor, a writer, and a director. She wore all three hats on We're All In This Together – four hats if you consider that she played two characters in the feature film, which she adapted from Amy Jones' novel of the same name and which marks her feature film directorial debut.In this special episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast – the latest in our series of episodes about mental health and mental illness – Katie talks about her journey with mental illness and We're All In This Together, and the ways in which cinema can help us navigate mental illness in the real world. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Jewel Staite is the actress behind a veritable parade of dynamic characters, including the volatile and feisty Abigail on Family Law, the kind-hearted mechanic Kaylee on Firefly and Serenity, the brilliant and insecure Dr. Jennifer Keller on Stargate Atlantis, and a pair of sadistic magical twins on The Order. She's also an entrepreneur, a mother, a wife, a friend, a fan favourite, and really funny. Her Twitter followers know that she doesn't suffer trolls: she'll call out the insanity of the unrealistic beauty expectations placed on women, and the absurdity that people expect her to look exactly the same as she did when she was on Firefly, a series that premiered in September 2002. In this expansive and riveting episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Jewel Staite reflects on the characters she's played and loved over the course of her career, as well as self-care during COVID, navigating social media, what Nathan Fillion taught her about being number one on the call sheet, and what goes on in the Firefly group chat. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

#002. WARRIOR NUN EPISODES 1-3 DISCUSSIONAirdate: May 28, 2021Into the Halo jumps right into the first season of Warrior Nun with a discussion of episodes 1-3. What did you think? Did we miss something? Leave us a message on Twitter or SpeakPipe to let us know. ------------------------Links mentioned in this episode:YVR Screen Scene Podcast interviews with Warrior Nun showrunner Simon Barry...Episode 30: https://www.yvrscreenscene.com/home/2019/10/15/episode-thirty-simon-barry?rq=simon%20barryEpisode 103: https://www.yvrscreenscene.com/home/2020/8/1/episode-103-simon-barry-talks-warrior-nun?rq=simon%20barryDragon Con Urban Fantasy: In This Life or the Next: A Warrior Nun Fan Panel: https://youtu.be/U6EGEhZhKtg  Lasers and Lockets Podcast: https://lasersandlocketspod.com/------------------------ Leave Into the Halo a 90 Second Voicemail on SpeakPipe  (https://www.speakpipe.com/IntoTheHaloPodcast)! Follow Into the Halo: Twitter (https://twitter.com/WarriorNunPod)