Indigenous stories of redemption and other Canadian narratives, plus advice for indie Oscar hopefuls and mentorship program at VIFF 2018

The Vancouver International Film Festival’s (VIFF) film streams Sea to Sky presented by TELUS, and True North presented by Telefilm, offer moving Indigenous stories with the Western Canadian Premiere of Edge of the Knife, the first narrative feature in the Haida language; Picking Up the Pieces: The Making of the Witness Blanket; and Quiet Killing.

“These Indigenous stories allow us a greater appreciation of the land we inhabit and the people who’ve called it home long before settlers set foot on these shores,” said Curtis Woloschuk, Associate Director of Programming. “While these films take very different forms, they all address survival and redemption in the face of trauma.”

Helen Haig-Brown and Gwaai Edenshaw’s Edge of the Knife features a tormented man transformed into the Gaagiixid (Haida Wildman) by spirits. Cody Graham and Carey Newman’s Picking Up the Pieces: The Making of the Witness Blanket charts the crafting of an art installation from the ruins of residential schools. Kim O’Bomsawin’s Quiet Killing features interviews with Indigenous women seeking to end the cycle of violence spawned by colonialism and racism.

The BC Spotlight series features dark comedy with Bruce Sweeney’s Kingsway. Grant Baldwin’s This Mountain Life and Kathleen S. Jayme’s Finding Big Country document the alpine and the athletic, respectively. Finally, Sean Devlin’s When the Storm Fades features a Filipino family’s re-enactment of their recovery from disaster.

Most of the films in VIFF’s acclaimed Future//Present series unfold on foreign soil. These include Drew Lint’s psychological thriller M/M, set in Berlin, and Aïda Maigre-Touchet’s intimate, Haiti-set Song of a Seer.

The True North stream will also feature several commanding female voices behind the camera. Director Patricia Rozema returns to VIFF with Mouthpiece, adapted from a two woman play, while Jasmin Mozaffari’s debut Firecrackers depicts two friends’ bid to escape their hometown.

Totally Indie Day presented by STORYHIVE | September 29

Totally Indie Day presented by STORYHIVE invites independent content creators to provide insights and industry advice at the Vancouver International Film Centre (1181 Seymour St.).

• Production designers Jade Healy of Oscar-winning film I, Tonya and Chris Jones of Oscar- nominated film Lady Bird will discuss the craft of creating rich story worlds in Style on Film: Production Design.

• Jay Cassidy, three-time Oscar nominee and editor of acclaimed films American Hustle and Into the Wild will speak about craft, collaboration and creating compelling stories in The Art of the Cut.

• Creators Kate Green, director/executive producer of NarcoLeap; Tyler Funk, creator of She’s Not Funny; and Ryan J. Sidhoo, director of True North, will share their journeys from pitches to production to finding distribution partners in From Production to Distribution: Web Series Success Stories.

• Dava Whisenant, director/producer/co-writer of Bathtubs Over Broadway (screening in the M/A/D stream and a prizewinner at Tribeca 2018) and Brent Hodge, director of Freaks and Geeks: The Documentary and other award-winning works will dive into pop culture and industrial music documentaries in Indie Docs: Trending Now.

VIFF Mentorship Program

VIFF is committed to opening doors for young creators who are often under- or misrepresented in the film industry and beyond. The VIFF Mentorship Program will offer 10 emerging filmmakers, ages 19 – 30, an introductory film festival experience with exclusive creative development opportunities.The program encourages young filmmakers who are Indigenous; of minority origin; or existing across the spectrums of gender, sexuality and ability, to apply online up until August 13, 2018.

Featured Films:

Launched in 2016, the Films+ program features live interdisciplinary performances, industry talks, workshops, VR and other unique experiences, all celebrating the achievements and innovations of screen-based storytelling. Each VIFF programming stream offers a Films+ program.

Founded in 1982, the Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society is a not-for-profit cultural society and federally registered charitable organization that operates the internationally acclaimed Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) and the year-round programming of the Vancity Theatre at the Vancouver International Film Centre. VIFF produces screenings, talks and events that act as a catalyst for the community to discover the creativity and craft of screen storytelling. For its 37th year, VIFF welcomes the world to Vancouver from September 27 – October 12, 2018 as it showcases the top international, Canadian and BC films and plays host to industry professionals from around the globe.

• Programming Announcements: Released weekly throughout August and September. See previous media releases here.
• Press Conference: September 5, 2018 at the Vancouver International Film Centre (1181 Seymour St)
• Tickets: Passes and ticket packs are available online at noon on August 23, 2018. Single ticket prices range from $13 – $22 and can be purchased online starting at noon on September 6, 2018 and in-person at the Vancity Theatre Box Office starting September 13, 2018. Visit viff.org for more information
• Volunteer Registration: Each year VIFF relies on the hard work of more than 1,000 volunteers to assist in running the festival. Volunteer registration is now open at goviff.org/volunteer.

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