For the second year, Filmable hosted the Official Portrait Studio at VIFF. Over four days, the Portrait Studio hosted 390 guests, resulting in an incredible 2,849 portraits that together capture a snapshot of Vancouver’s creative pulse.
Filmable Portrait Studio @ VIFF 2025
The Portrait Studio was a true collaboration between Filmable, VIFF, and photographer Brian Van Wyk, whose signature style distilled the je ne sais quoi of each subject. Brian’s eye for nuance and intimacy helped celebrate the people who make our industry so dynamic, from first-time filmmakers to established voices shaping the global conversation.
Brian Van Wyk directing the Filmable Delegation
A huge thank-you to Alice Best, Connor Davies, and Natthan Davis, whose hard work on the photography team made the studio possible, and to the incredible group of volunteers organized by Renata Calderon, who kept the energy high and the schedule running seamlessly throughout the weekend. These rock star volunteers were Tivis Mercer, Lucy Bancroft, Emily Weldon, Lynn Zhou, Viraf Sansare, Ava Emperador, Oday Brahem, Jonathan Scott, Wendy The Witch, Shafi Sekelala, Carlett Decker, David Dryden.
We’re also deeply grateful to our sponsors — Boldly, for providing the studio space, and UCOO, for the gear that made it all shine.
The result? Thousands of portraits, hundreds of connections, and one unforgettable celebration of the people who ARE our beloved industry.
Here’s to everyone who stepped into the frame — you helped capture not just faces, but the spirit of this year’s VIFF and our wonderful industry.
Mayumi Yoshida
George Stroumboulopoulos
Janessa St. Pierre
Lilia Miki
Marc Maron
Darion Trotman
Joshua Lam
Tasha Hubbard
