The BC film industry has a brand perception problem. It’s undeniable that there is excellent infrastructure, talented crews, compelling locations and alluring tax credits. It’s an industry that brings in billions. Yet, few come here for its creative prowess. The Mantra is “Get your films made in BC, but make sure to import your own creative talent."
The BC film industry has a brand perception problem.
At Filmable, we’re on a mission to change that brand perception. There is a wave of local filmmakers who are making some of the most compelling work on the world stage, right under our very noses.
Their names might be well-known at film festivals worldwide, yet remain unheard of at home.
This year, Filmable has partnered with the Vancouver International Film Festival to shine a spotlight on these immensely talented local filmmakers who are programmed at the festival.
Over the next few weeks we will be releasing portraits, taken by maestro photographer, Brian Van Wyk and creatively produced by Adriana Marchand, along with interviews about their films and filmmaking journeys.
Filmmaking is hard. It takes passion, perseverance and a little madness.
So the least we can do is show up, eat some popcorn, and enjoy these labours of love.
So come on, Vancouver, take a peek, buy some tickets, see these films and stay tuned for more in-depth insight on these boundary-pushing filmmakers who are at the helm of BC’s independent film revolution.
Local Films At Your Fingertips
FEATURES
1 — Can I Get A Witness?
Ann Marie Fleming, Canada, 2024
1 — Can I Get A Witness?
In the future, we’ve solved all the world’s problems: mitigated climate change, eradicated poverty, achieved true trans-species equality. How? Humans have to end life at 50 and teenage artists have to document it. It’s Kiah’s first day on the job.
Screening Dates: Sept 27 & Oct 2
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2 — Ari’s Theme
Nathan Drillot, Jeff Lee Petry, Canada, 2024
2 — Ari’s Theme
Ari Kinarthy was born with the soul of an artist and a passion for composing music. He also lives with spinal muscular atrophy which progressively weakens his muscles and severely limits his movements. Yet he embarks on an ambitious goal: to create music that will capture his life and to leave a legacy through which others will remember him. Thoroughly engaging and beautifully made, Ari’s Theme will make you weep and smile, all the while appreciating life’s tender workings and the constant movement of time.
Screening Date: Sept 28
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3 — The Chef & The Daruma - WORLD PREMIERE
Mads K. Baekkevold, Canada, 2024
3 — The Chef & The Daruma - WORLD PREMIERE
Hidekazu Tojo's invention of the California Roll introduced sushi to a western audience, but it wasn’t always this way: when he came to Vancouver in the '70's he faced a staggering amount of racism from locals, and sushi itself was seen as bizarre and foreign. How much did he have to change about himself and his food to fit in with his new community? We chronicle the hardships he has faced, how far he has come, and follow his still-ongoing journey in search of identity. This is also the story of Daruma, an ancient fable about a Buddhist monk. The dolls made in his image are a traditional Japanese symbol of setting a goal, sticking to it, and getting back up when you fall. Our film tracks the fable as a colorful, eye-catching parallel to Tojo’s incredible story, and their shared theme of standing tall in the face of adversity.
Screening Dates: Sept 30 & Oct 5
Trailer
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4 — Inay (Mama) - CANADIAN PREMIERE
Thea Loo, Canada/Philippines, 2024
4 — Inay (Mama) - CANADIAN PREMIERE
With the desire to help answer unresolved questions and heal lingering wounds, Inay investigates the flawed immigration pathways between the Philippines and Canada that kept so many Filipino children from their mothers. INAY, which means "mama" in Tagalog, is an intimate and personal look at the experiences and trauma endured by many Filipino Canadians. Filmmaker Thea Loo and her husband Jeremiah Reyes, who is also the film's Director of Photography, explore the intersections of mental health and migrant labor and the effects that continue to be felt years later. Through intimate conversations, this self-reflexive documentary aims to bridge the silences and disconnect between the first and second generations of the Filipino community.
Screening Dates: Oct 2 & 4
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5 — Inedia - WORLD PREMIERE
Liz Cairns, Canada, 2024
5 — Inedia - WORLD PREMIERE
After a series of mysterious and debilitating allergic reactions to food, a young woman joins a radical community of people who claim to be fed by light, forgoing all physical nourishment.
Screening Dates: Sept 27 & 29
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6 — Curl Power
Josephine Anderson, Canada, 2024
6 — Curl Power
CURL POWER is a captivating and heartwarming journey into the world of teenage dreams and curling rinks, following a team of determined girls striving to become Canadian National Curling Champions. This intimate documentary, directed by Josephine Anderson, captures the angst, ecstasy, and evolution of five best friends navigating the pressures of legacy and adolescence. Premiering at the prestigious Hot Docs Film Festival to rave reviews (“excellent and surprisingly poignant”), CURL POWER dismantles the traditional sports narrative, presenting a tender and funny story of resilience and friendship. With themes of body image, mental health, and the strength found in camaraderie, this film is a powerful anthem for unity and courage.
Screening Dates: Oct 3 & 5
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7 — Lucky Star
Gillian McKercher, Canada, 2024
7 — Lucky Star
Lucky once had a streak of fortune as wide as the sky. A tattooed former gambler, he has since settled down with a mortgage, a wife and two daughters. When Lucky falls for a tax scam, he scrambles to recover his losses and goes all in at the card table, risking his livelihood and marriage in the process. Director Gillian McKercher helms a tense and gripping narrative about Asian-Canadian familial bonds, deceit and sacrifice, exploring the high-stakes choices a person can make, for the better – or for worse.
Screening Dates: Oct 3 & 5
Trailer
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8 — Mongrels - WORLD PREMIERE
Jerome Yoo, Canada, 2024
8 — Mongrels - WORLD PREMIERE
Korean widower Sonny has been hired to eradicate the feral dogs plaguing a small town in rural Canada. Like his teenage son and young daughter, he's still coming to terms with his grief. Jerome Yoo’s gorgeous, brilliantly structured first feature is a lyrical and gut-wrenching tale of immigrant survival and resilience in Canada. Dreamlike, surreal, and filled with raw emotion, Mongrels is a remarkable study of family, loss, and hope in the midst of profound uprooting.
Screening Dates: Sept 28 & 30
Trailer
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9 — Preface to a History - WORLD PREMIERE
Devan Scott, Willa Harlow Ross, Canada, 2024
9 — Preface to a History - WORLD PREMIERE
Vlad is a musician -- at least in theory. His partner, Sophy, is a young architect and a step or three ahead of him. Even so, she's struggling and he's trapped in his own head. Their relationship seems to be petering out; a sojourn on Pender Island may be their last chance. This 60-minute experimental feature applies minimalist dramatic techniques with rich, fulsome cinematography and a sophisticated sound mix to explore the destabilising modern dichotomy between our interior and external selves.
Screening Dates Oct 3 & 5
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10 — The Stand - WORLD PREMIERE
Christopher Auchter, Canada, 2024
10 — The Stand - WORLD PREMIERE
Chris Auchter’s terrific doc explores a 1985 dispute over clearcut logging on Haida Gwaii. On one side are loggers, their bosses, and the BC government; on the other is the Haida Nation, which wishes to protect its traditional lands from further destruction. Taking us from canny retrospective commentary to the thick of the action, Auchter’s film employs animation and a wealth of archival footage to riveting effect.
Screening Dates Oct 3 & 5
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SHORTS
1 — Delta Dawn - WORLD PREMIERE
Asia Youngman, Canada, 2023
1 — Delta Dawn - WORLD PREMIERE
This documentary follows Dawn Murphy, or “Princess Delta Dawn”, the first Indigenous woman wrestler and the first Canadian woman wrestler to compete in Japan in 1991.
Screening Dates Sept 28 & Sept 29
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2 — Hatch
Alireza Kazemipour, Panta Mosleh, Canada, 2024
2 — Hatch
A group of Afghan refugees hide inside a water tanker as they attempt to cross the border to safety.
Screening Dates Oct 1 & 2
Trailer
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3 — Inkwo: For When the Starving Return
Amanda Strong, Canada, 2024
3 — Inkwo: For When the Starving Return
Set two lifetimes in the future. Dove, a gender-shifting warrior, uses their Indigenous medicine (Inkwo) to protect their community from an unburied swarm of terrifying creatures.
Screening Dates: Oct 4
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4 — Judas Icarus Twists His Wrist - WORLD PREMIERE
Kerr Holden, Canada, 2024
4 — Judas Icarus Twists His Wrist - WORLD PREMIERE
Vancouver-based wrestler Judas Icarus embarks on an arduous road to recovery. Featuring a cast of active Pacific Northwest wrestlers and musicians.
Screening Dates: Sept 27 & 28
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5 — One Day This Kid
Alexander Farah, Canada, 2024
5 — One Day This Kid
Inspired by David Wojnarowicz’s text, this story of the same name follows the quiet struggle for acceptance between Afghan-Canadian Hamed and his father.
Screening Dates: Sept 27 & 28
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6 — Uncommon Ground - CANADIAN PREMIERE
Faith Sparrow-Crawford, Canada, 2024
6 — Uncommon Ground - CANADIAN PREMIERE
In the year 2171, Tawni and her aunt live in the Shadowlands. While on a journey to the capital for medicine, Tawni discovers a plane crash survivor and risks her own safety to treat him.
Screening Dates: Oct 5 & 6
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