VIFF Podcast

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 ac...

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 maintai...

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 wit...

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 bet...

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...

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 ,...

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 hi...

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 experie...

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 characte...

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 f...

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 th...

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 intricat...

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...

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...

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 cont...

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 C...

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 precariou...

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 the...

In this episode we welcome filmmaker Kim Albright, director of With Love and a Major Organ , and producer Madeleine Davis in  conversation with VIFF programmer Tom Charity. Struggling artist by night, virtual insurance broker by day, Anabel has a heart problem: it’s just too big for this world. Rejected and derided by her more sophisticated “friends”, Anabel falls for George, a stranger with a pen...

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 a...

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 Drake Mark 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 Ele...

In this episode we welcome Meredith Hama-Brown, director of the feature film Seagrass , in conversation with Sonja Baksa, Programmer + Program Lead at VIFF Having 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 Steph...

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...

In this episode, we’re featuring a conversation with Sierra Teller Ornelas –  co-creator, showrunner and executive producer of the critically-acclaimed, native-centred comedy series Rutherford Falls. Ornelas had written for Superstore, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Selfie and Happy Endings before coming on board with Mike Schur and Ed Helms to bring Rutherford Falls to life, becoming the first Native Americ...

In this episode, we’re featuring a creator talk from the 2021 Vancouver International Film Festival with Craig Zobel – the director behind the wildly popular HBO crime drama, Mare of Easttown , starring Kate Winslet. The Emmy-nominated director spoke to host Zach Lipovsky about crafting a crime series that leaves room for soulful human drama and humour, shooting emotional and technically daunting...