Directors Showcase Weekend to spotlight B.C. filmmakers at Vancouver International Film Centre

    1 of 7 2 of 7

      An upcoming film retrospective this weekend will offer an opportunity to reflect on the cinematic accomplishments of British Columbian filmmakers, who will get the spotlight in Vancouver.

      The first annual Directors Guild of Canada B.C. District Council Directors Showcase Weekend will be held from Friday to Sunday (September 7 to 9) at Vancity Theatre.

      The lineup assembles screenings significant works that span a variety of genres, time periods, and even countries.

      Bye Bye Blues

      An essential classic is Anne Wheeler's 1989 Second World War romance-drama Bye Bye Blues, about a woman who joins a dance band after she returns home to Alberta when her husband is transferred to Singapore.

      A few films take a look at the screen industry itself.

      Richard Martin's 2013 documentary Backbone: Vancouver Experimental Cinema 1967-1981 takes a look at a period when local filmmakers, such as Alex MacKenzie, Ron Burnett, Colin Browne, Stan Fox, and Peg Campbell, contributed to Canada's growth in experimental film.  

      Keepers of the Magic

      Meanwhile, Vic Sarin's 2016 documentary Keepers of the Magic delves into the art of cinematography and features cinematographers such as Vittorio Storaro, Roger Deakins, Gordon Willis, and John Seale.  

      Two other documentaries address topical issues.

      Charles Wilkinson's 2015 documentary Haida Gwaii: On the Edge of the World captures both the beauty and issues of the British Columbian archipelago that faces questions about longterm environmental sustainability.

      On Putin's Blacklist

      While that one looks within our own province, Boris Ivanov looked abroad for his 2017 documentary On Putin's Blacklist which tackles xenophobia, racism, homophobia, and adoption issues are playing out in contemporary Russia.   

      On the fiction side of things, Julia Kwan's directorial debut Eve and the Fire Horse, about a 9-year-old Chinese Canadian girl growing up in a Vancouver household that is undergoing cross-religious influences of Buddhism and Catholicism.

      Eve and the Fire Horse

      Also in the mix is Rachel Talalay's take on the post-apocalyptic British comic series Tank Girl which she adapted for the big screen with her 1995 feminist action fantasy.

      Several of the directors will be in attendance for the screenings and receptions (to be held between screenings).

      There's also a collection of short films from filmmakers such as Zach Lipovsky, Nimisha Mukerji, Jem Garrard, Gary Hawes, and Roy Hayter.

      Full details are available at the Vancity Theatre website.

      You can follow Craig Takeuchi on Twitter at @cinecraig or on Facebook

      Comments