VIFF Podcast

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 contemporary icon.

This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.
Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

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 intricate set design, the symbolism of “strawberry shortcake” as both innocent and provocative, and Chuang’s aspirations to develop the short into a feature.
This episode was recorded during the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival.

This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.
Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

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 penchant for reading yesterday’s newspaper with all the bad news redacted. But George still lives with his overly protective mum, and both will take some persuading that Anabel is his heart’s desire. Filmed right here in Vancouver, Kim Albright’s directorial debut strikes a lo-(sci-)fi surrealist vibe vaguely reminiscent of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It’s whimsical, unpredictable, but more than anything it’s true enough to hit close to home.
This conversation was recorded as part of VIFF's Year Round programming.

This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.
Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

In this episode, we’re joined by one of the most iconic musical voices in the world.

From his start in 1980 as trumpeter with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra to his collaboration with Spike Lee on Da 5 Bloods (for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Score), Terence Blanchard has been an idol in the worlds of jazz, theatre, film and television.

Headlining the 2020 VIFF AMP Music in Film Summit, Terence joined Variety journalist and editor Jazz Tangcay in a keynote event.

He talked about growing up in the New Orleans jazz scene, how he found his path to becoming a film composer on Spike Lee’s School Daze, dissecting the score to BlacKkKlansman and why writing for film requires you to “put your ego aside”.
VIFF AMP is a Music in Film Summit dedicated to inspiring emerging composers and music supervisors. The annual summit features a powerhouse lineup of world-class creative experts and decision-makers from the music and film/TV industry.
Sign up for AMP News to get the latest announcements.
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This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.
Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

We've taken our VIFF Talks online with a series of virtual events lined up over the coming weeks. Keep an eye out for upcoming events at goviff.org
VIFF is also running an online cinema on VIFF Connect, showcasing a program of compelling films for you to stream from the comfort of your home. View what's streaming.
You can show your love of cinema by making a tax-deductible gift to VIFF. goviff.org/donate

This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.
Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

In this episode, we present a conversation with RZA, hip-hop producer, director and leader of legendary group, The Wu-Tang Clan.
Born Robert Diggs, RZA was inspired by kung fu classics at a young age, and he and his fellow Clan members would later incorporate them into their iconic debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang, and since then RZA has, while remaining loyal to hip-hop, moved into the film world. After scoring a number of films, he wrote and directed his own: The Man with the Iron Fists (2012) and the upcoming Cutthroat City.
In this Creator Talk recorded at the 2018 Vancouver International Film Festival, RZA joined Calum Marsh, staff writer at the National Post, on stage to discuss Wu-Tang's beginnings, his master-apprentice relationship with Quentin Tarantino and what happened to the four-hour cut of The Man With The Iron Fists.
Following the conversation, RZA went on to demonstrate his prowess in musical storytelling, with a special VIFF Live event – a live-score to the Kung-fu flick that’s been one of his biggest influences: Lau Kar-leung’s martial arts classic The 36th Chamber of Shaolin.
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This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.
Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

We've taken our VIFF Talks events online with a series of virtual Creator Talks lined up over the coming weeks. Register now for our Creator Talk with Graeme Manson, the Showrunner behind the latest Snowpiercer adaptation (Netflix/TNT). Happening June 4, 5PM PST. Tickets: goviff.org/graeme-mason
VIFF is currently running a virtual cinema, showcasing a program of compelling films for you to stream from the comfort of your home. View what's streaming over on viff.org
You can show your love of cinema by making a tax-deductible gift to VIFF goviff.org/donate
Get VIFF in your inbox to stay up to date with Festival news and upcoming VIFF Talks goviff.org/SubscribeNow

This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.
Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.