VANCOUVER WELCOMES NEW FILM COMMISSIONER
Vancouver now has its very own film commissioner and a film and media centre. Representatives from the City of Vancouver and Vancouver Economic Commission announced at an Oct. 17 press conference that David Shepheard – formerly London’s film and TV sector lead – will serve as Vancouver’s first Film Commissioner. At the same time, they announced the creation of a new film and media centre, mandated to (according to the press release) “raise the profile of Vancouver on the global stage, advocate on behalf of the Vancouver industry and work towards attracting investment to the city.” The release quotes Mayor Robertson as follows: “As one of Vancouver’s high growth industries, Film and Media has been a big contributor to our nation-leading economic growth and has tremendous positive impact in our City. David Shepheard's expertise and experience – coupled with the new Film & Media Centre – will take our Digital Entertainment industry, already the 3rd largest film production centre in North America, to the next level on the international stage.”
VANCOUVER ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL
Film festival season continues with the return of the Vancouver Asian Film Festival (VAFF), which celebrates its 20th birthday with 35 feature-length and short films of all genres from the local and international Asian diaspora. This year’s packed line-up – which includes four world premieres, two North American premieres, 10 Canadian premieres, and six Vancouver premieres – were programmed under the banner theme of “homecoming,” and showcase stories that touch on some aspect of the concept of “from there, to here.” Highlights include The Last Smile from Indo-American director Shankey Srinivasan; Ken Wu’s indie neo-noir directorial debut Heartfall Arises; The Tiger Hunter, a dramedy that stars Danny Pudi (Community) as a young Indian who travels to America to become an engineer; and the locally made Leo Award-winning thriller The Bleeding Edge, about the global black market for human organs. Also on the schedule: the AIM (Asians in Movies) summit, a forum that pushes for diversity in movies, media and music. All films are in English or include English subtitles. VAFF takes places Nov. 3-6 at Cineplex Odeon International Village Cinemas. Schedule and tickets at festival.vaff.org.
JUDY GREER GETS PUBLIC SCHOOLED
The creative duo behind indie hit Eadweard – writer-director Kyle Rideout and writer-producer Josh Epstein – have a lead for Public Schooled, their upcoming coming-of-age comedy: Judy Greer, the prolific American actress whose lengthy list of credits includes Two and a Half Men, Arrested Development, What Women Want, and The Wedding Planner. Public Schooled is slated to go to camera in November, with Rideout in the director's chair and Epstein producing.
TRAVELERS ARRIVES
The locally shot Travelers received a warm reception from fans and critics alike earlier this week when it premiered on Showcase. The sci-fi series – which stars Eric McCormack (Will & Grace) and Mackenzie Porter (Leap 4 Your Life) – follows a group of future humans who discover how to send consciousness back into people of the 21st century; these travelers assume the lives of seemingly random people, while secretly doing whatever they can to save humanity from a terrible future. The series also stars Nesta Cooper, Jared Abrahamson, Reilly Dolman, Patrick Gilmore, and Leah Cairns. If you live beyond the reach of Showcase, fear not: Travelers will arrive on Netflix in December.
