Vancouver International Film Festival VIFF is excited to unveil the new program Signals, presented by VIFF and DigiBC, from Oct. 1-3, and the speakers for VIFF Amp from Oct. 6-9. Signals is a unique interactive exhibition that investigates the potential of creative technologies in storytelling. VIFF Amp explores the art and business of music in film from all facets of the production process. All programs will be held in-person, with select components available online.
Cover: SANCTUARY: A TALE OF TWO FORESTS by Damien Gillis, Cease Wyss, and Olivier Leroux
The industry has long recognized it, but we often don’t celebrate the incredible technology and talent in our own backyard. For our inaugural edition, we’re thrilled to present made in BC works by Indigenous and settler artists that celebrate the creative power, playfulness, and storytelling potential of new technologies. Visitors will have a chance to discover works created in the convergent space where storytelling meets virtual production, volumetric capture, holograms, wearable technology, VR, AR, and XR.
Loc Dao, Executive Director of DigiBC and Signals Co-curator
Signals will take place from Oct. 12 at Emily Carr University’s Integrated Motion Studio featuring LED wall tech from Showmax and Departure Lounge located in the Centre for Digital Media. The exhibition is co-curated by Loc Dao, Debi Wong Founding Artistic Director of re:Naissance Opera), and Loretta Todd Co-founder of IM4. Highlights include a world premiere of new work in Sanctuary: A Tale of Two Forests by Damien Gillis, Cease Wyss, and Olivier Leroux, an ecological adventure through two distinct and threatened BC rainforests; This is Not a Ceremony by Colin van Loon, which bears witness to the darker side of living life in Canada while Indigenous; Live From the Underworld by re:Naissance Opera, an operatic descent into the underworld using real-time motion capture and dramatic avatars puppeted by live performers; and The Dark, the first volumetric capture video in Canada that will create an immersive audiovisual experience as part of an upcoming music video featuring Monstercat artists WHIPPED CREAM, Jasiah, and Crimson Child.
Also part of Signals is VUnframed, an immersive digital art exhibition that takes place entirely over VR, presented by l’Alliance Française. This will mark the exhibition’s fourth edition, and will take place both in-person and online from Oct. 13 at the Centre for Digital Media. For more information, visit alliancefrancaise.ca/v-unframed.
VIFF Amp will launch this year with a public keynote at the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre featuring two-time Emmy-nominated composer Michael Abels. Abels is renowned for his genre-defying scores for the Jordan Peele’s films Get Out, Nope, and Us, for which he won a World Soundtrack Award, the Jerry Goldsmith Award, a Critics Choice nomination, and multiple critics awards. The intimate one-night only event will offer insights into Abels’ process, featuring live performances of his music by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
Additional VIFF Amp highlights — open to invited industry participants only — include “From Hiphop to TV Scoring” with Mato Wayuhi (Reservation Dogs); “Hit Raedio Stars,” a masterclass on music supervision with Raedio’s Stephanie Diaz-Matos (PValley) and Sarah Bromberg (Rap Sh!t); and “A Dynamic Duo on Docs” with composer Miriam Cutler (Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down, RBG) and filmmaker Ondi Timoner (Last Flight Home).
“Vancouver is an international hotbed for visual media — and a global gateway for all related creative communities. And yet, the enormous impact of the city and province’s music community on the world stage is often underappreciated or overlooked. Amp allows us to shine a spotlight on some of the province’s extraordinary music-related talent and develop long term business opportunities and creative collaborations with international tastemakers in the music for visual media space.”
Tony Scudellari, VIFF Amp Co-curator and Senior VP of Television Music at Sony Pictures Entertainment
Adds Rob Calder, VIFF Amp Co-curator and Founder of Secret Study: “Each year, the connections made at Amp have led to career developments for some incredible BC talent, including multi Emmy-nominated composer and Amp 2021 speaker Natalie Holt who hired local singer/songwriter Bukola Balogun to record a song for the new 20th Century Studios film The Princess. We also have Vancouver-based composers Brian and Caleb Chan returning as speakers this year. The Chan Brothers attended Amp in 2020 where they met Frank Garcia from DreamWorks who hired them to compose for two animated series shortly afterward. VIFF Amp is the place for building these connections within the film and music industry.”
Signals: Exploring creative technology’s potential in storytelling
Presented by VIFF and DigiBC
Supported by the Canada Media Fund, Investment Vancouver, Emily Carr University and IM4 Media Lab, Centre for Digital Media, Departure Lab, Showmax, and Monstercat.
Signals | Oct. 12
Venue: Emily Carr University, Centre for Digital Media and Departure Lounge
A unique interactive exhibition, Signals celebrates the creative power, playfulness, and storytelling potential of new technologies. In its first edition, Signals will feature BC’s wealth of talent in a multi-day showcase of Canadian and Indigenous works. The exhibition features virtual production, volumetric capture, holograms, and VR/AR/XR technologies. More information: viff.org/signals
VUnframed by Alliance Française Vancouver | Oct. 13
Alliance Française Vancouver invites you to explore and connect at VUnframed, your journey between Art and Virtual Reality. The fourth edition of this immersive digital art exhibition showcases artworks from local and international artists, including Espace V, Alliance Française Vancouver’s unique VR space. More information: alliancefrancaise.ca/v-unframed
VIFF Amp: Explore the essential role of music in film
Funded by Creative BC, FACTOR Canada, Music BC, and the RBC Foundation Supported by ASCAP, Music Publishers Canada, and SOCAN
Community Broadcast Partner TELUS STORYHIVE
An Evening with Michael Abels featuring the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra | Thursday, Oct. 6, 7pm Venue: The Playhouse
Public event. Tickets: $58.
Presented by Scotia Wealth Management
Supported by ASCAP and Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
Two-time Emmy-nominated composer Michael Abels is known for his genre-defying scores for the Jordan Peele films Get Out, Nope, and Us, for which Abels won a World Soundtrack Award, the Jerry Goldsmith Award, a Critics Choice nomination, and multiple critics awards. Join us for an intimate evening of insight, creativity, and performances of Abels’ music, featuring the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
Oct. 6-9 | In-person at Annex | Industry professionals only
The Art of Composition | Thursday, Oct. 6, 4pm
From Hiphop to TV Scoring | Friday, Oct. 7, 2pm
A conversation with Mato Wayuhi (Reservation Dogs).
Hit Raedio Stars | Friday, Oct. 7, 4pm
A masterclass on music supervision with Raedio’s Stephanie Diaz-Matos (PValley) and Sarah Bromberg (Rap Sh!t).
Music BC’s SOUNDOFF | Friday, Oct. 7, 8pm
The Art of Music Supervision | Saturday, Oct. 8, 2pm
Making the leap: advancing from coordinator to music supervisor.
A Dynamic Duo on Docs | Saturday, Oct. 8, 4pm
Composers on music for documentaries.
Upping the Sonic Game: Live Scoring Masterclass | Sunday, Oct. 9, 9am
VIFF Amp Town Hall | Sunday, Oct. 9, 2pm
