VIWFF 2023
On March 7-11 we proudly presented Vancouver International Women in Film Festival (VIWFF), a five-day celebration featuring in-person screenings, receptions, filmmaker panels, and more at VIFF Centre.
The 2023 festival opened with an special presentation of Broken Angel directed by Jules Koostachin.
Featuring a slate of selected panel discussions on cinematography, intimacy coordination and directing, as well as an International Women’s Day Panel on March 8th, which featured major players in diversity and inclusion efforts. The festival also included a Special Presentation screening of She Said followed by a panel, Short and Feature Screenings, the annual Screenplay Competition Panel, Awards Ceremony, and a Closing Gala. The Closing Feature was Stellar directed by Darlene Naponse.
Followed by a virtual festival March 12-25, VIWFF 2023 included 35 films from 12 countries, made up of 17 Canadian films — with 5 from local BC filmmakers.
Program
Spurred into action by the unsettled spirit of her late mother, Angel flees from domestic abuse with her daughter Tanis in tow. In the safety of a women’s shelter on their reservation, they find comfort by reconnecting with their Cree culture and kin. But it won’t be long before their abuser tracks them down– and Angel must prepare her spirit for confrontation. A thrilling tale of survival, strength, and kinship, with an appealing genre twist.
Huluager, a soft-spoken farmer, is expecting her fourth child. Like many women in the rural village of Megendi, she is reluctant to give birth at the distant medical center. Through intimate, slice-of-life footage, this breathtaking documentary shines a light on a young mother’s hopes, concerns, and dreams as she opts for the comfort and risk of a traditional home birth. A fascinating window into questions of self-determination in Ethiopia’s shifting landscape of maternity care.
Montréal, 1984. Upon the death of her estranged Indigenous adoptive sister, Frédérique (a street-smart Francophone artist on the verge of eviction) is suddenly tasked with raising her bubbly and inquisitive niece, Rosie. Initially reluctant, Fred can’t help but grow attached. But to keep Rosie in her custody, she’ll need to get her life in order, first. Buoyed by a vibrant 80s-inspired soundtrack, this delightful, heartwarming dramedy explores growth through hardship, and the joys of found family.
This powerful humanitarian documentary follows the efforts of four valiant immigration attorneys over a multi-year odyssey, starting in 2018– as the Trump administration sets up policies making it nigh-impossible for those fleeing from violence and war to seek asylum in the United States– and, into 2021, as the refugee crisis fails to improve under the Biden administration. A moving cri-de-coeur highlighting the arduous roads walked by refugees, and the urgency of combatting a broken system.
A trans filmmaker from conservative Singapore embarks on a revelatory emotional quest to love herself completely by confronting her pre-transition photographs. Through intimate footage, archival photos, and compelling voice-over narration, Quen Wong has crafted a deeply moving love letter to multiple generations of trans women: from the pioneering queer communities of the original Bugis street dating back to the 1950s-80s, to today’s Singaporean youth protesting for the right to transition while in high school.
In this exquisitely written dramedy, psycho-therapist Ina notices that something is wrong with her health– but on the day of her high-maintenance mother’s 70th birthday party, she doesn’t have time to worry about herself. Her partner wants her to move to Finland for his career, much to her moody teen daughter’s dismay. Ina wants to please everyone, but something has to give. A new revelation prompts her to rethink her priorities.
In a Northern Ontario bar, SHE (Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, magnificent) and HE (Braeden Clarke, soulful) wait out the apocalypse. Natural disasters are raging outside. Settlers are panicking: the world is on fire. But for those who have never known privilege, the world has always been ending. And it soon will be reborn, through the cosmic power of a lover’s touch. Darlene Naponse’s surreal Indigenous romance unfolds in the poetic “fluidity of time, touch, realism and reverie.”
Expedition Reclamation weaves together a tapestry of voices from 12 Black, Indigenous, and women of color who are redefining “outdoorsy” and reclaiming belonging in outdoor culture.
In this intimate documentary we follow a caretaker and the two juxtaposing worlds she inhabits.
Sonya is a super-busy, sought-after model, and dating doesn’t really fit her lifestyle. However, a one-night stand with a clumsy but considerate man forces her to change perspective and calls to attention her ableist surroundings. Subtitled.
It’s a grand world for 7-year-old Juice when her best friend, Grandma Lovely, is around. But their days of happiness begin getting interrupted by Grandma’s bizarre behaviour. Juice goes on a mission to help Grandma Lovely retain as many memories as possible before she is forgotten. Subtitled.
A dark, feminine short film about a young Vietnamese woman who reclaims her name and ponders a violent revenge on her controlling in-law family. Using sensual hallucinations, this experimental film draws you in and highlights body reclamation. Subtitled.
To the images of awakening spring, a woman reflects on her own identity, birth and the blooming season. By saying goodbye to what once was, she accepts her altered new self after trauma. But with anger of what was taken from her, she’s determined to seek justice. Subtitled.
On her last night in town, drag queen Ivy Diamonds (played by Kendall Gender) has a chance encounter with Ryan, a local artist. Over the course of the night the two find comfort and clarity in each other in this intimate Vancouver story. Open Captioned.
When polar opposite sisters Nur and Karina reunite for their grandparents’ wedding anniversary dinner, Karina starts itching and blames Nur for putting garlic in her food. Subtitled.
Shorts Program: Green
A young man is faced with the decision of whether to risk the most important thing in his life to fulfil a promise to his elders. After all, if it’s already yours, it’s not stealing, right?
Two sisters who grew up in foster care make a trip together to a reservation to learn about Kanien’kehá:ka culture. As the stark reality of a terminal illness bubbles to the surface, the sisters struggle to see eye to eye on how to proceed with treatment. Subtitled.
When tragedy strikes, a spirited young woman turns to extraordinary lengths in search of answers. By swimming each day at dawn and forming an unlikely friendship, she learns to accept her grief and the grief of those around her. Open Captioned.
A weekend away at the seaside is Ellie’s first family holiday since she and her husband Nick had Harry. But holidays are not like they used to be. Neither is her marriage or her body. Open Captioned.
In a bedbug infested apartment, graduate student Ahu attempts to overcome insomnia and stay afloat as her life becomes increasingly entangled with her troubled neighbour. Through this relationship the women begin a process of self-discovery and healing. Open Captioned.
This touching documentary immerses us in the lives of mothers and daughters who are forced to flee their country of origin and pass through Mexico. We intimately explore their varying viewpoints and the ways they carry their fears, dreams and a future of hope.
The Politics of Toheroa Soup is Tiana Trego Hall’s personal story of her whānau and their traditional kai, the protected giant surf clam, toheroa. Once a plentiful food source for iwi across New Zealand, toheroa were gathered to near collapse after word of their deliciousness spread around the world. Open Captioned.
Shorts Program: Yellow
In this evocative animated piece, we meet a less than perfect porcelain doll who roams a post-apocalyptic world repairing other broken toys. One day she is forced to decide between giving up her closest friend and fixing herself. Open Captioned.
A civil defence siren during the Gulf War forces four women to shelter together for several hours. Adding to this already stressful situation, family tensions and grudges emerge, forcing everyone to confront the fears and anxiety that their daily routines had previously kept under the surface. Subtitled.
Set against the backdrop of destructive wildfires in British Columbia, Alice is forced to choose between staying at the family farm and risking her life, or following an evacuation order and leaving everything she has ever known. Subtitled.
In the French Jura mountains, at the end of the fictitious Middle Ages, Else is an herbalist and a midwife. Her daily practice with her young apprentice, Nicole, is met with a disturbance: a stranger rides in on a horse, demanding that all the women of the village gather in its small church. Subtitled.
Alone on an empty bridge, and dressed in last night’s party dress, Jules makes a series of rambling phone calls in a desperate attempt to keep the party going. As the messages go unanswered, she is forced to face her inner demons and reach out for help. Open Captioned.
Thinking back on her only phone call with her maternal grandmother, Danika explains her connection to her Indigenous identity (and her grandmother) through beadwork. Subtitled.
After receiving news that her grandmother has died, an Indigenous woman returns to her childhood home. Anxious to face relatives after a long absence, she tries to bring in her newly recovered Indigenous identities and practices to her Caucasian family. Open Captioned.
Program Blue
Thirteen-year-old Heidi is sent home from school for breaking the rules with a giant blue and black mohawk. Furious and upset, she gathers the support of her friend Dee and her father and prepares for battle.
Newfoundland, 1971. A neglected six-year-old girl struggles to cope with a chaotic home life. Her vivid imagination serves as a tool to protect her from the difficulty of her reality and leads her to uncover a secret from her mother’s past. Open Captioned.
Fifteen-year-old Vittoria skips school one day and secretly goes to the hospital to take the morning-after pill. As she manoeuvres the long and tedious hospital process, Vittoria struggles to keep a difficult secret. Subtitled.
After moving to a new town, a teenager must navigate peer pressure when her next-door neighbour convinces her to explore a nearby island in search of a legendary lake monster. However, she quickly learns that her new friends might be harbouring some secrets and ulterior motives of their own. Open Captioned.
As the tensions and frustrations of life in a community house start to close in on him, a young man with Down Syndrome realises he may have to cross a line to end a nightly disturbance. Subtitled.
In a visceral exploration of mental health, an overwhelmed bedside nurse is forced to navigate increasing waves of disconnect from her outside world. To survive, she must find a way to exit her increasingly turbulent mind and re-enter her body.
Dampened by office life during a wet Vancouver winter, a genderqueer Trinidadian woman, Marlinn, misses out on the chance to celebrate Carnival season back home. Until, one night, they discover that the power of masquerade is within them no matter where they are.
Intimacy Coordinating in Hollywood North
Megan Gilron and Phay Moores shared some of their experiences in Vancouver alongside the folks who hired them for their films. Featuring scenes from award winning Golden Delicious (dir. Jason Karman) and VIWFF’s world premiere of Stay (dir. King Louie Palomo), guests had a chance to witness intimacy scenes filmed locally, with a group discussion about the process and outcome of those scenes. Megan and Phay were joined by Golden Delicious’ producer Kristyn Stilling and Stay’s director/producer King Louie Palomo to highlight this discussion.
Advocacy Panel
VIWFF hosted a conversation with major government film and television funding agencies, organizations and advocates as we challenge ourselves—and the systems that support our film and television industry in Canada—to become more equitable.
Moderated by Dee Abdirahman (they/she), Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Specialist and Founder, Liberation Collective.
This event was available to watch online or in person at VIFF centre.
Cinematography Workshop
Cinematographers Suzanne Friesen and Kate Smith dove into their film projects and spoke about their individual trajectories, highlighting the creative opportunities and challenges of working as a cinematographer. Participants had the opportunity to ask industry and cinematography questions.
Table Reads: Tricksters and Writers
Tricksters and Writers is a screenwriting program hosted through GEMS for Indigenous Pa‡ki·s (women, two-spirit, Indigiqueer) screenwriters. Since kicking off our National Edition in the summer of 2022, program participants have been hard at work, crafting their stories for the screen. In this table-read event, two of the program’s writers shared excerpts of their works performed live by local Indigenous actors.
Screenplay Competition Panel
A conversation with the ten finalists of this year’s VIWFF Screenplay Competition.
Directing Panel
In partnership with WIDC, VIWFF hosted a conversation with Directors Jules Koostachin, Asia Youngman, and Omorose Osagie, bringing their expertise to VIWFF audiences. The panel offered an in-depth look at three filmmakers as they discussed their directorial choices and processes, in the documentary, animation, and narrative space.
Moderated by Sonia Medel.
Awards Ceremony
VIWFF presented a range of awards to our filmmakers, including Best Feature, Best Cinematography, Impact Awards, and Best of BC; to name a few.
Closing Night Feature: Stellar + Gala
VIWFF’s Closing Gala was held at Brass Fish Tavern following the closing feature screening ofStellar. We celebrated the last night of the 2023 festival with music, food, refreshments and an exciting announcement!
VIWFF Screenplay Competition
The VIWFF Screenplay Competition champions English-language feature screenplays written by women and gender diverse people. The festival offers screenwriters a forum for collaboration and networking.
Special thanks to the volunteer readers, jurors and VIWFF Screenplay Competition Coordinator, Joan Macbeth, and to the International Screenwriters Association – ISA – for their sponsorship.
Congratulations to the VIWFF 2023 Screenplay Competition Finalists:
Feature Screenplays:
Jane Hancock – Driving Dan Crazy (London, U.K.)
Valentina Sierra – Ruth (B.C., Canada)
Megan Smith-Harris – The Ghost of You (Ontario, Canada)
Ashley Sugimoto – Safe Places (B.C., Canada)
Rachelle Younie – Assistance in Dying (B.C., Canada)
TV Pilot Scripts:
Becca Blackmore – Republic of California (New York, USA)
Christine Bortolin – Mall Security (B.C., Canada)
Emma Bronwen Leck – Background Music (B.C., Canada)
Sam Macneil – This Is How I Disappear (B.C., Canada)
Lana Young & Rachael Worthington – Between Us – (New York, USA)
VIWFF 2023 Screenplay Competition Semifinalists
Feature Screenplays:
Kaaren Lee Brown – Stitches
Joan Beatrice Butler – Lies and Transformation (aka Transitions)
Karen D. Conley – Our Lady of Sorrows
Jody Ellis – Trophy
Sarah Gignac – The Apartment
Shira Levin – Invisible
Carissa Jean Mares – This Godly Sorrow
Giselle Miller – The Great Black North
Kristen Morrison – Stopmotion
Sandra O’Connell – Luna
Elena Sturk-Lussier – After the End
Jes Sugrue – Broken Glass
Jes Sugrue – Love With a Side of Water
Jes Sugrue – Slán
Barb Taylor – Queen Maeve
Helen Alexis Yonov – The Burden Of Light
Bernadett Belinda York – Wild Datura
TV Pilot Scripts:
Tanya Banerjee – Process
Kaaren Lee Brown – Millie’s Monster-y Mysteries
Chelsea Rae Mize Giegerich – I’d Rather Die
Jenny Goddard-Garcia – The Current
Shauna Johannesen – The Abbey
Janna King – Ro Says
Holly Lovejoy – In Eden
Toby Marks – Displacement
Alison Weaverdyck – No Rest for the Wicked
Sally Webster – Like No One Is Watching
VIWFF 2023 Screenplay Competition Quarterfinalists
Feature Screenplays:
Juliet Belmas – Prison Park
Michelle Blau – Written In Her Skin
Angel Christo – The R Word
Dana Cuellar – Strange Attractors
Nicole Donadio – The Final Lesson
Kevin Felix – The Frau Driver
Beverly Gandara – While I Wait
Lydia James & Eli Pasic – Vintage Love
Jessica Landry – Anomaly
Sam Macneil – The Summer Everything Went
Tisha Malone – Between the Flames
Jodi J. Morneau – 12 Hours
XiaoYe Mu – Operation Renewal
Amanda Nitsa Oz – Six Impossible Things
Natasha Paris – Pandora’s Voodoo
Pamela Price – Fetish
Selene Raffel – Before It Was Legal
Fiona Revill – Coast
Dominique Roy – Doesn’t Happen Here
Linda Scarlett – Monster Maker
Emily Schoen – Backroad
Alyssa Stevens – The Corruption
Rebecca Strom – Until the Night Turns
Rissa Thomas – Fanatic
Elodie Venece – Her Wild Within
Niko Williams – Star-Shine
Deniz Yildiz – Transition (aka In the Garden)
TV Pilot Scripts:
Diana Bond – The Widower
Leigh Douglas – Queer Jig
Jenn Fonteyn – De Brocas
Olga Humphrey – The Exception
Cathryn McGuire – CrookID: Moose Pasture
Jodi Jennifer Morneau – Just a Nurse
Betsy Nagler – Not Having It
Betsy Nagler – Priceless
Melissa Ragsly – The Former It Girl
Daria Salamon – The Prairie Bridesmaid
Marley Sterner – Wallflower
Jocelyn Tennant – St. Anne’s Home for Unwed Mothers
Alex Vance – Everything is Fine
Feature Film Awards
Best Feature
Las Abogadas: Attorneys on the Front Lines of the Migrant Crisis (Produced by Laura Seltzer-Duny)
Presented by IATSE 891
Best Direction
Gail Maurice (Rosie)
Honourable Mention: Jules Koostachin (Broken Angel)
Presented by DGC
Best Documentary
Laura Seltzer-Duny and Victoria Bruce (Las Abogadas: Attorneys on the Front Lines of the Migrant Crisis)
Best Screenplay
Gail Maurice (Rosie)
Sponsored by CFA Law
Best Editing
Andrea Munoz (Among Us Women)
Sponsored by Canadian Cinema Editors and Vancouver Post Alliance
Best Cinematography
Erin Joy Nash and Sanjana Sekhar (Expedition Reclamation)
Sponsored by SIM International
Best Performance
Melanie Bray (Rosie)
Sponsored by UBCP / ACTRA
Short Film Awards
Best Short
N’xaxaitkw (Asia Youngman)
Sponsored by MBS Equipment Canada
Best Direction
Asia Youngman for N’xaxaitkw
Sponsored by DGC BC
Best Editing
Sarah Hedar (N’xaxaitkw)
Sponsored by Cinelease Vancouver
Best Performance
Suwinya Kungsadan, Deedee Piamwiriyaku (Young People, Old People & Nothing in Between)
Presented by Lucas Talent
Costume Design (Special Mention)
Cassandra Phillips-Grande (N’xaxaitkw)
Matrix Best of BC Awards
Matrix Best of BC awards were awarded to four BC filmmakers across both feature and short films for their outstanding work.
Winners: N’xaxaitkw, Meet The Sky, Send The Rain, and Broken Angel.
Sponsored by Matrix Production Services
Impact Award
Screenplay Competition
Best Feature
Valentina Sierra Weil (Ruth)
Sponsored by Birns & Sawyer
Best TV Pilot
Becca Blackmore (Republic of California)
Sponsored by LintBucket Media
Liesl Lafferty
Liesl Lafferty (she/her) is a scriptwriter, story editor, facilitator, and Jessie award-winning director, focusing on creating new works. Recently, she wrote and directed a short film addressing the climate crisis, Does Anybody Hear?, which is due for release on the festival circuit in May 2023. She is the Head of the Firecracker Writing Department, where she runs Scriptwriting Workshops, Script Readings, and Industry-related Book Clubs.
With colleague Olesia Shewchuck, Liesl runs a writer’s accountability room called Write on the Clock. Liesl has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia. There, she created a limited series podcast, interviewing artists from around the world about how to make a living in the arts! www.liesllafferty.com
Alisa Luke
Alisa is a writer and producer who loves the opportunity to be involved in socially and culturally relevant narratives that effect change. Through her work in post-production, she’s delivered more than 90 titles including features, MOWs, shorts and animated programs to networks, distributors, festivals and streaming services. She’s also a Post Mentor with Crazy 8s.
When she isn’t working in film, tv and animation or busy with one of her many writing projects, Alisa runs a grassroots community social club for BIPOC roller skaters. You can catch the short film she produced, Tryst, currently streaming on CBC Gem.
Rosie Choo Pidcock
Rosie is a biracial Chinese Canadian actor and filmmaker living on the Unceded Territories of the Coast Salish Peoples (Vancouver, Canada). Her work explores grief, feminine solidarity and the nuances of holding multiple identities. She received the Voices With Impact grant on immigration and mental health for her short film ‘Esther & Sai’ which is currently streaming on Air Canada’s in-flight entertainment and being adapted into a TV series with the support of the Canada Media Fund.
Rosie is an alumni of the VIFF Catalyst Mentorship Program, BIPOC TV & Film’s inaugural delegation to TIFF 2022 and has been accepted to Reelworld’s E20 Screenwriters Program. She is currently developing her next short film (a dark comedy about the hypercapitalism of the funeral industry) with the support of the National Film Board, BC Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts. A passionate mental health advocate, Rosie also volunteers with Art With Impact as an Advisory Board member. She is fluent in Mandarin and loves thrift stores, libraries and swimming in the ocean.
Sabrina Roc
Sabrina Roc (she/her/they) is a Haitian-Canadian entrepreneur and producer. With a passion for socially relevant and diverse storytelling, Sabrina founded Wojack Productions Inc. in 2017. Her creativity, vision, and innovative storytelling aim to transform human consciousness and drive positive social impact. She is currently working on several exciting projects, including the romantic comedy Hood Island, the BSO/Bell Crave anthology series, Scarberia and Mighty Oprah. Sabrina was even recently elected to be part of the BC Producer’s Branch Council (CMPA)*.
Shasha McArthur
Ą́ba wašte, my name is Shasha McArthur. I’m a Nakota and Nehiyaw filmmaker based here in Vancouver, BC on the unceded territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, Tsleil-Waututh, and Musqueam people. I joined the film industry to contribute to changing the under-representation and often misrepresentation of Indigenous crew, talent and creatives within the film industry. Sharing Indigenous narratives and traditional stories whether they’re fiction, or nonfiction often requires protocols and respect for the nation from which the story came. A respectful and mindful preservation of tradition is what I want to achieve with each project I undertake. I would like to say Thank You to the amazing Indigenous creatives that came before me, their tenacity and passion is what has created the path we all walk today.
