Media Report - VIWIFF 2018

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Terence Baldwin
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1 Media Report - VIWIFF 2018 About the Festival The Vancouver International Women in Film Festival (VIWIFF) brings together Vancouver audiences with local and international filmmakers to showcase the best in cinema created by women. The vision of the Vancouver Women in Film Festival is to: create opportunities for audiences to engage in the work of women filmmakers; create opportunities for women filmmakers to interact with their audiences; create opportunities for the local, national and international filmmaking community, including audiences, industry representatives and media, to focus critically on the accomplishments of women in the filmmaking industry; showcase and celebrate the diversity of women working in screen based media. The festival ran for 6 days screening 56 films from twelve countries, five Canadian Provinces, and one Canadian territory. The German feature Dark Blue Girl launched the festival on opening night and then swept the awards on the closing night, winning five of the twelve awards. On top of the feature and short films the VIWIFF program also included a Women in Film and Television International short film showcase, a VR presentation (Tidal Traces presented by the NFB), artist talks and panel discussions, receptions and galas, and a variety of professional development opportunities, including pitch sessions, branding and audience development workshops, genre workshops, and fireside chats with industry professionals. Marking the midway point of the festival, International Women s Day was a day of activism and advocacy celebrated with four film screenings and three-panel discussions. IWD at appeared on many media event lists geared towards people looking to celebrate the day. The 13th Vancouver International Women in Film Festival brought together a diverse crowd of film lovers and advocates alike to celebrate the artistic contributions and professional achievements of local and international women filmmakers. VIWIFF continues to provide a platform for challenging gender imbalance and the lack of diversity in the Canadian screenbased media industry through a combination of film screenings, discussions, and professional development opportunities. VIWIFF acknowledges the support of The Province of British Columbia, The British Columbia Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts Conseil des arts du Canada, The Department of Canadian Heritage, The City of Vancouver, Creative BC and Telefilm Canada.

2 Media Coverage Overview Before, during, and after the festival, VIWIFF 2018 was covered by 36 different media outlets and organizations including: 12 mainstream media outlets 24 community media outlets This resulted in 45 individual media articles with reference to the Vancouver International Women in Film Festival. We did not see any media attention or articles from international media outlets as we did last year. These figures do not reflect social media or electronic newsletter coverage from community partners. Canadian mainstream media coverage Georgia Straight The Province The Vancouver Sun The Tyee Radio Canada Radio Radio Canada Telejournal Community publications Playback YVR Screen Scene Beat Route Miss 604 Daily Hive Vancourier Wind Speaker The Record Tourism Vancouver Loose Lips Mag Hollywood North Vancouver Bios, Blurbs, & Books Vancouver Observer The Globe and Mail Vancouver Courier Canada.com CBC News Global TV am News 1130 CJSF Biz Books Roundhouse Radio HN Magazine The Source Consulate of France CiTR Radio CKNW Vancouver is Awesome Where.ca VanMag Film Coverage Biz Books released a series of seven interviews with a selection of the VIWIFF 2018 filmmakers including Mary Galloway, Laura Adkin, Ashley Alexander, Crystal Lowe, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Meeshelle Neal, Jax Smith, Wendy D, and Tisha Deb Pillai (Fig 1). All the filmmakers were asked a similar series of questions tailored to their practice and roles in the film.

3 Fig 1. Biz Books festival filmmaker blog posts Local filmmakers were also featured in an article on YVR Screen Scene (Fig 2). They chose eight local film to recommend and wrote, We re especially excited about VIWIFF s Vancouver contingent. Our local filmmakers are pushing boundaries with shorts and feature films that speak to the diversity of voices within the Vancouver screen scene. Here are eight must-see films from homegrown filmmakers Fig 2. YVR Screen Scene local filmmaker coverage

RIVER OF SILENCE River of Silence was one of three feature films that screened on International Women s Day 2018.

4 RIVER OF SILENCE River of Silence was one of three feature films that screened on International Women s Day River of Silence is set in current day Vancouver against the backdrop of the ongoing issue of missing and murdered Indigenous Women across Canada. Directed by Michael Auger and written by Petie Chalifoux, the story is based on Petie real life story of her grandmother going missing and later found murdered. The following story ran in both print and online editions of the Georgia Straight. They wrote, A plea for wider cross-cultural understanding is at the heart of River of Silence, as it is for several other Indigenous offerings at the Vancouver International Women in Film Festival, at the Vancity Theatre from Tuesday to next Sunday (March 6 to 11). Fig 3. River of Silence Featured in the Georgia Straight River of silence was also covered by The Windriver, Global News Radio, The Vancouver Sun, and The Vancouver Observer. PORCUPINE LAKE Porcupine Lake is a female-centric coming of age feature film, set in Ontario s cottage country, from Canadian director Ingrid Veninger. Veninger was interviewed for an exclusive article by Hollywood North Magazine. The article discussed the film from the willfully male perspective of the author. In contrast to the Hollywood North interview was Dorothy Woodend's review in The Tyee, see figure 4. The film was also featured in Inside Vancouver s highlights of the festival.

Ouellet, for an interview that appeared both in print and online in both The Province and The Vancouver Sun.

5 Fig 4. Headline from Tyee review of Porcupine Lake PRODIGALS Directed by: Michelle Ouellet, BC Post media spoke with Prodigals director, Michelle Ouellet, for an interview that appeared both in print and online in both The Province and The Vancouver Sun. The interview questions touched on the lack of diversity in the industry and asked if being part of the Vancouver International Women in Film Festival felt more relevant in the wake of the #metoo movement (Figure 5). Prodigals was also featured by YVR Screen Scene and Inside Vancouver s festival highlights.

6 Fig 5. Post media interview from Vancouver Sun & Vancouver Province TIDAL TRACES A special presentation of the NFB s 360 VR Dance Piece, Tidal Traces, from filmmaker Nancy Lee and choreographer was available for screening in the atrium throughout the festival. The articles about the VR piece and its presence at VIWIFF appeared in The Source, The Georgia Straight, Bios, Blurbs, & Books, Loose Lips Mag, YVR Screen Scene, and The Tyee. Dorothy Woodend of The Tyee wrote, The advent of VR in dance is a relatively new thing, but increasingly, artists of all stripes are exploring the possibilities inherent in the technology. The NFB s production Tidal Traces, featured recently in The Vancouver International Women in Film Festival, is a curious melding of medium and content. (Figure 6)

program at the festival, The Ride Home, is a story of a young girl, having made a painful and

7 Fig 6. NFB Tidal Traces in The Tyee THE RIDE HOME Having its world premiere during the High Stakes program at the festival, The Ride Home, is a story of a young girl, having made a painful and complicated decision to have an abortion, draws strength from strangers. It was featured in YVR Screen Scene and VanCourier. Fig 7. Vancouver coverage of women filmmakers at VIWIFF

VanCourier wrote, Like McDormand s speech and many films within VIWIFF (including Deepa Mehta s Anatomy of Violence, about the men who committed a horrific gang rape on a New Delhi bus in 2012),

8 VanCourier wrote, Like McDormand s speech and many films within VIWIFF (including Deepa Mehta s Anatomy of Violence, about the men who committed a horrific gang rape on a New Delhi bus in 2012), Adkin s desire to make The Ride Home is representative of this historic moment wherein women are raising their voices to demand change. (Figure 7) YVR Screen Scene wrote. Thus the genius and conceit of The Ride Home, which premieres on March 10 at the 2018 Vancouver International Women in Film Festival: it manages to tell an abortion story with no agenda other than telling that single story. And that in itself is groundbreaking Advocacy Coverage Reel Women Seen Global News Morning interviewed Gabrielle Rose. The tagline for the interview read, Well known Vancouver actress Gabrielle Rose discusses the opportunities and roles for women in film. Plus she talks about her latest film Reel Women Seen which explores the issue. Figure 8. Interview with Reel Women Seen s Gabriel Rose on Global TV

The interview follows a short clip of an O.R. scene where the female doctors are listing off statistics of women s roles both in front of and behind the camera.

9 The interview follows a short clip of an O.R. scene where the female doctors are listing off statistics of women s roles both in front of and behind the camera. Gabrielle discusses her personal experience as a woman in the film industry, and, with an emphasis on women telling stories, she discusses changes she hopes to see for the future of women in film. Owning the Space In Owning The Space, local filmmaker Laura Jaramillo interviews two women, emerging director Mayumi Yoshida and veteran director, chair of WIFTV s advocacy committee, and Associate Professor of Film Production at UBC, Sharon McGowan. Her documentary, Owning The Space, is screening at the Vancouver International Women's Film Festival on Tuesday night, March 8. "It seems contradictory that we are doing a specific female festival but, and I just want to take the metaphor of the title of my film Owning The Space, it's important to create those spaces first we don't have enough spaces for women directors," Jaramillo said. Owning The Space was also featured in Beat Route Magazine, Vancourier, and CBC Radio Early Edition.

10 List of Coverage 1. Beat Route: Vancouver International Women In Film Festival Celebrates The Path Towards Equality by Hogan Short on March 02, Bios, Blurbs, & Books: Joining the Dance by Roberta McDonald on March 6, Biz Books: 2018 VIWIFF Interview: Gigi Saul Guerrero on March 6, Biz Books: 2018 VIWIFF Interview: Crystal Lowe and Ashley Alexander on March 7, Biz Books: 2018 VIWIFF Interview: Meeshelle Neal and Jax Smith on March 7, Biz Books: 2018 VIWIFF Interview: Tisha Deb Pillai on March 7, Biz Books: 2018 VIWIFF Interview: Wendy D on March 7, Biz Books: 2018 VIWIFF Interview: Laura Adkin on March 7, Biz Books: 2018 VIWIFF Interview: Mary Galloway on March 7, Canada.com: Q&A: Vancouver director Michelle Ouellet talks women in film by Shawn Conner on February 26, CBC News: 'It's not a welcoming space': female-produced documentary highlights gender gap in industry by Clare Hennig on March 08, CBC Radio Early Edition: CiTR: Arts Report with Ashley Park and Jake Clark on March 7, Hollywood North: #VIWIFF Women, and the films they made by Nick Wangersky March 12, Hollywood North: Exclusive Ingrid Veninger brings Porcupine Lake to You by Darren Wiesner on March 6, Global News: Actress Gabrielle Rose discusses gender disparity in film on March 8, Global News Radio CKNW: River of Silence debuts at IWFF tonight on The Jon McComb Show on March 8, ICI Radio Canada Boulevard du Pacifique: Un premier court métrage pour une artiste Vancouvéroise on March 5, 2018.

11 19. ICI Radio Canada Boulevard du Pacifique: Vancouver International Women in Film Festival 20. ICI Radio Canada Le Tele Journal: Bulletins de nouvelle du vendredi 2 mars 2018 on March 2, Inside Vancouver: Vancouver, Russia, and Arctic Circle Filmmakers Featured at this year s Women in Film Festival by Shawn Conner on Feb 20, Loose Lips Mag: Experience VR Dance Piece Tidal Traces at VIWIFF on March 5, Miss604: Vancouver International Women in Film Festival by Rebecca Bollwitt on March 1, Rompost TV: VIWIFF Rompost TV news report March 18, The Daily Hive: 10 things to do in Vancouver: Sunday, March 11 by Daniel Chai on March 9, The Georgia Straight: Real pain of missing Indigenous women flows in River of Silence at the Vancouver International Women in Film Festival by Janet Smith on February 28th, The Georgia Straight: Vancouver Week in Widescreen: How did Port Moody get such an amazing film festival? March 7th 28. The Georgia Straight: Three picks from the Vancouver International Women In Film Festival by Lucy Lau & Tammy Kwan on March 5, The Georgia Straight: Vancouver VR creators examine the ethics of 360 video with Tidal Traces film by Kate Wilson on February 28, The Georgia Straight: 65 things to do in Metro Vancouver on Saturday, March 10 by Steve Newton on March 9th, The Globe and Mail: Fun and meaningful ways to celebrate International Women s Day across Canada by Lucas Aykroyd on March 7, The Province: Q&A: Vancouver director Michelle Ouellet talks women in film by Shawn Conner on February 26, The Source: When worlds collide virtually by Victor Van Der Mewe, Volume 18, Issue 16 - March 6 20, The Tyee: Why We Need Real People to Survive Our Virtual Future by Dorothy Woodend on March 22, 2018.

12 35. The Tyee: Summer Shines Through in Fraught Coming of Age Tale by By Dorothy Woodend on March 9, The Vancouver Observer: Women in films this week: spying, hosting, feeling guilty, living transgender and filling an entire festival by Volkmar Richter on March 2, The Vancouver Sun: Town Talk: Female film festival celebrates International Women's Day by Malcolm Perry on March 9, The Vancouver Sun: Q&A: Vancouver director Michelle Ouellet talks women in film by Shawn Conner on February 26, VanCourier: Women filmmakers fight their way out of the corners by Sabrina Furminger on March 6, Vancouver is Awesome: Women in Film take star turn at upcoming Vancouver festival by Lindsay William Ross on February 22, VanMag: 5 Ways to Celebrate International Women s Day in Vancouver by Alyssa Hirose on March 8, Wind Speaker: Film comes from a personal place after murder of grandmother by Andrea Smith on Wednesday, February 28th, YVR Screen Scene: The Ride Home is one woman s abortion journey on March 3, YVR Screen Scene: Virtual reality film Tidal Traces transports viewers into an ocean dance on March 7, YVR Screen Scene: 8 must-see local films at 2018 Women in Film Festival on March 5, 2018.

REEL CANADA Brings Beyond 150 Years: An Acknowledgement of Cinematic Territory to Vancouver from March 5 th to 7 th

REEL CANADA Brings Beyond 150 Years: An Acknowledgement of Cinematic Territory to Vancouver from March 5 th to 7 th The event celebrating Indigenous filmmakers across Canada is presented in advance of