MOVIES
As we’re all sticking close to home, Vancouver film festivals and series come to the rescue with streaming offerings for April.
As we face both the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel and the darkness of escalating case counts, we’ve been encouraged to stay close to home (once again). That means we’ll be resorting even more to online offerings, and several screen organizations have plenty to offer in that department. Here’s a quick rundown of some options of what to watch in April—as well as a call for submissions from filmmakers.
2021 OSCAR-NOMINATED SHORT FILMS
April 2 to 29, streaming at
VIFF Connect at viff.org
For those in Oscar pools or the simply interested, the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) is streaming this year’s Academy Award–nominated short films in three programs—documentary, animation, and live action—so viewers can make their bets on who will nab the top spot.
ÉRIC ROHMER’S TALES OF THE FOUR SEASONS
April 9 to May 6, streaming at thecinematheque.ca
Four French seasonal comedies from the celebrated French New Wave auteur make up this tetralogy streaming at the Cinematheque. From A Tale of Springtime to A Tale of Autumn, this collection of films follows colourful characters facing dilemmas in matters of the heart that demand difficult decisions to be made—or let indecision render everything undone.
CAPTURE PHOTOGRAPHY FILM FESTIVAL
April 9 to May 6, streaming at VIFF Connect at viff.org
Three visually stunning documentaries by Jennifer Baichwal and Edward Burtynsky—Manufactured Landscapes (2006), Watermark (2013), and Anthropocene: The Human Epoch (2018)—harness the power of photography to present unexpected new ways of observing how human activity is leaving a devastating imprint upon the world. This retrospective is part of the lens-based Capture Photography Festival in April.
REEL 2 REAL FILM FESTIVAL
April 14 to 23, streaming at r2rfestival.org The 23rd edition of this festival for youth has a lineup boasting 18 feature films and 45 shorts from more than 35 nations and can be viewed from across B.C. Among the titles are “Dark Cloud”, a look at cyberbullying from the perspective of Carol Todd, the mother of local cyberbullying victim Amanda Todd; Veins of the World, about a 11-year-old Mongolian boy who has to take over responsibilities for his family after his father dies; and My Name is Baghdad, about a 17-year-old girl who escapes from gender pressures through skateboarding. In addition, there are school programs with study guides addressing social-justice, Indigenous, and historical issues.
NATIONAL CANADIAN FILM DAY
April 22 to May 4, streaming at thecinematheque.ca
The Cinematheque will offer free Canadian films to watch for this nationwide spotlight on our domestic screen industries. The program lineup is yet to be finalized, so stay tuned to find out which titles will be available for this cinematic celebration.
VANCOUVER ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL’S RICHARD WONG FILM FUND
This one isn’t one for viewers to watch— quite yet. Rather, it’s one for filmmakers to take note of. This month, the Vancouver Asian Film Festival (VAFF) launched the new Richard Wong Film Fund to provide up to $12,500 to Asian Canadian filmmakers and TV producers for projects that boost the profile of Asian people in Canada. The winning films will be screened at the 25th annual VAFF in November. Submissions are due by May 1, and full details are online at the VAFF website. During this period of heightened anti-Asian attacks and discrimination, represent-Asian has never been more important.