We’re at the halfway point of this year’s Vancouver International Film Festival, which will present over 500 screenings of 341 films from more than 75 countries, making it one of the largest and best attended film festivals on the continent. Many films have been enjoyed so far including the sold-out premiere of Leap 4 Your Life at the Rio Theatre, which I sponsored and which also won the Must See BC title.

The Face of Love at VIFF. Director: Arie Posin.
Cast: Annette Bening, Ed Harris, Robin Williams, Amy Brenneman, Jess Weixler.

The Face of Love will close out VIFF with two screenings on Friday, October 11, 2013.

Annette Bening has always brought an emotional toughness to her best roles, so it’s remarkable in The Face of Love to watch her play a woman on the verge of breaking. Working opposite the always-reliable Ed Harris, she is as precise as ever, but her performance here also reveals a surprising vulnerability. This is a film that demands to be seen by all who count themselves fans.

Five years after the death of her beloved husband Garrett (Ed Harris), Nikki (Bening) meets a man who seems his exact duplicate. Not only does this stranger possess the same deeply lined face and startling blue eyes, he also shares Garrett’s kindness, humour, and passion for art. And yet he is a stranger.

Romance blossoms… but she can’t bring herself to tell him the truth about what drew her to him. So she hides her photos and prevents him from meeting friends and family. Still, she can’t resist taking him to all the old haunts. It isn’t a question of if the truth will come out, but when.

The first screening of The Face of Love will be at 7:30pm at the Vancouver Playhouse (the closing gala) and the second will be at 9:15pm at The Centre for Performing Arts.

As official sponsors of the Vancouver International Film Festival, Acura Canada is helping to keep things on track and on time with their stylish vehicles.

To wrap up VIFF this year they are offering up two tickets to the closing gala film and party to one lucky Miss604 reader. Here’s how you can enter to win:

• Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
• Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Tuesday, October 8, 2013.

Update The winner is Issy!

Throughout the month of October, Coquitlam Centre is accepting gently-used women’s coats and jacket, in partnership with Dress for Success Vancouver.

“We‟re really excited to be working with Dress for Success again this year,” says Deborah Stetz, Marketing Director, Coquitlam Centre. The partnership coincides with Coquitlam Centre’s “Rock that Coat” theme this fall, with the shopping centre’s mission being to help every woman find the perfect coat.

Items can be dropped off at the shopping centre’s guest services centre until the end of the month. As an added incentive, Coquitlam Centre will give donors the opportunity to enter a draw to win a $250 gift card for each coat they donate.

Coquitlam Centre will also be doing a weekly coat giveaway through their social media channels, tracking the tag #RockThatCoat on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Dress for Success is an international not-for-profit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Since starting operations in 1997, Dress for Success® has expanded to more than 120 cities in 13 countries. To date, Dress for Success® has helped more than 650,000 women work towards self-sufficiency.

To learn more about Dress For Success, you can check out their inaugural luncheon series on Wednesday, October 30, 2013. Panelists include Laurie Schultz, CEO, ACL Services; Kirsten Sutton, Managing Director, SAP; Kathy Butler, Managing Director & Co-Head, Vancouver Investment Banking, CIBC World Markets Inc.; and emcee Renu Bakshi, Media Personality. The event will feature a 3-course lunch and networking opportunities with proceeds supporting Dress for Success Vancouver. Tickets are available online.

The Vancouver Trolley Company and Vancouver Police Museum are joining forces to bring you spooky tales and infamous local ghost stories for the Haunted Vancouver Trolley Tour this season.

Photo courtesy of the Vancouver Trolley Company

As the night falls and shadows begin to appear, you will be whisked away by trolley where you will see streets and homes, which seem normal, but if you look and listen close enough you will hear echoes of murders and other devastating events. Your host will tell the gruesome tales of troubled spirits, how they met their end, and where they now occupy their time. You will drive through eerie locations such as Stanley Park and the winding roads of Shaughnessy and stop to visit Mountain View Cemetery and the autopsy room of the Vancouver Police Museum where over 15,000 autopsies have been performed.

Tours will depart daily from Canada Place from October 18th to October 31st at 6:30pm, 7:30pm and 8:30pm with 9:30pm (except Mondays and Sundays) and they last 2.5 hours.

Tickets are now available for $40 by calling (604) 801-5515 to make your reservation. Full prepayment is required to guarantee your preferred date and time. These always sell out so be sure to book well in advance. Group bookings can also be made to reserve a whole trolley for your office, friends, or family (up to 33 people).

I’m happy to have a pair of tickets to give away for the Haunted Halloween Trolley tour again this year. Here’s how you can enter to win:

• Leave a comment listing your favourite/scariest Halloween costume (1 entry)
• Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)

I will draw one winner next Wednesday, October 9, 2013 at 12:00pm. Due to the nature of the tales told, this experience is recommended for those 13 years old and above. The winner will be able to choose their preferred tour date/time (based on availability). Follow the Vancouver Trolley Company on Facebook and Twitter to learn more about their scenic tours and tour packages.

Update The winner is Leslie!

The 9th annual Taste of Yaletown will take place October 16th to October 27th with 30 participating restaurants offering up set-price lunch and dinner meals for $25, $35, and $45.

Taste of Yaletown showcases neighbourhood eateries each year, offering a diverse range of dining options and creative dishes from local chefs. Aside from the specialty menus and convenient pricing, a portion of profits support the Greater Vancouver Food Bank.

Taste of Yaletown 2013 Restaurants

I am proud to return as a media partner for Taste of Yaletown, which includes promoting some of the changes this year. The biggest one is that menus will not be limited by number of courses and can include beverages pairings inside of the set prices as well. Lunch will also be an option and a new, free trolley service to Yaletown will be available for the public.

Reservations are recommended during the Taste of Yaletown. For more information, including free trolley locations and schedules, follow the Yaletown Business Improvement Association on Facebook and Twitter.

Since 2005, Taste of Yaletown has become known as one of the top dining events in the Vancouver calendar, drawing crowds from all corners of the city to experience the best in dining and drink at an affordable price. A portion of profits from each meal served during Taste of Yaletown is donated to The Greater Vancouver Food Bank.

We are the type of people who will walk by an eatery or attraction and say, “We have to check that out sometime” and it then takes us years to get around to it. It’s a particularly terrible trait when the place we’ve been meaning to check out is only a 10 minute walk from our front door, on the edge of one of our favourite places in the world. After living in the West End for almost a decade, John and I finally walked over to The Fish House in Stanley Park and within a few minutes began kicking ourselves, thinking “Why haven’t we done this sooner?!”.

You’ll find The Fish House in Stanley Park in the middle of the triangle that is formed by Park Lane, Lagoon Drive, and Beach Avenue. It’s just a short walk from the Seawall at English Bay, where sandy beaches climb up to grassy slopes which lead to the Ted and Mary Greig Rhododendron Garden and groves of trees like the nesting site of the Great Blue Heron.

Surrounded by greenery, the dining room is warm and inviting with big windows, candlelight, and buttery aromas. Friendly staff offered to take our coats at the door and we were shown to our table where we met our (awesome) server Julie. While the Shrimp Festival is currently underway, we ordered from the regular menu since this was our first Fish House experience. The pages of the 100% Ocean Wise menu teased us with offerings like oysters, halibut ceviche, smoked black cod flatbread, and chowder — and those were just some of the appetizers.

We decided on oysters and Executive Chef Curtis Demyon also sent over a scallop dish to get us started. It set a great pace for the evening which was one of delicate flavours, diverse textures, and what I remember most — steamy, soft and sweet aromas.

While I was seriously tempted by the Salmon Wellington and the halibut dishes, Julie also recommended the Arctic Char so I went with that. What won over my decision was the addition “manchego and cumin potato croquette, chipotle hollandaise” — I was very curious: Continue reading this post ⟩⟩