The Skoden Indigenous Film Festival is a two-day student-led film festival which features exclusively Indigenous filmmakers and creatives from across Canada, March 31-April 1, 2023.
Skoden Indigenous Film Festival
When: Friday, March 31 & Saturday, April 1, 2023
Where: Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema is located on the 3rd floor of Goldcorp Centre for the Arts (149 W Hastings St, Vancouver)
Founded on the principles of truth and reconciliation, Carr Sappier (Wolastoqew) and Grace Mathisen created SIFF in 2019. Skoden is an Indigenous slang term that stands for ‘Let’s go then!’. According to Sappier: “Skoden represents a sense of happiness, inclusion and a space where all filmmakers can feel like they are part of something that holds them up in respect.” Instructor Kathleen Mullen adds: “We are sharing experiences and knowledge through this course with humour, dialogue, and respect!”
With welcoming comments by Elder Xwechtaal Dennis Joseph, who is also witnessing the Festival, this year’s edition of SIFF is split into five programs: Activating the Landscape; It’s a Long Story, with feature Ever Deadly; The Deepest Part of my Heart; Who I Am, Who We Are; and Our Connections.
The audience will enjoy an eclectic selection from both new filmmakers such as Robbie Tait Jr. (A Rainbow to Turtle Island) and Laura Fontaine and Yasmine Fontaine, (Our Way) and well-established artists such as Tanya Tagaq, Chelsea McMullan (Ever Deadly), Amanda Strong (Spirit Bear: Fishing for Knowledge, Catching Dreams), and Ma-Nee Chacaby, Zoe Gordon, Shayne Ehman (Return to Ombabika).
Skoden Indigenous Film Festival is organized and led by a class of students from all over SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts and the Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology, and co-taught for the last three years by Carr Sappier and Kathleen Mullen.
BC Place has just announced their new $5 menu available at all stadium events, effective immediately. The pilot project was launched in an effort to make the stadium experience more accessible, providing classic fare at a low price. The menu features a list of marquee items including $5 beer, hot dogs, nachos, and popcorn, with the potential for rotating items throughout the year.
BC Place $5 Menu at All Events
The $5 Menu was developed in collaboration with BC Place’s food and beverage partner, Sodexo Live! and is available at Dawson’s Hot Dogs stands at sections 201 and 227.
“We know that for some, buying tickets to a game or a concert can be a big financial commitment, and we want to ensure that everyone has the ability to enjoy a meal at our stadium,” said Chris May, General Manager at BC Place. “We want fans to know they have options – whether it’s a Slow Roasted Prime Rib sandwich or a beer and hotdog for $10. The $5 Menu helps ensure there is something for everyone.”
The announcement follows the recent launch of BC Place’s new 2023 menu features, including premium items such as the Footlong Lobster Roll and Porky Pine Sandwich on a house-made pineapple bun. BC Place’s new menu items, from their $5 Menu and beyond, can be enjoyed at the upcoming Red Hot Chili Peppers concert on March 29th, and all major events following.
April is here and that means so are the cherry blossoms, the tulips, some favourite festivals, and many more events! This month Miss604 is a sponsor of the Portobello West Spring Market (April 22 & 23). Find this event and many more things to do around Metro Vancouver listed below.
April Events in Vancouver 2023 Monthly Calendar of Things to Do
On Saturday, April 29, Canadians can support community, culture and diversity by shopping local and engaging in a variety of celebrations during Canadian Independent Bookstore Day (“CIBD”). This cross-country, annual event highlights the importance of independent bookstores in Canadian culture and encourages readers to show support by visiting their local store online or in person.
Canadian Independent Bookstore Day in Vancouver
Many independent bookstores will launch their own creative ideas, ranging from maps of local indies in the neighbourhood, to events and readings, scavenger hunts, contests and displays. Here are some ways you can participate in Canadian Independent Bookstore Day:
Buy books Purchase books and other items in-person, online, or by phone to show your support and to enter the annual Contest for Book Lovers. This contest gives readers the opportunity to win one of three gift cards worth $250, $500, and $1,000 to an independent bookstore of the winner’s choosing. Each book purchased at a participating bookstore counts as one entry into the contest. Books by Canadian writers and illustrators are worth double.
Check out bookstore activities Local shops across Canada are planning celebratory activities for the big day including customer giveaways, discounts, exclusive products, author events, and more.
There are more than 275 bookstores and counting in Canada. Many stores have weathered the pandemic and across North America there has even been a 49% growth in the number of independent bookstores opening between 2009 and 2018. For many book buyers, the pandemic underscored the importance of community and culture.
The initiative has significant benefits for independent bookstores. 2022 sales during the week of CIBD increased by an average of 17% compared to the preceding week, and 175 bookstores across the country reported an increase in sales of 25% or more.
This, in turn, supports Canadian creators. Independent bookstores sell more books by Canadian contributors than their counterparts — sales by Canadian contributors made up 20% of independent bookstore sales, compared to 13% sold from other retailers.
Canadian Independent Bookstore Day grew from “Canadian Authors for Indies Day,” launched in 2015 by Janie Chang, who encouraged hundreds of authors to support independent bookstores on a particular day through readings, signings and other activities.
Follow CIBD on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to share our info about the campaign throughout the month of April.
Gateway Theatre presents the critically-acclaimed musical Hey Viola! on the Mainstage Theatre April 13 to 22, 2023. Featuring Canadian jazz and blues singer Krystle Dos Santos, this is a musical exploration of civil rights trailblazer, Viola Desmond.
Krystle Dos Santos and Steven Charles on bass, photo by David Cooper
Gateway Theatre Presents Hey Viola!
When: April 13, 2023 pay- what- you-will: April, 14-22, 2023
On April 21 you can get a ticket for just $10 when you bring and use a $10 Viola Desmond bill. This applies to a seat of any price at the 7:30pm performance. This incredible price is valid for only ONE DAY before HeyViola! closes on April 22 and goes on its next tour.
Vancouver songstress and actor Krystle Dos Santos, with the support of live musicians, brings the life of Viola Desmond to the stage using the dynamic and inspirational music that filled the home of this trailblazer of the civil rights movement. Hey Viola! takes the audience on an extraordinary journey through Viola’s life and the events that shaped her, from the 1917 Halifax explosion to the civil rights struggles of the 1950s. Featuring hot jazz, gospel, and traditional spirituals, this eye-opening new musical brings bold, new energy to the life and times of a remarkable woman.
Who is Viola Desmond, other than the newest face on the Canadian ten-dollar bill? She is best known for her courage in refusing to leave the whites-only section of Nova Scotia’s Roseland cinema in 1946, a decision that made history. What was the fire within this successful black Canadian businesswoman that gave her the courage and confidence to stand up to systemic racial injustices in Canada? Her story is told through music and song featuring brilliant hits of the era from Nina Simone, Sam Cooke, The Mills Brothers, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Richard M. Jones, and more—plus songs that influenced history including Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, A Change is Gonna Come, Sinnerman, and Mississippi Goddam.
This eye-opening musical was created by Tracey Power (Glory, Chelsea Hotel, and The Songs of Leonard Cohen), Co-creator and Director, and Krystle Dos Santos, an extraordinary actor, blues, jazz and soul singer and creator of “BLAK”, exploring Canada’s Black history.
