WIFT Vancouver (WIFTV) has announced the lineup for the 2023 Vancouver International Women in Film Festival (VIWFF). The five day celebration will feature in-person screenings, receptions, filmmaker panels, and more.
The festival features 37 films from 14 countries, made up of 19 Canadian films — with 9 from local BC filmmakers. VIWFF 2023 is also proud to present an International Women’s Day Advocacy Panel on March 8th, featuring major players in diversity and inclusion efforts.
Vancouver International Women in Film Festival
When: March 7 to March 11, 2023
Opening Night Reception Tuesday, March 7th
Closing Night Feature Screening & Gala Saturday, March 11th
Where: VIFF Centre – Vancity Theatre & Studio Theatre (1181 Seymour St, Vancouver)
Tickets: Passes and individual tickets are available now. $5-$15 for single tickets and $40-$160 for passes. Discounted Tickets are available for those experiencing financial barriers starting at $5. This is a 19+ event.
This year’s festival features filmmakers from around the globe including the opening night dramatic feature Broken Angel from award-winning writer/director Jules Koostachin, who also has the short film MisTik in the festival.
The program includes the Western Canadian premiere of Some Women; a documentary about self love, by filmmaker Quen Wong who is Singapore’s first trans woman to direct a documentary feature and there are four Canadian premieres, and films Everybody Wants to Be Loved, Among Us Women, Las Abogadas: Attorneys on the Front Lines of the Migrant Crisis, and Expedition Reclamation. There will also be an exceptional shorts program and this year’s closing night film is Stellar from director Darlene Naponse starring Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers (Night Raiders, The Body Remembers When The World Broke Open).
This year’s VIWFF features the World Premieres of feature films Everybody Wants To Be Loved and Expedition Reclamation and short film Young People, Old People & Nothing in Between. There will be multiple Canadian Premieres at the festival including feature films Las Abogadas, Among Us Women and short films: Stay, Headspace, Three, My Eyes Are Up Here, Tell You About: the Birds and the Bees, Saggitarius Rising, The Midwife,The Sky is Very Pretty and For Heidi. BC Premieres include the feature film Some Women and short filmsGlass Doll, Fifty-Four Days and Send the Rain.
The Surrey Khalsa Day Vaisakhi Parade will return Saturday, April 22nd following three years of cancellations due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The annual event usually draws hundreds of thousands of spectators and participants, making it the largest Vaisakhi parade outside of India.
Surrey Khalsa Day Vaisakhi Parade 2023
Photo courtesy of the Surrey Khalsa Day Vaisakhi Parade
Event organizers Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar expect the triumphant return of the parade will draw half a million guests from around the world to gather along the route.
The parade itself features a colourful and entertaining procession of over 2,500 participants representing 20 community organizations. Hundreds of booths along the route, sponsored by local businesses and families give away free food and treats throughout the celebration.
“After having to cancel the parade and the other weekend celebrations for the past three years, we know that the community locally in BC as well as guests who travel from as far away as across the US, Europe and Australia will be thrilled to hear that the 2023 Surrey Khalsa Day Vaisakhi Parade is definitely back on,” says Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar President Gurdeep Singh Samra. “We are expecting significant crowds to gather to celebrate this important event in the Sikh calendar, and we look forward to welcoming people of all ages and ethnicities to celebrate along with us at this free, family-friendly event.”
Parade Route
The parade will begin at approximately 9:30am at Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar Temple, located at 12885-85 Avenue, and will conclude there at approximately 4:00pm.
A variety of floats, community groups, live music and dancers and performers will travel along 124th Street, turn left onto 75th Avenue, continue on 76th Avenue, onto 128th Street, then back to the Temple.
The Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar, along with a number of supporting agencies including Fraser Health, the Surrey RCMP, the City of Surrey (including City of Surrey Bylaws office) remind businesses and individuals participating in the parade-route kiosks and stands to observe safe practices, making this free, family-friendly celebration safe and fun for all.
Visit the event’s website for day-of event information, parking, and more.
The Sea to Sky Gondola’s events calendar is warming up with a lineup of special events for St. Patrick’s Day, select weekend deals, and family fun during Spring Break.
Beginning with an exhilarating ride up the gondola (850m above sea level) to the summit, guests can partake in a number of seasonal activities. Whether it’s tubing, snowshoeing, nordic skiing or hiking/walking on the many available trails, there’s no shortage of things to see and do with Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish this spring.
Spring Break at the Sea to Sky Gondola
Sea to Sky Gondola Photo Paul Bride
Spring Break Offer – Kids Ride Free Midweek
From March 13-30, 2023 Kids Ride Free Midweek(Monday to Thursday). Receive one free child (12 and under) ticket with the online purchase of an adult or senior day ticket.
A visit to the cozy lodge for locally inspired food, an array of craft beer, ciders, and Sea to Sky Gondola signature drinks, is the best way to cap off the day. This season’s new Bear Cub Hot Chocolate (as featured in the Squamish Hot Chocolate Festival) is sure to be a hit with kids and adults alike.
Spring Weekend Events
The fun continues at Sea to Sky Gondola with a line-up of weekend events/activities, including:
Fun Fridays – where tubing is free (weather dependent)
Sunday Socials – offering free music, games, and activities at the Lodge
Sunday Brunch – where kids eat free with the purchase of an adult brunch ticket at the first seating.
St. Patrick’s Day – Brews with Views
Brews with Views will feature live music from Celtic band, the Whiskeydicks at the summit on March 17th from 2:30pm to 5:30pm, visitors can enjoy a round-up of popular local craft beer and ciders, along with culinary Irish-inspired favourites, such as: Bison Shepherd’s Pie, Beef and Guinness Stew, and Ale Cake with Brown Butter Apple Sauce, to name a few. Pre-registration is required.
Adding to the experience is the Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge and multiple viewing platforms, where guests can take in the stunning springtime scenery – offering new blooms/greenery peeking through the snow, endless vistas of glacier-capped mountains, along with the cool blue/green waters of the Átl’ḵa7tsem/Howe Sound UNESCO Biosphere Region.
Monster Jam returns to Vancouver for an adrenaline-charged weekend at the Pacific Coliseum March 17-19, 2023, unleashing the all-new 2023 debut truck ThundeROARus™.
The new ThundeROARus – Feld Motor Sports Photo
Monster Jam drivers are trained, world-class male and female athletes who have mastered not only the physical strength and mental stamina needed to compete, but the vital dexterity to control 12,000-pound machines capable of doing backflips, vertical two-wheel skills and racing at speeds up to 70 miles-per-hour to produce jaw-dropping, live motorsports action seen around the world.
The excitement begins at the Monster JamPit Party fan experience events on both Saturday and Sunday. Fans can see the massive trucks up close, meet their favourite drivers and crews, get autographs, take pictures and enjoy other family-friendly activities. This fun-filled experience is the only place that allows people to get up close access to the Monster Jam teams and get an insider’s look at how these trucks are built to stand up to the competition.
Local motorsports fans will be on the edge of their seats as world-class drivers show off crazy skills and all-out racing in fierce head-to-head battles for the Event Championship. Engineered to perfection, the 12,000-pound Monster Jam trucks push all limits in Freestyle, Skills and Racing competitions.
The Vancouver event features 8 skilled athletes battling for the championship while tearing up the dirt in intense competitions of speed and skill. Keeper-of-the-beast Colt Stephens roars into the race for the championship in ThunderROARus, an apex predator making its debut in 2023. Tyler Menninga gets behind the wheel of the black and green wrecking machine, the legendary Grave Digger® and Canadian Cynthia Gauthier in Lucas Stabilizer, look to lock in the championship.
Enter to Win
I have a family 4-pack of tickets to give away to the event on Friday, March 17th at 7:00pm. Here’s how you can enter to win:
