The world premiere of Sundance award-winning Vancouver filmmaker Jennifer Abbott’s new feature doc The Magnitude of All Things tops a powerful lineup of National Film Board of Canada (“NFB”) produced and co-produced documentary and animation at the Vancouver International Film Festival (“VIFF”), taking place September 24 to October 7, 2020.
NFB Films Showing at VIFF
Magnitude of all Things: Mukutsawa Montahuano, Youth Activist of the Sápara Nation in the Amazon rainforests of Ecuador, where oil and mining exploration threaten her home.
The Magnitude of All Things draws intimate parallels between the experiences of grief—both personal and planetary. Stories from the frontlines of climate change in Northern Canada, Australia, Ecuador, Sweden and England merge with recollections from the filmmaker’s childhood on Ontario’s Georgian Bay. What do these stories have in common? The answer, surprisingly, is everything.
Two NFB feature docs by acclaimed creators are also making their BC debuts:
John Ware Reclaimed by Cheryl Foggo, a Calgary-born filmmaker, author and playwright whose work often focuses on the Black Canadian experience.
John Ware Reclaimed follows Foggo on her quest to re-examine the mythology surrounding John Ware, the Black cowboy who settled in Alberta before the turn of the 20th century. Her research uncovers who this iconic figure might have been, and what his legacy means in terms of anti-Black racism, both past and present.
Inconvenient Indian by Michelle Latimer, a filmmaker, producer, writer and activist of Algonquin, Métis and French heritage.
In this time of radical change and essential re-examination, Inconvenient Indian brings to life Thomas King’s bestselling book, dismantling North America’s colonial narrative and reframing history.
The festival is presenting two NFB animated shorts:
The Great Malaise by Quebec animator and illustrator Catherine Lepage.
A young woman describes herself and her life in glowing terms, but the visual narrative tells a different story: with heart-rending power it illustrates the heavy burden of anxiety carried by this worried overachiever. In VIFF’s Short Forum Programme 3.
The Fake Calendar by Meky Ottawa, from the Atikamekw Nation in Quebec, produced through the Hothouse program.
A neon glimpse at how people come up with interesting and creative ways to avoid social functions, in favour of their own private space. In VIFF’s Short Forum Programme 4.
For its 12th edition, the NFB’s Hothouse program for emerging animators teamed up with imagineNATIVE and associate producers Amanda Strong and Amanda Roy to help address underrepresentation of Indigenous creators in film animation.
The Fake Calendar
The full VIFF program and film schedule is now available online.
On September 30th, the Big Sisters Luminary Award Soiree will celebrate the power of mentorship and honour six amazing women who have been long time supporters of Big Sisters and champions of youth in our community. This event will be a curated virtual evening in support of Big Sisters, with some fun – and tasty – gala option add-ons to enjoy at home.
Big Sisters Luminary Award Soiree 2020
Where: Online (a link will be sent to ticket-holders) When: September 30, 2020 at 6:30pm Tickets: $200 virtual attendance, add-on a virtual gala package ($350+) where you can get the gala delivered to your door. Packages give you virtual access to the live event, entertainment, online auction, Mediterranean tapas and sweet treats from The Lazy Gourmet, perfectly paired wine from Mission Hill and more. Deadline to order is September 18th.
Just as the organization has been impacted by the global pandemic, the Little Sisters they support are experiencing extreme challenges in our community. They face increased stresses linked to isolation, decreased access to education and the long-term emotional, mental and economic effects of this changing time, they need the support of Big Sisters more than ever.
With over 50% of the Big Sisters operating budget usually garnered in this one night, they invite you to be an integral piece of the puzzle that keeps over 850 at-risk youth in our community paired with a caring adult mentor. Together we can ignite their potential today, and for years to come.
Luminary Award Honourees
Join the event to celebrate six incredible women: The Honourable Janet Austin, Joanne Brown, Kay Gray, Linda Parsons, Patricia Shields and Susan Mendelson.
Western Canada’s largest free literary festival, Word Vancouver, returns for its 26th year from September 19 to 27, 2020 presenting 140 authors and over 50 events featuring a mix of virtual hands-on workshops, panel discussions and readings.
Word Vancouver Literary Festival
When: September 19 to 27, 2020 Where: Online here Cost: Free! View the full schedule online and be sure to RSVP as soon as possible as limited in-person events will fill up quickly.
The Festival will bring authors and readers together to share stories, fictional accounts, poems, tall-tales, picture books and points-of-view. Organizers hope that by providing this extensive, free online programming that they can offer connection and inspire creativity for everyone in the community.
The programming is curated by Bonnie Nish, Executive Director, of Word Vancouver along with two guest curators; Betsy Warland (LGBTQ2S+ programs) and Russell Wallace (Indigenous programs). Topics include the immigrant experience, Indigenous voices, grief and loss, LGBTQ2S+ perspectives, writing, illustrating, publishing and much more.
From graphic novels to history, the nature of poetry to journalism and time travel. The lineup this year is amazing! Follow along on Facebook for more info.
Word Vancouver is collaborating with many community organizations including: Word On the Street Toronto, The Italian Cultural Centre, The Vancouver Public Library, SFU / The Writers Studio, Chinese Canadian Writers’ Association, Association of Italian-Canadian Writers, Joy Kogawa House, Crime Writers of Canada and The Story Telling with Drag Queens Foundation.
Aurore Plavis is a local self-starter, with a lot of passion for eco-friendly and affordable clothing, that launched her small business Recreative Apparelin March of this year. I had the chance to chat with her about jumping in as an entrepreneur for the first time and what the inspiration was for launching her innovative product.
Eco-Friendly Active Wear from Recreative Apparel
Aurore Plavis, Founder of Recreative Apparel. Photo by Jennilee Marigomen.
Aurore wants to show the big brands of world that if a one-woman business can include sustainable practices at every step of the garment production process; from design, sourcing, manufacturing, and even afterlife; surely they should do too.
With a passion for fashion and the environment, she wanted to reconcile both by manufacturing a product with little cost to the earth and its people.
“Growing up, I couldn’t understand why global brands couldn’t do better. And why did it have to take the 2013 Dhaka garment factory collapse for consumers to understand that a $10 organic cotton top comes at a price for someone somewhere down the supply chain? And why are global brands not held accountable for their whole supply chain in the first place?”
While researching a business idea, she knew she wanted to raise awareness about plastic pollution, more specifically disposable plastic.
“I discovered a fabric made of a recycled polyester (rPET)/spandex blend that has a high ratio of recycled fibres made from post-consumer water bottles. Using recycled materials doesn’t just help save our oceans and land – it also does away with the need for raw materials that are involved in the production of traditional nylon (like crude oil). rPET uses less water and energy and emits less greenhouse gas than for virgin polyester. The rPET I use is Oeko-Tex certified (safe for people) and dyed with non-toxic dispersed dye. This fabric is perfect for activewear – it’s durable, breathable, moisture-wicking, anti-bacterial, UV-protective, and pill-resistant. So it was a no brainer!”
Aurore offers consumers an ethical and eco-friendly alternative to the big athleisure brands by making clothing for the active lady who cares for the earth and its people. Her target customer has her own sense of style and makes a statement by refusing to follow the ‘trends’. “She doesn’t care for fast-fashion and instead looks for investment pieces – timeless quality garments that she will cherish for a long time to come. She is a conscious consumer who support brands that she truly believes in.”
Recreative‘s mission is to offer a better alternative to the traditional linear business model (make, use, dispose).
“I want Recreative to become a fully circular business (make, use, return or recycle). This is what inspired our brand name, Recreative meaning “creating anew again and again”. This is what keeps me going!”
This is the first round of production, featuring foundation pieces and bright vibrant colours that can stand out in a crowd and radiate beauty from the inside out. There are plans to expand the line in the future, with sales from the first round supporting the next.
Giveaway
I have a Recreative Appareltote and t-shirt to give away! I asked Aurore what some of her basic, everyday sustainability tips are and she gave me some examples:
Carry a reusable bag wherever you go and let the cashier know you have one
When ordering a cocktail remind the server that you don’t need a straw
Carry a reusable water bottle wherever you go
Most importantly, support local businesses. This not only reduces your carbon footprint but it also keeps wealth and jobs flowing within your community
To enter to win, share your everyday eco-friendly tips below in the comments to enter to win, or RT the following on Twitter for a bonus entry:
[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win a prize pack from local eco-friendly activewear brand @recreativeaprl http://ow.ly/4Pdv50Bk6aR” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Monday, September 14, 2020. UPDATE The winner is: Helena!
The #CHVCatchUp is a monthly series featuring the latest updates and news from Covenant House Vancouver team. Miss604 is proud to be the Official Blog Partner of CHV.
How Social Workers Support Youth at Covenant House Vancouver
The Integrated Case Management Team (“ICMT”) at Covenant House Vancouver is made up of registered Social Workers who provide youth-focused, coordinated, and all-encompassing services to young people experiencing homelessness. One of the Social Workers, Sunnie, shared this story as an example of how the team was able to support a young person named Matthew:
