Community News & Opportunities
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It is with great sadness we announce the passing of former Artistic Director Hal Wake, one of the great champions of Canadian literature, books, and ideas.
Hal spent over 40 years of his career surrounded by books and authors, loving nothing more than to delve into conversation and a good read. A radio producer and host for the CBC earlier in his career, he was also the Artistic Director at the Vancouver Writers Fest from 2006–2017.
From Hal’s family: ‘‘Hal died on January 7th. He loved words. He loved books. He loved writers. He enjoyed a good ball game. And above all, he loved his family.’’
‘‘Hal loved the company and conversation of writers. As the Artistic Director of the Vancouver Writers Fest, he was committed to sharing his passion for literature and insightful discussions with audiences - expanding festival and year-round programming and setting a high bar for thoughtfully curated events. I and my former VWF colleagues remember him fondly as quick-witted, curious, mischievous, occasionally cantankerous, but above all a loyal and caring friend. He will be greatly missed.’’ - - - Camilla Tibbs, former Executive Director
7th Annual MENA Film Festival!
January 15 – 23, 2026
Middle Eastern & North African Film Festival 2026 presents over 40 shorts and features from everywhere MENA/SWANA folks are found. Our expanded Opening Ceremony opens at the Vancouver Playhouse and regular screenings return to our longtime home at VIFF Centre!
Can’t join in-person? With a few exceptions, all in-person films will be streaming online until January 30 🎬 Full program and tickets info below. See you in 2026 Vancouver!
Website HERE!
Wednesday, January 21 at 7:30 pm
Revue Stage on Granville Island
1601 Johnston St, Vancouver
Regular tickets: $28 | Accessible Pricing: $18
Books & Ideas returns to Granville Island with headliner cultural icons: Paul Myers, Charlie Demers, and the enduring figure of John Candy.
Bestselling biographer Paul Myers tells the full story of the man behind the laughs in his latest book, John Candy: A Life in Comedy.
Join us to start the new year with laughter and literary inspiration, as Myers sits down with author and comedian Charlie Demers, whose latest book is The Eh Team: A Celebration of Canadianisms from Elbows Up to Poutine, a laugh-out-loud guide to what it means to be unapologetically Canadian.
Buy Tickets HERE!
PuSh International Performing Arts Festival
Jan 22nd - Feb 8th, 2026
Theatre - Film - Dance - Interdisciplinary - Indigenous - Music - 2SLGBTQA+ - Relaxed - Accessible - Surtitles - ASL Interpretation - DHH Friendly - Online
The 2026 PuSh Festival is an invitation to the culturally fearless—to those ready to step into fresh futurities and the expansive possibilities of live performance. In a time when dominant ways of knowing and being are collapsing into the polycrisis they have created, the artists gathered here embody ancestral and emergent ways of living, understanding, relating, and dreaming.
Program & Ticket Details: HERE!
Free First Friday 2-5pm
639 Hornby St, Vancouver BC
The Bill Reid Gallery celebrates the extraordinary diversity of contemporary Indigenous Northwest Coast Art. As the only public Gallery in Canada dedicated to the Northwest Coast, we invite you to immerse yourself in a vibrant cultural experience.
Details at billreidgallery.ca/
Visit the Gallery for FREE on the first Friday evening of every month!
Through the generous support of BMO, we offer free admission for all visitors to the Gallery from 4 to 8 PM on the first Friday of every month. At the start of each month, come down to the Gallery for an inspiring evening of art, free of charge. Admission is always free for children and youth aged 18 years and under, so this is the perfect opportunity to bring the whole family.
If you plan on joining us for our next Free First Friday Night, please reserve your spot in advance to guarantee entry into the Gallery. Walk-in tickets are also available based on capacity.
BOOK Tickets!!
VIMFF 2026 is coming in February/March 2026!
Vancouver Int’l Mountain Film Festival Program to be announced in late January!
Watch live in person or online. Check back for details & film & special event tickets.
Website HERE!
Crazy8s 2026: Top 6 Announced!
Running since 1999, Crazy8s is an annual 8-day short filmmaking challenge that provides support and funding to 6 emerging and mid-career filmmakers to produce a short film, and provides training opportunities to crew and cast. After a Gala Screening and Afterparty, the films go on to be seen by audiences worldwide at film festivals and on other distribution channels.
We want to give a special thank you to our presenting sponsor and jurors. Thank you to our presenting sponsor, DGC BC, for making everything possible. Thank you to Lecily Corbett,
TOP 6 Projects!
Need a break from the hectic season, or a collective experience with strangers & great cinema? The VIFF Centre at has you covered with 2 theatres; the Lochmaddy Studio space & the 150 seat [including balcony!] Vancity Theatre.
Whimsical animation, once-in-a-pandemic-lifetime Performances, Holiday classics, moody Winter fare, Musical Legends - all to be savoured… Films start as early as 12:30pm - come, be swept away.
What’s On - HERE!
At the Fox Cabaret – 2123 Main Street, Vancouver, BC
2026 Season
Fri. Jan. 9 | Fri. Feb. 20 | Sat. Mar. 14 | Fri. April 17 | Fri. May 8
Want to be a reader for the Fox Cabaret shows? Sign up now: HERE.
TICKETS available HERE.
21st annual international Gender Equity in Media Festival
March 5 - 8, 2026.
GEMS Vancouver's signature event, GEMFest, is the only film festival dedicated to women and gender-diverse people in Western Canada, and one of just three international film festivals for women and gender-diverse people in Canada.
GEMFest provides a platform for challenging gender inequity and the lack of diversity in the screen-based media industry through a combination of film screenings, discussions, and professional development and networking opportunities.
The festival will open in Spring 2026, and screen films with women & gender-diverse filmmakers in at least three of the following eight key creative roles: Writer, Producer, Director, Cinematographer, Editor, Composer, Lead Performer and Production Designer.
The 2026 festival will be a focused on in-person screenings and events.
https://gemsvancouver.org/
RNG Kick Off Event - Sat, April 18, 2026
Run N Gun is Vancouver's wildest filmmaking competition. Established in 2015, over 1100 films have been created through Run N Gun (& our sister competitions Shits N Giggles, Blood N Guts & Vancouver Quarentine Performance Project), and it has become the biggest filmmaking event Vancouver has to offer!
Run N Gun website HERE!
Where Cinema Meets Social Change
April 23 - 26, 2026
Pre-Launch, Opening Night, Film Screening & Panel Discussion - North Delta Centre for the Arts
Film Screening and Panel Discussion - Landmark Cinemas Surrey, Guildford
Our mission is to recognize and showcase films that use impactful and informative storytelling to raise awareness and inspire action on critical social causes and issues. We aim to celebrate filmmakers who are committed to creating positive social impact and promoting empathy, understanding, and social justice.
Website, Tickets HERE!
Next Celluloid Social Club Event - TBD
Celluloid Supper Club, presented in association with Celluloid Social Club and Shamshiri Caveman Restaurant.
Keep in touch with local screenings happening online at our FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/18306091376
https://celluloidsocialclub.com/
Ongoing Resources & Friends…..
Gender Equity in Media Society Vancouver (GEMS) is a member-based organization committed to furthering gender equity in film and television. Previously named Women in Film and Television Vancouver (WIFTV), GEMS incorporated in 1989 as a not-for-profit society registered in British Columbia.
By addressing systemic barriers, GEMS works towards supporting more inclusive, representative media.
The Genre Film Lab / Coffee Chats - past chats available to view online!
gemsvancouver.org
BIZ Books
Your online source for film, television, and theatre books. We invite you to browse through our online store where you will find thousands of titles. Let’s make your creative dreams come true!
Sign up for our newsletter with notices of sales, workshops, blogs & special events at bizbooks.net
GVPTA is a non-profit charitable organization whose membership includes theatre companies, theatre makers and artists, and other organizations and individuals that support theatre. We provide services, promotion of member news and community events, opportunities to connect and network, and hold an annual theatre conference.
Show Listings Here!
First Saturday Open Studios
First Saturday is a public monthly artist-run open-studio event in Vancouver, North Vancouver, New Westminster, Victoria & the Gulf Islands. Each month a new artist opens their doors to the public to share their work & chat…
Website & details here!
For Reviews of local & international performances & arts events, Colin Thomas [award winning playwright, Theatre Reviewer & Critic for almost four decades] offers thoughtful & insightful gems to consider in the world of theatre & art. Highly recommend!
