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The highly anticipated world premiere of Banchi Hanuse's documentary feature CEREMONY is this Saturday, March 14th at SXSW in Austin, Texas with the team and subjects in attendance. The film began as a request from Nuxalk community leadership, with no parameters on what it should include. Once Hanuse started filming ten years ago it became a responsibility she couldn’t shake and here we are at the culmination of her dedication and brilliance from the film's debut. If you saw her last documentary, Aitamaako’Tamisskapi Natosi: Before The Sun, you know that Banchi's work is not to be missed.

"Incredible Must-Watch Story of Survival" - Collider

When the ooligan vanishes from Bella Coola, its absence remains like a scar, pointing to a history that reaches far beyond the river. From ramshackled Nuxalk Radio, voices rise through crackling airwaves to trace the forces no one was meant to uncover. What begins as a local broadcast becomes an awakening as testimony, watercolour animation and rare archival weave a story of survival, return and the quiet revolution of a Nation that refuses to disappear.

“Director Banchi Hanuse invites us into the ebb and flow of the Nuxalk people with the help of a radio station and a small, fatty fish. Together they operate as a gateway that bridges cultures and differences, bringing us into a people, a story, and hope that is deeply human.” - Lindsey Dunn, @1ofmystories

If you aren’t able to make it to the world premiere, CEREMONY will have a second screening on March 16th at @sxsw with more festivals to be announced.

#SXSW2026 #SXSW #documentary #WorldPremiere #PenderPR

The independent filmmaking world is extremely challenging. Especially in Canada. Here’s your gentle reminder to make sure you don’t forget a very important piece of the puzzle.

Don’t forget to put a realistic amount in the budget for PR. They are the key to exposing your film to the world.

Shout out to Nicola Pender @penderpr who works tirelessly to support Canadian independent Filmmakers. ⚡️

#indiefilmmakers #indieproducer #independentfilm #independentfilmmaking #vancouverfilm #wff25thanniversary #wff25 #whistlerfilmfestival

The independent filmmaking world is extremely challenging. Especially in Canada. Here’s your gentle reminder to make sure you don’t forget a very important piece of the puzzle.

Don’t forget to put a realistic amount in the budget for PR. They are the key to exposing your film to the world.

Shout out to Nicola Pender @penderpr who works tirelessly to support Canadian independent Filmmakers. ⚡️

#indiefilmmakers #indieproducer #independentfilm #independentfilmmaking #vancouverfilm #wff25thanniversary #wff25 #whistlerfilmfestival

The independent filmmaking world is extremely challenging. Especially in Canada. Here’s your gentle reminder to make sure you don’t forget a very important piece of the puzzle.

Don’t forget to put a realistic amount in the budget for PR. They are the key to exposing your film to the world.

Shout out to Nicola Pender @penderpr who works tirelessly to support Canadian independent Filmmakers. ⚡️

#indiefilmmakers #indieproducer #independentfilm #independentfilmmaking #vancouverfilm #wff25thanniversary #wff25 #whistlerfilmfestival

The independent filmmaking world is extremely challenging. Especially in Canada. Here’s your gentle reminder to make sure you don’t forget a very important piece of the puzzle.

Don’t forget to put a realistic amount in the budget for PR. They are the key to exposing your film to the world.

Shout out to Nicola Pender @penderpr who works tirelessly to support Canadian independent Filmmakers. ⚡️

#indiefilmmakers #indieproducer #independentfilm #independentfilmmaking #vancouverfilm #wff25thanniversary #wff25 #whistlerfilmfestival

The independent filmmaking world is extremely challenging. Especially in Canada. Here’s your gentle reminder to make sure you don’t forget a very important piece of the puzzle.

Don’t forget to put a realistic amount in the budget for PR. They are the key to exposing your film to the world.

Shout out to Nicola Pender @penderpr who works tirelessly to support Canadian independent Filmmakers. ⚡️

#indiefilmmakers #indieproducer #independentfilm #independentfilmmaking #vancouverfilm #wff25thanniversary #wff25 #whistlerfilmfestival

The independent filmmaking world is extremely challenging. Especially in Canada. Here’s your gentle reminder to make sure you don’t forget a very important piece of the puzzle.

Don’t forget to put a realistic amount in the budget for PR. They are the key to exposing your film to the world.

Shout out to Nicola Pender @penderpr who works tirelessly to support Canadian independent Filmmakers. ⚡️

#indiefilmmakers #indieproducer #independentfilm #independentfilmmaking #vancouverfilm #wff25thanniversary #wff25 #whistlerfilmfestival

The powerful @natgeodocs feature documentary SUGARCANE is now playing in select theatres across the country. Co-directors Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie have deftly woven together multiple strands to form this compelling, heartbreaking narrative. SUGARCANE takes an unforgettable look at the devastating effects of Canada's residential school system from a very personal lens for NoiseCat.
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"Sugarcane, a quietly infuriating documentary, shows us what that story looks like from the perspective of those directly affected by that history, for whom it's not just a story. Co-directors Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie approach this painful conversation with the sensitivity and empathy it's rarely afforded, and their film shows how it is almost impossible to adequately speak to this trauma."
- Radheyan Simonpillai, @globeandmail
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Visit the link in our bio for the complete list of screenings and locations. @jnoisecat @emilykassie @films_we_like

Join us for a chance to win tickets to a special screening of Hearse Chasing!

The documentary follows Vancouver singer-songwriter Cassidy Waring and her brother as they return to Calgary to confront a family tragedy, uncovering long-buried memories along the way.

📅 When: Sunday, May 10 (Mother’s Day)
📍 Where: VIFF Centre

The event features a live musical performance by Cassidy and her band.

✨ How to enter:

1️⃣ Follow @peliplat and @viffest
2️⃣ Tag a friend in the comments (Each tag = one entry!)
🎯 Giveaway ends: Friday, May 8
📩 Winners will be contacted via Instagram DM

Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind evening. Tag your plus-one below and enter now! 👇

#hearsechasing #giveaway

We are pleased to share that the documentary feature HEARSE CHASING from award-winning director Teresa Alfeld (Doug and the Slugs and Me) is set to release in Vancouver at the VIFF Centre on Sunday, May 10th. The highly-anticipated special event screening will also include an intimate musical performance with the film's subject Cassidy Waring and her band as a part of the VIFF Live series.

HEARSE CHASING follows Cassidy Waring, a Vancouver-based singer-songwriter, as she returns to her hometown of Calgary with her brother Cooper to confront the unresolved family tragedy that shaped their lives. What begins as an attempt to better understand their mother’s death gradually gives way to a deeper reckoning, as long-buried memories surface and new questions emerge.

This TELUS Original documentary will also premiere on May 13th on TELUS Optik TV Video on Demand channel 8 and TELUS Stream+. Simultaneously, the film will premiere on the TELUS originals YouTube channel at 7 pm PT / 8 pm MT on the same day and be available until May 31st in honour of Mental Health Awareness Month.

“What keeps the film anchored is Cassidy herself. There’s nothing performative about her presence here. She doesn’t present herself as someone who has already done the work and come out the other side. Instead, the documentary captures her in the middle of processing, still questioning, still circling memories that don’t yet make sense. That choice gives the film a rawness that can’t be manufactured. It’s not about resolution. It’s about the act of trying to understand.” - Chris Jones @overlyhonestreviews

We hope to see you at the VIFF Centre on Mother’s Day for this very special event!

HEARSE CHASING arrives this May during Mental Health Awareness Month.

The short documentary, by director Teresa Alfeld, traces Cassidy Waring’s return to her childhood home, an intimate look at memory, grief, and the long path toward understanding.

On Sunday, May 10 (Mother’s Day), experience the film at the VIFF Centre, with a live performance from Cassidy and her band. Presented in community partnership with @wirthhats, who will be on-site sharing their work and offering hats for purchase, with proceeds supporting access to counselling.

Get your tickets at viff.org.

#mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthsupport #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthadvocate Mentalhealthawarenessmonth

The response to, A Cree Approach, has been so heartwarming and incredible 🪶

kinanâskomitinân
(from @headbangerkait & I, we thank you all) 🦅

ayi-hay to our extraordinary crew, we couldn’t have done it without you 🖖🏼 thank you to the film festivals who see the passion & message behind ACA.

DP @ghupka
Add’l cinematography @te_isim, @amandakindzierski @campfirestoriessk
Production mentee & Add’l Cam @whozaunty
Costume Designer @adrienne.kaye
Editor @afroflix
Composer @justindelormemusic
Add’l Sound Recordist @codyblacksmith
Post-sound @chckn8r
Colorist @pat.gong
Visual Researcher/finishing editor @ursula.galvao
BTS @kay1ablack
Motion Graphics @bree.island @wearemixedcreatives
Graphics @encoregraphics
Poster Design @angyen.design
Mentors @juleskoostachin @elle_dee_elle Elle-Maija & Brooke Swaney
Community Coordinator @nancygreyeyes
Eng.Transcriber @sarahwaatainen

kisâkihitinâwâw Greyeyes/Ahenakew family for being our amazing supporters and contributors ✨🦬

Last but not least, Tiniki to the generous funders 👏🏼

Constant Battles premieres at @hotdocs_ today. It’s a film about continuing the fight, inside and out of the ring. @telusoriginals @creativebcs

✨🔁 @doxafestival 🎥 DOXA Documentary Film Festival presents its 25th edition in Vancouver, BC from April 30 – May 10, 2026!

✨🎟️🍿📽️🎞️✨ doxafestival.ca

#documentary #film #cdnfilmlove #indigenousfilm #cinema

“Growing up wearing hearing aids, I never saw films featuring character depictions of hearing loss outside of Deaf themes,” says Ceci. “While Deafness is certainly an important marginalized group, there is a gap between hearing and Deafness that is essentially voiceless, even in 2026. I know people like me want to feel seen, and of course heard.”
~ Brian Ceci, filmmaker ‘HEARD’

HEARD, a TELUS original film, will be available to watch free on demand on
TELUS Optik TV channel 8 and TELUS
Stream+ on April 21st, 2026

HEARD follows Hard of Hearing (HoH) filmmaker Brian Ceci as he grapples with accepting his own condition by connecting with other people on the HoH spectrum to create a small support community.

HEARD is a documentary that centres the collective experience of the space between hearing and Deafness. Hearing is a fundamental component to the way society is structured. We have built infrastructure, activities, culture and communication on the ability to hear.  And on the other end of our spectrum, society has seen Deaf individuals develop a sophisticated language and culture built around Deafness. With this film Ceci dives into the gap between these two distinct cultures where many Hard of Hearing people live.

HEARD combines intimate vérité footage, archival family recordings and candid interviews to examine what it means to belong to a community defined not by a single experience, but by a shared spectrum of hearing loss and identity. According to Statistics Canada, more than one in seven Canadians live with some degree of hearing loss, yet the lived experience of partial or progressive hearing loss remains largely absent from mainstream storytelling. HEARD brings that experience into focus through a distinctly personal and community-driven lens.

“Ruckus Machine Pictures was founded with the purpose of telling impact-driven stories from underrepresented communities — not just occasionally, but exclusively,”
~ Jamila Pomeroy, Producer

HEARD is produced by Ruckus Machine Pictures in association with Transient Films & Windowbox Media.

“Growing up wearing hearing aids, I never saw films featuring character depictions of hearing loss outside of Deaf themes,” says Ceci. “While Deafness is certainly an important marginalized group, there is a gap between hearing and Deafness that is essentially voiceless, even in 2026. I know people like me want to feel seen, and of course heard.”
~ Brian Ceci, filmmaker ‘HEARD’

HEARD, a TELUS original film, will be available to watch free on demand on
TELUS Optik TV channel 8 and TELUS
Stream+ on April 21st, 2026

HEARD follows Hard of Hearing (HoH) filmmaker Brian Ceci as he grapples with accepting his own condition by connecting with other people on the HoH spectrum to create a small support community.

HEARD is a documentary that centres the collective experience of the space between hearing and Deafness. Hearing is a fundamental component to the way society is structured. We have built infrastructure, activities, culture and communication on the ability to hear.  And on the other end of our spectrum, society has seen Deaf individuals develop a sophisticated language and culture built around Deafness. With this film Ceci dives into the gap between these two distinct cultures where many Hard of Hearing people live.

HEARD combines intimate vérité footage, archival family recordings and candid interviews to examine what it means to belong to a community defined not by a single experience, but by a shared spectrum of hearing loss and identity. According to Statistics Canada, more than one in seven Canadians live with some degree of hearing loss, yet the lived experience of partial or progressive hearing loss remains largely absent from mainstream storytelling. HEARD brings that experience into focus through a distinctly personal and community-driven lens.

“Ruckus Machine Pictures was founded with the purpose of telling impact-driven stories from underrepresented communities — not just occasionally, but exclusively,”
~ Jamila Pomeroy, Producer

HEARD is produced by Ruckus Machine Pictures in association with Transient Films & Windowbox Media.

The award-winning feature documentary THE ART OF ADVENTURE from director Alison Reid (The Woman Who Loves Giraffes) is launching in theatres across Canada starting today in celebration of Earth Month. The film will screen for audiences in Vancouver (VIFF Centre), Victoria (The Vic, Cinecenta), Toronto, Edmonton with more screenings in Ontario, Alberta, Halifax and Quebec and beyond. 

THE ART OF ADVENTURE is an inspiring and deeply human documentary about the extraordinary lifelong friendship between world renowned wildlife artist Robert Bateman and fearless biologist Bristol Foster. Through their epic 1957 journey around the world - armed with a 16mm camera and an artist’s brush - the film opens a vivid window onto a planet once wild and unscarred and a bond formed through curiosity, courage and love of nature.

At its heart the film weaves together nature, art and activism showing how two very different men fought to protect the natural world: one thought art, the other through science. Now in their 90’s Bob and Bristol still find sanctuary in nature. Their story is a moving reflection on legacy, mortality and the wisdom of our elders - and a reminder that humanity and nature are inseparable. THE ART OF ADVENTURE invites us to listen, to learn and to embrace life with curiosity, courage and heart.

"The final chapter of The Art of Adventure is — how shall I put it? — a meeting with an old friend. It’s a conclusion both joyous and apt. The woman who (clearly) loves documentaries has done it again.” - Chris Knight @weareoriginalcin


Visit the link in our bio to find out where you can see this incredible film on the big screen!

#EarthDay #Theatrical #premiere #documentary #PenderPR #publicity

Come see LOVE AND MONEY at @viffest, for a fully improvised treat, featuring a cast of local improv legends: Andrew McNee, Scott Bellis, Ryan Beil, Jennifer Tong, Jeff Gladstone, and Colleen Wheeler, directed by @davidraypics.

The April 10 world premiere will have a post-screening Q&A with the cast.

Tickets at VIFF.org 🎟️ Screening as part of the Canadian Film Showcase program at VIFF.