Vancouver's Film Festival Circuit

Canada

Vancouver's Film Festival Circuit

Tue., Oct. 28, 2008 6:22 AM PDT by Rebecca Bollwitt

Just a few weeks after the Vancouver Queer Film Festival painted the town pink, the city hosted the world during the Vancouver International Film Festival. With momentum gaining each year, more events are sprouting up to highlight and showcase film in a region so involved in production.

The Vancouver Pan African Film Festival is taking place right now and last week was the first ever Vancouver Brazilian Film Festival. Among the many screening, the festival paid tribute to Walter Carvalho, an internationally acclaimed Brazilian cinematographer.

"The Brazilian Film Festival provides me (as a Vancouverite) with a one-of-a-kind opportunity to be able to access films that I wouldn't be able to see otherwise,” commented Raul Pacheco, who brings world views to his website daily having moved here from Mexico a few years ago. “I speak Portuguese, and I love film, so this is a great chance - that you really wouldn't get otherwise, like for example, with the Latin American Film Festival - because most of these films are in Spanish. Brazilian film is experiencing a lot of growth and more Brazilian actors and films are getting international recognition.”

The Pacific Rim will focus on the city for the 12th annual Vancouver Asian Film Festival, that kicks off with an opening at Kentizen Fusion Lounge November 6th, and a gala at the Stadium Club November 7th, following the Canadian Premiere of Santa Mesa and the Western Canada Premiere of Finding Madison. The VAFF will wrap with a party at Tunnel on November 9th.

Coming up in just over a month our world-class resort only 90 minutes out of town will host its own celebration of film; the Whistler International Film Festival will kick off December 3rd with the Filmmakers' Forum, filled with sessions and workshops.

Earlier this year Vancouver hosted their Latin American Film Festival as well as a Student Film Festival and the largest Jewish Film Festival in Canada.

GUEST BLOGGER: Rebecca Bollwitt has been blogging about Vancouver since 2004 on Miss604.com, co-hosting two podcasts since 2005 and in 2008 she co-founded sixty4media, a social media consulting firm.