Anthony Shim (Daughter) directed, wrote, edited, produced, and acted in Riceboy Sleeps, the staggering coming of age film that screens at the 2022 Vancouver International Film Festival. The dramatic feature tells the story of a South Korean immigrant and single mom, So-young, who is raising her son Dong-hyun in the Vancouver suburbs in the 1990s. So-young desperately wants to instill a sense of pride in the boy. In turn, he only wants to be considered “Canadian” in hopes of avoiding bullying at school. As Dong-hyun grows older, his frustrations over knowing nothing about his father are only exasperated when So-young introduces a surrogate patriarch into his life. A cruel twist of fate sends the pair back to South Korea, where all will be revealed about the family’s history. The film was shot in Canada and South Korea and had its world premiere at the venerable 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, where it was awarded the Platform Prize. Riceboy Sleeps explores the high cost that many immigrants pay – emotionally, spiritually, physically, and culturally – while striving to build their lives in Canada’s so-called multicultural utopia. In this contemplative conversation, Anthony Shim reflects on the real-life events that led to Riceboy Sleeps, and how his identity as a Korean Canadian informs his work. Episode sponsor: UBCP / ACTRA

Showrunner Dennis Heaton returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about The Imperfects, his latest fantastical series that premiered on Netflix earlier this month. The Imperfects are Tilda, Abbi, and Juan, three 20-somethings who band together to hunt down the scientist responsible for turning them into monsters via experimental gene therapy and forcing him to make them human again. Tilda is a banshee. Abbi is a succubus. Juan is a chupacabra. But these monsters aren’t nearly as monstrous as the humans they encounter in their quest. Ten episodes of The Imperfects dropped on September 8, and it hit the Netflix Top 10 all over the world almost immediately – which speaks to the deliciously rendered characters, to the nuanced performances of the leading trio Morgan Taylor Campbell, Rhianna Jagpal, and Iñaki Godoy and veteran stars Italia Ricci, Rhys Nicholson, Rekha Sharma, and Kyra Zagorsky, and to the writing and entire conceit of the show. In today’s episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Sabrina grills Dennis about the hows and whys of The Imperfects, including his long history with monsters, his experience in the director’s chair, how the show found its Sarkov, the Easter egg he’d planned for fans of The Order, and what #Chupi fans should do if they want more. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Kandyse McClure’s filmography is populated by a staggering range of characters. On the critically acclaimed and beloved Battlestar Galactica, Kandyse portrayed Anastasia “Dee” Dualla, a passionate woman who fought, loved, dreamt, and, ultimately, succumbed to despair. As Nicte Batan in the third and final season of Motherland: Fort Salem, she wrestled with her character’s past as a terrorist while forging unexpected alliances. As Sam in Neill Blomkamp’s wildly entertaining horror film Demonic, she embodied the stuff of nightmares; and as Golden Eyes in the genre-defying feature film Sew the Winter to My Skin – a role for which she was nominated for an African Movie Academy Award – she somehow managed to speak volumes about the impact of oppression on humanity without actually speaking many words at all. Other recent work includes GenZeroes (the cutting-edge project championed by friend of the pod Aleks Paunovic), Charmed, Limetown, the bonkers Netflix series Ghost Wars, and a standout role as Viola Desmond, the entrepreneur who challenged segregation in Nova Scotia in the 1940s, in an iconic Heritage Minute. The projects and roles are wildly different, but the thread that unites them is the humanity, authenticity, and conviction that Kandyse brings to each one. In this riveting episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Kandyse reflects on her journey from South Africa at 11 years old, grieving Dee, moving into her “villain era,” and dancing in her trailer.

Content warning: This episode contains frank talk about suicide. If you’re thinking about suicide or are worried about a friend or a loved one, the Canada Suicide Prevention Service is available 24/7/365 at 1.833.456.4566. You can also find links to international suicide prevention and mental health support services in the footnotes for this episode on our web site. You matter. You’re not alone.

Episode sponsor: UBCP / ACTRA

Fakes is the story of two best friends – played by Emilija Baranac and Jennifer Tong – who accidentally build one of the largest fake ID empires in North America. Friend-of-the-podcast Richard Harmon is Tryst, who might or might not be something of a dirtbag. There’s a lot to love about this comedy-drama, the 10 episodes of which hit CBC Gem (in Canada) and Netflix (outside of Canada) earlier this month. It was filmed and set in Vancouver, and it’s rich with Metro Vancouver talent. It’s funny and exciting, smart and well-acted, and moves really fast. It’s well-titled; fakes aren’t just the titular IDs, but also the fronts we put up to protect ourselves. It’s big stuff for 21-minute episodes!

In our Fall 2022 season opener, Fakes stars Emilija Baranac, Jennifer Tong, and Richard Harmon, and showrunner David Turko join Sabrina Rani Furminger to talk perception, deception, and all the fun stuff that makes Fakes so addictive. Episode sponsor: UBCP / ACTRA

Thomas Elms stars in SkyMed, the action-packed CBC dramatic series about the up-and-coming pilots and nurses who work at an air ambulance service; the show premiered in July on CBC Television, CBC Gem, and Paramount Plus, and immediately got people buzzing on all the socials. Thomas is Captain Milosz Nowak, a calm, collected, and fiercely loyal pilot who broke with his immigrant parents to make his sky-high dreams come true. Thomas previously starred as Hamish Duke (the sardonic, cocktail-swilling werewolf and leader of the Knights of Saint Christopher) on The Order and recently wrapped a meaty role in The Boys in the Boat, an upcoming dramatic film directed by George Clooney about the legendary 1936 U.S. Olympics Rowing Team. In this fascinating conversation, Thomas reflects on his time as Hamish on The Order, what he learned working with George Clooney in The Boys in the Boat, Dennis Heaton’s legendary brain, what it means to flex his “imagination muscle,” and the joys and challenges of portraying SkyMed’s icy-cool Polish pilot. 

NOTE: The YVR Screen Scene Podcast is going on summer vacation! We’ll return with our fall season – and a new fundraising campaign for Ukrainian war relief – in September 2022. Stay safe; stay hydrated; Слава Україні; support #BCFilm! 

Episode sponsor: UBCP / ACTRA

Actor Praneet Akilla (Nancy Drew, Motherland: Fort Salem) returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about his leading role in CBC's SkyMed. The sexy, action-packed dramatic television series was inspired by the real-life experiences of SkyMed showrunner Julie Puckrin’s sister and brother-in-law who met flying air ambulances in the North. In this contemplative and at times raucous interview, Praneet talks about Chopper, SkyMed, what it means to him that Telugu cinema is having a moment (thanks to the success of RRR), and his most embarrassing Zoom call ever. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Jesse Inocalla is a wildly talented voice actor best known for his stunning work voicing Soren on Netflix’s The Dragon Prince. Soren can be cocky and brash but also charming, charismatic, a little dim, and kind, and Jesse’s inspired performance hits all of those beats. Jesse’s lengthy and growing filmography also includes Spider-Ham in Marvel Battleworld: Mystery of the Thanostones, Reptil in Marvel Super Hero Adventures, Scorm in LEGO Chima, and Sasa in YooHoo & Friends. In this entertaining and engrossing episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Jesse talks about growing up the son of a “bad monk” turned stuntman, voicing Soren, the joys and challenges of building and sustaining a career in the animation realm, and waking the world up to Filipino culture. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Brian Drummond is a versatile voice artist with more than 325 credits to his name. He’s wielded this versatility in beloved projects like Death Note, Ninjago, Corner Gas Animated, The Last Kids on Earth, The Hollow, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Super Dinosaur, Slugterra, Wolverine Versus Sabretooth, and Ultimate Wolverine Versus Hulk, as well as a fan favourite turn as Vegeta in Dragon Ball Z. In this entertaining and wide-ranging conversation, Brian gets candid about his impressive filmography, what he does to bring something different to every role, how the industry is changing for the better, and the true story behind his most famous line (“It’s over 9000!”). Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Keilani Rose is a scene-stealer in Shoresy, a spin-off of Jared Keeso and Jacob Tierney’s beloved comedy series, Letterkenny. Shoresy follows the foul-mouthed, chirp-serving, mother-loving, fan favourite character from Letterkenny named Shoresy as he joins the Sudbury Bulldogs in a quest to never lose again. Shoresy is audacious, surreal, daring, and hilarious. It’s also intersectional in a way that feels authentic and unifying and exciting. Vancouver-based actress Keilani Rose shines as Miigwan, protégée to the GM of the Sudbury Bulldogs Hockey team. Keilani is an actor, filmmaker, DJ, and classically and culturally trained dancer. She made her film debut starring in and choreographing Within the Silence, which was written and directed by Jade Tailor and won Festival de Cannes awards for Best Fantasy and Best Choreography in 2021. We’ll soon see her on the highly anticipated series SkyMed as well as in Breathe, a film from friend of the podcast Cody Kearsley. In this riveting episode, Keilani Rose talks Shoresy, authentic intersectionality, and where she plans to take us next. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Khrystyna Syvolap arrived in Canada with her 8-year-old daughter nearly three months ago, seeking refuge from Russia’s unjust assault on Ukraine. Khrystyna is a commercial director who has directed television, short films, and a feature film (2020’s Viddana). She's a member of the Ukrainian Film Academy and was on Forbes Magazine's list of Ukraine's "30 Under 30" for 2021. And for the moment at least, her life is here in Vancouver. In this special episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Sabrina speaks with Khrystyna about her journey from Kyiv to Vancouver, as well as the myriad of challenges faced by Ukrainian film professionals turned refugees who arrive in Canada with little more than their lives and want to get to work. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment