VIFF Podcast

In John Hollands' "Le Tour de Canada," two rival cyclists face off in a gruelling cross-Canada cycling race. Combining live action, 2D, and 3D animation, this multifaceted short takes a broad swing at what it means to embrace the Canadian identity. A tongue-in-cheek take on our provinces and territories, this work from Hollands is not only visually captivating, but straight up hilarious.

In this episode of the VIFF Podcast, John Hollands joins us to discuss developing his own animation aesthetic, how the short film form can be its own laboratory, the pros of getting comedians to be actors, and how he got beloved Canadian, indie giant, Matthew Rankin to narrate. Fun fact: Hollands used to be on the programming team here at VIFF. Years later, it was a pleasure to screen this incredible, mixed media collage of a film as part of VIFF 2025.

This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

In Julia Hebner's "Jeff," Marsha is a phone sex operator who takes a call from a man who confesses that he is a pedophile. Throughout the duration of the phone call, Marsha loses touch with what's real, as she gets wrapped up in Jeff's disturbing confessions.

Exploring the experience of gaslighting and existing as a woman under the male gaze, "Jeff," illuminates the inherently contradictory expectations placed on women to act as both caretakers and agents of sex for primarily male pleasure. They must be a saint and a sinner when desired, according to Hebner. As this conversation between Marsha and Jeff takes place, Hebner represents their exchange of words in stereotypical role-play scenarios, nurse and patient, teacher and student, to demonstrate this contradiction enacted by the patriarchy.

In this episode of the VIFF Podcast, we talk to Hebner about stereotypical sex worker roles, internalized misogyny, the experience of being catcalled as early as the age of 10, and why telling these stories is important.

This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

In the making of "To Look, and To Look Again," Director Monica Cheema captures the story of farm workers on a blueberry farm in Surrey, BC. While many recognize that farms across the province are supported by the labour of foreign workers, Cheema looks deeper, challenging existing narratives in the community and their reliance on settler colonialism to maintain the story. On this episode of the VIFF Podcast, Shorts programmer Casey Wei talks with Cheema about the passage of time when life is rooted in work, how music and poetry can disarm an audience, and more.

This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

In Bianca Rose Cheung's "My Dad is an Astronaut," lead character, Cami, lives in rural Northern BC alongside her Mother. Set in a picturesque yet gritty winter, Cami must grapple with her mother's deteriorating health, while reconciling with the absence of her Father.

In this short from Cheung, Cami's story is representative of the experience of growing up in an "Astronaut family," a term coined for Chinese migrant families in the 80s and 90s, where different members of the family lived in different countries for economic reasons. But what really intrigues Cheung is the emotional impact of this separation from your loved ones, and how the memory of them is embedded in each choice you make for your future.

"My Dad is an Astronaut" demonstrates how we live with decisions made for us, not by us, and how the memory of someone, while alive, can still be a grieving process. In this episode of the VIFF Podcast, we chat with the filmmaker about what it was like shooting in the dead of winter, and how the purpose of cinema is so much more than entertainment.

This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

Karina Ripper's "There's a Devil Inside Me," begins with lead character Teresa, living out her rebellious teens with a bumbling boy in the car, smoking weed, fooling around, and pushing the envelope of her parents' expectations. Ending up at confirmation class, Teresa's curiosity leads her to play dress-up with a nun's habit. Shortly, she's mistaken for a nun herself, and is handed the collections plate from the church. Suddenly in possession of a basket full of cash, the viewer follows Teresa as she decides what to do with it.

Ripper herself grew up in Dallas, Texas. As the daughter of immigrants from Mexico, the importance of going to church was ingrained in her from an early age. Finding freedom in film, and representation in storytelling as she grew up "There's a Devil Inside Me," pulls from Ripper's own experiences in the Catholic church as a woman, offering commentary on the pressure to be a saint as a young girl, and some of the unsavoury things that happen when it comes to wealth, and the church.

On this episode of the VIFF Podcast, Shorts Programmer Casey Wei talks with Ripper on the beauty of a curveball in a plot, covering dark topics with lightness, and living in the gray area.

This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

Many know the visual splendour of Mount Everest, but only through pictures, stories, or tales of these treks that tempt the most ambitious of climbers. But, as the profile of Mount Everest has risen, what's lesser known is the stories of the Sherpas that guide these climbs while risking their lives to recover the bodies of those who did not survive the summit. This side of the story is the catalyst for Jereme Watt's "Everest Dark."

Spotlighting one of Nepal's most celebrated high-altitude climbers, Mingma, "Everest Dark" follows this compelling character on his own journey to reclaim Mount Everest from exploitation. In 2015, Nepal suffered a devastating earthquake that cost the lives of many. Mingma believed this to be the wrath of God. "Everest Dark" is a documentary on courage, conviction, faith, and the cost of intruding on what is sacred.

In this episode of the VIFF Podcast, Watt sits down with Director of Programming, Curtis Woloschuk, to discuss creating such an arduous project, which also happened to take place during the peak of COVID. From gathering a high-altitude crew to explaining the risks of participation to their parents, creating "Everest Dark" was no small feat. We hear from Watt on his conviction to make it happen.

This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

Kunsang Kyirong's "100 Sunset" follows two young women residing in Parkdale, Toronto. Located in a unique apartment complex, housing a vibrant community of Tibetan immigrants, Kyirong's lens lets us into closeness of communal living, and the pangs of loneliness that perhaps make us observe each other more than we should. In this compelling story, lead character Kunsel finds herself fascinated with others, picking up her camera to spy on her neighbours as she becomes enthralled with their day-to-day. Soon, she meets Passang, quickly challenging her introverted nature, and revealing a curious dynamic.

To make this film happen, Kyirong went door-knocking, sourcing cast, and locations to ensure this work put Tibetan lives at the centre, demonstrating how even though we all live close together in modern-day housing, our lives may be vastly different. An incredibly strong feature debut from a Vancouver local, on this episode of the VIFF podcast, we talk with Kyirong about capturing 'complicated women,' on camera, working with non-actors, and platforming immigrant communities.

This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

The success of Igor Bezinović's third feature, "Fiume o Morte!," is something to marvel at. "Fiume o Morte!," is about the Croatian city of Rijeka, following its occupation by Italy. Blending absurdist re-enactments and documented record, portrayed almost entirely by first-time actors, it has been seen around the world—and was even Croatia's submission for the Academy Awards.

Yet, despite the specificity of this story, "Fiume o Morte!" resonates universally in a time where an authoritarian regime is present, or has been present, on every single continent, insisting that war is necessary. That war is natural.

But Bezinović rejects that. He flips the script and pokes fun at fascism with playful skits, and wit. In this episode of the VIFF Podcast, Programmer and Program Lead, Sonja Baksa sits down with Bezinović to talk about the weight of telling this story, using creativity to resist hegemony, and Bezinović's most memorable moments in cinema.

This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

In Timeea Ahmed's "Khartoum," five exiles of Sudan’s capital give voice to their experiences through reenactment, animation, and recollection. A collaborative documentary, headed by five co-directors, each bringing their unique perspectives and real-life experiences to a documentary that is one of one.

Ahmed brings us along on the lives of these five protagonists (one being himself), showcasing their lives, dreams, hopes, and stories of love amidst the rubble.  On this episode of the VIFF Podcast, we speak with Ahmed on using documentary film as an archive of life and a testament to what should be remembered in war.

This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

Sara Wylie got her filmmaking start in her late twenties, dipping her toe into documentary through her work as a political organizer after making anti-Stephen Harper comedy videos. Soon, her passion for storytelling developed into a heightened curiosity about how she processes her own life and experiences as someone experiencing complex chronic illness.

In this personal inquisition, Wylie fell upon the concept of Crip Time, contemplating how able-bodied versus disabled bodies relate to time. In a capitalist society, we are forced to bend to our clocks to keep up with the rapid pace of life. Crip time offers a new, radical approach worth considering: time should bend to disabled bodies and minds instead.

Shot on Super 8 and primarily eco-processed with plant materials by hand, in this episode of the VIFF Podcast, we talk with Wylie about her journey creating her short, Resistance Meditation. She describes it as "a weird little movie" — but Resistance Meditation is a lot more than that. It emphasizes the urgent need to resist capitalism, the demands on our precious time, and how folks with disabled bodies hold the keys to what a meaningful alternative could look like.

This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.