The YVR Screen Scene Podcast

Episode 364: Susin Nielsen

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Next week, Family Law takes its final bow after four critically acclaimed seasons on Global Television and Stack TV. The Lark Productions comedy-drama series – which follows a group of flawed family members who reluctantly work together at their father's law firm in Downtown Vancouver – was the brainchild of showrunner and award-winning author Susin Nielsen. Susin is an exceptionally gifted storyteller, and she’s got the awards, accolades, and stats to back it up: more than one hundred hours of television; author of seven best-selling young adult novels, some of which have won the Governor General’s Literary Award, the UKLA award, and over a dozen young readers’ choice awards; recipient of the Writers’ Trust Vicky Metcalf Award for her body of work, which now includes a book for adults, Snap (about three people who meet in a court-mandated anger management class).

In this compelling conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Susin discusses what she learned about storytelling and this crazy biz in her four years at the helm of Family Law, the time Family Law star Jewel Staite gave her the middle finger for real, and turning real-life rage into comedy gold in Snap – and she also takes the time to say goodbye to Family Law’s viewers, crew, and cast.

Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 363: Corey Payette

Sabrina Furminger — Sat, 21 Mar 2026 21:43:41 +0000

Filmmaker Corey Payette swings by the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about Starwalker, his critically acclaimed movie musical about drag queens in East Vancouver. Starwalker is the story of Star, an Indigi-Queer Two-Spirit call boy, who becomes entranced by the House of Borealis, a popular drag house in East Van. Blending drag performance with their grounded cultural spirit, a new, powerful persona emerges on stage: Starwalker.

Corey – a renowned writer, lyricist, composer, producer, interdisciplinary storyteller, and director in theatre and film – is the force behind the critically acclaimed stage musical Children of God, about the echoes of residential schools. On the film front, he directed film festival favourites Stories That Transform Us, Guide My Way, and Les Filles du Roi.

Corey’s next stage project is On Native Land, and it has its world premiere in April at the York Theatre – but not before Starwalker screens seven times in Vancouver at the Vancity Culture Lab.

Corey’s work is searing, life-affirming, and abundant with soul-stirring indigeneity and what the Hollywood Reporter once described as “joyful rebellion.” In this wonderfully entertaining episode, Corey and avowed “musical theatre girlie” Sabrina riff on joyful rebellion, musical theatre as a vehicle for social change, their admiration for previous podcast guest Andrea Menard, and all things Starwalker.

Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 362: Sachin Sahel and Dhirendra

Sabrina Furminger — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Sachin Sahel and Dhirendra return to the #YVRScreenScenePodcast for a raucous chat anchored in A Nice Indian Boy, the 2025 American romantic comedy film directed by Roshan Sethi and based on Madhuri Shekar's play of the same name. The film follows Naveen, an Indian-American doctor, who brings his fiancé, Jay Kurundkar, a white man adopted by Indian parents, to meet his traditional family. It stars Karan Soni, Jonathan Groff, Sunita Mani, Zarna Garg, and Harish Patel. Sachin plays Manish, an orthopaedic surgeon who marries Naveen’s sister – he’s the first nice Indian boy we meet in the film – and Dhirendra plays a very capable but utterly terrifying wedding planner.

Not only is A Nice Indian Boy everything we love in a rom-com, but it builds on the genre, bringing Queer and Indian stories into that well-established North American rom-com space, and with nary a cliché in sight.

Some of the best moments in A Nice Indian Boy are those that take place around the dinner table; thus, for this episode, Sabrina invites Sachin and Dhirendra to join her at the YVR Screen Scene table to raise a glass, break some bread, and talk about A Nice Indian Boy, our industry, and how they choose to stay joyful during challenging times. Also: what it’s really like to work with Jonathan Groff (spoiler: he’s a delight); chasing ghosts at Riverview; disco cobblers.

Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 361: Supinder Wraich

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Supinder Wraich returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to chat all things Allegiance, the wildly popular CBC crime procedural that is both filmed and set in Surrey, British Columbia. Supinder is Sabrina Sohal, a brilliant and empathetic detective in the serious crimes unit of the CFPC who is simultaneously a bright light in her department and a serious threat to anyone who traffics in corruption.

There’s a lot to love about Allegiance. It’s a showcase for Vancouver actors, from veterans like Vincent Gale to Stephen Lobo, to emerging talents like Hudson Williams (yes, Shane Hollander of Heated Rivalry fame). It explores pressing issues like mental illness, addiction, income inequality, xenophobia, and the impact of gang violence on communities and families, without being preachy about any of it. It centres beautifully diverse Surrey as a main character in its own right. Its foundation stone is an intelligent and compassionate women of colour who is at once vulnerable and extremely capable. In short, Allegiance shows us what’s possible when we centre hyper-local stories and Canadian talent.

Allegiance’s third season kicked off in January, and has already served up heart-pounding episodes that touch on drug cartels, serial killers targeting marginalised women, domestic violence, and migrant workers. In this funny and fascinating interview with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Supinder reflects on Sabrina Sohal’s journey to date, and also heads down some roads we haven’t gone in our previous episodes, namely: the shows that raised us (remember Passions?), what she remembers about working with Hudson Williams in one of his first television roles, and where Sabrina Sohal ends and Supinder Wraich begins.

Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 359: Kashif Pasta and The Muslim Guide to Prayer in Space

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Kashif Pasta returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about his new short film, The Muslim Guide to Prayer in Space, which screens this weekend at the DGC BC’s Spotlight Directors Conference. The Muslim Guide to Prayer in Space stars friend of the pod Osric Chau as a Malaysian astronaut endeavouring to find a direction to pray in orbit, where there is no up or down. Kashif’s film is inspired in part by the experience of Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, a Muslim astronaut who made history as the first Malaysian in space and actually ascended during Ramadan, which presented all kinds of challenges that he and religious authorities worked to figure out. Kashif’s film was funded in part by the DGC BC, who awarded Kashif the DGC BC Established Greenlight Award at the 2024 Spotlight BC Directors Conference (full disclosure: our host – Sabrina – was on the jury that awarded Kashif this prize). In this wildly entertaining episode, Kashif reflects on the hows and whys of his thought-provoking, funny, visually stunning, and soul-stirring film. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 360: Zach Lipovsky

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Filmmaker Zach Lipovsky visits the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to reflect on his past, present, and future. His past includes placing fifth out of 12,000 on Steven Spielberg's filmmaking competition show On the Lot; collaborating with Adam Stein on the 2018 genre hit Freaks, numerous episodes of genre television, and 2025’s Final Destination Bloodlines, the last of which was the first Final Destination movie to cross $100 million in domestic earnings and gross more than $315 million worldwide. As for his present and future, there’s Gremlins 3 – which Zach and Adam are currently co-writing with Chris Columbus (the iconic director of Home Alone and Mrs. Doubtfire who also wrote the original Gremlins) – and the sequel to Freaks. Beyond the writing, directing, and producing, Zach has and continues to mentor emerging and aspiring filmmakers through organisations like Crazy8s and the British Columbia District Council of the Directors Guild of Canada (AKA DGC BC).

This weekend, the DGC BC will recognise Zach’s many contributions to the film and television scene when it honours him with the Industry Builder Award at its annual Spotlight BC Directors Conference. On the eve of the conference, Zach sits down with Sabrina Rani Furminger to talk filmmaking, his love for Vancouver cast and crews, Final Destination Bloodlines, Mogwai, his longtime collaboration with Adam Stein, how he helped save Vancouver’s Park Theatre, and what it means to be an industry builder. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 358: We need to talk about menopause

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Filmmaker Kate Green (NarcoLeap) returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to discuss Menopause: Coming In Hot, her audacious documentary that was produced through Telus Originals and has its world premiere this week at the 2025 Whistler Film Festival. Inspired by Kate's own journey through menopause, Menopause: Coming in Hot features candid personal accounts and expert insight about perimenopause and menopause. Fascinating, relatable, and often hilarious – spoiler alert: there’s a vulva puppet – the film reframes menopause as an empowering stage of life, helping women feel seen, heard, and understood. Not only does the film break the stigma that exists around perimenopause and menopause, but it acknowledges the existence of both, which is groundbreaking in and of itself. As Kate’s own mom says in the documentary, “Women need to know.” Another line that sums up the experience of perimenopause and menopause AND Kate’s execution of this film? “Shit gets done when women get angry.” In this compelling conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Kate Green talks vulva puppets, “the change,” breaking the stigma, and the kind of shit that gets done when women get angry.

Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 357: Jay Brazeau

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Jay Brazeau is an icon of the Vancouver film and television scene, and he’s got the filmography to prove it. He’s appeared in iconic television series like The X-Files, Supernatural, Stargate SG-1, Da Vinci’s Inquest, and 21 Jump Street, Hollywood fare like Watchmen and Best In Show, and critically acclaimed indie fare like Eadweard, Down River, and Carl Bessai’s Fathers and Sons. He actually won a Leo Award for Fathers and Sons, which is a role that required him to get in a knife fight with Ben Immanuel, get drunk, and talk dirty over a coffin at a funeral. Jay is also an in-demand voice actor whose credits are many and include Sabrina: The Animated Series and the Academy Award nominated National Film Board of Canada short The Big Snit, the latter of which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. On stage, he’s starred in productions of Hairspray!, Fiddler on the Roof, The Cat Came Back, and The Battle of Georges Boivin.

There are plenty of reasons as to why Jay has been a go-to character actor for the Vancouver screen scene for decades (his versatility; his reliability; his intuition; his artistry), but if you ask Jay, it’s because he’s lucky and (his words) “every production needs a fat guy.”

In this compelling conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Jay reflects on his journey from Winnipeg to screens and stages large and small, appearing in a whopping 10 productions of Fiddler on the Roof, and how he confirmed that his improvised knife fight in Fathers and Sons was true to life.

Episode sponsor: UBCP / ACTRA

Episode 356: Ken Kabatoff

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Filmmaker and screenwriter Ken Kabatoff (Travelers) took home the big prize at the DGC BC’s Greenlight competition a couple of years ago, and the short film he created with that financial backing – The Doukhobor – is one of the most impactful horror films our host has ever seen. The Doukhobor draws its inspiration from the story of the Freedomite Doukhobors, and the abysmal treatment this group of pacifists, freethinkers, and anti-materialists (whose members included Ken’s own family) received at the hands of the Canadian government. Ken is also the filmmaker of two terrifying horror shorts – LUTO and LUTO 2 – as well as a recent video in which he attempted to remake his first LUTO film shot for shot using AI (a video that is horrifying for reasons not related to it being a remake of a horror film).

In this riveting conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Ken talks about making horror films for audiences who live in horrifying times, the bravery of Freedomite Doukhobors (and how their history impacted his short film), and what his recent experiment taught him about AI.

Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 355: Mayumi Yoshida Returns

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000

The wildly talented multi-hyphenate Mayumi Yoshida returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to discuss her long-awaited feature film directorial debut, Akashi, which is inspired by Mayumi’s own experience of living in the space between cultures. Ten years after moving to Vancouver, struggling visual artist Kana (that’s Mayumi) returns to Tokyo to attend the funeral of her beloved grandmother. Arriving in Japan, she rekindles a tentative flame with her bashful ex-boyfriend, Hiro, an aspiring thespian who vanished from her life a decade prior. As Kana digs deeper into her grandmother’s past, she uncovers a family secret that prompts her to reconsider everything she thought she knew about love, duty, and belonging.

Akashi – which Mayumi wrote, directed, and starred in – has its world premiere this week at the 2025 Vancouver International Film Festival. The feature began its life as a Fringe Festival play in 2016, before evolving into a Storyhive-funded short film in 2017 (the latter for which she earned a slew of awards, including the award for Best Female Director at the 2018 Vancouver Short Film Festival, and the Outstanding Writer Award at the NBCUniversal Short Film Festival). Although it’s been a long road to bring Akashi to the screen in its current feature-length incarnation, Mayumi hasn’t been idle in the intervening years: between directing short films – including the music video for Different Than Before, which won the SXSW Music Video Jury Award in 2023 – and working as a dialect coach and cultural consultant and advocating for diversity and inclusion in our challenging industry, Mayumi has been fighting to get this film made. This included, in 2021, taking on Telefilm, Canada’s major funding provider, for their outdated language requirements that didn’t take Canada’s purported commitment to diversity and inclusion into consideration. In this riveting conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Mayumi reflects on her journey to this moment, how Akashi changed over the years, and how Akashi changed her as an artist.

Episode sponsor: UBCP / ACTRA

Episode 354: Brishkay Ahmed

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000

What has the Taliban’s shocking return to power meant for Afghan women? Brishkay Ahmed’s new documentary In The Room hands the mic to Afghan women who’ve stepped onto the world stage and reclaimed their homeland and identity. This includes Brishkay herself, who literally steps through the looking glass and confronts and contextualises her own identity. At times dreamlike and always impactful, In The Room is at once a celebration of Afghan resistance, and a reminder that – in age where women’s rights are being gleefully eroded all over the world, including most notably south of our border – our autonomy as women must be actively protected. In The Room was produced through the National Film Board of Canada and has its world premiere at the 2025 Vancouver International Film Festival. In this wildly fascinating conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Brishkay reflects on her own journey with her Afghan identity, the power of anger in activism and resistance, and the parallels she sees between what’s happened in Afghanistan and what’s currently occurring all over the world.

Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 353: Aliyah O’Brien and Priscilla Faia

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast is both another instalment in our ongoing #IndustryBFFs series AND our season opener! Sabrina is joined in the podcast studio by two powerhouse actresses who are uplifting women in film via their new project, the Liberated Actresses Playground: Aliyah O’Brien and Priscilla Faia. Returning guest Aliyah O’Brien is beloved for her work on Rookie Blue, Legends of Tomorrow, and You Me Her, for her beautiful smile, and her equally beautiful personality. Priscilla Faia is a new friend-of-the-pod but a veteran actress around town. You know her from You Me Her – for which she won a Leo Award for Best Performance in a Music, Comedy or Variety Program or Series – and for Rookie Blue, for which she was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award. In this rambunctious and at times emotional conversation (facilitated by vodka soda and the “airport drinking” paradigm), Aliyah and Priscilla discuss what it means to be a liberated actress, how their friendship has helped them navigate this sometimes unfriendly industry, and why women are stronger when we stand together. Episode sponsor: UBCP / ACTRA

Episode 352: Dr. Jules Arita Koostachin and Sera-Lys McArthur

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Earlier this month, Angela’s Shadow won two awards – for best screenwriting and best production design – at the 2025 Leo Awards. It was the latest in a string of successes for the film, which won the Panorama Audience Award at the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival, kicks off a theatrical run in Toronto this weekend, and is acclaimed Cree filmmaker Dr. Jules Arita Koostachin’s highly anticipated follow-up to the similarly lauded Broken Angel. In Angela’s Shadow, Angela (played by Sera-Lys McArthur) and Henry (Matthew Kevin Anderson), young 1930s socialites with a baby on the way, embark on a short trip north to visit Angela’s beloved childhood nanny, Mary (Renae Morriseau). When Angela is harassed by a menacing shadow figure, Mary moves to bless and protect her and her unborn child with illegal Cree ceremonies and medicine. As the truth about her ancestry and the spectral figure’s identity unfold, Angela must decide whether to delve into her newfound spiritual traditions in order to protect herself from her husband’s escalating purity-obsessed racism.

Angela’s Shadow is the second film in a trilogy that follows three sets of Cree characters all connected to each other in some way, across three different time periods, who use their connections to their Cree spiritual traditions to combat and heal from settler colonialism. The first film – the aforementioned dramatic thriller entitled Broken Angel – won Sera-Lys the award for Best Actress at the 2022 American Indian Film Festival. In this compelling conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Jules and Sera-Lys talk about healing from settler colonialism through art, working with family (three of Jules’ sons and her mom all appear in the film), being pregnant IRL shortly after being pregnant onscreen, and where they’re going to take us next.

Episode sponsor: Directors Guild Of Canada, BC District Council

Episode 351: Bronwen Smith and Catherine Lough Haggquist

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Bronwen Smith was nominated for a UBCP/ACTRA Award for her scene-stealing dramatic turn in Laura Adkin’s feature film directorial debut, Re: Uniting. Catherine Lough Haggquist (who received the Lorena Gale Woman of Distinction Award from UBCP/ACTRA in 2020) garnered a globe-spanning fanbase for her role as the ass-kicking General Bellweather on Motherland: Fort Salem. Separately, they are powerhouse performers; together, they are #IndustryBFFs whose friendship directly impacts their individual journeys through this topsy-turvy film and television industry (not to mention the work they do through The Drama Class, where they provide online education, support, and community for actors everywhere and at every level). In this contemplative, moving, and at times hilarious episode, Bronwen and Cat discuss their three decades of friendship – and why people sometimes ask if they’re actually okay. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 350: New film inspired by radical communities who claim to feed off of light

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Inedia is a disquieting and psychologically charged dramatic feature exploring a young woman’s descent into a dangerous online fasting movement. Filmed on Salt Spring Island, Inedia tells the story of Cora (Amy Forsyth), a desperate young woman who signs up for an alternative lifestyle community to escape her mounting food allergies. At Sun Haven, they practice “breatharianism,” subsisting on light and air. The group’s charismatic leader (Susanne Wuest) and peaceful vibes give Cora hope, but it’s not long before she realizes there are tensions beneath the surface. At its core, Inedia is an eerie study of emotional and psychological disturbance and the way it manifests outwardly. Filmmaker Liz Cairns joins Sabrina in the YVR Screen Scene studio to discuss her journey with Inedia and her experience visiting a breatharian retreat in Peru. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 349: Alex Zahara talks Final Destination: Bloodlines

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Beloved Vancouver actor Alex Zahara swings by the YVR Screen Scene Podcast studio to discuss his wildly entertaining turn as Uncle Howard (RIP) in Final Destination: Bloodlines and his own remarkable career on stage and screen. The funny and fascinating conversation covers a lot of territory: how Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein’s critically acclaimed, blockbuster contribution to the Final Destination universe is a love letter to Vancouver; how he gets into character (a process that somehow involves primordial ooze); memorable roles from his career, including his 40 on-screen deaths; how he navigates the quiet times; and what it is about this topsy-turvy biz that keeps him coming back for more. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 348: Simon Barry talks Bet

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Simon Barry (Warrior Nun, Continuum) returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to discuss his latest series. Bet – 10 episodes of which dropped on Netflix in May 2025 – draws its inspiration from the manga Kakegurai – Compulsive Gambler. The series tells the story of Yumeko (portrayed by Miku Martineau), a young woman who enrols in an exclusive boarding school to avenge the murder of her parents. This exclusive boarding school ain’t Hogwarts: it’s a cutthroat academy run by a powerful Student Council whose power structure is entirely based on gambling. Yumeko’s prowess at gambling and her overarching revenge quest put her in the crosshairs of the Student Council and its formidable president, Kira – leading to a showdown that is both high-octane and deeply satisfying.

Bet is at once a breath of fresh air and exactly what we’ve come to expect from Simon Barry: a wildly entertaining adventure set in an unexpected world about a whip-smart woman on a seemingly impossible quest. In this fascinating interview, Simon discusses his journey with Bet, what Miku Martineau brought to the pivotal role of Yumeko, his thoughts on AI, collaborating with director Jacquie Gould (Outlander, Obi-Wan Kenobi), Dennis Heaton’s brain, and what he learned from Warrior Nun and its fans.

Episode sponsor: Directors Guild Of Canada, BC District Council

Episode 347: Why Dil Rakh: Gloves of Kin is a game-changer

Sabrina Furminger — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 10:00:00 +0000

The Vancouver-shot Dil Rakh: Gloves of Kin tells the story of Sukh Sidhu, a South Asian man who spent 20 years in jail for a crime he didn't commit. Upon his release, he returns to the small predominantly white town where his life went sideways, where racism abounds and where his son Dayton is in deep with a group of petty criminals who barely conceal their contempt for his brownness. Dayton is pissed with his dad for leaving the family for 20 years, and reconciliation seems impossible – until father and son find common ground in the boxing ring.

Dil Rakh: Gloves of Kin is one part drama, one part boxing, one part commentary on racism in small town North America, and 100 per cent heart; in other words (and in the opinion of YVR Screen Scene host Sabrina Rani Furminger), it’s a game-changer. The film won the Sundar Prize for Best BC Film at the 2024 Sundar Prize Film Festival and is currently available for streaming on Amazon Prime. Actors Dalj Brar (who also wrote and directed) and Umar Farook Khan join Sabrina in the YVR Screen Scene Podcast lab to talk the evolution of representation, boxing, changing the game, and keeping the faith.

Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 346: Documentary spotlights 15 Canadian women champions (and we’ve got three of them in this episode)

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 20 May 2025 16:26:11 +0000

This special episode features four of the producers and three of the world-class athletes showcased in Beyond The Podium: Celebrating Canadian Women Champions. The juggernaut documentary – which was directed by Brenda Whitehall – hands the mic to 15 of Canada’s top women winter athletes and invites them to delve deep into the issues that are intertwined with their journey to the podiums: issues like racism, infertility, depression and anxiety, safe sport, and discrimination. We see how athletes support each other, carry the weight of a nation, and navigate all manner of challenges and successes. The film is vast in its scope but also incredibly intimate, which is also an apt description for this super-sized episode, which finds Sabrina chatting with director Brenda Whitehall, producers Sarah Dawn Pledge, Angela Galanopoulos, and Juliana Bergstrom; and champions Jennifer Heil, Viviane Forest, and Kaetlyn Osmond about what it takes to be a champion.

Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 345: Giles Panton returns

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 09 May 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Five years ago, actor Giles Panton swung by the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about voicing Iron Man in Marvel Battleworld: Mystery of the Thanostones, the sleighful of Christmas movies in his filmography, what he learned playing the minister of propaganda for the American Reich in Amazon Prime’s critically acclaimed dystopian series The Man in the High Castle, and the Barbie commercial that broke up his band. It’s a fantastic episode (which you can find in the episode footnotes or wherever you listen to podcasts), but a lot can change in five years. For instance, you can move from being the guy that always loses the girl in the rom-com to the guy who gets her. You can win a Leo Award for Best Performance in an Animation Program for your work in animated horror anthology series Red Iron Road AND a UBCP/ACTRA Award for voicing Carnage and Norman Osborne in Absolute Carnage. You can get an ADHD diagnosis that explains so much of how you move through the world. You can become a dad. In this compelling conversation – at times poignant; at times funny; always authentic and entertaining – Giles reflects on the many changes of the last five years, what it takes to be a leading man, working with Andrea Brooks on Snowy with a Chance of Christmas, pursuing joy, constructing grilled cheese sandwiches, and how his ADHD diagnosis changed his life.

Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 344: The trailblazing Black Punjabi jazz singer that Canada forgot

Sabrina Furminger — Sat, 03 May 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Baljit Sangra’s new documentary issues its central question in its title: Have You Heard Judi Singh? If you have to think about it, the answer is no, because once you’ve heard Judi Singh sing, you’ll remember it – her clarity, her lyricism, the ease with which she scat and sang bebop and standards and original music – you’ll remember that you’ve heard Judi Singh sing for the rest of your life. Originally from Edmonton, gifted jazz singer Judi Singh defied expectations as a Punjabi-Black artist stepping onto the stage in the late 1950s. Though her ethereal voice captivated musicians and audiences, the music industry failed to give her the recognition she deserved—an all-too-familiar story for women and artists of colour. In this lively and deeply felt documentary portrait, Judi’s daughter Emily Hughes and Baljit retrace Judi’s life and music through archival recordings, intimate recollections, and the bohemian spaces she once inhabited. Weaving together moments of brilliance, struggle, and resilience, the film reintroduces a forgotten artist to the spotlight she always deserved.

More people will have the opportunity to acquaint themselves with Judi’s voice and her remarkable story after Have You Heard Judi Singh? has its world premiere at the 2025 DOXA Documentary Film Festival. Filmmaker Baljit Sangra returns to the podcast to discuss Judi’s artistry and legacy.

Episode sponsor: Directors Guild Of Canada, BC District Council

Episode 343: House of David’s Jonathan Lloyd Walker

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 10:00:00 +0000

House of David on Amazon Prime tells the story of the shepherd boy who brought down a giant Philistine warrior with a slingshot and a stone and, ultimately, became king. But the story of David – outcast David, underdog David, King David – is more than a single parable – and the first season of House of David lays out David’s journey from childhood until moments after he felled Goliath with a single stone. Although the series – which aired its first season finale earlier this month and has already been renewed for a second season – is filmed in Greece, it boasts an impressive contingent from Vancouver. Louis Ferreira is David’s father, Jesse. Kimani Ray-Smith is stunt coordinator. Todd Giroux is post producer. Alexandra La Roche and Michael Nankin directed episodes. And Vancouver’s own Jonathan Lloyd Walker is executive producer, writer, and season one show runner. In this compelling conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Jonathan discusses his journey to House of David, the joys and challenges of bringing these biblical personages to the screen, and where the show will take viewers in season two. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 342: Kevin Eastwood spotlights the brave British Columbians fighting wildfires

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Wildfire is a phenomenal, deeply moving, and heart-pounding five-part series that airs on Knowledge Network beginning on April 29. Filmed across British Columbia in 2023, during the worst fire season on record, the series examines how an unprecedented fuel build-up, combined with a hotter, drier climate, created a volatile tinderbox situation. It also introduces us to the communities impacted by wildfires and the humans who put their lives on the line to fight fire however they can: with water, with axes, with ingenuity, and with fire itself. We see firsthand the daunting climate emergency we face and meet the people standing between British Columbians and complete devastation. Wildfire is executive produced and co-directed by friend of the pod Kevin Eastwood, and co-directed and produced by Nelson filmmakers Simon Shave and Clay Mitchell. In this fascinating episode, Kevin Eastwood reflects on what he learned about the British Columbians who are stepping up to fight these record-breaking wildfires, and how he and his team handled the logistics of filming the firefighting up close.

Episode sponsor: Directors Guild Of Canada, BC District Council

Episode 341: Supinder Wraich and Nimisha Mukerji

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 10:00:00 +0000

In this special episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Allegiance star Supinder Wraich and executive producer Nimisha Mukerji reflect on the crime procedural’s emotionally searing second season. Season one introduced us to Sabrina Sohal (played by Supinder), a star rookie police officer in the CFPC who must grapple with the limits of the justice system as she fights to exonerate her politician father Ajeet Sohal, played by friend of the pod Stephen Lobo. Season two finds Sabrina earning a probationary spot as a detective in the Serious Crimes Unit, and with a new partner: Detective Corporal Zak Kalaini played by Samer Salem, from a CFPC branch in Alberta, who has a much different style of policing than Sabrina.

Allegiance is set and produced in Surrey, British Columbia, and is very much a character in its own right. Season two brought us even deeper into the community, and also into issues that are at once specific to Surrey and also universal: issues like violence against women in the South Asian community; sexual predation of teen boys; violence against the unhoused; PTSD; and also grief: how we navigate it, and how we need to fold it into our lives somehow or risk losing ourselves altogether.

In the first half of the episode, Supinder Wraich reflects on Sabrina’s journey in season two, her own journey in Sabrina’s detective shoes, and healing through representation. In the second half of the episode, executive producer and director Nimisha Mukerji reflects on the emotional resonance of Allegiance’s second season, and what Sabrina Sohal represents for her.

Episode sponsor: Directors Guild Of Canada, BC District Council

Episode 340: Ben Immanuel and Gabrielle Miller

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Actor-filmmaker Ben Immanuel (Down River) and actress Gabrielle Miller (Corner Gas) swung by the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to discuss Are We Done Now? The comedy-drama tells the story of therapist Pamela (played by Gabrielle) and her diverse young clients as they participate in a (fictionalised) documentary exploring the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on their mental health. Through this experience, they—and the filmmaker, played by Ben—gain unexpected self-insight, leading to a deeper understanding of their identities and roles in our transformed world. Besides Gabrielle, this comedic and emotionally resonant film stars Favour Onwuka, Eliot Ramsay, Natalie Farrow, Giacomo Baessato, Jennifer Spence, and Camille Sullivan—and on April 12 and 13, it will screen at VIFF Centre as part of National Canadian Film Week. In this thoughtful interview, Ben and Gabrielle reflect on filming a comedy-drama about COVID during the (mostly dramatic and not very funny) first year of COVID, and the impact of unprocessed pandemic grief on artists.

Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 339: Carl Bessai and Vincent Gale

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Filmmaker Carl Bessai and actor Vincent Gale are legends of the Vancouver screen scene. These two legends have worked together before – Vincent was nominated for a Leo Award for his work in Carl’s iconic comedy-drama Fathers & Sons – and their latest collaboration, Field Sketches, screens at VIFF Centre on April 12 and 14 as part of National Canadian Film Week.

Carl mined his own life and family history for Field Sketches. Vincent stars as Peter, a middle-aged architect whose business and personal life are imploding. With nothing left to hold him in the city, Peter decides to move to his family farm and spend the winter in Saskatchewan. He soon discovers that pioneer life is much more than he bargained for. And the silence and loneliness play tricks on his imagination.

Field Sketches takes its characters and audiences from a gorgeous mid-century modern home in Vancouver, to Peter’s rustic family farm in Saskatchewan (played by Carl’s family farm), and into the past, to East Germany (played by Berlin). The result is a singular piece of art that is rich with surprises, fleeting and impactful beauty, and insight into what it means to age as an artist, an immigrant, and the descendent of immigrants. In this fascinating conversation, Carl and Vincent reflect on their journey with Field Sketches, and how their own experiences with art align with Peter’s journey.

Episode sponsor: Directors Guild Of Canada, BC District Council

Episode 338: Emily Bett Rickards

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 10:05:00 +0000

Emily Bett Rickards (Arrow's Felicity Smoak) swung by the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to discuss one of the most wildly entertaining, audacious, and empowering films of this or any year, Queen of the Ring. Emily shines as Mildred “Millie” Burke, the legendary professional wrestler and single mom who defied incredible odds to become the first million-dollar female athlete and longest reigning champion at a time when the sport was banned across most of America. Queen of the Ring was written and directed by Ash Avildsen. The cast also includes Walter Goggins, Josh Lucas, Francesca Eastwood, Tyler Posey, and Marie Avgeropoulos. Queen of the Ring opens in Canada on April 4, including at VIFF Centre and the Rio Theatre in Vancouver, and Emily joined Sabrina Rani Furminger on the pod to talk about Mildred’s commitment to intersectionality, muscularity, and femininity, what she learned about Millie by jacking up for the role, and the conversation she’d love to have with the late wrestling star. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 337: We love short films

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 22:08:21 +0000

It’s a short film extravaganza! This double-header features interviews with not one but two fearless filmmakers who’ve created something very special in the short film space. First, Jackie Hoffart talks about The Reveal, a comedy about nonbinary Stevie, who struggles to support their sister’s gender reveal party while harbouring some news of their own: that they have started on testosterone, that they are transitioning. The Reveal has its world premiere on March 29 at the 2025 Crazy8s Film Gala, AKA the hottest ticket in town. That conversation is followed by a stirring chat with filmmaker, actor, and dancer Juliana Bergstrom about mining her personal life and passions for Harbour. The film premiered on CBC Gem on February 6, and is at once a love letter to art and dance, and the struggles and triumphs of life as an artist. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Special Episode: Sabrina talks Ukraine + activism with Cultural_Front.UA. Also: a YVR Screen Scene update

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 19:27:32 +0000

Our very own Sabrina Rani Furminger recently joined Sasha Pobochii on the Cultural_Front.UA Podcast to talk about her upcoming documentary Our Hall (about her family’s long history of activism), how the events of February 24, 2022 altered Ukrainians (in Ukraine, displaced, and diaspora), and how non-Ukrainians can hold space for Ukrainians during this tumultuous time. And before that, Sabrina gives an update on the new season of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast.

Episode 335: Maja Aro and Dani Johnson

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Maja Aro and Dani Johnson are two of the talented dynamos behind Abby and the Muffins. The series – which dropped on YouTube in late 2024 and quickly amassed more than 100,000 subscribers – stars the wildly talented Dani as Abby, a singing, stunting, and dancing tour-guide who leads pre-schoolers through an imaginative world of fun, play, movement, learning, and exploring. In this fascinating conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Maja and Dani talk about the joys and challenges of putting together an original series combining live action, animation, and original music, working with kids, the benefits of trying scary things and creating the content you want to see in the world, and why growing up shouldn’t mean giving up playtime. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 334: War Tails follows heroes saving animals on the front lines of the war in Ukraine

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 15:34:41 +0000

War Tails tells the story of a small group of volunteers in Ukraine working tirelessly to prevent a continent-wide rabies outbreak. Displaced filmmaker Olha Byrledianu’s feature-length documentary – which screens on March 3 as part of the 2025 Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival – takes us into the world of a handful of volunteers from Canada and Ukraine as they work to rescue, heal, vaccinate, and sterilise dogs and cats in some of the most dangerous parts of Ukraine. At the heart of War Tails are two volunteers – Dan Fine from West Vancouver, and Krystina Dragomaretska in Ukraine – who are united in their desire to rescue animals and prevent a rabies epidemic. War Tails is stirring, heart-pounding, devastating, and life-affirming. This documentary has it all: missile strikes, cute animals, blow darts, powerlifting champs turned animal rescuers and, most important of all, a call to action. In advance of the film’s Canadian premiere at the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival – which will be followed by a Q&A featuring Olha, Dan, and Krystina in conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger – the filmmaker and the West Vancouver dog lover join Sabrina in the YVR Screen Scene studio to talk about the how’s and why’s of making War Tails.

Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 333: Praneet Akilla talks SkyMed, Allegiance, and theatre

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 14 Feb 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Friend of the pod Praneet Akilla returns to reflect on his recent on- and off-screen adventures – including SkyMed, currently airing its third season on CBC Television and CBC Gem. Praneet is back as Chopper, who is still coming to terms with the death of his astronaut dreams in season two while exploring what it means to be a leader and also the possibility of a new entanglement with recently arrived chief nurse from the big city, Marianne (portrayed by Nicola Correia-Damude). It’s fun to watch Praneet in the role of Chopper; we get to see him be funny and charming and also deal with the big dramatic beats and heart-pounding moments that make SkyMed must-see-TV. In this funny and fascinating episode, Praneet discusses the emotional beats and blockbuster fun of SkyMed’s third season, Chopper’s “dark” era, his guest role as a badass gang leader on the brilliant locally shot crime drama Allegiance, and why he’ll always make time for theatre.

Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 332: Natalie Moon

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Actress Natalie Moon is fully bidialectal, meaning she’s equally proficient in using two or more dialects of the same language. In fact, she’s so proficient at being bidialectal that she’s an in-demand accent coach, and has coached big bold names like Jon Voight and Kristin Chenoweth. She also produced How To Make it in Hollywood (When You’re Foreign AF), Alessandro Miro’s hilarious web series that skewered stereotypes around accents in the film biz. In addition to her work in the accent realm, Natalie is also a talented actor who has performed in an array of fan favourite productions, including The Flash, Motherland: Fort Salem, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Death Note, and a recent episode of Superman & Lois in which she portrayed Lex Luthor’s ex-wife, Erica Alexandra del Portenza Luthor.

In this fascinating conversation, Natalie talks about what it takes to be bidialectal, the creative ways she builds backgrounds for her characters, that time Sir Patrick Stewart read Moby Dick to her class at the Oxford School of Drama, and how she prepared to play Erica, Lex Luthor’s ex-wife, on Superman & Lois (also: Sabrina shares her unpopular opinion on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine).

Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 331: Chris Haddock

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Chris Haddock’s impact on the Vancouver and Canadian television landscapes is undeniable. He’s a showrunner, writer, producer, and all-round storyteller whose filmography includes Da Vinci’s Inquest, Da Vinci’s City Hall, Intelligence, Boardwalk Empire, and The Romeo Section. He’s been instrumental in launching the careers of some of our local industry’s shining stars, and centred Vancouver in the majority of his shows. All of this is to say that, if anyone knows the television landscape in this country, it’s Chris Haddock – and with this landscape in the midst of profound change, we invited Chris onto the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about about the lessons he’s learned over the course of his storied career, how artists can change with the times or resist, and the joys and challenges of both. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 330: Kandyse McClure returns

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Late last month, Kandyse McClure won a 2024 UBCP/ACTRA Award for her work as fearless firefighter Kaia Bryant on Netflix’s wildly popular dramatic serial Virgin River. Audiences first met Kaia early on in season five, when she delivers a baby on the side of a mountain with Mel and Cameron consulting over FaceTime. From the jump, it’s clear that Kaia is an alpha woman: she’s confident, shoots back sipping tequila, and goes after what she wants, which by the end of that first episode is Preacher, played by Colin Lawrence – and the fact that she has a douche-canoe of an estranged husband and a high-octane career aren’t going to hold her back from getting what she wants. As season five ends, Kaia is Virgin River’s new fire chief, and Kaia and Preacher are building something new together. Things would be perfect if it weren’t for the fact that the body of an abusive asshole that Preacher buried seasons before in order to help Paige has just been unearthed. What does this blast from the past mean for Kaia and Preacher? We’ll get closer to some answers to this and many other questions when Virgin River returns for its highly anticipated sixth season on December 19. In this fascinating interview, Kandyse dishes on what she learned about fighting fires from the pros, where Kaia ends and Kandyse begins, her Virgin River scene partner Colin Lawrence, and that fan-favourite leap over the bar. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 329: Sharon Taylor talks ‘Cross’

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 29 Nov 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Powerhouse actress Sharon Taylor swings by the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about her role on Cross, the number one Amazon Prime series in the world. Cross stars Aldis Hodge as the famous detective from James Patterson’s books and, later, films starring Morgan Freeman and Tyler Perry – but this is not your grandparents’ Alex Cross. Yes, this Alex Cross, like the Alex Crosses of yore, uses forensic psychology to identify murderers and bring them to justice. But the Alex Cross of 2024 is more of a fully fleshed human being. We see the fullness of his life as a Black man, father, widower, friend, lover, and detective in a white supremacist world upended by the murders of George Floyd and Sandra Bland. Cross on Prime is sexy, dark, addictive, and made even more delicious by the presence of the aforementioned Sharon Taylor. Sharon plays Oracene Massey, Cross’s immediate boss, which is a tough position to be in, because it’s hard to be Cross’ boss sometimes, especially when you’re very pregnant, and there’s a serial killer terrorising your city and your team. In this funny and fascinating conversation between long-time friends, Sharon and Sabrina delve into the joys and beautiful challenges of Sharon’s juicy role in this critically acclaimed thriller. NOTE: Crucial spoiler talk re: Cross occurs between 34:34 and 44:28. If you don’t want to be spoiled, skip ahead! Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 328: New Heritage Minute celebrates female painter who strode into No Man’s Land

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 11:00:00 +0000

If you live in Canada, you’re probably familiar with Heritage Minutes. Produced by Historica Canada, these sixty-second short films educate viewers on fascinating or little-known stories from Canada’s history. Dozens of Heritage Minutes have been released since 1991, and many of them are iconic, like “Doctor Penfield, I can smell burnt toast!” and “You never know, it might be worth something someday” and especially “Both of you know I canna read a word.” The latest short film to join the pantheon of iconic Heritage Minutes tells the story of Mary Riter Hamilton, a brave Canadian painter who ventured into No Man’s Land in the aftermath of World War One. She bore witness to the destruction and devastation, painted what she saw, and suffered mentally and physically as a result. The haunting Heritage Minute – which stars Megan Follows (AKA Anne Shirley) as Mary – was written and directed by a Vancouver-based dynamic duo, Hayley Gray and Elad Tzadok, whose previous Heritage Minute told the story of Paldi, one of the most successful multicultural communities in our history. In this fascinating episode, get to know this trailblazing but little-known artist from the first half of the 20th century, as well as the dynamic duo who stepped up to tell her story. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 327: Nicholas Carella and Matthew Clarke

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 11:00:00 +0000

“If the Ghostbusters and the Scooby-Doo gang got stoned together in Stanley Park and Frankensteined a high-larious single-camera sitcom, it would probably look something like Paranormal Solutions Inc.” That’s how our valiant host Sabrina Rani Furminger opened an article she wrote in 2016 for the Westender newspaper about the first season of Paranormal Solutions Inc., a fabulous series from the funniest people in Vancouver. Eight years later – and nearly 10 years after visiting their set in Gastown where they filmed much of season one – the Paranormal Solutions Inc. gang is back, with season two. This time around, the PSI gang is even funnier, more of a collective hot mess, and getting themselves into even zanier and grosser paranormal situations than in season one, even serving up a delightful smorgasbord of homages to some of our favourite horror properties, from The Blair Witch Project to Halloween to The Shining to Cujo – and, for some reason, there’s also a lot of kale. Paranormal Solutions Inc. stars David Milchard, Julia Benson, Nicholas Carella, Daniel Bacon, Diana Bang, Christina Sicoli, and Matt Clarke, with cameos from local favourites like Sara Canning and Jordan Connor. It’s produced by Tilt 9 Entertainment and executive produced by another long list of our favourites: Milchard, Carella, Clarke, Michelle Ouellet, and Dylan Collingwood. In this rambunctious episode, Sabrina is joined by Nicholas Carella and Matthew Clarke to talk about the how’s and why’s and WTF’s (including the joys and challenges of acting opposite a taxidermied rodent) of this side-splitting horror comedy series. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 326: Angela Moore

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 10:00:00 +0000

One of the most deliciously terrifying shows on the planet recently returned for its third season. From – an MGM series that airs on Paramount Plus in Canada – takes place in a town in the middle of America that imprisons everyone who enters. As the residents struggle to maintain a sense of normality and seek a way out, they must also survive the threats of the surrounding forest. There’s a lot to love about From: how it’s at once a scary show about monsters AND a show about how humans can thrive and crumble under extreme pressure; how it forces us to consider how we would fare in similar circumstances; how it features Vancouver actress Angela Moore in a critical role.

Angela is Bakta, a bus driver who arrives in the cursed town at the helm of a bus of passengers who have no idea the hell they’re about to encounter. Bakta is a wonderful character – a woman who was only working this job to pay off her student loans, and stuck around a bit longer for some extra money – but she’s got nothing on Angela, who is a phenomenal actress and remarkable activist who has worked on behalf of her community for many years. In this compelling interview (which begins with surprise cameo by a crow!), Angela discusses her experiences filming From, her “Actor Origin Story," her own relationship to spooky film and television, and how the industry has (and has not) changed since 2020. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 325: Teagan Vincze

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 10:00:00 +0000

To say that actress Teagan Vincze’s filmography is varied is an understatement. Her lengthy list of credits includes critically acclaimed roles in indie hits – like when she played a compassionate sex worker in Daughter, Anthony Shim’s critically acclaimed first feature that screened at the Vancouver International Film Festival, or when she played a fiery adult film star in The Cannon, a nuanced role for which she was nominated for a Leo Award – as well as nuanced performances in an array of studio and network fare, including Dead Boy Detectives, The Unauthorized Melrose Place Story, and a long and growing list of Christmas movies, including A Cowboy Christmas, where we finally got to see her as the romantic lead . [NOTE: This episode was recorded before it was announced that A Cowboy Christmas will be available to view in Canada on Tubi; check our episode footnotes for more information] . No matter the role or genre, Teagan’s work is fearless, and lifts roles above any cliches. In this compelling and introspective conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Teagan talks about what she’s learned portraying “taboo” roles in multiple screen projects (including Daughter and The Cannon), the importance of intimacy coordinators, and the special magic of her first time as the lead in a holiday rom-com. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 324: Sook-Yin Lee and Chester Brown

Sabrina Furminger — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 10:01:00 +0000

In this special episode, Sook-Yin Lee, the iconic radio and TV broadcaster, musician, film director, actress, and trailblazing MuchMusic veejay, and Chester Brown, the acclaimed alternative cartoonist, swing by the YVR Screen Scene Podcast studio to talk about Paying For It. The feature film – which had its premiere in Toronto and screened at the Vancouver International Film Festival – is a live-action adaptation of Chester’s best-selling graphic novel that was inspired by the end of his relationship with Sook-Yin (who, in the film, is represented by a character named Sonny who works as a veejay at MaxMusic). Here's the premise for both the book and the film: In the late 90s, Chester and Sonny are a long-term, committed, romantic couple. When Sonny wants to redefine their relationship, Chester, an introverted cartoonist, starts sleeping with sex workers and, in the process, discovers a new kind of intimacy. “Paying For It: a comic strip memoir about being a john” was adapted for the screen by Sook-Yin and Joanne Sarazen; the film was directed by Sook-Yin and stars Dan Beirne as Chester and Emily Le as Sonny. In this riveting interview, Sook-Yin and Chester speak candidly about their journey to bring this story to the screen, art as activism, and if Canadians are ready to talk about sex work as work.

Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 323: We are mentally ill

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 10:00:00 +0000

Content warning: This episode contains frank and graphic talk about mental health, mental illness, and suicide. If you’re thinking about suicide or are worried about a friend or a loved one, the Suicide Crisis Helpline is available 24/7/365 at 9-8-8. You can also find links to international suicide prevention and mental health support services in the footnotes for this episode at YVRScreenScene.com. You matter. You’re not alone.

In honour of World Mental Health Day on October 10, Sabrina Rani Furminger is joined by Alice Ride from Set Protect, a company with a mission to help the entertainment industry better handle issues of mental health and wellness. Their conversation covers the challenges faced by film workers navigating mental illness in the film and television industry, the importance of authentic on-screen representation of mental health issues, and how to be a good ally to people experiencing poor mental health. Says Sabrina: “We need to do everything we can to ensure we don’t lose anyone else.”

Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 322: Nathalie Boltt

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 10:00:00 +0000

Actress Nathalie Boltt and Riverdale’s Penelope Blossom don’t have all that much in common, despite the fact that the former portrayed the latter for all seven seasons of the wildly popular teen drama, but one thing they DO have in common is that both make a habit of defying expectations. This is particularly evident in Nathalie’s lengthy filmography, which includes memorable roles in an array of seemingly disparate genres and projects, including District 9, the BBC’s Inspector George Gently, The Astronauts, and 24 Hours to Live. Nathalie is also an experienced screenwriter, producer, and director who received a Leo nomination in 2022 for screenwriting in a short drama for A.T.A.C.K., a comedy about Actors Typecast As Crooks and Killers (hence A.T.A.C.K.), and she recently received funding from Telefilm for Holy Days, her feature film (a New Zealand - Canada co-pro) that will go to camera later this year.

Besides being a phenomenal actress and storyteller, Nathalie is also an activist who cares very deeply about numerous issues related to the health of our planet, whether she’s speaking out on the devastating impacts of palm oil farming and harvesting, bringing attention to missing and murdered Indigenous women, or advocating for Wetsuweten land defenders. On October 8, Nathalie will host the 9th Annual Sustainable Production Forum, a conference for change-makers in the film and television industry who want to ensure that the entertainment industry does no harm to our planet. In this fascinating interview with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Nathalie talks about growing up under apartheid in South Africa, her reaction to Riverdale’s many transformations, the benefits of sitting in discomfort, what matters to her as a filmmaker, and combatting waste in the film industry. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 321: Lynda Boyd Returns

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 01 Oct 2024 10:00:00 +0000

Lynda Boyd first appeared on the YVR Screen Scene Podcast in 2020 to discuss her incredible acting journey (which includes an exceptional six-season run on Republic of Doyle), and in the years since, she’s been busy. She had a wonderful run on Virgin River that ended with a river of tears when her character Lilly passed away. She reunited with Victor Garber on Family Law, where she played a divisive, cunning, and kinda really awful talk show host named Crystal Steele. She’s a mainstay of Hallmark holiday rom-coms. And she currently has a fantastic role on Sullivan’s Crossing, which follows young neurosurgeon Maggie Sullivan as she flees the challenges of her life in the big city and returns to the idyllic Nova Scotia campground owned and operated by her estranged father. Lynda Boyd shines as Maggie’s mum, Phoebe Lancaster, who seemingly turned her back on turbulent love in Sullivan’s Crossing for something a little less turbulent (but, ultimately, not actually) in the big city. In this fascinating and funny conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Lynda Boyd reflects on her reaction to Lilly’s death on Virgin River, reuniting with Allan Hawco on Sullivan’s Crossing, her turn as an Ann Coulter-type talk show host on Family Law, and where she’d like to take audiences next.

Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 320: Jerome Yoo

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 10:00:00 +0000

Jerome Yoo (the filmmaker behind the critically acclaimed short films Gong Ju, Idols Never Die, and Recess: Third Street) stops by the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to discuss Mongrels, his feature film directorial debut that has its world premiere at the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival. Set in rural Canada in the 1990s, Mongrels follows a Korean family attempting to find footing in a new land while navigating the dark forests of grief. Dad Sonny has been hired to eradicate the feral canines plaguing the town, while sensitive son Hajoon figures out what it means to be a man. Finally, young Hana, missing her mother, dreams up ways to make her return.

Mongrels is lyrical, sorrowful, dreamlike, surreal, disturbing, and surprising: an exceptional mix that is precisely what anyone familiar with Jerome’s previous work would expect to see in his first feature. In this fascinating conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Jerome talks about the day on Mongrels when he directed 14 dogs, his cohort of rising Asian Canadian filmmakers (which includes Lawrence Le Lam and Mayumi Yoshida), and the parallels between his own immigrant journey and Mongrels’ surreal story. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 319: ‘Novelette is Trying’ @ VQFF

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 21:57:17 +0000

Vancouver will finally get to watch its first-ever Black+Queer dramedy web series this week when five episodes of Novelette is Trying screen at the 2024 Vancouver Queer Film Festival. Novelette is Trying follows Novelette, a cynical, anti-social, bisexual woman who finds herself newly single at 30, and decides, rather reluctantly, to take on a roommate. At first, the extroverted, outspoken Audre seems like an odd choice for a roommate. But, although their personalities clash, Audre’s boldness and lack of boundaries soon rub off on Novelette in the best way, encouraging her to put herself back into the dating pool. Audacious, poignant, and funny, Novelette is Trying – which will also be released on OUTtv in 2025 – comes to us from the wonderfully creative mind of Giselle Miller, the Jamaican-Canadian writer, showrunner, filmmaker, and three-time Leo Award-nominated actor. Her credits include Young, Single, and Black, Yolanda the Goddess, and Big People Tingz. In this fascinating conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Giselle reflects on her journey to and with Novelette, and the joys and challenges of bringing this groundbreaking series to the screen.

Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 318: Veena Sood Returns

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 10:00:00 +0000

300 episodes after her first appearance on the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, actress Veena Sood returns to talk about her three seasons (soon to be four!) playing cool mama Nisha on CTV’s Children Ruin Everything, and going back to her improv roots in Colin Mochrie’s Arts Club Reunion (which takes place July 19 and 20 at Vancouver’s historic Stanley Industrial Alliance Theatre). Also: What impact is “wokeness” having on the comedy scene? Is the film and television industry actually, truly, and *really* diverse and inclusive? What’s it like acting opposite Kim Coates (who played her season one boyfriend, Graham, on Children Ruin Everything)? And – most pressing of all, at least to Sabrina – does she still want to be a cowgirl?

Episode 317: Camille Sullivan sets the tone

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 17:47:28 +0000

Actress Camille Sullivan has acquired a boatload of awards and nominations over the course of her career for her work in an array of dramatic projects like Intelligence, Hunter Hunter, The Birdwatcher, and The Disappearance, but it’s her work in a top-rated comedy series that’s currently garnering her mad love from critics, fans, industry insiders, and the fine people of TikTok. The series in question is Shoresy, a spin-off of Jared Keeso and Jacob Tierney’s beloved comedy series, Letterkenny. Shoresy – which recently finished airing its third season and is lacing up for a fourth – 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. Camille is Laura Mohr, a reporter who covers the Bulldogs as part of her beat. Shoresy lights up like a Christmas tree whenever he lays eyes on Laura. It’s adorable how the normally shit-talking Shoresy is so sweet and earnest during these interactions, and it’s so much fun to watch Camille as Laura react with sparkling eyes, mild frustration, bemusement, and (mostly) committed to keeping professional boundaries intact.

Camille can also be seen kicking all sorts of emotional ass in thrillers like Exile with Adam Beach, which is now on VOD, and will soon be seen in the highly anticipated Shelby Oaks, which will screen at the venerable Fantasia Film Festival this summer. In this funny and fascinating interview, Camille talks Shoresy, being a loner, acting in highly dramatic movies, why she doesn’t miss auditioning in “the room,” and her dream to be the Nicolas Cage of Canada. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 316: Joel McCarthy Returns

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 16:53:58 +0000

Joel McCarthy is a filmmaker (Taking My Parents to Burning Man, I Am Alfred Hitchcock), an educator, a producer, an award winner, and a celebrated industry shit-disturber who eschews gatekeeping, speaks truth to power, and builds community through bonkers-popular filmmaking events like Shits N Giggles and Run N Gun. On June 29, the latter caps off its ninth edition (which had 2000 filmmakers creating 149 films in 48 hours) with two electrifying screenings at Vancouver’s iconic Orpheum Theatre. In the busy days before the screenings, Joel swung by the YVR Screen Scene studio to reflect on a decade of shit-disturbing, whether or not he’s (gasp!) gone establishment, the health of Vancouver’s indie filmmaking scene, and why this year’s Run N Gun is the biggest yet. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 315: Bradley Stryker

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 10:00:00 +0000

Bradley Stryker is an accomplished actor and filmmaker with an impressive, and growing, list of credits, including Devil in Ohio, Chesapeake Shores, and The O.C.. He wore both hats on Sheltering Season, his critically acclaimed alternate reality thriller that was not only inspired by the pandemic but was one of the first projects to go to camera after the industry re-opened in summer 2020. In the film, a woman (played with nuance and fire by Caitlyn Stryker) finds herself isolated in her remote home with her brother who is seeking forgiveness for the darkest moment in their family history. In this fascinating and at times emotional conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Bradley reflects on his adventures in pandemic filmmaking and storytelling, and dancing with grief. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA.

Episode 314: Garfield Wilson

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 10:00:00 +0000

Garfield Wilson’s filmography is packed with some of our local industry’s best-loved and most critically acclaimed productions, including Continuum, Schmigadoon, The Man in the High Castle, Virgin River, Ivy and Bean, and Snowpiercer. His roles are often ones that require power, presence, poise, and physical acumen, and he’s using all of those qualities (and more!) as Balestro on Reginald the Vampire, which kicked off its second season on May 8. SyFy’s cult favourite dark comedy follows the adventures of a slushy store employee turned vampire and his human and formerly human friends. Reginald is portrayed by Jacob Batalon, who played Peter Parker’s best friend Ned in five MCU films and who is now leading one of the most diverse and wildly funny shows on TV. Garfield’s Balestro is the Big Bad of the new season. He’s a powerful and intimidating angel who descends from heaven to announce the eventual extinction of vampires – which, obviously, is not welcomed by Reginald the vampire, his vampire friends, and the humans who love them.

In addition to his family and his work in the industry, Garfield is passionate about his activism on behalf of Trans kids. Garfield’s daughter Tru has been a Trans activist since the age of nine, giving TED Talks and advocating for the civil rights of Transgender and genderqueer people, and her proud dad has been by her side every step of the way. In this fascinating and wide-ranging conversation, Garfield talks avenging angels, slushy-loving vampires, and raising Trans kids in intolerant times. Episode sponsor: UBCP / ACTRA

Episode 313: Reena Virk’s tragic murder revisited in Hulu series

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 30 May 2024 10:00:00 +0000

The murder of 14-year-old Reena Virk in 1997 sent shockwaves across Canada. Her murder thrust issues of bullying and teenage violence into the Canadian consciousness. 27 years later, Reena’s story is back in the public consciousness, on both sides of the border this time, thanks to Under the Bridge, a limited series produced by ABC Signature for Hulu and streaming on Disney Plus. Under the Bridge is based on acclaimed author Rebecca Godfrey’s book about Reena’s case. Told through the eyes of Godfrey (portrayed by Riley Keough) and a local police officer played by Golden Globe winner and Academy Award nominee Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon), the series takes us into the hidden world of the young girls accused of the murder, revealing startling truths about bullying and teenagers, family relationships, and racism. Under the Bridge was filmed in British Columbia, which is fitting, because Reena’s is a British Columbia story. In this thoughtful and at times emotional episode, Sabrina speaks with two remarkable British Columbia-based artists involved in the production – acclaimed director Nimisha Mukerji, who directed the fourth episode of the series entitled “Beautiful British Columbia,” and actor Evan Rein, who portrays Officer Don Gardner, a rookie cop on the Saanich police force – about their experiences working on the series and why, nearly 30 years later, it’s important to bear witness to Reena’s story. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 312: Sara Canning Returns

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 17 May 2024 10:00:00 +0000

Award-winning actress Sara Canning (Remedy, The Vampire Diaries) returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about Sweetland. Based on the book by Michael Crummey and adapted for the screen by Christian Sparkes, who also directed, Sweetland draws its inspiration from Newfoundland’s controversial resettlement program, which has removed hundreds of communities from the map. As the film opens, the government is ready to resettle the far-flung fishing community of Sweetland with a healthy pay-out, but only if the entire community signs up for the move. Retired fisherman Moses Sweetland is one of the last hold-outs, which doesn’t make him popular in town. Sara is Clara, the mother of a very special young boy who has a kinship with Moses but who would benefit from treatment and therapies that aren’t available in Sweetland but are available in St John’s. Sweetland is devastating, stirring, and haunting – and for Sara, a born Newfoundlander and long-time fan of the book, the film is something of a homecoming. On May 17, Sweetland will begin an extended at VIFF Centre in Vancouver. In this special episode featuring one of British Columbia’s – and Newfoundland’s – finest actresses, Sara talks about her journey to and with Sweetland, how place influences story, and the Newfoundland of it all. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 311: Loretta Walsh Returns

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 01 May 2024 10:00:00 +0000

Actress Loretta Walsh (When Calls The Heart) returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to discuss The Lifespan of a Fact, the based-on-real-life play that she’s producing and starring in this month at Studio 16 in Vancouver. The Lifespan of a Fact tells the story of a fresh-out-of-Harvard fact checker for a prominent but sinking New York magazine, a talented writer with a transcendent essay about a high stakes event concerning a teenage boy, and a magazine editor-in-chief who needs to balance truth and art with the unsentimental realities of the magazine business. The Lifespan of a Fact is funny but, given how it holds up a mirror to our culture’s current fascination with bending lies into “alternative facts,” it’s also terrifyingly timely. As Emily the editor-in-chief, our dear Loretta shares the stage with longtime collaborator Ben Immanuel and Tal Shulman from So Help Me Todd, under the direction of renowned theatre artist Jennifer Clement. The Lifespan of a Fact runs May 2nd to the 12th at Studio 16, and the May 8 performance will feature a post-show Q & A with the cast, director, and special guests. And that’s not all: Loretta can currently be seen in season 11 of Hallmark Channel’s wildly popular When Calls the Heart, which kicked off its latest season on April 7. In this compelling and at times emotional interview, Loretta talks about The Lifespan of a Fact, how When Calls The Heart’s Florence has changed since season one, acting opposite Hrothgar Mathews, and the ways that theatre can soothe a broken heart. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 310: DOXA directors Rachel Epstein and Cindy Mochizuki

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 10:00:00 +0000

In this DOXA Documentary Film Festival double-header, Sabrina Rani Furminger speaks with two filmmakers whose films are featured in the 2024 edition of the popular fest. Up first is Rachel Epstein, the filmmaker behind The Anarchist Lunch. The film is the story of a lunch – or rather, 35 years of lunches enjoyed each week by a group of ardent leftists who congregated in a Vancouver Chinese restaurant to discuss the important topics of the moment. Among them is Rachel’s father, Norman. The Anarchist Lunch follows these revolutionaries over a period of several years, through the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and during the unfolding of resonant global events. As some members struggle with personal health issues, Rachel’s film takes on new layers to explore the meanings of activism, camaraderie, and growing old. Next up (at timecode 26:13) is Cindy Mochizuki, whose film Between Pictures: The Lens of Tamio Wakayama re-introduces viewers to the famed Vancouver photographer and activist who passed away in 2018. Tamio spent several years of his childhood in an internment camp, after being held with thousands of other forcibly displaced Japanese Canadians in cruel and dehumanizing conditions at Hastings Park – and after the internment ended in 1946, Tamio and his family moved to Chatham, Ontario, once the terminus for the Underground Railroad. And that remarkable beginning is only just that: the beginning of Tamio’s remarkable life as a photographer and activist. In these two fascinating conversations, the documentarians discuss legacy, activism, and the joys and challenges of fact-based filmmaking. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 309: Jennifer Spence Returns

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 10:00:00 +0000

Jennifer Spence (Travelers, Continuum) returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about her leading role in The Trades, a new half-hour single-camera comedy series on Crave. Set in a blue-collar community where the high stress of working in a refinery are balanced by the comedic high-wire antics of its plant workers, The Trades centres around Todd (played by Robb Wells, AKA Ricky from The Trailer Park Boys), a pipefitter, and his sister and roommate, Audrey (Moonshine), who follows in her big brother’s footsteps pursuing a career in the trades as a carpenter. Jennifer plays (and shines as) Chelsea, an ambitious young executive from head office who arrives in town, announces she’s the new site manager, and immediately sets about making changes. At its heart, the eight-part comedy series – which is produced by Trailer Park Boys Inc and Kontent Use Productions for Crave – is a love letter to skilled trade workers, written with grit, humour, and heart. In this entertaining and fascinating episode, Jennifer talks The Trades, dick jokes, welding, East Coast vibes versus West Coast vibes, and naughty parade floats. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 308: Natasha Burnett and Viv Leacock

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 10:00:00 +0000

When Natasha Burnett and Viv Leacock work together, something special happens. Natasha and Viv play Minnie and Joseph Canfield on When Calls the Heart. The first Black family to feature prominently on When Calls the Heart, the Canfields arrived in Hope Valley a few seasons back and quickly became touchstones for many of the town’s residents. Natasha and Viv are fun to watch, and they look like they’re having fun working together. This fun can be seen in Legend of the Lost Locket, a film that is at once a rom-com and a mystery that spans the centuries. Natasha is Amelia, an antiques dealer from England desperate to complete the quest her late mother started to reunite two halves of a legendary locket. Amelia’s quest takes her to America, to a sleepy town on the eve of its 200th anniversary, and straight into the path of the town’s Sheriff, Marcus, played by Viv. Legend of the Lost Locket is currently streaming on Hallmark Movies Now, and will have its Hallmark Channel premiere on Saturday, April 13. In this fascinating conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Natasha and Viv reflect on their journey to this moment, lost lockets, what to expect for Minnie and Joseph in season 11, what Peter DeLuise said that helped them make sense of the Canfields’ presence in Hope Valley, their shared love of Columbo, and what it is that makes their collaboration work. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 307: Jamila Pomeroy on the past, present, and future of Vancouver’s historic Black community

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 10:00:00 +0000

The award-winning documentary feature Union Street chronicles the ongoing effects of racism, displacement, and the cultural erasure of African-Canadians in Vancouver. Before systemic and political mechanisms destroyed Hogan’s Alley – the historic Black neighbourhood located on Union Street – in the 1970s, the area was the home of train porters, speakeasies, juke joints, and a thriving community, and a regular touring stop for iconic musicians like Jimi Hendrix, Louis Armstrong, and Ella Fitzgerald. The reverberations of this thriving community and its intentional and egregious erasure are still felt – and in the face of adversity, a new generation of Black Vancouverites is working tirelessly to rebuild community and facilitate Black joy.

Union Street elevates and amplifies the voices of Black Vancouverites who have decided to create their own spaces. It examines how community spaces can help people heal from racism-related trauma, which is especially important in a city where the powers-that-be actively worked to erase you. Union Street was an official selection of the 2023 Vancouver International Film Festival and the 2023 Reelworld Film Festival, where Jamila Pomeroy, the film’s director, won the award for Outstanding Director for a Feature Film. The film is now available on Telus Optik TV Channel 8 and the Telus Originals website. Jamila joins Sabrina Rani Furminger to talk about the past, present, and future of Vancouver’s Black community, and how what happened when she tried to organize a party on Union Street speaks volumes about the barriers that exist today.

Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 306: 'Seagrass' filmmaker Meredith Hama-Brown

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 10:00:00 +0000

Meredith Hama-Brown is the force behind Seagrass, one of the most talked-about feature film directorial debuts to come out of Western Canada in recent memory. Seagrass is the story of a family falling apart. Ally Maki stars as Judith, a Japanese Canadian woman who brings her family to a self-development retreat after the recent death of her mother. When Judith and her husband befriend another interracial couple (one who seems to have the perfect marriage), Judith begins to recognize how irreparably fractured her relationship actually is. Seagrass is devastating, engrossing, and somehow at once a family drama and a ghost story and a 1990s period piece, all set against a startling Pacific North West backdrop and lovingly shot by exceptionally talented cinematographer Norm Li. Seagrass played to sold out crowds at TIFF, won the coveted International Film Critics Awards Fipresci Prize, and was selected for Canada's TIFF Top Ten showcase screening. The film had its highly anticipated North American theatrical release in February, and will be available on VOD on April 2. In this fascinating and thoughtful conversation, Meredith discusses her journey to and with Seagrass, casual racism, where Seagrass should be placed in a video store, and what comes next. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

YVR Screen Scene Live @ VFS

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 14:43:07 +0000

On April 27, Amanda Tapping, Lexa Doig, Rukiya Bernard, & Ryan Robbins join Sabrina Rani Furminger for a live taping of the award-winning podcast

Episode 305: Laura Adkin, Carmen Moore, and Bronwen Smith

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 10:00:00 +0000

Re:Uniting is the story of a group of college friends who graduated from university together in the late 1990s and reunite for the first time in nearly a decade on Bowen Island. They arrive on the island bearing scars from the traumas of the intervening years, as well as many secrets. Re:Uniting is Drama with a capital D – but is also rich with moments of humour, catharsis, and so much love. Re:Uniting is the feature film directorial debut from actress-filmmaker Laura Adkin and is populated by an ensemble of powerhouses: old friends of the podcast Roger Cross, Michelle Harrison, David Lewis, and Carmen Moore, and new friends Jesse L. Martin and Bronwen Smith.

Re:Uniting will screen in theatres across Canada beginning on March 15, including a special screening at Cineplex Odeon International Village Cinemas in Vancouver on March 16 featuring a Q&A with Laura and select cast that will be hosted by YVR Screen Scene’s Sabrina Rani Furminger. In Episode 305, Laura Adkin, Carmen Moore, and Bronwen Smith join Sabrina to talk about their adventures in island filmmaking, building chemistry in the ensemble, self-care for actors, why our 20s are hard, and what happens when you’re trying to film something with Bronwen and she suddenly sees a seal. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 304: Kevin Eastwood on 'The Society Page'

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Filmmaker Kevin Eastwood returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to discuss his latest documentary. The Society Page – which premieres on Knowledge Network on March 17 – is an in-depth look at the life, craft, and impact of Malcolm Parry, Vancouver’s iconic society columnist. For 40 years, Malcolm was a stealthy presence at events, photographing arguably more Vancouverites and VIPs during that time period than anyone else for his influential society column in the Vancouver Sun. The Society Page delves into Malcolm’s role in cataloguing and shaping the city’s cultural landscape, as well as his work as a journalist and editor who launched the career of numerous other icons, including Douglas Coupland (without whom this film wouldn’t have been made). In this fascinating episode, Kevin discusses Malcolm Parry, the role of a society columnist in any given city, and what we can learn about that city through their lens. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 303: Zarqa Nawaz and Aliza Vellani

Sabrina Furminger — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Zarqa Nawaz is a writer, film and television producer, published author, public speaker, journalist, creator of Little Mosque on the Prairie, former broadcaster, and star of Zarqa, the CBC Gem comedy series in which she plays a woman named Zarqa, who sells gullible white people brown people things. In season one, a recently divorced Zarqa worked on her business while being pursued by a gaggle of men, ending in a fantastic brawl in the mosque between her ex, her imam, and her white brain surgeon boyfriend. Season two – which hit CBC Gem last fall – began with Zarqa choosing to focus on herself and her business instead of any of the men. Zarqa’s pinning all of her hopes on her new product, Love Masala, an intoxicating new scent and love potion from her company, Zarqish Delights. And what better way to reach the masses than with an endorsement from global brand ambassador Pious Pinky Pervez, a Muslim social media influencer with millions of followers played with pious pink perfection by friend of the podcast Aliza Vellani? Aliza portrayed Layla on Little Mosque on the Prairie, and so Zarqa is something of a reunion between Zarqa and Aliza, except this time, they’re on the same side of the camera. In this compelling conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Zarqa and Aliza reflect on Little Mosque on the Prairie, their experience shooting Zarqa more than a decade later, what diversity and representation looks like in the comedy sphere, and Zarqa’s adventures in stand-up comedy. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 302: Colin Mochrie

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 17:40:27 +0000

Canadian improv comedy icon Colin Mochrie has spent a heckuva lot of time in Vancouver, where he's a beloved alumnus of Vancouver TheatreSports and The Improv Centre. From March 6-8, Colin will return to The Improv Centre for five sold-out performances of An Evening with Colin Mochrie (which are evenings of improv comedy and not anything else; get your minds out of the gutter). Colin’s extensive career includes Whose Line is it Anyway? on both sides of the Atlantic, two years in This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and improv tours criss-crossing the continent. In addition, Colin has used his place as a Canadian improv comedy icon to advocate for his daughter Kinley (who is Transgender) and for all Trans people. In this thoughtful – and, yes, occasionally funny – episode, Colin lays out his origin story and discusses the addictive nature of improv, Vancouver humour, comedy in our woke age, and how to be an effective ally to Trans people. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 301: Andrea Menard

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Andrea Menard is one of the stars of Sullivan’s Crossing, the hit CTV show based on the bestselling books by Robyn Carr. The dramatic series follows young neurosurgeon Maggie Sullivan as she flees the challenges of her life in the big city and returns to the idyllic Nova Scotia campground owned and operated by her estranged father Sully. In October 2023, when Sullivan’s Crossing was about to hit The CW after making waves north of the border, Cosmopolitan Magazine described Sullivan’s Crossing as the “ultimate fall comfort watch.” If Sullivan’s Crossing is the ultimate comfort watch, then Edna Cranebear, as played by Andrea Menard, is the show’s ultimate source of comfort. Edna and her husband Frank – played by the legendary Tom Jackson (North of 60) – are Sully’s oldest friends and the best example of a loving, honest, and mutually supportive relationship in Sullivan’s Crossing.

Andrea’s filmography includes numerous fan favourite roles, like that of the fierce and feisty Debbie Fraser on Blackstone. Andrea is also a 15-time music award winner for her five albums, and she’s toured her Metis cabaret, Rubaboo, across this land. She’s a TEDx speaker, wellness trainer, founder of the Sacred Feminine Learning Lodge, has used her voice to encourage others to end violence against Indigenous women and girls, and, in 2021, was named ACTRA National’s Woman of the Year. In short, Andrea contains multitudes. In this fascinating conversation, Andrea delves into these multitudes, and discusses how Sullivan’s Crossing producers ensured they got Indigenous representation right, acting opposite Tom Jackson, how APTN changed the game for Indigenous artists, and the inherent joy in playing bad “B” Debbie Fraser on Blackstone.

Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 300: Crystal Balint talks 'The Fall of the House of Usher' and 'Allegiance'

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Actress Crystal Balint (Midnight Mass) returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about her work in The Fall of the House of Usher, how the actors, crew, and TPTB dealt with the highly publicized cast upheaval, what it means to her to be part of Mike Flanagan’s “Flanaverse,” and her delicious role on CBC’s new crime procedural Allegiance. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 299: Supinder Wraich, Stephen Lobo, Brian Markinson, and David Cubitt from 'Allegiance'

Sabrina Furminger — Mon, 12 Feb 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Earlier this month, four of the stars of Allegiance – Supinder Wraich, David Cubitt, Stephen Lobo, and Brian Markinson – joined Sabrina in the YVR Screen Scene studio to discuss the new character-driven crime procedural, which premiered on CBC and CBC Gem on February 7. Supinder stars as Sabrina Sohal (Sort Of), a star rookie police officer who must grapple with the limits of the justice system as she fights to exonerate her politician father Ajeet Sohal, played by Stephen. Sabrina serves her diverse hometown of Surrey alongside veteran training officer Vince Brambilla (Enrico Colantoni). Brian appears as Ajeet’s exasperated lawyer Max Portman, and David is Superintendent Bolton, Sabrina’s commanding officer. Allegiance (a CBC Original Drama from Lark Productions) is the story of a young woman caught between her allegiance to her flag, to her badge, and to her family. In this fascinating and at times boisterous conversation, the actors talk Surrey, Sabrina (the character, not the host), inclusion, and the singular joy of exquisite writing. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Special Episode: Ukrainian filmmaker Khrystyna Syvolap returns

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 18:49:17 +0000

Ukrainian filmmaker Khrystyna Syvolap returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to discuss her journey to find work in the Vancouver film and television industry after arriving in Canada with her young daughter in spring 2022, her February 10 screening of Viddana at North Vancouver’s Centennial Theatre (a fundraiser for the Adam Tactical Group), and why people outside of Ukraine should care about the war. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 297: Jennifer Robertson

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Actress Jennifer Robertson is beloved ’round the world for her astounding work as Jocelyn Schitt for all six seasons of CBC’s iconic comedy series Schitt’s Creek, and, more recently, for playing Ellen Baker, Georgia’s regularly frazzled neighbour, on Netflix’s Ginny and Georgia. Canadians will soon see the Vancouver actress in a new role: as host of The Great Canadian Pottery Throw Down. The eight-episode competition series – which premieres on CBC Television on February 8 – follows the trials and tribulations of 10 passionate potters, drawn from every background and every corner of the country. The series was filmed last summer on Granville Island in the space formerly occupied by Emily Carr School of Art and Design. Besides Jennifer, viewers will also get to see Seth Rogen, who is both the executive producer of The Great Canadian Pottery Thrown Down and as passionate about pottery as he is about pot. In our season opener, Jennifer discusses Schitt’s Creek’s Jocelyn and Ginny and Georgia’s Ellen, her misadventures doing stand-up and also trying to decipher her pre-teen’s texts, what she learned hosting The Great Canadian Pottery Throw Down, and Seth Rogen’s commitment to living that #potterylife. Episode sponsor: UBCP / ACTRA

Christmas Special 2023: Festive rom-coms and Christmas traditions with Rhona Rees and Nhi Do

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the first-ever #YVRScreenScenePodcast Christmas Special! Strap in as Sabrina and the star and voice director of Hope Street Pod’s A Classical Christmas Chord – Nhi “The Christmas Cracker” Do and Rhona “The Mistletoe” Rees – don their ugly Christmas sweaters, swig Baileys and bad eggnog, and talk Christmas rom-coms, traditions, tropes, Whamageddon, festive innuendo, and the best (and worst) Christmas gifts they've ever received. It’s riotous, it’s festive, it’s fun, it goes off the rails on numerous occasions: in other words, it’s a perfect way to kick off the Christmas season! Episode sponsor: UBCP / ACTRA

Episode 295: Kat Montagu

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Kat Montagu has spent much of her career telling and shaping stories for screens large and small, and helping others do the same. A distinguished writer, producer, script analyst, story editor, and teacher, Kat’s impressive background includes writing for the television series Alienated and collaborating on a time travel novel-to-TV series adaptation with Sara B. Cooper. She holds a BFA and an MFA in Creative Writing as well as multiple awards and development funding grants. Currently serving as Head of the Writing Department at Vancouver Film School and the senior story editor for Crazy8s, Kat is unabashedly and unreservedly passionate about helping writers discover and hone their unique voices. In this absorbing and informative conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Kat talks storytelling, screenwriting, gaming, Oxford commas, finding your voice, breaking into the industry, Dennis Heaton, and why A.I. is no replacement for human writers. Episode sponsors: Biz Books + The Drama Class

Episode 294: Dylan Maranda and Brendan Meyer

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Filmmaker Dylan Maranda and actor Brendan Meyer swing by the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to discuss Master of the House, a fast-paced genre short that seeks its inspiration from the thrilling world of fine dining. Master of the House, which was shot at the Michelin Star restaurant Kissa Tanto in Vancouver, follows Vincent, a young sommelier, played by Brendan (who starred in all eighty episodes of the Vancouver-shot Mr. Young, and turned in a stellar performance in The OA). Vincent struggles to balance friendship and ambition the night an acclaimed critic (played with searing, sneering fire by Matthew McCaull) dines at his workplace “Reclamation”— a restaurant hyped on reinventing Indigenous cuisine. The performances are on point; the score – which is pulsating jazz – enhances the anxiety of the situation; the themes of white supremacy, reconciliation, and personal truth are timely. In this fascinating conversation, the filmmaker and the actor pull back the curtain on the inspiration for and making of this visceral, fast-paced, and blistering film. Episode sponsors: Biz Books and The Drama Class

Episode 293: Mary Galloway’s cinematic love letter to the Cowichan sweater

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Even if you don’t recognize the Cowichan sweater by its name, you will absolutely recognize it on sight: the thick yarn; the distinctive patterns; the warmth of the raw sheep’s wool. But a Cowichan sweater is more than just a sweater, especially for the Coast Salish people from the Cowichan Tribes who make them. It’s a provider of life, literally, as a way to put food on the table; it’s a way to build community and share stories and connect to ancestors. To quote Ron Rice of the Victoria Native Friendship Centre as featured in filmmaker Mary Galloway’s documentary The Cowichan Sweater: Our Knitted Legacy, “Cowichan sweaters are iconic. Cowichan sweaters are our path forward in so many different ways. Cowichan sweaters are a look back and a look forward all at the same time.” Writer, director, filmmaker, and actor Mary Galloway hails from Coast Salish Territory, and her beautiful film brings viewers into the past, present, and future of the Cowichan sweater while taking us along on a deeply personal quest: to recreate a sweater that was worn by her late grandfather, Chief Dennis Alphonse, who was chief for 40 years. The Cowichan Sweater: Our Knitted Legacy is now available on CBC Gem and will have its first national television broadcast on December 23. In this fascinating and revealing conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Mary reflects on her journey into this important part of her own legacy. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 292: Bruce Sweeney, Gabrielle Rose, Camille Sullivan, and Jeff Gladstone

Sabrina Furminger — Sat, 02 Dec 2023 18:14:22 +0000

Filmmaker Bruce Sweeney and actors Gabrielle Rose, Camille Sullivan, and Jeff Gladstone swing by the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about She Talks To Strangers, their smart and crowd-pleasing black comedy currently screening up at the 2023 Whistler Film Festival. Camille is Leslie, a single woman who happily shares her life with her favourite being on the planet, an Australian Shepherd named John. Leslie has a strained relationship with her mother, Staci (that’s Gabrielle, playing Camille’s mom for the third time), with whom she has to bargain in order to take care of John. One day, after hearing some mysterious sounds coming from the basement suite, Leslie discovers that her deadbeat ex-husband, Keith – that’s Jeff – has moved in “to lie low for a while,” and – well, we’re a #nospoiler zone here on the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, so we’ll just say that hilarity ensues (which is no surprise given that this is the team that brought us the equally brilliant Kingsway). In this special Saturday drop, Bruce, Gabrielle, Camille, and Jeff talk behind-the-scenes shenanigans (which include cream of mushroom soup and freezers), true crime podcasts, and being ride-or-die for Vancouver stories.

Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 291: Beatrice King mines experience with invisible illness for directorial debut

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 19:01:54 +0000

Beatrice King is an experienced actress who has appeared in an array of critically acclaimed and fan favourite projects (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Mortal Kombat Legacy, The 100, and Loudermilk) and a well-respected acting coach, working primarily with young people on projects for Universal, Disney, and Netflix. Beatrice recently added a new title to her already impressive filmography: director. Beatrice makes her directorial debut with You Are The Blue, an atmospheric and beautifully composed coming-of-age film she wrote about invisible illnesses and the mental health toll of keeping them secret.

You Are The Blue follows teenage dancer Kay, played with nuance and steely vulnerability by Eden Summer Gilmore (Family Law). Kay, like 313 million people on the planet, lives with an autoimmune disease – and she’s struggling: not just with the diagnosis, but also with grief and losing a sense of control over her life during a time that’s already hard for young people.

You Are The Blue premiered at the Edmonton International Film Festival, screened last month at the Vancouver Asian Film Festival, and screens this weekend at the 2023 Whistler Film Festival (where Eden was named one of the festival’s Stars to Watch). In this fascinating and emotional interview with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Beatrice talks about the real-life inspiration for her directorial debut, and the toll that keeping invisible illnesses a secret can have on a person’s mental health and sense of self.

Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 290: ‘Sort Of’ star Bilal Baig

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Sort Of is sort of a big deal to a lot of people, but especially to Trans, non-binary, and genderqueer people who have long yearned for honest and entertaining representation on Canadian screens. Sort Of stars Bilal Baig as Sabi Mehboob, a gender expansive millennial in Toronto who also happens to be the first-ever non-binary lead character on Canadian television. Since it’s widely heralded premiere in November 2021, the CBC and Max original series has won numerous awards, including a Peabody, TEN (!!!) Canadian Screen Awards, a screenwriting award from the Writers Guild of Canada, and, in 2022 and 2023, nominations from GLAAD for Outstanding New TV Series. The series is beloved by fans and critically acclaimed by reviewers, but all good things must come to an end. Recently, Bilal and co-creator, co-EP, and co-showrunner Fab Filippo announced that Sort Of’s third season – which premiered on November 17 and wraps up on December 8 – would be its last. As they stated in an Instagram post, “We set out to tell a story about a kind of transition in Sabi’s life, and how those around them also change — and we feel in this coming season that story came to an end in a way that felt right for us.” On the eve of Sort Of’s final season, Bilal joined Sabrina Rani Furminger in the YVR Screen Studio to look back on their journey with Sort Of and Sabi, and why it’s time to say goodbye. Episode sponsors: Biz Books / The Drama Class

Episode 289: Marÿke Hendrikse

Sabrina Furminger — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Marÿke Hendrikse has the kind of filmography that shows the range of roles available to versatile voice actors who are willing to put in the work, and the kind of personality that has fun while they’re doing it. Marÿke’s lengthy and diverse list of credits includes Slugterra, Johnny Test, Beat Bugs, LEGO: Nexo Knights, Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks, Polly Pocket, multiple Barbie movies, Black Lagoon, and Sausage Party. It’s an especially impressive filmography when you consider that Marÿke’s original career plan was to be a ballet dancer – until a fateful karaoke party in high school when none other than voice legend Tara Strong suggested she consider giving voice acting a try. In this fun and riveting conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Marÿke talks about being an elementary school troublemaker (when she wasn’t in the ballet studio, working at being a “bunhead”), AI, the Tara Strong karaoke party that changed the game, and why Black Lagoon’s nihilistic killer Revy is a personal favourite. Episode sponsor: UBCP / ACTRA

Episode 288: Meet the influencers who’ll do anything for fame

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Filmmaker Tyler Funk delves into the dizzying world of content creation for his wildly entertaining and borderline-terrifying documentary, Anything For Fame. As the Internet upends traditional notions of celebrity, Anything For Fame journeys into the virtual Wild West to profile an ambitious and reckless breed of content creator. There’s Ava, who rose to worldwide fame for a video where she licked an airplane toilet seat; amateur stuntman Peter, who routinely defies death and Homeland Security to leap between urban rooftops and climb iconic landmarks; and self- described “dumb-as-shit” prankster Jake, who stages hair-raising hijinks inspired by the Jackass franchise. While stars rise with meteoric and disorienting speed, they can plummet just as fast—with heartbreaking results. Anything For Fame shares those stories, too, and also offers some context for why these young people want to be influencers in the first place.

Anything For Fame is currently streaming on Paramount+ in Canada, Germany, France, New Zealand, and Australia, and, as of November 8, will be streaming free across Canada on the National Film Board of Canada site. Tyler Funk visits the YVR Screen Scene studio to talk about what he learned after spending time in the world of social media influencers, and what might be driving their appetite for fame. Episode sponsors: Biz Books and The Drama Class

Episode 287: Asia Mattu

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Asia Mattu is a dynamic voice actor with an eclectic mix of credits to her name, including Rocky in Super Monsters, Rugo in Gigantosaurus, Aurora in My Little Pony: Best Gift Ever, and Par-Nani in Deepa & Anoop, for which she was nominated for a Leo Award AND a UBCP/ACTRA Award. It’s a stunning filmography for a kid from Ladner who grew up loving Robin Williams’ performance in Disney’s Aladdin and now gets to voice prehistoric animals, monsters, sea creatures, dinosaurs, grannies, and a veritable parade of fun characters. In this light-hearted and fascinating interview, Asia talks about her award-nominated role in Deepa & Anoop, the threat of AI, and what a lot of A-listers don’t understand about voice acting. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 286: Manufacturing The Threat exposes entrapment and agent provocateurs in Canada

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 10:00:00 +0000

In July of 2013, Canadian law enforcement authorities announced that they’d thwarted a terrorist plot to blow up the British Columbia Legislature. A couple from Surrey – John Omar Nuttall and Amanda Ana Korody, who were recent converts to Islam – had been arrested for planting pressure cooker bombs at the Legislature in Victoria on Canada Day. It was a chilling story – but Canadians would soon learn that the story was chilling for entirely different reasons other than “terrorists in our midst.”

That story is laid out in Manufacturing The Threat, filmmaker Amy Miller’s critically acclaimed documentary that dives into the unsettling world of agent provocateurs and entrapment within Canada's national security apparatus. Manufacturing The Threat is a thrilling and emotional film, which examines that deeply disturbing episode in Canadian history when an impoverished couple was coerced by undercover law enforcement agents into carrying out a terrorist bombing. Shining a light into the murky world of police infiltration, incitement, and agent provocateurs, the film shows how Canada’s policing and national security agencies, granted additional powers after 9/11, routinely break laws with little to no accountability or oversight. And there’s nothing to suggest it’s not still happening today.

Manufacturing The Threat had its world premiere at the 2023 DOXA Documentary Film Festival, and is screening at VIFF Centre in Vancouver until October 20. Amy Miller dropped by the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about the threat posed by agent provocateurs to marginalized communities in Canada, and why she had a challenging time bringing this story to the screen. Episode sponsors: Biz Books and The Drama Class

Episode 285: Gary Jones

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Gary Jones is an actor, comedian, writer, and Paul McGillion’s drinking buddy. He is perhaps best known for his fan-favourite recurring role as Walter Harriman (AKA the Chevron Guy) in Stargate SG-1, for his countless appearances on CBC’s hit radio show The Debaters, for his record nine times hosting the Leo Awards, and for his many years “Yes, and”-ing on improv stages across the continent. In 2022, Gary won a Leo Award for Best Actor in a Web Series for his work in the first season of Forgotten Masters, a delicious and absurd mockumentary series now streaming on YouTube. Gary plays DJ Ian Leighton, who has spent 45 years volunteering on co-op radio and interviewing many of the great players, but now devotes his 3:00-3:15 AM time slot to finding the greatest guitarists you’ve never heard of. These guitarists are portrayed by Ken Lawson and a revolving cast of some of the greatest hairpieces you’ll ever see. Forgotten Masters returns for its second season on October 13, and Gary Jones visits the YVR Screen Scene studio to talk Harriman (including his bonkers audition and a potential Stargate SG-1 rewatch podcast), hairpieces, and the forgotten masters we’ll meet in season two of Forgotten Masters. Episode sponsor: UBCP / ACTRA

Episode 284: Documentarian Baljit Sangra zooms in on South Asians making it big in Canada’s game

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Mareya Shot, Keetha Goal: Make the Shot is a film borne of the South Asian diaspora. This spirited documentary feature follows four junior hockey players of South Asian descent through the 2021-2022 season as they strive to be drafted into the NHL. The film also follows their families – the South Asian parents who made sacrifices in order to pay for their kids to be able to participate in this game, even if they didn’t grow up with it themselves; the grannies in their sarees and heavy parkas cheering on their grandsons from the stands – and the coaches, trainers, and journalists determined to change the game from the inside. Mareya Shot, Keetha Goal: Make the Shot screens at the 2023 Vancouver International Film Festival. Filmmaker Baljit Sangra visits the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk identity, legacy, representation, and the South Asians making it big in Canada’s game. Episode sponsors: Biz Books and The Drama Class

Special Episode: Jules Koostachin on truth, reconciliation, and intergenerational healing

Sabrina Furminger — Sat, 30 Sep 2023 15:33:15 +0000

In honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (September 30), we’re releasing this special interview with filmmaker Jules Koostachin about her family’s journey to heal from the intergenerational trauma caused by residential schools. It’s a journey she explores in her new documentary feature, WaaPaKe (Tomorrow). For generations, the suffering of residential school Survivors has radiated outward, impacting Indigenous families and communities. In her efforts to help the children of Survivors, including herself and her family, Jules makes the difficult decision to step in front of the camera and participate in a circle of truth. She is joined in this courageous act of solidarity by members of her immediate family – including her mother Rita and one of her sons, Asivak – as well as an array of voices from Indigenous communities across Turtle Island. Moving beyond burying intergenerational trauma, WaaPaKe (Tomorrow) – which screens on October 1st and 4th at the 2023 Vancouver International Film Festival – is an invitation to unravel the tangled threads of silence, unite in collective freedom and power, and explore what intergenerational healing looks and feels like. Says Jules: “Who am I without that trauma?” Episode sponsors: Biz Books and The Drama Class

Episode 282: How the Hollywood strikes brought #BCFilm to a standstill

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 10:00:00 +0000

For our fall season opener, we look back at the impact of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes on the Vancouver film and television industry through in-depth conversations with IATSE 891 Business Representative Crystal Braunwarth and UBCP/ACTRA President Ellie Harvie (who addresses the infamous July 14 open letter). We also hear from background performer and indie filmmaker Michelle Muldoon about the issues at the heart of the strikes and how it's impacted her , and from photographer Rob Trendiak, who trained his lens on impacted film workers for his inventive photography project Anachron.

Please note: the interviews were conducted before the WGA and AMPTP announced the tentative agreement on the evening of September 24.

Episode sponsor: UBCP / ACTRA

Episode 281: Queer resistance and joy at VQFF

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 10:00:00 +0000

The Vancouver Queer Film Festival (VQFF) is the second-largest film festival in the city and the largest queer arts event in Western Canada. Its milestone 35th edition (which kicks off on August 10) is a full-throttle, 11-day ride through 92 short and feature-length films from 27 countries, and it comes at a pivotal moment in queer history. Charlie Hidalgo, artistic director VQFF’s producing organization Out On Screen, visits the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to discuss joy as a form of resistance, and the ways that VQFF is working to foster community and amplify queer voices during this time of increased intolerance against LGBTQ2S+ people. Episode sponsors: Biz Books and The Drama Class

Episode 280: Brian Doe Chua

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 08 Aug 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Brian Doe Chua is a versatile voice actor with a growing list of credits that includes videogames like Dragalia Lost, kid-friendly animated fare like Polly Pocket, Lego Friends, My Little Pony: Equestria Girls, Beyblade Burst, and Ninjago, and beloved anime like World Trigger, where he voiced the heroic Osamu Mikumo. Brian is also very active on social media, constantly tweeting his admiration for his fellow voice actors and also about social justice issues and issues facing the voice acting community, like AI. In this thoughtful conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Brian discusses his adventures in dubbing, being cloned, his vocal profile (“Fun, Millennial Guy Next Door; Caring Without Sounding Condescending; Passionately Sincere”), and why he added the “Chua” to his name. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 279: Jason Simpson

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 02 Aug 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Jason Simpson is an actor and voice actor who has built a diverse body of work, from sci-fi fare like The Magicians and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, to games like League of Legends, Dragalia Lost, The Amazing Spider-Man, Dead Rising 2, 3 & 4, and Need For Speed; and animated fare like Johnny Test, Polly Pocket, Sausage Party, Death Note, Black Lagoon, Lego Nexo Knights, Ninjago, and Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny. Jason is perhaps best known for voicing Viren, the best dad ever, in Netflix’s Emmy Award winning animated series The Dragon Prince (and head to the footnotes for a link to a YouTube fan edit entitled “Viren: World's Best Dad! (jk he sucks),” a compilation of Viren being the opposite of an aspirational Pinterest dad). In this compelling and twisty-turny conversation, Jason dishes on the Vancouver voice community, how he really feels about Viren, that time he and Adrian Petriw “almost died” in Atlanta. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 277: A new global summit aims to elevate and empower racialized screen professionals

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 10:00:00 +0000

East by North West is a new global summit designed to highlight, elevate, and empower racialized creatives in and across film, TV, streaming, gaming, and animation. Produced by the Racial Equity Screen Office in association with Gold House, East by North West runs July 28-30 in Vancouver and connects screen professionals with world film markets so that they can network, establish contacts, and gain invaluable insights into conquering the complex realm of international distribution avenues – something that has traditionally been a tough nut to crack for racialized film workers. What does this look like? It looks like three days of startlingly relevant panels (including one on the future of entertainment and AI), intensive networking sessions, a dim sum drag event, a gala opening night party, and a keynote address from Shannon Lee, the daughter of Bruce Lee and the executive producer of Warrior. It looks like a platform that bridges the gap between creatives of colour and other underrepresented communities. It looks like gathering, networking, sharing wisdom, and celebrating connections.

Barbara Lee is the founder of the Racial Equity Screen Office and the creator of East by North West, and she joined Sabrina in the YVR Screen Scene studio to preview this new global summit. Says Barbara: “We are no longer waiting for the establishment to approve or find value in our stories and content. Instead, East by North West is the mechanism to build our own table.” Episode sponsor: Biz Books + The Drama Class

Episode 278: Osric Chau

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Actor Osric Chau is equally adept at comedy and drama, and at being a supportive member of an ensemble while still shining on his own. Osric played Kevin Tran, a high school student turned ghost turned prophet, on Supernatural, and Vogel, a member of the quartet known as the Rowdy Three, on Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. He won a Leo Award for Best Supporting Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series for portrayal of Charles in Blood and Water, the first television drama series produced for a Chinese Canadian audience that mixed dialogue in English, Cantonese and Mandarin, and he’s had great roles in Star Trek Discovery, Nancy Drew, Christmas at the Golden Dragon, and The Flash. Osric is also a producer. He’s a writer and director. He’s been a restaurateur. He’s spoken out about acts of hatred against Asian Canadians and Asian Americans. In this compelling and at times soul-stirring episode, Osric talks genre-hopping, navigating the industry as an Asian actor, how Supernatural’s Kevin Tran changed his life, and the deeply moving story behind his stunning look for the 2016 Leo Awards. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 276: Gary Hawes

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Gary Hawes has directed multiple episodes of the most-watched television drama series on the planet (ABC’s hit drama, The Good Doctor). He’s also the director of some critically acclaimed indie projects, including the comedy Leap 4 Your Life, a feature-length mockumentary about a community dance competition starring some of our local industry’s finest, and The Charlie Da Clown Show, a trippy short about the behind the scenes shenanigans of a talk show hosted by a washed up clown named Charlie. Gary has also directed short films featuring big, bold actors like Alan Cumming and Ioan Gruffudd, worked as a 2nd AD on some big, bold films like Sucker Punch, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and Interstellar, and worked as a first AD on big, bold, beloved projects like Once Upon A Time and Cedar Cove. In this fascinating and at times funny episode, director Gary Hawes discusses the The Good Doctor, special memories from the making of X2: X-Men United (Sir Ian McKellen makes great pancakes!), directing for TV vs. directing films, directing “undirectable” actors, and the project that changed it all for him: Gretzky Saves Christmas, the school play he wrote, directed, and starred in at the age of 10. Episode Sponsors: Biz Books + The Drama Class

Episode 275: Voice actors and the threat of A.I.

Sabrina Furminger — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 10:00:00 +0000

For months, voice actors on both sides of the border have been sounding the alarm about the ways that artificial intelligence (A.I.) can be manipulated, not only to fool audiences, but to exploit artists. It’s already happening. Like Ursula in The Little Mermaid, A.I. and the companies who wield it are stealing voices and pushing artists out of the equation altogether – something that an astounding number of voice actors in Vancouver have experienced firsthand. In this special episode, voice actors Bill Newton (LEGO Marvel Avengers) and Jesse Inocalla (The Dragon Prince) discuss the impact of A.I. on the entertainment industry in general and voice actors in particular, and why A.I. poses an existential threat to the entire profession.

Note from Sabrina: “This episode was recorded with two mics instead of the necessary three, and thus, the sound quality is *fiiiiine*, but not perfect. The conversation, though, is phenomenal. We’ve found the wayward mic cord and promise it won’t happen again!”

Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 274: Donia Kash

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Donia Kash is an actor, performer, storyteller, and filmmaker whose growing list of credits includes Motherland: Fort Salem, So Help Me Todd, The 100, Snowpiercer, A Million Little Things, Hearts in the Game, and a couple of impressive “firsts”: The Secrets of Bella Vista, which represented the very first time that a Hallmark Movie featured an openly non-binary actor, and The Holiday Sitter, which marked the very first time Hallmark Channel put a gay couple at the centre of one of their films. In this contemplative episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Donia talks about the joys and challenges of being a “first,” walking the red carpet at the 2023 GLAAD Media Awards (and basking in the presence of Idina Menzel), their short film Ketchup With Me, navigating the film industry as a Persian actor, and why they’ve always wanted to be a Mighty Morphin Power Ranger. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 273: Aliza Vellani Returns

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 25 May 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Aliza Vellani originally joined us in July 2021 to talk about her work in the first season of Netflix’s Sweet Tooth. Sweet Tooth draws its inspiration from Jeff Lemire’s comic book series about a boy who’s half-human and half deer navigating a world that has been devastated by a virus that has killed a lot of people and led to the mysterious emergence of human-animal hybrid babies. Aliza plays Rani Singh. Rani has the virus, but is a rare long-term survivor, thanks to her doctor-husband Aditya’s devotion and mysterious life-saving treatments, which we discover involves slaughtering hybrid children. The series shoots in New Zealand but features two Vancouver actors: Aliza as Rani and Christian Convery as the titular Sweet Tooth himself. Both Aliza and Christian won awards for their Sweet Tooth performances at the 2022 Leo Awards.

Earlier this month, Sweet Tooth and Rani were back for another eight-episode journey that somehow managed to at once thrill, chill, entertain, and devastate audiences. Throughout season two, Rani reckons with karma, and the moral quandary of her predicament. As she says early on, “How many lives for mine? Will we reap what we sow?” But as another character observes in that same episode, Rani is one tough cookie. Rani is so very human: vulnerable, loving, conflicted, a little Lady MacBeth, and still feisty as shit. In this wildly fascinating interview, Sabrina Rani Furminger talks Rani and Sweet Tooth with the inimitable Aliza Vellani, and also gets the 4-1-1 on her latest project: a reunion of sorts with the work of Zarqa Nawaz, the brilliant mind behind Little Mosque on the Prairie, in Zarqa. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 272: Marci T. House Returns

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 23 May 2023 10:00:00 +0000

It’s been three years since we last had the phenomenally talented Marci T. House in the YVR Screen Scene Podcast hot seat. Back then, we spoke about her then-upcoming role in Julie and The Phantoms, #covidlife, stage acting vs. screen acting vs. architecture, the many ways CBC’s Strange Empire was ahead of its time, and why she stays in Vancouver. Since then, Marci has been busy in an array of projects. She lit up the stage in Harlem Duet, a performance that critics called “stellar” and “superb.” And in the critically acclaimed and absolutely thrilling eight-part series The Devil in Ohio, she played Adele Thornton, Suzanne's coworker who'd heard a few things about the darkness hiding in Amon County. She had a fantastic role in Tribal as Victoria Mann, a task force leader who spars with Brian Markinson’s Buke, and another as Charlotte, Bean’s mama, in Ivy and Bean. More recently, she’s been helming Monster High as Headmistress Bloodgood, and she had a powerful role in Rukiya Bernard’s poignant short film, Meditation 4 Black Women, which was created as part of the internationally renowned Crazy8s filmmaking competition. Marci also got a puppy named BiBi, a smol French bulldog with his own Instagram account, @bibilefrenchbouledogue. In this riveting and fun interview – which includes plenty of input from BiBi – Marci talks Monster High, Meditation 4 Black Women, her newfound passion for onesies, what actors lose when they can’t audition in a room, how far the industry has really come since the summer of “hashtag activism,” and the BiBi of it all. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 271: How a motorcycle saved filmmaker lori lozinski’s life

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 16 May 2023 10:00:00 +0000

lori lozinski is an acclaimed producer who works closely with some of our industry’s leading directors to bring evocative stories to the screen (among them: Elle-Maija Tailfeathers and Kathleen Hepburn). lori is also the director of A Motorcycle Saved My Life, a documentary short that ruminates on mental health, the often complicated relationship between parent and child, and how to negotiate a relationship with grief. In A Motorcycle Saved My Life, we learn how lori hit the road on the back of a motorcycle to reconcile past and present, and ultimately find the inner peace required in order to move forward. As she says in the documentary, “If you’re not present on a motorcycle, you’re going to die.” It’s a powerful film, rich with nuance and emotional resonance, that gives voice to taboo subjects – grief and mental health – while also serving as a kind of love letter to bike life. A Motorcycle Saved My Life rode the film festival circuit and, on May 15, it became available for streaming on the National Film Board of Canada’s site. In this thoughtful interview, lori lozinski reflects on her journey with grief and mental health on the back of a motorcycle. Episode Sponsors: Biz Books + The Drama Class

Episode 270: Dhirendra

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 12 May 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Dhirendra is an accomplished actor whose career spans all manner of characters and genres and continents. To contemporary audiences, Dhirendra might be best known as Imran, Sabi’s father on the groundbreaking and big-hearted CBC and HBO Max comedy Sort Of. Sort Of is one of the few series in the history of television with a gender fluid protagonist: Sabi Mehboob, played with courage and conviction by series creator Bilal Baig. Imran arrives from Dubai at the beginning of the second season to quote-unquote fix Sabi. It’s a role that could have easily been thankless and one-note: a villain with no empathy and nowhere to grow. But between the writing and Dhirendra’s nuanced performance, Imran is an avatar for many parents who love their kids even when they don’t understand them at all. Dhirendra’s lengthy list of credits includes The Bill, Casualty, Deadly Class, Da Vinci’s Inquest, Lego Jurassic World: The Legend of Isla Nublar, and the title character in the groundbreaking Jinnah: On Crime series about a brilliant crime reporter at a Vancouver newspaper. Dhirendra is also a foodie, a world traveller, a family man, a union man, and lover of stories. Join Dhirendra and Sabrina as they journey ’round the world and delve into Dhirendra’s wildly fascinating filmography, philosophy, and life. Episode Sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 269: Markian Tarasiuk

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 10 May 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Actor Markian Tarasiuk has been busy: making rom-coms and thrillers; fielding acting nominations from leading industry organizations; working with Ukrainian Canadian organizations to preserve and promote Ukrainian culture during this war. In recent years, Markian has made a name for himself as a romantic lead in holiday rom-coms like Welcome to Valentine, A Homecoming for the Holidays, Wedding Cake Dreams, Christmas at the Golden Dragon, Our Italian Christmas Memories, the delightfully named Why Can’t My Life Be A Rom-Com?, and The Christmas Jars (for which he was nominated for a 2021 Canadian Screen Award for Best Lead Performance in a TV Movie). Late last year, he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 2022 UBCP/ACTRA Awards for the thriller There’s Someone Inside Your House; the award ultimately went to Hollywood icon Eric McCormack of Will & Grace fame. In this fun and freewheeling conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Markian talks rom-coms (and his fans, the Hallmarkians), nominations, activism, and navigating the industry as a Ukrainian Canadian during this devastating time. Says Markian: “I will not let Russia take away our Ukrainian joy.” Episode Sponsors: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 268: Filmmaker Karen Cho on the battle for Chinatown

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 04 May 2023 10:00:00 +0000

What is Chinatown? That question and the myriad of emotions it invites sit at the heart of Big Fight in Little Chinatown, the stirring documentary film from Montreal-based filmmaker Karen Cho. The film explores the battles for survival currently being waged in four Chinatowns: in Montreal, Toronto, New York, and Vancouver. We meet the stewards of these Chinatowns, consider the role that Chinatown plays in building and sustaining community, and bear witness to the destructive power of urban development and its relationship to anti-Asian racism. As one of Karen’s interview subjects says in the film, “Are these neighborhoods that should be put under glass, or are these neighborhoods that should be able to grow and thrive and change?” Big Fight in Little Chinatown opens the DOXA Documentary Film Festival on May 4, where it will screen a mere stone’s throw away from Vancouver’s Chinatown, and will also enjoy a series of community screenings across the country. In this contemplative interview, filmmaker Karen Cho discusses her deeply personal journey with Big Fight in Little Chinatown, and why Chinatowns everywhere are worth the fight. Episode Sponsors: Biz Books + The Drama Class

Episode 267: Karen Lam brings it with Bring It On: Cheer Or Die

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 02 May 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Bring It On was a pop culture juggernaut from the moment it somersaulted into multiplexes back in 2000. Audiences loved the saucy, sarcastic, scheming, and stuntin’ squads battling for cheer supremacy at regionals, all leading up to that shining moment when the It of the title has been Brought and the cheer squads do their thing. More than two decades after that first film, the Bring It On ’verse continues with Bring It On: Cheer Or Die – and its director is none other than Vancouver filmmaker Karen Lam (Evangeline, The Curse of Willow Song). Bring It On: Cheer Or Die premiered on SyFy last October and is now available for free on Crave in Canada. The comedy slasher film takes some of the best qualities of the previous Bring It On Films – the quips, the flips, the regionals! – but this time, the Big Bad isn’t another squad trying to steal their routines but a masked assailant who wants to end their lives in increasingly creative ways. In this boisterous and contemplative conversation, Karen Lam talks gateway horror, cheer camp, traveling with cats, and the joys and challenges of making a slasher pic in the Bring It On ’verse. Episode Sponsors: Biz Books + The Drama Class

Different Than Before: A YVR Screen Scene Masterclass

Sabrina Furminger — Mon, 01 May 2023 21:13:30 +0000

A masterclass with filmmaker Mayumi Yoshida and the Different Than Before creative team exploring how the SXSW-winning music video was made

Episode 266: Satan Wants You

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Few cultural phenomena of the 1980s were as as destructive or widespread as the Satanic Panic. The Satanic Panic led to arrests, ruined reputations, and more than 12,000 unsubstantiated reports of Satanic ritual abuse that were reportedly “recovered” via the now discredited practice of “recovery memory therapy.” While the Satanic Panic is now largely discussed with derision, there was a period in time when fear of devil worshippers was earnestly reported about on the nightly news – and Patient Zero for the Satanic Panic was a Vancouver Island woman named Michelle Smith. Michelle and her psychiatrist Dr. Lawrence Pazder collaborated together on a bestseller titled Michelle Remembers, which documented their unorthodox sessions in which Dr. Pazder used recovery-memory therapy to bring forth memories of Satanic ritual abuse. The wild story behind the book is detailed in Satan Wants You, the eye-opening documentary feature from Vancouver directors Steve J. Adams and Sean Horlor. Satan Wants You explores the story of our homegrown doctor and patient, the global moral panic they created and fed, and the ways in which their story is playing out once again. The film premiered to sold-out crowds at SXSW, and has its hometown premiere at the 2023 DOXA Documentary Film Festival. In this fascinating interview, Steve and Sean talk about Michelle, Dr. Pazder, the impact they had on the 1980s, and the disturbing similarities behind then and now.

Episode Sponsors: Biz Books + The Drama Class

Episode 265: Sonita Henry

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 14:12:33 +0000

Sonita Henry’s filmography would make for one hell of a marathon on SyFy. Sonita played the President’s Aide in The Fifth Element, present in that iconic final scene where Milla Jovovich’s Leeloo and Bruce Willis’ Korben get it on in the regeneration chamber. She was the doctor who delivers James T. Kirk in the heart-stopping opening minutes of 2009’s Star Trek. She portrayed a colonel (who’s transformed into a Dalek) in the 2013 Doctor Who Christmas special. And she was the archetype of every female villainess when she played Medea in the Vancouver-shot Olympus. Sonita’s credit list also includes a wealth of nuanced performances in top-tier British television, including Luther, Father Brown, and Midsomer Murders, and a leading role as a brilliant investigator (and insecure new mum) in The Chelsea Detective. In the season-opener of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast – recorded during Sonita’s recent visit to Vancouver – Sonita lays out her origin story, which includes driving across America with only a 45-minute driving test under her belt, navigating ethnic ambiguity and a sometimes unfriendly industry, the home she found in the science fiction realm, and why her upcoming role in Black Cake is a new career highlight (and not just because one of her bosses is Oprah Winfrey). Stick around until the end for a special appearance by none other than the Grand Empress of Sci-Fi. Episode sponsors: The Drama Class + Biz Books

Episode 264: Ukrainian activist Olga Prodan on her mission to help kids who’ve lost parents in the war

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Olga Prodan is a somatic psychologist and psychosocial rehabilitator working in Vancouver – and when she isn’t doing that, she’s in Ukraine helping children who have lost a parent on the frontlines. This year’s YVR Screen Scene For Ukraine – which takes the form of a gala on March 29 and an online auction of film and television memorabilia and Ukrainian art running March 27 to April 7 – is a fundraiser for the Ukrainian Canadian Advocacy Group’s rehabilitation program for the children of fallen heroes, the only one of its kind in Ukraine. In this emotional and fascinating conversation – recorded on the one-year anniversary of Russia’s full invasion of Ukraine – Olga speaks with Sabrina about her work with the children of fallen heroes, what it’s been like to travel between Vancouver and Ukraine during the war, and her vivid memories from February 24, 2022. Episode sponsors: The Drama Class and Biz Books

Episode 263: Luisa D'Oliveira

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Luisa D'Oliveira is a phenomenal actress with keen instincts, a sharp mind, and a big heart. She’s beloved around the world for her nuanced work as Emori on The 100, a role that positioned her as a disability advocate due to the grace with which her character navigated life as a person with a disability. Other highlights include The Good Wife, where she played a young lawyer going up against Julianna Margulies’ character, a co-starring role as a detective on CBC’s Cracked, a phenomenal arc on Motive, and a fantastic turn in Vancity, a proof of concept from Brady Roberts and Krista Jang about the intertwined lives of six thirty-somethings trying to make it in the Vancouver entertainment industry. Luisa is also the driving force behind the Feed Your Mind Book Club. Every month, the book club reads one non-fiction book, inspired by the tagline: Find the time, feed your mind. In this compelling and funny conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Luisa reflects on her time in Emori’s world, her new role as a book club maven, and her misadventures eating food on set. Episode sponsor: UBCP / ACTRA

Episode 262: Alessandro Juliani

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Alessandro Juliani is beloved for many things: for his acting work on stages on both sides of the Atlantic in productions of classical and brand-new work; for his performances as a voice actor in an array of animated projects, including multiple Barbie movies, Dinosaur Train, Super Monsters, and Death Note; for his nuanced on-camera work on iconic genre shows like Battlestar Galactica, Smallville, and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina; for his work as a composer on numerous projects, including Agam Darshi’s brilliant feature film directorial debut, Donkeyhead; and for being a member of a family dedicated to fostering the arts in Vancouver and Canada. In this compelling conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Alessandro talks about his identity as an Italian and Chinese Canadian (and its impact on his career), his adventures in the animation world, where Battlestar Galactica fits into it all, and how he feels about Gaeta’s choices and dramatic end. Episode sponsor: UBCP / ACTRA

Episode 261: Bob Frazer Returns

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Bob Frazer returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to pour one out for Alban Hearst, the anti-witch terrorist leader he played for all three seasons of Freeform’s brilliant Motherland: Fort Salem. In seasons one and two, Alban toyed with all of Motherland: Fort Salem’s favourite witches – and in the series’ third and final season, Alban plunged to new depths of unhinged hate, while also revealing himself to be intimidated by his sneering sister (played by Emilie Ullerup). Bob reflects on his time in Alban’s tailored suits, while also previewing his role in Safehaven, the upcoming fantasy series in which he plays a (gasp!) good guy. Episode sponsors: Biz Books + The Drama Class

YVR Screen Scene For Ukraine gala fundraiser

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 16 Feb 2023 17:28:12 +0000

YVR Screen Scene presents a gala evening in support of humanitarian efforts in Ukraine featuring a special screening of Viddana

Episode 260: Zach Smadu

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Zach Smadu recently wrapped his third season as Daniel Svensson, an exceedingly tidy lawyer with an exceedingly messy love life, on the locally shot and produced Family Law. As Daniel, Zach – whose filmography also includes plum roles on The Expanse, Cardinal, Kim’s Convenience, Titans, and Letterkenny – is one of Harry Svensson’s three children; the other two are masterfully portrayed by Genelle Williams and Jewel Staite. In this fun and fascinating conversation, Zach talks about food, why he moved from Toronto to Vancouver, food, what Jewel Staite is really like as a number one, why he begins each day with a cold plunge in the ocean, food, how Family Law has changed his life, and food. Also: food! Episode sponsors: Biz Books + The Drama Class

Episode 259: Ian Hanlin

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 10 Feb 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Ian Hanlin’s long list of voice credits includes an egg pirate, a black-furred anthropomorphic hedgehog, and an entire cadre of well-coiffed superheroes. Ian voiced Thor in LEGO Marvel Avengers: Loki in Training, Owen Grady in LEGO Jurassic World: Legend of Isla Nublar, Ant Man in LEGO Marvel Avengers: Time Twisted, The Purple Pie Man in Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City, Lance Richmond in LEGO: Nexo Knights, and Mr. Pocket in Polly Pocket, and can currently be heard as Shadow the Hedgehog in Sonic Prime. In late 2022, he won the award for Best Voice Performance at the 2022 UBCP/ACTRA Awards for his work in Angry Birds: Summer Madness. In this rollicking conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Ian describes how he found his voice, the joys and challenges of voicing heroes with great hair, and what he did early in his career to make an engineer to say, “Well, you really Christian Bale-d the shit out of that.” Episode sponsors: UBCP / ACTRA

Episode 258: Alison Araya

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Alison Araya’s work can be summed up in a single word: bold. Whether she’s playing a loving if slightly overzealous Tia on Julie and the Phantoms, a family court judge with a firm hand on Family Law, a fastidious social worker on Riverdale, or a strong-willed woman who ends up in a superhero threesome on Peacemaker, Alison consistently delivers bold performances that reveal a real mastery of craft, a joyous heart, and a keen mind. In this introspective and at times funny conversation, Alison talks about that threesome with Vigilante and Peacemaker, working with James Gunn and John Cena, the impact of watching Troma Entertainment films as a seven-year-old, how intimacy coordinators have changed the business, why playing Tia Victoria on Julie and the Phantoms meant the world to her, and what she really thinks about ghosts and superheroes. Episode sponsors: Biz Books and The Drama Class.

Episode 257: Avan Jogia and Nhi Do

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Door Mouse is the feature film directorial debut from Avan Jogia, the celebrated writer and actor from Vancouver who is well known for a lot of projects, including the wildly bonkers Netflix series Ghost Wars. Door Mouse is a neo-noir thriller about a burlesque dancer and struggling comic book artist (the titular Door Mouse) who is compelled to investigate the disappearances of two of her fellow burlesque dancers and finds a whole world of trouble in the process. Door Mouse is at once wildly entertaining, highly stylized, and a biting commentary on power structures, trauma, and how the disenfranchised can disappear and nobody bats an eye – nobody, that is, except brave people like Door Mouse. In this fascinating conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, filmmaker Avan Jogia and actress Nhi Do talk identity, the real-world inspirations for Door Mouse, and how to make a neo-noir thriller with a punk rock spirit. Episode sponsor: Biz Books and The Drama Class

Episode 256: Hiro Kanagawa Returns

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Actor and playwright Hiro Kanagawa (Star Trek: Discovery) returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about Forgiveness, his adaptation of Mark Sakamoto’s acclaimed memoir that tells the story of a real-life family confronting the atrocities of the past and finding within itself a way forward. Forgiveness tells the parallel stories of Sakamoto’s maternal grandfather Ralph, a Canadian soldier of European descent who spent years in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp, and Mitsue, his paternal grandmother, who was one of the thousands of Japanese Canadians interned by the Canadian government. In the face of tremendous adversity and transgressions, they chose not to live a life of anger but instead to embrace forgiveness—a gift of love they passed down to their families. Forgiveness had its world premiere in Vancouver earlier this month and will open in Calgary this spring. In this fascinating conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Hiro reflects on the connection between past and present, why a play about the past is especially timely in 2023, the role that art can play in moving important conversations forward, and how his experience with Forgiveness has changed how he sees his work. Episode sponsor: Biz Books and The Drama Class

Episode 255: Brenna Coates and Jessica Steen

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 18 Jan 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Brenna Coates lit up the screen as Lucy on CBC’s Coroner and in the indie horror thriller The Sinners, and also won a 2018 Dora Mavor Moore Theatre Award for her work in Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem. Jessica Steen’s long list of credits includes Stargate SG-1, Republic of Doyle, NCIS, and Lisa Stillman on Heartland, the longest-running hour-long scripted drama in Canadian history. Brenna and Jessica are both powerhouses in their own rights, so it’s little surprise that they make absolute magic together playing daughter and mother in Stream Queen, a scripted audio comedy which takes us into the unfiltered lives of Gen Z vloggers. Stream Queen was written and directed by Hayley Tyson and has lived in the podcasting charts since dropping its five episodes in September. In this funny and fascinating interview, Jessica and Brenna talk about the joys and challenges of creating a sitcom for our ears, and how they really feel about the whole world of vlogging. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 254: Johannah Newmarch and John Emmet Tracy

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 13 Jan 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Johannah Newmarch and John Emmet Tracy are equally matched in terms of talent, fearlessness, and generosity of spirit. Johannah is beloved for her work as Molly on When Calls The Heart, and for her many film and television projects spanning all genres, including Garage Sale Mysteries, Project Mc2, Gracepoint, and Polaris. John Emmet Tracy is known ’round the world for his scene-stealing roles on Batwoman, iZombie, Supernatural, and as ruthless legal eagle Ellis Steele on Yellowstone. Separate, they’re award-winning and well-respected actors; together, they’re #IndustryBFFs. In the seventh instalment of our ongoing #IndustryBFFs series, Johannah and John reflect on their years of friendship, their roles on hit series, and Johannah’s abiding passion for snacks. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 253: Michelle Harrison

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Michelle Harrison has portrayed Nora Allen on The Flash for all of its nine seasons. Being Nora Allen is a big responsibility: Nora’s untimely death in the pilot is the event that sets everything in motion. Nora is seen in multiple timelines, as the embodiment of the Speed Force, and as the ultimate representation of motherhood, love, and sacrifice – and the woman who portrays her contains just as many multitudes. Michelle’s lengthy list of credits includes inventive sci-fi like Continuum and The Magicians and Eureka, crime procedurals like Take Two, family dramas like When Calls the Heart, seasonal fare like The Christmas House and The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls, and thrilling works that defy genre, like Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein’s critically acclaimed feature, Freaks. Soon she’ll be seen acting opposite her Flash colleague Jesse L. Martin in Re: Uniting, the highly anticipated feature film directorial debut from Laura Adkin. In this fascinating conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Michelle talks time travel, finding her mark, working with Jesse L. Martin in two projects, and her nine years in Nora Allen’s pink sweater. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 252: Amanda and Sabrina go to Paris

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Amanda Tapping is beloved around the world for iconic roles on Stargate SG-1 and Sanctuary and her ever-growing list of television directing credits (including an impressive run as an executive producer on the cult favourite Freeform series Motherland: Fort Salem); Sabrina Rani Furminger is host of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast. Since Amanda and Sabrina’s first interview together in January 2013 (for a Westender cover story entitled “What’s next for Amanda Tapping?”), the pair have grown to become dear friends. In late November 2022, the pals packed their bags and flew to Paris, where Amanda was scheduled to appear at Paris Manga alongside her former Stargate SG-1 co-star Richard Dean Anderson – and while sipping bubbly beverages at a sidewalk bistro on the eve of the convention, they decided to record an episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast. Tune in as Amanda and Sabrina break with the podcast’s usual studio format and discuss their decade of friendship, the last days of Motherland: Fort Salem, Richard Dean Anderson, and what comes next. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 251: Jules Koostachin

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 25 Nov 2022 11:00:00 +0000

Dr Jules Arita Koostachin wrote and directed Broken Angel, a thrilling dramatic feature that premiered at the imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival, won the award for Best Feature at the 2022 American Indian Film Festival, and screens at the 2022 Whistler Film Festival. Broken Angel is a story about healing and mental illness, family and acceptance, domestic violence and legacy, and trauma and survival. It’s also a bold narrative feature film directorial debut from Jules, and a stunning showcase for its actors, including Sera-Lys McArthur (who won the award for Best Actress at AIFF for her performance in Broken Angel), Brooklyn Letexier-Hart, Asivak Koostachin, and Jules herself. In this fascinating conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Jules discusses this moment in her life and career, working with her sons, why it’s essential to portray domestic violence on screen (and do so with intent and care), and where she plans to take audiences next. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 250: Jewel Staite and Paul McGillion

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 11:00:00 +0000

Jewel Staite and Paul McGillion are two wildly talented actors with lengthy filmographies and stellar reputations. Jewel is beloved for her work on Firefly, Serenity, Stargate Atlantis, her hilarious tweets and TikToks, and for her leading role as Abigail Bianchi on the award-winning and critically acclaimed television series Family Law. And Paul is renowned for roles on Stargate Atlantis, Firefly Lane, The Flash, and for being one of the nicest humans in the Vancouver film and television industry. Both Jewel and Paul have previously appeared on the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, and during those appearances, both Jewel and Paul spoke about the other with a whole lotta love. For our milestone 250th episode – and the sixth in our #IndustryBFFs series – Jewel Staite and Paul McGillion sit down with Sabrina Rani Furminger to talk about their friendship, convention adventures, food, and one potent margarita machine. Episode sponsor: UBCP / ACTRA

Episode 249: Leah Gibson

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 11:00:00 +0000

Leah Gibson has lit up the screen in an array of critically acclaimed shows like Manifest, Arctic Air, Batwoman, and Jessica Jones, where she played troubled nurse Inez Green. She was nominated for a 2022 UBCP/ACTRA Award for her work on Joe Pickett, Paramount Plus’ astounding neo-Western crime drama. Leah plays Jeannie Keeley, a wife and a mom who is all passion, all fire, and, according to another character, a “real live one.” This month, Leah will bring her passion and fire to the Vancouver stage in a production of David Ives’ mysterious, funny, and erotic drama Venus in Fur directed by Brian Markinson. In this compelling and entertaining conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Leah reflects on what she learned playing characters like Jessica Jones’ Inez and Joe Pickett’s Jeannie, and what’s she’s learning anew in Venus in Fur. Episode sponsor: UBCP / ACTRA

Episode 248: Brady Roberts and Sachin Sahel

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 11:00:00 +0000

In the fifth episode of our ongoing #IndustryBFFs series, actors Brady Roberts (Paper Champions) and Sachin Sahel (The 100) talk about their friendship forged in wrestling, why the new monthly wrestling show Boom! Pro Wrestling is the hottest ticket in Vancouver, and the coffee meeting that changed everything. Episode sponsor: UBCP / ACTRA

Episode 247: Karin Konoval

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 11:00:00 +0000

Karin Konoval is a highly accomplished actress with a knack for disappearing into complex, sometimes non-human, roles. Karin portrayed an orangutan named Maurice in the Planet of the Apes films. In 2018, she won a UBCP/ACTRA award for the dual role of Chucky and Judy in The X-Files, and in 2019, she was inducted into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame. She’s beloved for playing Deena Petringa on the most watched television drama in the world, The Good Doctor, for her work as Dr. Pelton on Snowpiercer, and for dozens of other scene-stealing roles on screens large and small. Karin is also a painter, a photographer, a dancer, and a writer. Her latest book, On Constance, is the story of her journey to, and then through, the remarkable city of New Orleans for four months in 2013. It’s a memoir of a profound summer, and what it means to find resonance and joy in unexpected encounters and unlikely places. In this fascinating conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Karin reflects on her time in New Orleans, bringing On Constance to life, and what it means to move through a magical city while in an orangutan state of mind. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 246: Meredith Hambrock and Jennifer Siddle

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 10:00:00 +0000

In the fourth episode of our ongoing #IndustryBFFs series, screenwriters Meredith Hambrock (Corner Gas Animated) and Jennifer Siddle (Some Assembly Required) talk the inner workings of a comedy writer’s room, Vancouver humour, guff-giving, and what a friendship between two comedy writers can look like IRL. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

YVR Screen Scene For Ukraine: Pendants For The People

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 17:16:57 +0000

YVR Screen Scene is proud to present YVR Screen Scene For Ukraine: Pendants For The People, a fundraiser for Ukrainian humanitarian relief

Episode 245: Adrian and Sabrina talk about Ukraine

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Actor Adrian Petriw appeared on the YVR Screen Scene Podcast in 2019 and 2020 to talk about his voice acting career and eat babka with host (and fellow Ukrainian) Sabrina Rani Furminger. But those previous appearances were before February 24, 2022, when Russia fully invaded Ukraine, displacing and traumatizing millions of Ukrainians, killing thousands, and mobilizing Ukrainians in the diaspora to do whatever they could to help. In the first month of the war, Adrian and Sabrina co-produced YVR Screen Scene For Ukraine, a gala fundraiser and online auction that raised more than $37,000 for Ukrainian humanitarian relief. Eight months later, Ukrainians continue to fight for their right to exist – and Ukrainians in the diaspora have seen public interest in Ukraine ebb and flow, come and go. Says Sabrina: “There is a special pain that comes with watching the world lose interest in the genocide of your people, a special rage that takes over when people you thought were your friends tweet that Ukraine should negotiate with the terrorists intent on erasing it from the map, and a special gratitude that surfaces when the world – and the media, and your friends – bears witness.” In this emotional and freewheeling episode, Sabrina and her Ukrainian-brother-from-another-mother Adrian talk about the war, what it’s been like to navigate the entertainment industry as Ukrainians in the diaspora while Ukrainians in Ukraine fight for their lives, and how allies can help. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Gary Harvey: “I’m disabled and I’m a director”

Gary Harvey — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 16:30:55 +0000

Gary Harvey joined the ranks of the disabled in 2014. He reflects on his journey as a disabled television director in this new essay for YVR Screen Scene

Episode 244: Women in Film and Television Vancouver is changing its name; Eli Morris explains why

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 10:00:00 +0000

On October 4, Women in Film and Television Vancouver – AKA WIFTV – announced that it would be making some significant changes to its name, its long-running Vancouver International Women in Film Festival, and its logo. In a letter to the WIFTV membership, they wrote, “We believe that everybody who has faced historical exclusion and marginalization due to patriarchy and sexism is deserving of our organization’s support. However, we have received ongoing feedback from our community members that WIFTV’s current name does not welcome or include them, which goes against our values and mission as an organization… It’s vital that WIFTV’s language evolves with the times so that we can continue our mission of advancing and celebrating gender equity in screen-based media.” In this poignant episode, WIFTV’s Executive Director Eli Morris joins Sabrina Rani Furminger to discuss WIFTV’s journey to this historic moment, the barriers faced by trans and genderqueer people in the film and television industry, and the role that anger can play in social equity work. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 243: Actor Patrick Keating shares his prison story

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Patrick Keating is the creative force behind Inside/Out: A Prison Memoir, a theatrical performance film in which Patrick shares his real-life story of years spent in and out of Canada’s penitentiary system. Patrick is an actor and storyteller who has performed in more than 40 stage productions and close to 60 television and film productions, including Virgin River, The Flash, Resident Alien, and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Inside/Out: A Prison Memoir was created for a Virtual Screening Tour of prisons and correctional facilities across Canada in 2021. It also screened at the Edinburgh Fringe and Adelaide Fringe Festivals, and was awarded Best Inspirational Film by the Washington Film Awards in 2022. And this month, it will screen in Vancouver at the Heart of the City Festival. As Patrick says in his remarkable film, “Not a day goes by when that shit doesn’t bounce back at me: the sights, the sounds, the smells, the faces. Ghosts: it’s all there, all wired in.” Patrick speaks with Sabrina Rani Furminger about those ghosts, how his time on the inside impacts his life on the outside, and why it’s important for Canadians to talk about the prison system. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 242: What working in the film industry can be like for people with disabilities

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 21 Oct 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Roughly 6.2 million Canadians – or 25% of the population – live with some form of disability, but that high number hasn’t led to an accessible society. In the film and television industry, countless barriers exist for people with disabilities that simply don’t exist for people without them. In the first of our new series of episodes about disability and accessibility in #BCFilm, actor and advocate Amy Amantea joins Sabrina Rani Furminger to discuss the challenges faced by film workers with disabilities, the damage done by tropes and thoughtless language, attitudinal barriers, and what can be done to make the industry accessible for all. Episode sponsor: UBCP / ACTRA

Episode 241: Kai Bradbury

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Over the last several years, Kai Bradbury has made a name for himself playing characters who dabble in deception. On Motherland: Fort Salem, he played the bird-wielding male witch Gerit who shows up in Fort Salem to participate in Beltane and lies to Tally about his relationship status. As rogue scientist Nate on The Imperfects, he lured monsters Abbi, Tilda, and Juan into a potentially devastating trap. He can currently be seen on Virgin River as Denny, Doc’s long-lost grandson who comes to town with a number of secrets and possible nefarious motives. Kai’s other credits include The Terror, Warigami, Altered Carbon, The Man in the High Castle, and the music video for Amanda Sum’s Undecided Minds. In this compelling and entertaining episode, Kai talks the art of deception, the art of make believe, Hot Pockets, his mixed heritage, working with Sarah Dugdale, and much more. Episode sponsor: UBCP / ACTRA

Episode 240: Catherine Lough Haggquist Returns!

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 10:00:00 +0000

For three seasons, Catherine Lough Haggquist portrayed General Petra Bellweather on Freeform’s Motherland: Fort Salem. The dramatic series imagined a world where the witches of Salem entered into a pact with non-magical humans that made them a celebrated and powerful military force – and General Bellweather rose through the ranks (and the series) to become the highest ranking witch in the military. This gave Cat the opportunity to kick ass both literally and figuratively, which she discussed during her first appearance on the YVR Screen Scene Podcast after Motherland’s first season. This most recent season of Motherland: Fort Salem – which was its triumphant third and final season – saw Petra trying to protect witchkind while under the constant surveillance of an antagonistic non-magical civilian state. In this compelling conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Cat reflects on Petra’s journey (including that iconic pen scene), her final days on Motherland: Fort Salem, working with Sheryl Lee Ralph, Demetria McKinney, and Bob Frazer, and how her experience in Petra’s world changed her own. Episode sponsor: UBCP / ACTRA

Episode 239: Morgan Holmstrom

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Morgan Holmstrom plays a nurse who takes no guff and gives everything she has to the people she loves on CBC and Paramount Plus’ action-packed dramatic series SkyMed. In the APTN limited series Shadow of the Rougarou, she lights up the screen as a Metis-Cree fur trapper who must face the curse that ripped her life apart as a child – a role for which she was nominated for a 2022 Leo Award. And in Day of the Dead, she played former Special Forces working on a fracking crew whose discovery of a mysterious body plunges her into the middle of a zombie invasion. These are powerful women; women with agency; women who kick ass, who know who they are, and who can be at once vulnerable and volatile. They’re all thrilling characters of substance, which is also an apt description for Morgan herself. In this fascinating episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Morgan talks about her journey to SkyMed, the surprising way she prepped for her Day of the Dead role, how COVID changed her approach to The Work, and elephants. Episode sponsor: UBCP / ACTRA

Episode 236: Filmmaker Kat Jayme investigates a sprawling sports mystery

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 10:00:00 +0000

You would be hard-pressed to find a bigger fan of the Vancouver Grizzlies than Kat Jayme. Not only did Kat grow up a fan of the ill-fated NBA franchise, but she’s parlayed that childhood passion into a number of films, including We The West, 2018’s festival hit Finding Big Country (in which she successfully tracked down NBA enigma Bryant “Big Country Reeves), and The Grizzlie Truth, in which she seeks to investigate a sprawling sports mystery: who is responsible for robbing Vancouver of the Grizzlies? To die-hard fans of the Vancouver Grizzlies, the team’s abrupt move to Memphis in 2001 is much more than a sore spot, it’s an unsolved mystery and possibly a criminal conspiracy. And there is no one on this planet better suited to tackle this mystery than Kat Jayme, and her findings – in the form of wildly entertaining, wholly gripping, and surprisingly heartwarming The Grizzlie Truth – has its world premiere at the 2022 Vancouver International Film Festival. In this fascinating episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Kat reflects on her spectacular journey into the heart of a baffling sports mystery. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 237: Nisha Platzer and Joella Cabalu

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 10:00:00 +0000

back home premieres this month at the 2022 Vancouver International Film Festival. The film follows filmmaker Nisha Platzer’s journey to get to know her older brother Josh 20 years after he took his own life. Over the span of five years, Nisha connects with the friends who knew Josh best as a teenager; it isn’t long before his chosen family becomes hers, too. back home is a haunting and nuanced film, shifting between past and present, employing 16mm and Super 8 footage, sometimes dream-like and out of focus – and even though tragedy and trauma are present, so are connection, growth, and love. We watch as Nisha tries to make sense of something that doesn’t always make sense, and learn how to make space for grief in her life. In this riveting episode, Nisha Platzer and producer Joella Cabalu discuss their remarkable journey to bring back home to the screen.

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 below. You matter. You’re not alone.

Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 238: Anthony Shim

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 10:00:00 +0000

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

Episode 235: The Imperfects showrunner Dennis Heaton

Sabrina Furminger — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 10:00:00 +0000

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

Episode 234: Kandyse McClure

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 22 Sep 2022 10:00:00 +0000

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.

Episode sponsor: UBCP / ACTRA

Episode 233: Richard Harmon, Emilija Baranac, Jennifer Tong and David Turko

Sabrina Furminger — Mon, 19 Sep 2022 10:00:00 +0000

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

Season Finale: Thomas Elms

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 10:00:00 +0000

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

Episode 231: Praneet Akilla Returns

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 10:00:00 +0000

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

Episode 230: Jesse Inocalla

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 10:00:00 +0000

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

Episode 229: Brian Drummond

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 14 Jul 2022 10:00:00 +0000

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

Episode 228: Keilani Rose

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 07 Jul 2022 10:00:00 +0000

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

Episode 227: Ukrainian filmmaker Khrystyna Syvolap shares her refugee story

Sabrina Furminger — Mon, 04 Jul 2022 10:00:00 +0000

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

Episode 226: Aliyah O’Brien

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Aliyah O’Brien is a versatile actress, an advocate for self-love, and a happy wanderer who has ambled ’round the world. Aliyah is beloved for her work as one half of #Golly on Rookie Blue, for playing a brilliant detective on Take Two, and for fun roles in series like DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Bates Motel, You Me Her, and Sanctuary. In this fun and fascinating conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger (facilitated by generous pours of Zirkova Vodka), Aliyah reflects on what she’s learned on her happy wanderings around the world and through this industry, and also talks courting magic, “uncoupling” with love, acting opposite Amanda Tapping on Sanctuary, and her new podcast, This Juicy Life. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 225: Aleks Paunovic and Tahmoh Penikett

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 12:02:14 +0000

Aleks Paunovic (Snowpiercer) and Tahmoh Penikett (Battlestar Galactica) didn’t exactly hit it off when they first met in acting class more than 20 years ago, but the friendship they built in the intervening years is the stuff of legend. In the third of our #IndustryBFFs series, these best bros bring us into the inner workings of their epic friendship, and discuss the myriad of ways their friendship informs how they navigate this really weird business. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Season Finale: #StopAsianHate with Amanda Sum and Mayumi Yoshida

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 24 May 2022 10:00:00 +0000

This is the fifth episode in our ongoing #StopAsianHate series where we explore the intersection between anti-Asian hate and the film and television industry.

May is Asian Heritage Month, and to paraphrase Sandra Oh, it’s an honour to celebrate the depth and breadth of what it means to be Asian. Asian is a big word; Asia is comprised of nearly 50 countries, billions of people, thousands of cultures and languages and ways of life. So when we celebrate Asian Heritage each May, we are celebrating billions of threads that weave together to become the dazzling, storied, and vast continent that is Asia. But for those of us in the diaspora, Asian Heritage Month is tinged with the knowledge that it can be dangerous to be Asian. During the pandemic, hate crimes against Asians in Vancouver rose nearly 3000%. So when we in the diaspora celebrate our Asian heritage during this month, we do so with defiance. We want to revel in our cultural heritage. We want to claim our joy.

Joy – and joy as a form of resistance – are central in the music video for Different Than Before. The song was written and performed by Amanda Sum and the video was directed by Mayumi Yoshida (Amanda and Mayumi visited the podcast in 2020 to talk about their first collaboration, the video for Groupthink). This new video features an Asian family out for dim sum and karaoke, celebrating the engagement of the their older daughter. There’s lots of laughs, until they’re heckled by a white family. The dad wants them to just ignore the racism. The daughters want – something different.

Different Than Before stars Amanda Sum, Olivia Cheng, Tzi Ma, Sachin Sahel, and Amanda’s mom Linda, and premiered on May 20 on Amanda’s YouTube channel. Amanda and Mayumi join Sabrina for a contemplative conversation about pursuing joy in the face of hate, and how art can change the conversation.

NOTE: This is our spring season finale! We'll return with new episodes in June. Thank you for getting us this far!

Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 223: Erin Karpluk

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 19 May 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Actress Erin Karpluk is known around the world for her starring role in CBC’s Being Erica, which aired for four seasons in 180 countries and won Erin a Best Actress Gemini Award in 2009 and a Best Lead Actress Leo Award in 2010, and she’s beloved in the local industry for playing Kate, the restaurant manager who experiences an incredible trauma, in the Vancouver-shot Godiva’s. More recently, she led the Hobbie family through five seasons of Family Channel’s Holly Hobbie, and she’s turned in memorable appearances on Debris, Nancy Drew, and Two Sentence Horror Stories. And now she’s exploring what it means to have been married to a sex offender while also working through addiction and a new relationship on A Million Little Things. In this wildly entertaining conversation, Erin reflects on her time as Erica and Kate and talks mental health, time travel, cats, joy, being Anna on A Million Little Things, and what legendary actress Mary Steenburgen said to her that changed her life. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 222: Bill Newton

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 13 May 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Bill Newton’s filmography is chock-full of voice performances that are exciting, adventurous, daring, and damn funny. Bill has voiced everyone’s favourite God of Mischief Loki in multiple marvel projects, including Lego Marvel Adventures and Marvel Battleworld: Treachery at Twilight. He was nominated for a 2021 UBCP/ACTRA Award for voicing the dude-bro ogre BrainFreeze in Monster Beach (a performance he based in part on Keanu Reeves). He’s turned in an array of witty, wacky, and wonderful performances in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Ninjago, and Beyblade. And earlier this year, Bill went viral with his dramatic readings of Peggy Blair’s “Dear Martha” tweets, which captured the absurdity of the Ottawa Occupation. In this rollicking conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Bill talks about navigating the voice acting world with an Australian accent, his passion for everything old, becoming Loki, and his experience going viral. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 221: William B. Davis

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 11 May 2022 10:00:00 +0000

By the time William B. Davis debuted in the pilot episode of The X-Files as the Cigarette Smoking Man, he’d already built a storied career as a director, acting teacher, and actor on both sides of the Atlantic. William documented his journey to The X-Files in his 2013 book, Where There’s Smoke… Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man – a journey that began with CBC audio dramas when he was a child and continues to this day with roles on popular fare like Amazon Studio’s Upload and Mike Flanagan’s highly anticipated horror series The Midnight Club.

Despite his busy schedule, William somehow found the time to write a second book: On Acting… And Life, which was released earlier this month and is a celebration of the craft of acting. This new book is rich with anecdotes about directing actors and developing characters, while also providing the kind of practical information about rehearsing, learning lines, and fine-tuning work that actors pay good money for in acting schools.

In this compelling conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, William reflects on his career (including his time in the Cigarette Smoking Man’s cloud of smoke), and shares what he feels actors need to know in order to build careers that feed their souls. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 220: Doug and the Slugs and Me

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 06 May 2022 10:00:00 +0000

What comes to your mind when you hear the words “Doug and the Slugs”? If you live in Canada and grew up in the 1970s and 1980s, you probably think of one of the hottest party bands of the era fronted by the unlikeliest of rockstars: the late, great Doug Bennett. And you probably smile, because songs like “Too Bad” and “Real Enough” and “Making It Work” and “Day By Day” and their accompanying music videos were fun, and because Slugmania was real.

You can revisit the songs and the men who made them in Doug and the Slugs and Me, a fascinating and fun documentary by Vancouver filmmaker Teresa Alfeld about the man that publicist-turned-MuchMusic VJ Denise Donlon describes in the film as “more a carnie than a sex symbol.” The film follows the rise of the Vancouver band and its frontman through archival footage, interviews with band members, Doug’s family, and icons like Ed the Sock, Bif Naked, Ron Sexsmith, and Sir Bob Geldof. We also hear from Doug himself through the journals he left behind.

Doug and the Slugs and Me is a film about the Slugs, about music, making music, legacy, friendship, ego, dreams, grief, and the documentarian’s starting point, namely: “What happened to this man we thought we knew?”Documentarian Teresa Alfeld – who grew up next to the Bennett family and was best friends with one of Doug’s daughters – visits the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about Doug and the Slugs and her remarkable film, which screens at the 2022 DOXA Documentary Film Festival. Episode sponsored by Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 219: Love in the Time of Fentanyl

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 05 May 2022 10:00:00 +0000

It’s been six years since the British Columbia government declared the opioid overdose crisis a public health emergency. More than 9,400 British Columbians have died from overdoses since January 2016. 174 people were lost in the month of February 2022 alone. Colin Askey’s film Love In The Time Of Fentanyl goes beyond the cold statistics and to the heart of what’s at stake: human beings in our province, all of whom are worthy of love, care, and respect. Love In the Time of Fentanyl highlights the work of the Overdose Prevention Society, AKA OPS, in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. OPS is a low-barrier, peer-run site where people can use their own illicit drugs, access sterile harm reduction equipment, and receive emergency overdose response as needed.

OPS is run by people who’ve come together to save the lives of people in their community – people they love. And this gift that they’re giving – this gift of their time and space and clean drug rigs and no judgment – is working. No one has died from an overdose at an overdose prevention site. This is what community looks like. This is what harm reduction looks like. This is what love can do.

Love In The Time of Fentanyl screens at the 2022 DOXA Documentary Film Festival. In this compelling conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Colin Askey talks about Love In The Time of Fentanyl and what OPS can tell us about the compassion and care required to save lives during this devastating time. Episode sponsored by Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 218: Shakil Jessa

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Filmmaker Shakil Jessa is determined to make the kind of films he needed to see when he was a queer Muslim teenager. This determination is particularly evident in Imran and Alykhan, a short film about two boys who fall in love at a Muslim youth retreat but have to keep their relationship a secret from those around them; the film will premiere on May 7 at Crazy8s. Shakil recently wrapped his first development deal with WarnerMedia for a story about a queer Muslim teenager going to university for the first time. He was the youngest member to have joined the WarnerMedia Access x Canadian Academy Writers' Program, and he’s currently working on a new limited series about a South Asian teen from Toronto who leads a crime ring that robs $11 million from the world's biggest influencers.

In this boisterous episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Shakil talks about his experiences bringing queer Muslim stories to the screen, moving into spaces in the industry that don’t have long histories of platforming queer BIPOC filmmakers, and why diversity and representation matter to young people in particular. Episode sponsored by Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 217: Gabrielle Rose and Camille Sullivan

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Veteran actresses Gabrielle Rose (The Sweet Hereafter) and Camille Sullivan (Intelligence) like each other very much, and like to work together too. So who better to talk about the joys and challenges of collaboration than these two queens of the Canadian drama scene? In the second episode of our #IndustryBFFs series, Gabrielle and Camille reflect on their friendship and talk camaraderie, chemistry, navigating toxic behaviour, and competition. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 216: Why are some filmmakers calling for leadership change at Knowledge Network?

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 22 Apr 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Knowledge Network is the public broadcaster in British Columbia. But what many in the public didn’t know until an equity audit laid it bare in February was that, in the past seven years, only 1.7% of the $2 million granted by Knowledge Network to filmmakers went to filmmakers of colour, and 0% went to Indigenous majority-owned companies. To put it in perspective, 1.7% of $2 million is only $34,000. Thus, a group of diverse independent filmmakers and BC residents recently launched a petition calling for new leadership at Knowledge Network so that it can, in their words, once again become “the people’s broadcaster, and the trusted repository of BC stories.” Documentarian Joella Cabalu joins Sabrina to talk about the situation at Knowledge Network and what it reveals about the status of white supremacy in BC film. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 215: Kathleen Robertson

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Kathleen Robertson visits the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about her years acting on Maniac Mansion and Beverly Hills 90210 and her current gig showrunning Roku’s hit series Swimming With Sharks. The last – a dark thriller – is a reimagining of the 1994 film of the same title, about a Hollywood assistant who turns the tables on an abusive boss. But this time, the Hollywood assistant and the abusive boss are women: played by Kiernan Shipka and Diane Kruger respectively. Donald Sutherland, Thomas Dekker, Finn Jones, Erica Alexander, Ross Butler, and Gerardo Celasco also make appearances – as does Kathleen herself. In this fascinating and entertaining interview, Kathleen pulls back the curtain on Swimming With Sharks. She also takes us into her career journey, and talks about reinvention in an industry that isn’t always welcoming of women who want to expand into new roles. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 214: ‘Peacemaker’ choreographer Charissa Barton

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Charissa Barton is responsible for choreographing one of the most universally beloved opening credits sequences of all time: that of Peacemaker on HBO Max. Newsweek described it as “[probably] the most memorable opening credits sequence of any superhero show in recent years.” The Hollywood Reporter went even further, calling it “one of the greatest opening credits in TV history.” In the sequence, characters like Peacemaker (John Cena), Vigilante (Freddie Stroma), Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), and Adebayo (Danielle Brooks) perform their slammin’ robot-like dance moves to Wig Wam’s 2010 rock-metal track “Do You Wanna Taste It,” their expressions intensely stoic. Comedian Patton Oswalt echoed millions of fans when he tweeted, “Has ANYONE ever used the ‘skip intro' option in @DCpeacemaker? ‘Cuz I never will.” In this special episode, we meet the dynamic artist behind those iconic moves. Episode Sponsor: YVR Screen Scene For Ukraine

Episode 213: Why comedian Ryan Beil set out to make an unfunny sci-fi pilot

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Let’s Make A Sci-Fi is audacious. The new CBC podcast follows three Vancouver comedians – Ryan Beil, Maddy Kelly and Mark Chavez – as they set out to write a successful, non-comedy sci-fi pilot with help from scientific experts and Hollywood screenwriting pros, including actor Rainn Wilson, astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson, District 9 filmmaker Neill Blomkamp, showrunners Jem Garrard and Simon Barry, and Catherine Winder, CEO of Wind Sun Sky. Over the course of eight episodes, the comedians overcome challenges such as developing their story-world, plot, characters, and the science, as they prepare their pilot script for the ultimate test: a performance by professional actors, for better or worse.

If it sounds bonkers and awesome, that’s because it is. It’s a study of writer’s rooms, how sci-fi is put together, and what works and what doesn’t. And even though the comedians are adamant that they’re not writing a comedy, Let’s Make a Sci-Fi is funny. Because the audacity of inventing universes and characters and ships is hilarious, especially when comedians set out to do it. Ryan Beil joins Sabrina to talk about the audacity of Let’s Make a Sci-Fi, and the practical lessons he learned along the way about writing science fiction.

Episode Sponsor: YVR Screen Scene For Ukraine

Episode 212: Lea Salonga

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 11:00:00 +0000

Lea Salonga is the beloved singer and performer who won a Tony Award for originating the role of Kim in Miss Saigon, and who built a global fanbase for her work as the singing voices for Jasmine in Aladdin and as Mulan in Mulan and Mulan 2 – work for which the Walt Disney Company bestowed upon her the title of Disney Legend. She was the first Asian woman to play Eponine in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway and returned to the beloved show as Fantine in the 2006 revival. She has performed on the Oscar stage and on stages around the world. She starred in the critically acclaimed Sony musical-drama Yellow Rose and in the animated series Centaurworld for Netflix. She is currently filming Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin for HBO Max, and will soon embark on her “Dream Again” tour, which makes a highly anticipated stop at Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre on April 12.

Lea was one of the first to do it the way she does it on West End and Broadway stages. She uses her magnificent voice not only to entertain, but to draw awareness to issues that matter, including anti-Asian hate. In this special episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Lea talks about her remarkable journey, breaking barriers, her “Dream Again” tour, and why she is a proud member of the BTS ARMY.

Episode Sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 211: Agam Darshi Talks ‘Donkeyhead’

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 08 Mar 2022 11:00:00 +0000

Agam Darshi returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about Donkeyhead, the feature film that she stars in, wrote, and directed. Agam plays Mona, a failed writer who carves out a life of isolation while caring for her ailing Sikh father. When Mona’s father has a debilitating stroke, her three successful siblings – played by Stephen Lobo, Sandy Sidhu, and Huse Madhavji – show up on her doorstep determined to take control of the situation. What ensues is heartbreaking, hilarious at times, riveting, and ultimately healing.

Donkeyhead had its world premiere at the Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival in Toronto in December 2021, and was acquired by Array, Ava DuVernay’s distribution company that elevates and amplifies the work of BIPOC filmmakers. It hit Netflix in January, and in March 2022 it will open the 2022 Vancouver International Women in Film Festival before opening in Canadian theatres nationwide. It’s a big moment for Agam, and for all of us who crave stories we haven’t heard and seen before.

In this poignant interview, Agam speaks about her Donkeyhead journey, the support she received from luminaries like Deepa Mehta, Kim Coates, and Ava DuVernay, and where she plans to take us next.

Episode Sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

YVR Screen Scene For Ukraine

Sabrina Furminger — Mon, 07 Mar 2022 11:00:00 +0000

YVR Screen Scene presents an evening of film, music, and food in support of humanitarian efforts in Ukraine on March 30 at VIFF Centre

Episode 210: Natasha Burnett

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 11:00:00 +0000

Natasha Burnett plays Minnie Canfield, matriarch of the Canfield family, on Hallmark Channel’s When Calls The Heart. The Canfields joined the wildly popular family drama for its eighth season; over the course of 12 episodes, Minnie was revealed to be loving, fiercely protective, and level-headed – and fans, known far beyond their fandom as the Hearties, embraced Minnie and all of the Canfields, who also happened to be the first Black family to be featured on the long-running show.

So that’s Minnie Canfield. But who is Natasha Burnett?

In this delightful interview, Natasha reflects on her winding journey to Minnie and When Calls The Heart: from her childhood growing up in England, to her time in beauty school, to her six years as Diana Ross and young Michael Jackson in a touring Motown tribute show, and, ultimately, to Hope Valley. Also included: a particularly rousing round of Favourite Things!

Episode Sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 209: Dan Payne

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 11:00:00 +0000

Dan Payne is a versatile actor. From John Dover on The Good Witch to Traeger in Mech X-4, from Beast in Disney’s wildly popular Descendants films to a high-powered real estate mogul in the first episode of Family Law, Dan’s handles comedy, action, genre fare, children’s entertainment, and drama with apparent equal ease. And he’s got five Leo Awards nominations – and two wins, one for Aliens Stole My Body and the other for Aliens Ate My Homework – to show for it. Dan makes it look easy, but it’s not easy. Not only is there real skill behind Dan’s effortless-looking performances, but as he’s moved through his career, he’s wrestled with depression. Dan says that depression has been a constant companion for years – and once you know that fact, it makes his entire body of incredible work all the more incredible. In this special episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Dan talks about the characters, projects, joys, and challenges that have made him the in-demand actor he is today, and his journey with depression. Episode Sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 208: Keegan Connor Tracy Returns!

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 11:00:00 +0000

When actress-director Keegan Connor Tracy (The Magicians, Once Upon A Time) turned 50 years old in December, she vowed to take this milestone year to really sit in what it means to grow older: especially as a woman, and especially in the film and television industry. Keegan recently popped by the YVR Screen Scene studio to drink birthday champagne and join Sabrina for a fun and freewheeling conversation about the war on aging, what she learned when she let her hair turn silver, “Instagram face,” and her soon-to-launch podcast, Fine Whine. Episode Sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 207: Katie Boland

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 11:00:00 +0000

We’re All In This Together is a feature film about three sisters who struggle to find a way to work together when their mother’s long tenuous mental health takes her over a waterfall in a barrel. The sisters are each plagued by their own demons – their own insecurities, addictions, traumas, mental health woes, and issues with each other – but it’s only when they learn to speak directly to each other, see the hurt in each other, acknowledge the pain that their mother’s mental illness has had on them all that they’re actually able to help her and themselves. We’re All in this Together is as moving as you’d expect from that description, and also surprisingly funny. Most importantly, it deftly and directly addresses the impact that relationships can have on our mental health, and shows what can happen when we don’t talk about mental illness within our families.

We’re All In This Together was brought to the screen by Katie Boland. Katie is an actor, a writer, and a director. She wore all three hats on We’re All In This Together – four hats if you consider that she played two characters in the feature film, which she adapted from Amy Jones’ novel of the same name and which marks her feature film directorial debut.

In this special episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast – the latest in our series of episodes about mental health and mental illness – Katie talks about her journey with mental illness and We’re All In This Together, and the ways in which cinema can help us navigate mental illness in the real world. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 206: Dennis Heaton and Rachel Langer

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 09 Feb 2022 11:00:00 +0000

In the first of our series of episodes featuring #IndustryBFFs, screenwriters Dennis Heaton (The Order; The Imperfects) and Rachel Langer (Transplant) join Sabrina Rani Furminger for a rousing and insightful conversation about craft, community, collaboration, breaking into the industry, showrunning, bean bag chairs, and what really goes on in television writers’ rooms. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 205: Kazumi Evans

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 02 Feb 2022 11:00:00 +0000

Kazumi Evans has worked steadily as a voice actress since she entered the industry at the age of nineteen. Her many credits include Monster Beach, Polly Pocket, The Hollow, The Dragon Prince, multiple Barbie movies, and Rogue and Boomer in Wolverine vs. Sabretooth. She voiced multiple characters on My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic – and provided Rarity’s singing voice – and she voiced the dastardly Adagio Dazzle in the wildly popular My Little Pony : Equestria Girls – Rainbow Rocks. Kazumi is also a “triple threat” – equally adept at acting, singing, and dancing – who was one of the six final contestants on CBC Television’s reality series Triple Sensation. In this revealing episode, Kazumi talks about what goes on in the voice booth, what she learned working with Tabitha St. Germain on My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, what it means to be a triple threat, how the pandemic has changed her work, and her favourite trash television shows. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 204: Bob Frazer

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 11:00:00 +0000

Actor Bob Frazer’s filmography is packed with ne’er-do-wells, evil puppet masters, and smarmy bastards. Bob was Roger Hayden, also known as the Psycho Pirate, in Supergirl and Arrow – a supervillain who could control the emotions of everyone around him. He was the Sourcerer, a criminal mastermind hacker, in the thoroughly entertaining (albeit divisive) ReBoot: The Guardian Code. He was a slimy luxury car dealer lording over a hapless dad portrayed by Eric McCormack in Drinkwater, the indie hit that wowed audiences at the 2021 Whistler Film Festival. And he’s Alban Hearst, a key figure in the anti-witch terrorist organization the Camarilla, in Freeform’s brilliant Motherland: Fort Salem, which is currently filming its third and final season. In 2018, Bob won the UBCP/ACTRA Award for Best Actor for his work in The Cannon. Bob played Colton, AKA The Cannon, an ailing adult-film star struggling to prevent the collision between his personal and professional lives. Bob is also a regular on stages around town – including for titular roles in Shakespeare plays at Bard on the Beach – and he’s been nominated for more than a dozen Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards. In this engrossing conversation, Bob discusses the joys, challenges, and allure of giving life to dastardly characters. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 203: Jewel Staite

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 11:00:00 +0000

Jewel Staite is the actress behind a veritable parade of dynamic characters, including the volatile and feisty Abigail on Family Law, the kind-hearted mechanic Kaylee on Firefly and Serenity, the brilliant and insecure Dr. Jennifer Keller on Stargate Atlantis, and a pair of sadistic magical twins on The Order. She’s also an entrepreneur, a mother, a wife, a friend, a fan favourite, and really funny. Her Twitter followers know that she doesn’t suffer trolls: she’ll call out the insanity of the unrealistic beauty expectations placed on women, and the absurdity that people expect her to look exactly the same as she did when she was on Firefly, a series that premiered in September 2002. In this expansive and riveting episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Jewel Staite reflects on the characters she’s played and loved over the course of her career, as well as self-care during COVID, navigating social media, what Nathan Fillion taught her about being number one on the call sheet, and what goes on in the Firefly group chat. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 202: Comedy in the age of COVID with David Milchard and Ken Lawson

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 11:00:00 +0000

Comedians David Milchard and Ken Lawson – AKA the duo behind David and Ken: Comedy with Music! – talk about comedy in the age of COVID, how comedy has changed, how audiences have changed, and what we lose when we don’t let loose with laughter. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 201: Rachel Nichols

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 11:00:00 +0000

Rachel Nichols’ career story is packed with memorable characters from all manner of genre entertainment. She was Kiera Cameron, the ass-kicking cop from the future, on Continuum, one of the only locally shot sci-fi series to actually set their story in Vancouver. She was Alexa, the waitress who enjoys a birthday threesome with Samantha and Richard in an iconic episode of Sex and the City. She was possibly the worst babysitter ever seen on screen in The Amityville Horror, a role for which she was nominated for Best Frightened Performance at the MTV Movie Awards and Choice Movie Scream Scene at the Teen Choice Awards. She starred as Ashley Seaver in Criminal Minds, as an FBI special agent whose father was a serial killer, and as the brilliant Rachel Gibson in Alias. We saw her as gestapo officer Martha Stroud, sworn to guard and observe Chelah Horsdal’s Helen Smith, in The Man in the High Castle, and as Angela Azarath, the duplicitous mother of Raven, on Titans. This year, she was revealed as the woman who ran down Eddie in A Million Little Things. Her filmography also includes memorable roles in big-budget projects like G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Star Trek, and Charlie Wilson’s War.

In this entertaining and contemplative conversation, Rachel reflects on her time in Kiera’s shoes (“We have a lot of similarities… We’re loyal. We will throw down for anybody that we love”), how working alongside Kim Cattrall on Sex and the City changed her life and career, learning how not to take shit, her husband’s mad love for Brian Markinson, and what makes this versatile and beloved actress tick.

Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 200: Chelah Horsdal Returns

Sabrina Furminger — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Chelah Horsdal has been busy since her first appearance on the YVR Screen Scene Podcast some 193 episodes ago. That episode dropped shortly after she’d wrapped up her critically acclaimed role as Helen Smith on Amazon Prime’s The Man in the High Castle. Since then, she’s been seen in Ash, the astonishing second feature from acclaimed filmmaker Andrew Huculiak, as a woman who learns that her husband has been accused of unspeakable crimes while a massive forest fire threatens her community – and in Netflix’s highly dramatic friendship tearjerker Firefly Lane as Margie Malarkey, Kate’s devoted mother and sometimes-not-devoted wife to Bud. Last month, Chelah went where no Chelah has gone before when she made her Star Trek debut on Star Trek Discovery, playing the Cardassian/Bajoran/human President of the Federation. In this poignant interview Chelah reflects on her bold journey from Helen, through COVID, and to Star Trek Discovery, and ruminates on her future. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 199: Trevor Mack

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 02 Dec 2021 11:00:00 +0000

There’s been a lot of buzz about Portraits From A Fire, and it’s all well deserved. The feature film – which won filmmaker Trevor Mack the award for Best BC Emerging Filmmaker at the 2021 Vancouver International Film Festival – is a gutting, poignant, and funny masterwork, and it is finally available for all to see on VOD.

Portraits from a Fire centres on Tyler (William Lulua), a 16-year-old member of the Tsilhqot'in First Nation who has the dreams of any kid with a camera: a career launch at the Sundance Film Festival. But for now, he’s wearing a tuxedo t-shirt, and debuting a space film with cardboard characters for an audience of three at his reserve. It’s a dispiriting turnout for Tyler, who already experiences pixilated visions of a mother he never knew and lives at arms’ length with a father (Nathaniel Arcand) who avoids him.

And then Tyler meets a mysterious young man named Aaron (Asivak Koostachin). With the input of Aaron and the discovery of a long-lost digital memory card, Tyler comes to see his path, not in films about a sci-fi future, but in preserving the past.

Portraits From A Fire is a gut-punch of a journey, completely unpredictable, about trauma and blood memory and why we create art. In this fascinating and gripping episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, filmmaker Trevor Mack reflects on his own journey with this remarkable film. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 198: Roslyn Muir on how to write a TV movie

Sabrina Furminger — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 11:00:00 +0000

If there’s one thing we know how to do in Vancouver, it’s make TV movies. Whether we’re talking festive rom-coms, thrillers, or pulled-from-the-headlines dramas, Vancouver’s film and television industry makes dozens of these films each year for companies like Hallmark, Lifetime, and Netflix. This holiday seasons, tens of millions of viewers all over the world will carve out time in their hectic lives for these TV movies. Maybe you’re one of them. Maybe you’ve watched so many of these TV movies that you have an idea for one of your own. Maybe this idea could actually fly.

A new book gives you tools to turn that maybe into a marketable screenplay.

The book is Writing A TV Movie: An Insider’s Guide to Launching a Screenwriting Career. It’s the fascinating and highly readable tome from Vancouver-based screenwriter and author Roslyn Muir. In it, we learn about the needs and interests of Netflix, Lifetime, and Hallmark, and how these broadcasters work with production companies. We learn about the different genres, the nine-act structures of TV movies, the difference between a logline and a pitch document, and how and when to contact a production company or an entertainment lawyer.

Writing A TV Movie: An Insider’s Guide to Launching a Screenwriting Career is a comprehensive how-to book for an array of readers, from people who want to sell their scripts, to people who want to understand how the MOW side of the industry works, to fans who are curious about how their beloved TV movies coming together.

In this engrossing conversation, Roslyn Muir speaks with Sabrina about the inner workings of the busy world of television movies.

Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 197: Meet the cast of Lifetime’s first Christmas movie about a South Asian family

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 11:00:00 +0000

This is the first time the YVR Screen Scene Podcast has dedicated an entire episode to a Christmas movie. But this isn’t your typical Christmas movie. This is a Christmas movie about an Indian-American family, and it stars a bevy of beloved South Asian Canadian stars, wearing Christmas sweaters and decking the halls like many South Asians do IRL all over the world. Baking Spirits Bright airs November 21 on Lifetime. It’s about a character named Mira Varma who (according to Lifetime) “takes pride in her family’s business of making fruitcakes, despite the decline in its popularity of once being America’s most-gifted holiday confection. When Mira’s parents decide to hire Brady Phillips and his high-powered marketing company to boost sales for the holidays, Mira must fight to hold on to the heart of the company she loves so much.”

Baking Spirits Bright features Rekha Sharma as Mira Varma, Dion Johnstone as that dashing, high-powered marketing executive from the big city, Aadila Dosani as Mira’s sister, Munisha, who’d rather be vlogging about fashion than baking fruitcakes, and Praneet Akilla as their brother, who’d rather be a snowboarding coach. The film also features fantastic performances from Manoj Sood, Nimet Kanji, Reese Alexander, and Riun Garner, and was directed by Aubrey Arnason.

In this highly spirited episode, host Sabrina talks Christmas movies, fruitcake, and representation with Rekha Sharma, Dion Johnstone, Praneet Akilla, and Aadila Dosani. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 196: Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe is beloved around the world for her portrayal of Rita Haywith-Dorman in the Signed, Sealed, Delivered series and films, about the eclectic and dedicated staff of an “undeliverable letters” office. Yan-Kay was only 15 when she booked her first acting gig, and since then she's appeared in an array of roles in films like Snakes on a Plane and Insomnia, and television shows like Smallville, Supernatural, and Republic of Doyle. Along the way, she’s been a scream queen, battled displaced dinosaurs and generated reams of code as a series regular on Primeval New World, and appeared in a long, long list of Christmas movies, including Christmas at Dollywood. Yan-Kay has also helmed a number of profitable businesses, including a promotional modelling company, a burlesque troupe, an event-planning firm, and a Tim Burton-inspired restaurant-bar called Hyde – and she’s produced and directed numerous award-winning short films. It’s been a winding road to this particular moment in Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe’s life, and in this entertaining and deeply personal interview, she reflects on her remarkable journey, and also discusses why and how she’s taking back her name. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 195: What role can Indigenous storytelling play in dismantling white supremacy?

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Kamala Todd is a Métis-Cree community planner, educator, curator, and filmmaker. Her film credits include Indigenous Plant Diva, Cedar and Bamboo, RELAW: Living Indigenous Laws, and Sharing our Stories: the Vancouver Dialogues Project. She writes and directs for children’s television, including the Indigenous science series Coyote's Crazy Smart Science Show and the Cree-language series Tansi! Nehiyawetan, both on APTN. She created a video series about Indigenous law for UVic’s Indigenous Law Research Unit, and Welcome to Our Homelands for Immigrant Services Society of BC. The latter extends a welcoming message to newcomers to Canada, as well as a glimpse into Indigenous history in Canada that serves as a jumping off point for further learning. In short, Kamala’s work not only elevates and amplifies Indigenous stories, but empowers others to find and use their voices. In this compelling conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Kamala speaks to the ways in which her work aims to dismantle white supremacy through the sharing of stories that, ultimately, bring people together. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 194: Nhi Do

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Nhi Do is the definition of a versatile actress. In recent years, Nhi has kicked ass as a straight-talking, gun-toting spy in the award-winning web series NarcoLeap, sparked heartache and confusion for Mary Galloway’s Abe in APTN Lumi’s beloved IndigiQueer series Querencia, stirred hearts as a recently arrived refugee from Vietnam who bonds with an Indigenous family in Louisa Phung’s Hope and Grace, and sparkled as the lead in Upstairs Amy, a phenomenally funny web comedy from the team at Shaftesbury in which Nhi portrays an accountant turned vlogger obsessed with her mysterious neighbour. Nhi’s credits also include wildly different roles in Watchmen, Unspeakable, and Hospital Show, and on Netflix’s MAID. Besides her phenomenal acting work, Nhi is also a fierce advocate for diversity and representation. She cares about how BIPOC communities are portrayed on screen, and she’s cognizant of her own role in changing the game for marginalized actors. Nhi is currently an ambassador for the 2021 Vancouver Asian Film Festival’s VIBE-Asian campaign. In this thought-provoking episode, Nhi speaks about her arsenal of roles, where these roles end and Nhi begins, and what her VAFF Ambassadorship means to her. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 193: Brian Markinson on the new season of 'Tribal' and breathing life into dark characters

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 02 Nov 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Brian Markinson’s filmography is populated by meanies, baddies, ne’er-do-wells, and other assorted characters who live in morally ambiguous zones in shows like The Romeo Section, Mad Men, Continuum, Arctic Air, and The Killing, and films like Shooter, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, and Charlie Wilson’s War. He can currently be seen starring opposite Jessica Matten in Tribal, the second season of which began airing on APTN and APTN Lumi in October. Tribal stars Jessica as Sam Woodburn, a young Indigenous woman who is appointed Chief of Tribal Police in the wake of a corruption scandal and finds herself forced to partner with Buke (played by Brian), a grizzled, racist, angry white cop from the nearby Metropolitan Police Force. In this fascinating and thoughtful episode, Brian talks about Tribal’s darker second season, the ways in which playing bad guys is fun, his work in Family Law and an upcoming project about the opioid crisis, and how art can help us heal from the wounds of this tumultuous age. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 192: Simone Bailly

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 21:56:28 +0000

Simone Bailly is a screen actress, stage actress, painter, singer, deejay, talk show host, producer, model, sci-fi fan, and fan favourite. Simone’s lengthy filmography includes Battlestar Galactica, NCIS: Los Angeles, The L Word, a series regular role on Da Vinci’s City Hall, Smallville, a popular appearance in the Need for Speed: Most Wanted video game, and the fan favourite role of Ka’lel, a Jaffa warrior who joins the Hak’tyl Resistance, on Stargate SG-1. Recently, Simone entered the talk show realm as the host and producer of the Simone Bailly Show on YouTube, which features Simone in conversation with beloved screen artists like Tahmoh Penikett, Roger Cross, Kandyse McClure, Sharon Taylor, and her colleagues from the Need for Speed universe. In this fun and fascinating episode of the #YVRScreenScenePodcast, Sabrina quizzes Simone about her multi-hyphenated life: where she’s wielded her mad multi-hyphenate skills, where she derives her multi-hyphenated inspiration, where she’s been the last couple of years, and where she’s itching to take us next. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 191: New documentary explores what it means to be South Asian and queer

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 10:00:00 +0000

The documentary Emergence: Out of the Shadows confronts the alienation and discrimination faced by queer people dealing with sexuality, gender, and coming-out issues in traditional South Asian communities. The film follows Kayden, Jag, and Alex as they awaken to and express their sexuality within conservative South Asian families in Canada and in India. Heart-wrenching and healing, their individual coming-out paths offer comfort, compassion, and inspiration to queer people and communities struggling with acceptance. Sabrina speaks with director Vinay Giridhar and producer (and documentary subject) Alex Sangha – about this remarkable film, which is currently beginning its film festival journey. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 190: Steven Roberts

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 06 Oct 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Over the last several years, Steven Roberts has delivered three fearless performances in a trio of searing feature films: in 2019’s In God I Trust, 2020’s Beyond The Woods, and 2021’s River Road. In the first, he’s Tyler, a white supremacist with a hair-trigger temper and major issues with his law enforcement officer dad; in the second, he’s Andrew Bennett, a suspect in the murder of his wife and the disappearance of her brother; in the last, he’s Fresno, a take-no-prisoners drug dealer who laughs when he’s staring down the barrel of a gun. These are difficult men, often unlikeable. But Steven seems unafraid to inhabit these complicated characters. He was nominated for Leo Awards for all three of these roles, and this year he won Best Supporting Performance by a Male in a Motion Picture for Fresno in River Road. In 2019, he won the UBCP/ACTRA Award for Best Emerging Performer for In God I Trust. Steven's journey to this moment is more remarkable than that of any of the characters he’s played. In this memorable episode of the #YVRScreenScenePodcast, Steven speaks about his childhood growing up in foster care and, later, on the streets, as well as what it takes to take on unlikeable characters, how he became a go-to guy for these kinds of roles in the first place, and what Robin Williams said to him that changed his life. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 189: Carmen Pollard

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Carmen Pollard is a documentary filmmaker, editor, producer, and story consultant whose filmography includes For Dear Life, a feature-length documentary in which she sensitively followed her cousin, Vancouver theatre producer James Pollard, in the three and a half years after his terminal cancer diagnosis, and Dancehalls, Deejays & Distortion, an upbeat 10-part series that amplifies little-known stories from B.C.'s eclectic music scene. Carmen’s latest is Militant Mother, a short film about a group of mothers from the Raymur social housing project in Vancouver whose children were forced to cross perilous train tracks in order to get to school. After months of advocating for a safe crossing to no avail, these 25 mothers decided to make their voices heard by blockading CN Rail. Militant Mother screens online and in-cinema at the 2021 Vancouver International Film Festival. Carmen joins Sabrina for a thoughtful and fascinating conversation about Militant Mother, representation in the documentary sphere, and the toll that telling stories about traumatized people can have on documentary filmmakers. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 188: Why Rukiya Bernard made ‘The Blactor’

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 10:00:00 +0000

In recent years, actress Rukiya Bernard has spoken publicly and frequently about the blatant racism and racist micro-aggressions she’s experienced as a Black woman in the film and television industry. She’s sat on numerous diversity and inclusion panels. She’s written about it, including in a creative essay titled Dear Becky that we published on the YVR Screen Scene site. She’s spoken about it in multiple media interviews. In short, Rukiya has done a lot of work for a lot of years to make her point – but with The Blactor, she’s taking us further than she’s ever taken us before. She’s not only telling us about the realities of life for Black actors; she’s showing us. She’s pulling us in and stirring our hearts and minds and souls in a way that only art can do.

Rukiya wrote and directed The Blactor, which will have its world premiere at the 2021 Vancouver International Film Festival. Here’s how VIFF describes the film: “On her way to another demeaning audition for another stereotypical role, a Black actress is stopped by an undercover cop who believes she’s involved in a break and entry.” The film features an astounding performance by Keeya King as Kadija, AKA the Blactor, as well as Mark Hildreth, Teana-Marie Smith, Ali Liebert, and Enid-Raye Adams.

In this poignant interview, Rukiya speaks about her journey to this moment, and the changes she’d like to see moving forward. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 187: Mental Health in #BCFilm with Heather Perluzzo

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 13:19:06 +0000

Content warning: This episode contains frank and graphic talk about mental health, mental illness, and 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. You matter. You’re not alone.

In the first episode of our series about the relationship between mental health and the film and television industry, Sabrina is joined by indie filmmaker Heather Perluzzo (Hatch, Girl in the Galactic Sun). On July 9, Heather posted a note on social media in which she addressed mental illness and addiction in Vancouver’s indie film community. Here’s an excerpt from Heather’s post: “Addiction and emotional illness… are prevalent throughout our industry. And going through the system I had many a head nod at me once I said I'm in the film industry saying ‘yeah, we have a lot of people from that industry come through here.’ As filmmakers our job is also to be kind, and to be kind with our schedules and expectations. And that's something that may be hard to grasp, because as film workers we feel that we are easily ‘replaceable’ and we are made to feel [that]. But that doesn't excuse the fact that 18-hour days shouldn't be a thing. That people who aren't willing to go above and beyond their pay grade are not valuable to the team.” In this special episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Heather discusses the motivations behind her social media post, and the ways in which the film and television industry fails film workers living with mental illness. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 186: Kevin Eastwood on his excellent adventure through BC’s untold history

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Untold history is still history, and it deserves to be heard – and the new Knowledge Network documentary series British Columbia: An Untold History aims to tell largely untold stories from and about the land that is known today as British Columbia. Over the course of four riveting episodes, we see that the region’s history is a confluence of cultures, races, genders, conflicts, and narratives. Through interviews, archival photography, and dramatic re-creations, we learn about the bravery, ignorance, ingenuity, industriousness, greed, selflessness, and fear that formed British Columbia into what it is today. It’s complicated – like all history. But British Columbia: An Untold History helps us see the past for what it is so that we can make better sense of our present, and hopefully, ultimately, not repeat the same mistakes.

British Columbia: An Untold History was written and directed by documentary filmmaker and producer Kevin Eastwood. It will air on the Knowledge Network and also screens as part of the 2021 Vancouver International Film Festival. Kevin returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to reflect on his monumental adventure through BC’s untold history, including trauma-informed documentary filmmaking and what we lose as a community when we wilfully overlook difficult stories from our past. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 185: Crystal Balint

Sabrina Furminger — Mon, 20 Sep 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Crystal Balint has taken us to some fascinating places, eras, and moments in time and space on both screen and stage. On screen, she took us to 1950s San Francisco as the lead in BritBox’s The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco, and into the heart and life of Iris Bearden, a former cryptographer turned brilliant sleuth. As Grace on Disney XD’s Mech X4, she made us laugh and feel big feelings as she struggled to accept the fact that her sons were the pilots of a giant monster-fighting robot. Crystal has taken us along with her to a lot of universes and genres, from Arrow to Rachel Talalay’s A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting, from The 100 to Prison Break to The Good Doctor.

In theatre, Crystal has taken us to emotional states where stage and screen collide: like in Helen Lawrence, the phenomenal collaboration between artist Stan Douglas and television screenwriter Chris Haddock that set a film noir story in post-World War Two Vancouver; and in the musical City of Angels, about a writer trying to adapt his novel into a screenplay, and the world of the film he is writing. And Crystal took us to the mountaintop as Camae in Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop, a two-hander that imagines Dr. Martin Luther King’s last night on Earth.

It’s still unclear where Crystal will take us in Midnight Mass. The highly anticipated supernatural horror series – from the team that brought us The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor – hits Netflix on September 24. Much about Midnight Mass is still shrouded in mystery, but here’s what’s been released so far: “An isolated island community experiences miraculous events – and frightening omens – after the arrival of a charismatic, mysterious young priest.”

In this riveting episode of the #YVRScreenScenePodcast, Crystal previews Midnight Mass and shares how she started on her path in the first place – and also where, among the multitude of characters and projects and genres she’s inhabited or visited, she feels most at home. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 184: Jewel Staite, Victor Garber & Susin Nielsen talk ‘Family Law’

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 16 Sep 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode is all about Family Law, the highly anticipated Global Original series in which one dysfunctional family helps other dysfunctional families in crisis. With its all-star, all-Canadian cast including Jewel Staite, Victor Garber, Zach Smadu, and Genelle Williams, the 10-episode, one-hour legal drama premieres Friday, September 17 on Global. We enter Family Law by way of Abigail “Abby” Bianchi, played by Jewel. Abby is a whip-smart lawyer, mother, wife, and recovering alcoholic. She’s spent her life blaming others, especially her estranged father, for her myriad of problems. But a very public humiliation off the top of the series almost gets her disbarred, and the only firm willing to hire her is the one owned by her smart, shrewd, handsome, charming and still very much estranged father Harry, and staffed by Daniel and Lucy, his two other children from two other relationships. Family Law is the only dramatic series from a Canadian national broadcaster to film in Vancouver. It’s a big deal for the local screen scene, and warrants a big deal of an episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast: one that begins with an in-depth conversation with Family Law showrunner Susin Nielsen, and concludes with a chat with Jewel Staite and Victor Garber, the entertainment icons who portray the dysfunctional daughter and dad duo of Abby and Harry. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 183: Ellie Harvie

Sabrina Furminger — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Ellie Harvie is a veteran actress and stand-up comedian with a filmography a mile long and dozens of award nominations to her name, including two Gemini nominations, a Canadian Comedy Award nomination, and eight Leo nominations. In 2000, she won a Leo Award for Best Performance or Host in a Music, Comedy or Variety Program or Series for her delicious work portraying Morticia Addams on The New Addams Family. But Ellie is more than her credits, nominations, and awards. She’s her sense of humour, which is the stuff of legend and has been wielded on improv stages and as an event host. She’s also her intellect and her compassion, both of which she flexes as president of UBCP/ACTRA, the actor’s union in these here parts. In short, Ellie is a leader, an advocate for artists, wildly talented, and wickedly funny – and in this hilarious episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Ellie talks societal and cultural change, politics, and the anatomy of funny, and reflects on her adventures in stand-up comedy, portraying Morticia Addams on The New Addams Family, and serving in the military. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 182: Thomas Nicholson

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 10:00:00 +0000

It’s only been a few years since Thomas Nicholson arrived in Canada (from Denmark, by way of England) in search of a new career and purpose, and it’s clear he found both in acting. From Project Blue Book to Supernatural, from Luvia Petersen’s Dog Bite to Netflix mega-hits Virgin River and The Haunting of Bly Manor, Thomas is stealing scenes and making himself known in our Vancouver screen scene – and in recent months, Thomas has made a massive impact in two beloved genre series: as Camarilla operative Jack Orsatti in Freeform’s Motherland: Fort Salem, and as David Bowie in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. Thomas talks with Sabrina about his time as an investigative journalist in Denmark, what he learned portraying Ziggy Stardust on the popular CW show, his experience playing a Bosnian refugee in the historical escape-drama The Day We Left, whether or not he actually empathizes with the Camarilla on Motherland: Fort Salem, and the joys and challenges of immigrating to Canada. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 181: Meghan Heffern on ‘Sex/Life’

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Sex/Life has basically lived in the Netflix Top 10 since it first hit the streaming service in June 2021. The eight-part dramatic series tells the story of Billie (Sarah Shahi), a married mom living a sweet life in Connecticut who begins to fantasize about her hot ex-boyfriend after the birth of her second child. She writes all of her sexy memories down in a journal, and one day, the line between her sexy past and stable-but-boring present blur when she comes face to face with her ex and he’s, 1, still hot, and, 2, still hot for her. What sets Sex/Life apart from other steamy streaming series is that it’s about more than sex. It’s about the relationship that women have to sex, their identity as sexual beings, and what can happen to those needs when the monotony of life gets in the way. Is it possible to have it all with one person? Sabrina talks through the nuances of Sex/Life with actress Meghan Heffern (UnREAL, Wynnona Earp, How to Buy a Baby) who portrays Caroline, a fellow mom who Billie meets through her son’s preschool. Meghan speaks about Sex/Life, her life, and the process of bringing this hot and multi-faceted story to the screen. Also: #Earpers! Swimming with humpback whales in Tonga! How Hanson (of MMMBop fame) impacted her acting career! Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 180: Grace Dove

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Grace Dove is a change-maker, and this abiding passion for change is evident in everything she’s done so far in the film and television industry: as an actor, a filmmaker, and an advocate for Indigenous representation and reclamation. Grace is a member of the Shuswap First Nation who divides her time between Vancouver and LA. Her acting filmography includes The Revenant, How It Ends, and Monkey Beach, Loretta Todd’s stunning adaptation of Eden Robinson’s beloved supernatural novel about Lisa, a rebellious young woman who must accept her true heroic nature in order to save her brother who is lost at sea. Monkey Beach opened the 2020 Vancouver International Film Festival and has since won a slew of awards, including a Best Actress Award for Grace from the American Indian Film Festival.

Grace recently slid into the director’s chair to helm Kiri and the Girl, a short film based on the life of artist Kiri Geen. On July 12, 2021, Grace delivered a keynote address at Cannes Marche du Film 2021 entitled “Indigenous Portrayal in Hollywood and Reclaiming Identity.” In this special episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Grace discusses the changes she’d like to see in the film and television industry, the danger in not doing anything at all, and stepping into her power as an Indigenous woman. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 179: Fiona Vroom

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 26 Aug 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Actress Fiona Vroom’s eclectic filmography includes Hell on Wheels, Tim Burton’s Big Eyes, a 1950s housewife with superpowers on the way-ahead-of-its-time web series The True Heroines (which she also produced), Kindergarten Cop 2, Bates Motel, the eternally youthful sitcom star Barbara Beaumont in a cult favourite episode of The X-Files, and schoolteacher Miss Gillies on TNT’s post-apocalyptic series Snowpiercer. She also has two green-skinned Orions in her filmography – in the “Lolani” episode of the fan-financed Star Trek Continues web series, and also in 2016’s Star Trek Beyond – which might seem like a lot of Star Trek for someone who didn’t grow up a fan of the show, but makes more sense when you learn that Fiona grew up idolizing Lucille Ball (Trekkies know that Lucille Ball’s production company Desilu greenlit the original Star Trek television series).

Fiona grew up on boat, and later performed on cruise ships. In recent years, Fiona has expanded into producing her own content while still acting up a storm in film and television projects. In this funny and introspective interview, Fiona reflects on her eclectic filmography, and her journey from a hippie houseboat to the USS Enterprise and Snowpiercer’s dystopian train and beyond. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 178: Joel Ashton McCarthy talks ‘I Am Alfred Hitchcock’

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 24 Aug 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Alfred Hitchcock was a game-changer. Heck, he made his own game: one through which the goal was to unsettle, to stir, to haunt, to move, and to horrify his audience while remaining wholly committed to pure cinema. But who was Alfred Hitchcock, really? What did he want from his art? What did the industry think of him? What did he really think of his actors (many of whom allege he was a bully)? And should the answers to any of these questions change how we experience his work today? I Am Alfred Hitchcock seeks to answer these questions. The new documentary from Network Entertainment weaves together archival and new interviews with film stills and footage from some of Hitchcock’s most famous films to paint a portrait of one of the most prolific, controversial, influential, and paradigm-shifting directors of all time. This new documentary is currently streaming on Crave in Canada, and it was directed by Vancouver filmmaker, teacher, and event producer Joel Ashton McCarthy, who returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to speak about Alfred Hitchcock, his complicated legacy, and producing a comprehensive documentary during COVID-19. Also: how the indie scene changed during COVID-19; remembering Bruce Blain. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

BONUS EPISODE: #YVRScreenSceneForIndia feat. Agam Darshi, Dhirendra, Praneet Akilla, Rekha Sharma, Sachin Sahel & Sandy Sidhu

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 13 Aug 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Today’s bonus episode features audio from YVR Screen Scene For India, a star-studded fundraiser for Indian COVID relief that was broadcast live on May 8, 2021. The event – which was akin to Inside the Actors Studio but with a South Asian Canadian twist – featured Sabrina Rani Furminger in conversation with some of Vancouver’s finest South Asian Canadian actors, including Agam Darshi, Dhirendra, Praneet Akilla, Rekha Sharma, Sachin Sahel, and Sandy Sidhu. YVR Screen Scene For India raised more than $8400 for three charities providing disaster relief in India: Goonj, Doctors Without Borders, and Khalsa Aid International.

While YVR Screen Scene For India is behind us, India still needs our help. According to the BBC, daily new cases in India have fallen to just over 40,000 in recent weeks, down from the peaks of 400,000 in May – but even as cases are declining, experts worry India could be at the risk of a potential third wave of infections as just over 6% of the eligible population has been fully vaccinated and only around 22% have received at least one dose. You can find links to Goonj, Doctors Without Borders, and Khalsa Aid International in our episode footnotes. Every penny helps.

Programming note: The YVR Screen Scene Podcast is currently on summer vacation! We'll return with new, regular episodes on August 24, 2021. You can stream our previous 177 episodes at YVRScreenScene.com or everywhere you listen to podcasts for free. Stay cool and #watchBCFilm! Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

BONUS EPISODE: Sharon Taylor interviews Sabrina Rani Furminger

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 05 Aug 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Actress Sharon Taylor (JANN) returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to turn the tables on our host Sabrina Rani Furminger. This funny and at times emotional conversation between good friends covers geekdom, the B.C. star system, long-term relationships, living with mental illness, and that time Sharon got Sabrina to go on a hike.

Programming note: The YVR Screen Scene Podcast is currently on summer vacation! We'll return with new, regular episodes on August 24, 2021. You can stream our previous 176 episodes at YVRScreenScene.com or everywhere you listen to podcasts for free. Stay cool and #watchBCFilm! Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 177: A coming-of-age documentary about a 19-year-old BIPOC adopted trans twin

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Levi: Becoming Himself explores the journey of Vancouver’s Levi Nahirney as he navigates his gender identity and transition with the support of his family. The CBC Original Documentary launches on CBC Gem on July 16 and premieres on CBC Television in B.C. & Alberta on July 17.

Levi is an identical twin from a small fishing village in Vietnam who was adopted by a white family and grew up in North Vancouver. Throughout their childhoods, Levi and his twin sister Kailyn often felt like they didn’t belong, but for different reasons. Levi: Becoming Himself is a coming-of-age documentary about a BIPOC adopted trans teen and the family who pulls together to support his transition.

At 19, Levi is already an LGBTQ2S advocate, leader, and spokesperson in B.C., and Shannon Kaplun’s sensitive and compelling documentary brings Levi’s story to an international audience. Levi and Shannon visit the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about Levi’s story and the conversations – and the change – they’re hoping to inspire.

Programming note: The YVR Screen Scene Podcast is going on summer vacation! We'll return with new episodes on August 24, 2021. You can stream our previous 176 episodes at YVRScreenScene.com or everywhere you listen to podcasts for free. Stay cool and #watchBCFilm!

Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 176: Brent Butt, Lorne Cardinal, Nancy Robertson & Tara Spencer-Nairn

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Seventeen years ago, Brent Butt was a 30-something stand-up comedian with an idea for a TV show about the zany residents of a prairie town named Dog River located 40 km from nowhere. Brent was admittedly surprised when his show idea – ultimately titled Corner Gas – was picked up by CTV, and downright shocked when it became a hit. Corner Gas is one of Canada’s highest-rated comedy brands of all-time, spawning a live action series, a movie, an animated series, two chart-topping books, sold-out comedy tours, a successful line of merchandise, a top-selling series of DVDs, a theme song, a holiday single, and a thriving tourist industry in Rouleau, Saskatchewan, where the live-action sitcom and movie were filmed on location. But all good things must come to an end, even for the residents of Dog River and the viewers who love them. On July 5, the fourth and final season of Corner Gas Animated kicked off on CTV Comedy. On the eve of the premiere, four of the stars of Corner Gas – Brent Butt, Lorne Cardinal, Nancy Robertson, and Tara Spencer-Nairn – visited the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about their time in Dog River, how they reacted to learning that Corner Gas was a big hit, what happened when a certain Canadian Prime Minister made a cameo on the show, and whether it’s really the end. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 175: Aliza Vellani

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Aliza Vellani portrays Rani in Sweet Tooth, the critically acclaimed eight-part post-apocalyptic fantasy series that hit Netflix in early June. Sweet Tooth draws its inspiration from Jeff Lemire’s comic book series about a boy who’s half-human and half deer navigating a world that has been devastated by a virus that has killed a lot of people and led to the mysterious emergence of human-animal hybrid babies. The Vancouver actress plays Rani Singh. Rani has the virus, but is a rare long-term survivor, thanks to her doctor-husband Aditya’s devotion and mysterious life-saving treatments. As Rani, Aliza is vulnerable, strong, funny, and as hopelessly devoted to her husband as he is to her. It’s a much different role than the other character for which she is widely known: that of the teenaged Layla Siddiqui on CBC’s iconic comedy Little Mosque on the Prairie – a role in which both Aliza and Layla grew up before our very eyes. In this fascinating, funny, and frank episode, Aliza discusses the magic of working on a post-apocalyptic-but-hopeful fantasy series about a pandemic during a pandemic, why representation matters, and how Little Mosque on the Prairie changed the game. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 174: Joella Cabalu

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Joella Cabalu is a documentary filmmaker and producer based in Vancouver. Since making her directorial debut in 2016 with It Runs In The Family (a deeply personal documentary feature film that highlighted queer stories from the Philippines and the diaspora, including that of her own brother), Joella has helped bring the stories of a staggering array of remarkable people to the screen, including that of an eccentric biker from Vancouver Island (Biker Bob’s Posthumous Adventure), a trans activist challenging social media censorship policies (Do I Have Boobs Now?), a family saying goodbye to their 40-year-old Japanese restaurant (Koto: The Last Service), Filipino seafarers (Ode to a Seafaring People), and a trio of determined pro mountain bikers (On Falling). Joella’s compassion, curiosity, and commitment to craft and collaboration haven’t gone unnoticed by critics and award bodies – she won the Emerging Filmmaker Award from Bloomington Pride Film Festival, and Best Documentary Short at the Vancouver International Women in Film Festival – and she’s also an in-demand panellist, moderator, and consultant. In this riveting and thought-provoking episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Joella speaks with Sabrina about her commitment to authenticity, what a collaboration between a documentary producer and director should look like, and the responsibility she feels towards the people who populate her films. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 173: Jeremy Lutter and Marcy Waughtal talk ‘Ghost Town Killer’

Sabrina Furminger — Mon, 28 Jun 2021 10:00:00 +0000

In the realm of fictional true crime podcasts – that delicious genre where the worlds of true crime and narrative fiction collide – Ghost Town Killer is a top-tier specimen. The six-part series follows supernatural podcaster Lilith Black as she investigates the murder of her sister in their isolated hometown where she wrestles with family secrets, millionaires and lowlifes, the ghost of a serial killer, and an intuitive detective from Japan. Ghost Town Killer features the voice talents of some of Canada’s finest thespians, including Dalila Bela, Johannah Newmarch, Hiro Kanagawa, Dakota Daulby, Matthew MacCaull, Curtis Lum, Emily Tennant, and Olivia Cheng. Ghost Town Killer co-creators Jeremy Lutter and Marcy Waughtal join Sabrina to talk about their star-studded fictional true crime podcast, and the inspiration they found in British Columbia’s abandoned towns. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 172: Aleks Paunovic Returns

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 23 Jun 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Actor Aleks Paunovic – AKA the “Big Guy” of the Vancouver film and television industry – returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to discuss the searing indie hit Chained, saying goodbye to Van Helsing after five triumphant seasons, the enduring appeal of post-apocalyptic film and television, and his 20-year friendship with actor Tahmoh Penikett. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 171: Tahmoh Penikett – PART TWO

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 10:01:00 +0000

Tahmoh Penikett has gained an international fan following for wildly different roles in an array of studio, network, and indie projects, including Battlestar Galactica (where he appeared as Karl “Helo” Agathon), Strange Empire, Dollhouse, Supernatural, Riftworld Chronicles, Bomb Girls, and The Sinners. The son of a politician and a residential school survivor, Tahmoh is passionate about Indigenous issues, which are a cornerstone of his social media use. He’s also renowned for his famous friendship/bromance with fellow actor Aleks Paunovic. In Part Two of our epic two-part conversation, Tahmoh reflects on his time on Battlestar Galactica (including when he actually knew that he was part of something special, how it changed him, and what it was like to say goodbye), how he measures success, and his friendship with Aleks Paunovic. Also: a rousing round of Favourite Things! Look for Part One in your podcast feeds. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 170: Tahmoh Penikett – PART ONE

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Tahmoh Penikett has gained an international fan following for wildly different roles in an array of studio, network, and indie projects, including Battlestar Galactica (where he appeared as Karl “Helo” Agathon), Strange Empire, Dollhouse, Supernatural, Riftworld Chronicles, Bomb Girls, and The Sinners. The son of a politician and a residential school survivor, Tahmoh is passionate about Indigenous issues, which are a cornerstone of his social media use. He’s also renowned for his famous friendship/bromance with fellow actor Aleks Paunovic. In the first episode of this epic two-parter, Tahmoh talks about what he’s learned about himself during COVID-19, why mental health matters, and growing up Indigenous. Look for Part Two in your podcast feeds. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 169: Mary Galloway

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 10 Jun 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Querencia is one of the very first women-driven, Indigiqueer romantic screen projects anywhere. APTN Lumi's first original series centres on the budding romance between two young Indigenous women – Abe, played by Mary Galloway, and Daka, played by Kaitlyn Yott – and follows them as they navigate and explore their complex Indigiqueer identities. Querencia was written and directed by Mary Galloway – critically acclaimed for her acting work in Never Steady, Never Still and her shorts Spirit Glitch and Unintentional Mother – and co-executive produced with Jessie Anthony (Brother, I Cry). In this fascinating interview, Mary talks about the heartbreak that led to this sexy, devastating, funny, and joyful series, and why we should tell more love stories. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 168: Andrea Brooks

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Andrea Brooks is beloved around the world for playing two characters that couldn’t be more dissimilar: scientist and assassin Eve Teschmacher on CW’s Supergirl, and the kind-hearted (and unlucky-in-love) Dr. Faith Carter on Hallmark’s When Calls the Heart. For years, Andrea moved back and forth between the two characters, sometimes on the same day. So how’d she do that? What does she think of her characters’ divergent choices, moral centers, and tastes in music? What really happened between Nathan and Faith in the season eight finale of When Calls the Heart? And which character would she prefer to hang out with IRL: Eve or Faith? In this expansive and entertaining episode, Andrea discusses the joys and challenges of playing wildly different characters on wildly different shows with wildly different fandoms, and explores that most pressing of questions: who is Andrea Brooks, really? Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Season Finale: Rachel Talalay

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 19 May 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Rachel Talalay is a film and television director and a producer. That’s how her Wikipedia entry opens, and while accurate, it fails to capture just how punk rock Rachel is, how entertaining her work is, and the myriad of emotions that work conjures up in people. Rachel’s work spans many genres, from horror films like Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, to the seminal comic book film Tank Girl, to the dramatic film On The Farm, about the women who were preyed upon by serial killer Robert Pickton on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, to A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting, a spirited family film about a babysitter who embarks on a dangerous mission to save a child who has been abducted by monsters. Rachel has also directed episodes of some of the most entertaining television series of the 21st century, including Sherlock, Riverdale, The Flash, Supergirl, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and seven episodes of Doctor Who, including “Heaven Sent,” one of the most beautiful and critically episodes in the series’ history. In the season finale of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, we get to know the remarkable artist behind some of our favourite works of art, and give her the origin story treatment befitting any one of the shows she’s directed. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 166: Kent Donguines

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 13 May 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Kalinga (Care) is about the tens of thousands of women who leave the Philippines each year to work in Canada and other countries as nannies and caregivers. Since the 1970s, the Philippines has pursued aggressive labour-export campaigns, perhaps more so than any other country on Earth. It’s why we have the Live-in Caregiver Program in Canada, which has brought many Filipino women to Canada to work as nannies and caregivers. Often these women are mothers who must leave their children in the Philippines in order to raise other people’s children overseas, and they do so to send money back to the families they left behind. But there are human costs for this aggressive focus on labour-export – and it can come in the form of loneliness and broken families. In Tagalog, “kalinga” means care – and Kent Donguines’ compassionate, intimate, and revealing documentary (currently screening as part of the 2021 DOXA Documentary Film Festival) elevates and amplifies the traditionally untold stories of caregivers and nannies in Canada. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 165: Sheona McDonald

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 12 May 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Dead Man’s Switch: a crypto mystery and Into Light don’t appear to have much in common beyond the fact that both are currently streaming as part of the 2021 DOXA Documentary Film Festival. Dead Man’s Switch: a crypto mystery is a heart-pounding documentary feature about Gerald Cotten, the CEO of Quadriga (which was at one time Canada’s largest crypto-currency exchange), whose sudden death in 2018 left a myriad of questions, chief among them: what happened to his investors’ 200 million dollars? Into Light is a poignant and profound documentary short that follows a mother and child in Yellowknife who navigate the complexities of gender identity together. Despite the gulf between these films, they're also inextricably linked – and what ties them together is Sheona McDonald, who directed both. The Vancouver filmmaker speaks with Sabrina about the whys and whats and hows of her remarkable work, and the responsibility she feels towards her documentary subjects. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Five can’t-miss films at 2021 DOXA Documentary Film Festival

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 07 May 2021 20:58:39 +0000

Picks include films about Wuhan’s lockdown, 1950s drag queens, Tomahawk Restaurant, and two separate wars on vulnerable populations

Episode 164: #StopAsianHate with Mayumi Yoshida

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 07 May 2021 10:00:00 +0000

In the fourth episode of our #StopAsianHate series where we explore the intersection between anti-Asian hate and the film and television industry, actress and filmmaker Mayumi Yoshida (The Man in the High Castle; Akashi) discusses the racism she’s experienced in the industry, the devastating impact of on-screen stereotypes on Asian women, and why Asian Canadian films are Canadian films. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 163: Anne Wheeler

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 04 May 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Anne Wheeler is a screenwriter, a director, a mentor, and a legend in the Canadian film and television industry. Her films include Bye Bye Blues, Loyalties, Better Than Chocolate, and Chi, and her growing television directing filmography includes Chesapeake Shores, Anne with an E, The Romeo Section, and Firefly Lane. She’s garnered seven honorary doctorates and an Order of Canada. But who was Anne before she was an icon? Anne brings us into her origin story in her new book, Taken by the Muse: On the Path to Becoming a Filmmaker. It’s the Anne Wheeler before she became “celebrated filmmaker Anne Wheeler” – the 20-something who was navigating a world that was slowly rejecting the idea that women should just be happy with what they have. The book takes readers to distant climes in Africa and India, as well as a Canadian long-term care home and an icy lake in Alberta. In this compelling interview, Anne talks about her book, as well as her journey from wandering 20-something to iconic filmmaker and her thoughts about the current state of the Canadian film and television industry. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Vancouver stars headline online benefit for COVID-19 relief efforts in India

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 15:19:48 +0000

YVR Screen Scene for India streams live on May 8

Episode 162: Tesh Guttikonda and Luvia Petersen

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 10:00:00 +0000

In this fascinating, funny, and emotional episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Sabrina is joined by two remarkable filmmakers who’ll premiere genre-bending sci-fi short films on May 1 as part of #Crazy8sFilms21: Tesh Guttikonda (director of Mom vs. Machine, about an Indian mom who must face off against an AI food replicator purchased by her gamer bro son; the film stars Nimet Kanji and Praneet Akilla) and Luvia Petersen (director of iDorothy, about a man who uses AI tech to bring his dead wife back to life and doesn’t get the reunion for which he’d hoped; the film stars Hiro Kanagawa and Carmen Moore). Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 161: Pascale Hutton

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 27 Apr 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Pascale Hutton is a bona fide genre-hopper, and the proof is in the work: as the beleaguered Juliana on Chris Haddock’s Intelligence, a role for which she won a Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role, to FBI Special Agent Abby Corrigan on Sanctuary (a role that required her to tangle with Abnormals and kick ass and also, famously, sing), to pilot Krista Ivarson on Arctic Air, and now to actress-turned-dress-store-clerk-to-who knows-what-else Rosemary Coulter on Hallmark’s wildly popular When Calls the Heart (as well as a multitude of Hallmark rom-coms). Pascale shines bright in sci-fi, high drama, action-adventures, and family fare, and fans and peers alike love her for it.

In this funny, expansive, and revealing interview, Pascale reflects on her journey from imaginative girl in rural British Columbia to playing beloved characters like Juliana, Abby, Krista, and Rosemary, where these characters overlap with who Pascale is as a human being, and where she’d like to see When Calls the Heart’s Rosemary go next. Also: a spirited round of Favourite Things! Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 160: Steve J. Adams & Sean Horlor

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Steve J. Adams and Sean Horlor are the dynamite filmmakers behind Someone Like Me, a feature-length documentary that follows the parallel journeys of Drake, a gay asylum seeker from Uganda, and a group of strangers from Vancouver’s queer community who are tasked with supporting his resettlement in Canada. Together, they embark on a yearlong quest for personal freedom, revealing how in a world where one must constantly fight for the right to exist, survival itself becomes a victory. Someone Like Me was produced by the National Film Board of Canada and will screen this May as part of the 2021 DOXA Documentary Film Festival – and in this compelling/fascinating episode of the #YVRScreenScenePodcast, Sean and Steve discuss the joys and challenges faced by Drake and the Vancouverites who came together to support his resettlement, and the lessons learned by all along the way. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 159: Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Kainai is the largest reserve in Canada. Since 2014, the community has lost hundreds of its members to fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine. Every single member of the Kainai First Nation has been impacted by fentanyl- and addiction-related loss – which is the story in a lot of places all over the world. But Kainai’s approach to addiction is rooted in the Blackfoot word Kímmapiiyipitssini, which means “giving kindness to each other.”

Celebrated filmmaker Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers is a member of the Kainai First Nation, as well as Sámi from Norway. Her new film is Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy. The feature-length documentary celebrates the harm reduction efforts that have been adopted in her community, in no small part due to the work of her mother, Dr. Esther Tailfeathers. Kímmapiiyipitssini introduces us to community members active in addiction and recovery, and to first responders and medical professionals who are using harm reduction to save lives. Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy will have its world premiere at the Hot Docs Documentary Film Festival in Toronto (geo-blocked to all of Canada), followed by highly anticipated screenings at the DOXA Documentary Film Festival in Vancouver.

Elle-Máijá returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy, the impact that fentanyl has had on Kainai, and the community’s kindness-centered approach to addiction. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 158: #StopAsianHate with Vincent Tong

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 10:00:00 +0000

This is the third episode in our #StopAsianHate series where we explore the intersection between anti-Asian hate and the film and television industry. Voice artist and actor Vincent Tong (Ninjago; 16 Hudson) returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about his experiences navigating the voice, stage, and on-camera worlds as an Asian Canadian actor: how his ethnicity impacted his dreams; what the film and television industry can learn about diversity and inclusion initiatives from the theatre scene; and what it means to him to voice a Chinese American kid in 16 Hudson. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 157: Praneet Akilla

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 13 Apr 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Praneet Akilla walked away from an engineering career in Alberta in order to make it as an actor. Since arriving in Vancouver in 2018, he’s lit up the screen in numerous projects, including FREYA, Rhona Rees’ award-winning sci-fi short about the dangers of AI technology; Netflix’s October Faction, where he played closeted jock Phillip Mishra; and CW’s Nancy Drew, where he plays Gil Bobbsey, one half of the iconic Bobbsey Twins (the half that went all the way with Nancy Drew in a recent episode). He’s also a producer on, and an actor in, Mom vs. Machine, in which a mother must compete for her son’s affection with a sentient food-making machine. That particular film will have its world premiere at the Crazy8s Gala on May 1. In this fascinating and entertaining episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Praneet talks about his journey from a career in engineering to playing Gil Bobbsey on Nancy Drew, and the community he’s found along the way. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 156: Julia Sarah Stone

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Julia Sarah Stone’s filmography is populated by wildly vulnerable characters, like Lyric on AMC’s The Killing, Eva in Geoff Redknap’s stellar “disappearing man” film, The Unseen, and Junior in Ali Liebert’s The Quieting, as well as in indie gems like Honey Bee, Allure, Weirdos, and Everything Will Be Fine. Whatever the project, Julia communicates the pain, sadness, anger, and fleeting joy of her characters with empathy and astonishing ferocity. Julia’s latest film is Come True. She plays Sarah Dunne, a teenage runaway who takes part in a sleep study that turns into a nightmarish descent into the depths of her mind. Come True is the newest offering from Canadian genre favourite, Anthony Scott Burns, who also directed Our House. In this illuminating episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast – an episode for people who love acting, or who seek to understand what it is that actors love about acting – Julia talks about the responsibility she feels towards the marginalized characters she plays, pursuing truth and purpose in her work, and why owls are very, very cool. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 155: Why Sarah Surh made a film about miscarriage

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 10:00:00 +0000

One in four pregnancies end in miscarriage, but despite how rampant it is, you wouldn’t know it from how rarely it’s discussed between friends, or portrayed in film and television. Instead of sharing our miscarriage stories, we internalize our grief, trauma, and misplaced shame. Thus, our loss becomes a taboo subject, and the cycle of grief, trauma, and misplaced shame continues. Which makes Sarah Surh’s short film especially astonishing. Sarah is the producer, screenwriter, and star of Songbird, a short film that was directed by Heather Hawthorn Doyle and is lighting up the festival circuit. In it, Sarah shares her own miscarriage story, and the universe of emotions that went along with it. In this moving episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Sarah reflects on the experience of turning her broken heart into impactful art, and why this type of on-screen representation matters. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 154: #StopAsianHate with Lee Shorten

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 01 Apr 2021 10:00:00 +0000

This is the second episode in our new #StopAsianHate series where we explore the intersection between anti-Asian hate and the film and television industry. Actor and filmmaker Lee Shorten (The Man in the High Castle, Parabola) returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to discuss the challenges faced by Asian Canadian actors in the Vancouver film and television industry, how these challenges inform his own filmmaking, and Vancouver’s dynamic Asian Canadian indie film scene. Says Lee: “[Studios] would rather by politically correct than culturally sensitive.” Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

BONUS EPISODE: Screen Scene Society reviews ‘The Mandalorian’

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 30 Mar 2021 17:58:37 +0000

YVR Screen Scene presents the Screen Scene Society Podcast. Each episode, co-hosts Christian Sloan (The Black Tapes, See) and Sabrina Furminger (The YVR Screen Scene Podcast) watch a new-ish film or television project with special guests from the Vancouver film and television industry, and then podcast all about it. In Episode Six, Christian and Sabrina are joined by actress-filmmaker Lisa Ovies (Puppet Killer) and actor-filmmaker Matty Granger (Parked; Chained) to discuss The Mandalorian. Listen in as the Screen Scene Society goes deep into all things Mandalorian – including the nature and nuances of Star Wars fandom, That Season Two Finale, and the cancelling of Gina Carano – in this rip-roarious and thoughtful episode. Find Screen Scene Society on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts for free.

Episode 153: #StopAsianHate with Lexa Doig

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 10:00:00 +0000

This is the first episode in our new #StopAsianHate series where we explore the intersection between anti-Asian hate and the film and television industry. Actress Lexa Doig returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast for an incredibly raw and emotional conversation about cultural erasure in the entertainment industry, and to talk about her April 3 fundraiser for organizations fighting anti-Asian hate. Says Lexa (whose ancestry is Filipino and Scottish): “In our industry, the default for mainstream is white.” Episode sponsor: Jules Sherred’s DisabilityAndFood.Art exhibit

Episode 152: Viv Leacock Returns

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Actor Viv Leacock returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about his latest role: that of Joseph Canfield, the patriarch of the newest family to move to Hope Valley on Hallmark Channel’s wildly popular drama When Calls the Heart. Three of the four members of the Canfield family are Leacocks; Viv’s son Elias is playing 10-year-old Cooper Canfield and his daughter Vienna is playing Angela, a visually impaired teen with a profound gift for music. Natasha Burnett plays Minnie, the family matriarch.

The Canfields are the first Black family to feature prominently on When Calls the Heart.

In this illuminating interview, Viv speaks about the joys of acting alongside his children, what it means to him to play the patriarch of the first Black family on When Calls the Heart, and the connection between what we see on screen and the fight for social justice. NOTE: This will be our last new episode until the week of March 29. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 151: How COVID-19 changed the Vancouver film and television industry

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 19:58:37 +0000

One year ago this week, COVID-19 shut down the Vancouver film and television industry. On March 12, 2020, The CW suspended production on Riverdale when a crew member was reported to have been exposed to COVID; by March 15, cameras had stopped rolling on every single production in the province. By summer, the cameras were rolling again, but production looked and felt more than a little different. Gone were buffet lunches and a free-for-all at craft services. Daily temperature checks were expected, as were regular COVID testing and PPE. COVID seemed to touch every aspect of production, from how scenes were written to auditioning to waste management. And yet, cameras rolled – but at what cost? In this special episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Sabrina speaks to Zach Lipovsky, film and television director and caucus representative with the British Columbia Branch of the Directors Guild of Canada, actress Sharon Taylor, and Zena Harris, founder of Green Spark Group, about the ways that COVID-19 has transformed the Vancouver film and television industry. Episode sponsor: Jules Sherred’s DisabilityAndFood.Art exhibit

Episode 150: Courtney Paige and Kaitlyn Bernard discuss ‘The Sinners’

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 12 Mar 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Pride and greed. Lust and envy. Gluttony, wrath, and sloth. Those are all sins – the cardinal sins, the capital sins, the seven deadly sins – and they’re the foundation stones for The Sinners, a terrifying and exciting feature-length thriller from filmmaker Courtney Paige. The Sinners follows seven girls from a religious high school who decide to rebel by starting a cult in which they embody the seven deadly sins. Kaitlyn Bernard plays Grace Carver, the pastor’s daughter and most popular girl in school, who discovers her friend Aubrey is about to air out all of their dirty little secrets. Action must be taken. That action leads to kidnapping, and murder, and something possibly worse than death.

Courtney co-wrote The Sinners with Erin Hazlehurst and Madison Smith. Besides Kaitlyn, the film features Brenna Coates, Brenna Llewellyn, Keilani Elizabeth Rose, Jasmine Randhawa, Carly Fawcett, Natalie Malaika, and some veterans of the Vancouver film and TV scene: Aleks Paunovic, Loretta Walsh, Lochlyn Munro, Michael Eklund, Dylan Playfair, Elysia Rotaru, Brendan Taylor, and Tahmoh Penikett. In this riveting episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Courtney Paige and Kaitlyn Bernard join Sabrina to discuss the many facets of The Sinners. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 149: Elizabeth Bowen

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 10 Mar 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Elizabeth “Liz” Bowen shines on SyFy’s Resident Alien. The hilarious and ominous sci-fi series tells the story of an alien – played by Alan Tudyk – who crashes to Earth and takes over the body and life of a doctor named Harry Vanderspeigle in a small Colorado town. The show is at once full of heart and darkly comic, and as Deputy Liv, Liz is brilliantly deadpan, astoundingly nuanced, and bloody funny. This is no surprise to anyone who is familiar with Liz’s work on stage or in Michelle’s, Hospital Show, Paranormal Solutions Inc., Upload, Convos With My Two Year Old, and numerous other projects. In this illuminating and hilarious episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Liz talks being funny, where she ends and Deputy Liv begins, what she *really* thinks about her canine colleague Deputy Cletus, and how she keeps a straight face while filming Resident Alien’s funniest scenes. Episode sponsor: Jules Sherred’s DisabilityAndFood.Art exhibit

Episode 148: Jonathan Lloyd Walker

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 05 Mar 2021 11:00:00 +0000

You don’t come across actor-showrunners too often – especially when the projects they’re acting in are not ones they’re showrunning. But Jonathan Lloyd Walker is doing just that. Jonathan’s acting credits include RED, where he played the special agent in charge of protecting the Vice-President from assassins – as well as The Thing, Smallville, The X-Files, The West Wing, Stargate, Degrassi: The Next Generation, The Outer Limits, The Killing, and most recently TNT’S Snowpiercer, where he played a Tailie named Big John. But over the last decade especially, Jon has also been flexing his producer muscle on some of our industry’s most critically acclaimed series: Continuum, Private Eyes, The Murders, Wu Assassins, and finally, Van Helsing, which filmed parts of its fifth and final season in Slovakia immediately before the pandemic shut everything down. In this fascinating episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Jonathan talks acting and showrunning, and previews Van Helsing’s highly anticipated final season. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 147: A crew member wore a BLM shirt to a Vancouver set and was told it was too political

Sabrina Furminger — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 22:12:53 +0000

On Monday, February 22, 2021, a film worker showed up for work to the Vancouver set of a production called Gone Mom wearing a Black Lives Matter t-shirt. Two days later, they returned to work, where they were told by a producer not to wear anything Black Lives Matter again because that statement was too political. This worker resigned from the production the following day. Another BIPOC crew member removed his Black Lives Matter hoodie and gave it to a white colleague, who wore it and shared a photo on social media with a caption that read in part: “Racism is ALIVE AND WELL in BC film and it's disgusting.”

News about the incidents spread on social media and was met with universal outrage. On Friday, the production company responded by removing the producer in question from the production, and issued apologies to the affected crew members. But what does what happened on the set of Gone Mom tell us about racism, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and life for BIPOC cast and crew in the industry?

In this special episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Sabrina speaks with the film worker who was told that their Black Lives Matter shirt was too political for a film set, as well as Gone Mom’s executive producer Shawn Williamson and BIPOC actress and activist Angela Moore, about what happened this week. Episode sponsor: Jules Sherred’s DisabilityAndFood.Art exhibit

Episode 146: Let’s talk about endometriosis

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 11:00:00 +0000

If you know anything about endometriosis, it’s probably because you are among the one in 10 women and AFAB people who live with its pain and stigma – or you love someone who does. In the simplest of terms, endometriosis happens when tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus grows outside of it, forming lesions and gluing organs together. But there’s nothing simple about the pain of endometriosis, and the medical misogyny that prevents diagnosis, investment in research, and effective treatment. So where do we even begin to make life better for people with endometriosis? We begin by talking about it – by dragging it out into the light and putting faces and words and emotions to it. The short film Endomic does just that.

Endomic was co-directed by Camille Hollett-French, who also directed the award-winning film Freya starring friend-of-the-podcast Rhona Rees, and Columbia scientist and endometriosis researcher Ipek Ensari. With heart and scathing facts and biting wit, Endomic lays bare the pain and trauma of endometriosis, and the ways in which endometriosis patients are under-served by the medical community. In this riveting interview, Camille and Ipek explain why people should care about endometriosis, how the experienced director and the Columbia researcher found each other, and the power of rage. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 145: Beverley Elliott

Sabrina Furminger — Sat, 20 Feb 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Beverley Elliott played Granny on ABC’s beloved fantasy series, Once Upon A Time– and while she’s still closely associated with Granny years after the series took its final bow, Beverley is so much more than that one role. Over the course of her three decades in showbiz, Beverley has appeared in more than 100 film and television productions, from 21 Jump Street, Danger Bay, and The Beachcombers, to Harper’s Island, The X-Files, and Unforgiven (Clint Eastwood even name-checked her in his acceptance speech when he won an Academy Award for Unforgiven in 1993). Beverley is also a firecracker of a storyteller – as evidenced by her multiple appearances in New York City’s The Moth – as well as an in-demand singer. In this funny and fascinating interview, Beverley talks about growing up extremely shy in a rural Ontario town, the ongoing appeal of Once Upon A Time, and what it takes to make it as a character actress in the Vancouver film and television industry. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 144: April Telek

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Content warning: This episode contains discussion about sexual violence and rape. Listener discretion is advised. If you are a victim of sexual assault or know someone who needs help, please check the episode notes for resources. You are not alone.

April Telek is an accomplished actress whose filmography includes comedy, science fiction, fantasy, and drama. She shone as Constance Fogg on CBC’s women-driven Western series, Strange Empire, as Nell in Hell on Wheels, as Donna in Rogue, and in Amazon Falls, playing a character based on Lana Clarkson. She played the authoritarian artistic director of Sashay Dance Academy in Gary Hawes’ hilarious Leap 4 Your Life, and she inspired empathy and heartache playing Roxy, a survival sex worker, in Rachel Talalay’s brilliant On The Farm, which was inspired by the dozens of women who died at the hands of a serial killer on Vancouver’s East Side.

In 2020, April came forward as a victim of accused rapist Peter Nygard. Her survivor story is currently being told in Evil by Design, a CBC Podcast about the more than 80 women from around the world who have accused the disgraced fashion designer of rape, sexual assault, and human trafficking, as well as in the Discovery+ Series, Unseamly: The Investigation of Peter Nygard.

In this revealing and emotional conversation, April reflects on her decision to go public with her story, and how she intends to use her voice to help keep others safe. Also: working with Cole Hauser, dancing the tango with John Emmet Tracy, making “bougie Bugles,” and how her idea of success has changed over the course of her career. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 143: Why Vancouver's Rio Theatre became a sports bar

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Last month, Vancouver's Rio Theatre updated its marquee with a bold declaration: “Screw the Arts: We’re a sports bar now.” The Rio had been closed since November 2020, when the Provincial Health Officer banned all events (while still allowing bars, malls, and restaurants to operate) – but on January 23, 2021, the Rio opened its doors for sports fans to watch hockey and whatever qualifies as sports on its big screen: socially distanced, and not operating at full capacity, but open nonetheless. In this revealing episode, Sabrina gets a download from the Rio Theatre’s – sorry: Rio Sports Bar’s – CEO Corinne Lea and Senior Programmer Rachel Fox about what they’re doing, why they’re doing it, and what we all stand to lose when the rules aren’t enforced fairly. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 142: Kashif Pasta

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 11:00:00 +0000

What impact is the pandemic having on Vancouver’s indie film scene, and specifically on the ability for our fearless filmmakers to share their stories? What have we lost, and what, if anything, have we gained? What does the future hold for the indie scene? In this special episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Sabrina brings these big questions to indie filmmaker Kashif Pasta. Kashif is an award-winning writer, director, and producer with a focus on empowering people of colour to tell stories with purpose and joy. He co-created and directed the hit digital series Welcome to Surrey for TELUS and Dunya Media, co-created the Untitled BTR Project with Sameer Gardezi for Paul Feig’s Powderkeg, and was a 2018 ABC Television Comedy Lab fellow for his half-hour pilot Long Distance. Kashif and Sabrina discuss the health of the Vancouver indie scene (and whether the massive strides made by Toronto’s music scene in the last decade could happen for Vancouver film), as well as how 2020 changed the game for BIPOC creators. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 141: John Emmet Tracy

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Why is Vancouver actor John Emmet Tracy regularly called upon to portray duplicitous, sinister, and evil characters? His lengthy filmography includes poisonous characters like August Cartwright on Batwoman and Enzo Lambert on iZombie, and cunning characters like lawyer Ellis Steele on Yellowstone and Pallas on Olympus. Perhaps he’s so often cast as the villain because he inevitably infuses these despicable characters with some measure of humanity, so that you as a viewer feel even more scared and more betrayed when he inevitably leans into his dark side.

In this thoughtful and fascinating conversation, John and Sabrina discuss the mechanics of evil, and the joys and challenges of portraying duplicitous and sinister characters. John – who was recently nominated for a UBCP/ACTRA Best Actor Award for his work in the critically acclaimed feature film, Open For Submissions – discusses his journey from kid magician in Chicago to Shakespeare stages around the world to the Vancouver screen scene, why his mother isn’t a big fan of his filmography, and what he’s learned observing Kevin Costner on the set of Yellowstone. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 140: Teryl Rothery

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 03 Feb 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Vancouver actress Teryl Rothery brings deep-seated humanity to every role she takes on, whether she’s playing a kind and capable military doctor (Stargate SG-1) or the sexy actress in a Northern California town who sets her sights on the town doctor (Virgin River). Teryl’s lengthy filmography includes memorable roles in dramas (including Chesapeake Shores and The Good Doctor), Christmas movies, cartoons, superhero shows (like Arrow), and sci-fi and fantasy (including Travelers and The Haunting of Bly Manor and – of course – Stargate SG-1). In this revealing conversation, Teryl pulls the curtain back on where she comes from and what propels her forward, and reflects on the life and death of Dr. Janet Fraiser on Stargate SG-1, how she ended up in a Babylon 5 wedding, and Virgin River’s Muriel. Also: COVID-19 coping strategies, a rousing round of Favourite Things, and a burning question from another Stargate doctor: Paul McGillion (Stargate Atlantis’ Dr. Carson Beckett). Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 139: Sarah Dugdale

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Sarah Dugdale plays Lizzie on Virgin River, Netflix’s wildly popular dramatic serial based on the books by Robyn Carr. Virgin River follows Mel, a Los Angeles ER nurse who heads to the picturesque North California town of Virgin River after experiencing massive trauma in her life. There, almost despite her best efforts, she finds connection, comfort, and all manner of L-O-V-E with its residents. Season one of Virgin River hit Netflix in December 2019 – and when season two dropped in November 2020, it brought with it the same mix of drama, L-O-V-E, and scenery that made season one so addictive, as well as a new character named Lizzie. Lizzie is Connie’s niece – Connie is played by the inimitable Nicola Cavendish – and she’s sent to Virgin River from LA after getting into a ton of teenage trouble. She’s all attitude – or is she? Because over season two, she forges a deep connection with Ricky, played by Grayson Maxwell Gurnsey, who seems to be everything that Lizzie is not. Ricky sees something in Lizzie that everyone else doesn’t see – and soon enough, these two virgins of Virgin River are virgins no more, and Aunt Connie is none too pleased.

Sarah infuses Lizzie with light, rebelliousness, and nuance – and in this funny and fascinating episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, we find out where Lizzie ends and Sarah begins, where she’d like to go in season three, and why she’s #TeamMel all the way. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 138: Rekha Sharma

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 27 Jan 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Rekha Sharma played Tory Foster on Battlestar Galactica and Commander Landry on Star Trek: Discovery – both phenomenal roles for a Fijian Indian Canadian woman who grew up watching Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek and dreaming of a career in showbiz, despite the fact that there weren’t a lot of people who looked like her working in the film and television industry. But Rekha made it happen, and in this raw and revealing conversation with Sabrina Furminger, she reflects on her journey from little dreamer to science fiction mainstay. Also: Was Tory Foster really a bad person? What does Star Trek: Discovery feel like behind the scenes? All that – as well as Rekha’s impression of Edward James Olmos and her thoughts on giraffes – in this special episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 137: Lorne Cardinal – PART TWO

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 22 Jan 2021 11:01:00 +0000

Millions of viewers around the world know Lorne Cardinal as Sergeant Davis Quinton on Corner Gas, the iconic television series turned record-breaking movie turned cartoon – and while Corner Gas is the stuff of legend and Davis is an essential part of it all, Davis doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface in revealing who Lorne is as an artist and human being. Lorne is an actor, a writer, a director, a producer, and a voice actor with more than 100 film, television, and stage credits to his name. He recently appeared in Kayak to Klemtu, a performance that earned him the Best Actor Award at the American Indian Film Festival, as well as Kathleen Hepburn’s superb feature film, Never Steady, Never Still and Florian Haberdl and Luna Ferguson’s mesmerizing short film, Henry’s Heart, about a man grappling with love, loss, and identity at the end of his life. Lorne voices Grandpa Nat in the Peabody Award-winning Molly of Denali, and he’s recurring as Nelson Skye, the granddad in the central family in Dick Wolf’s FBI: Most Wanted for NBC.

Lorne’s remarkable career warrants two episodes of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast. In Part Two, Lorne discusses his experience as the first-ever Indigenous student to be admitted into the University of Alberta’s BFA acting program, how the film and television industry has changed over the course of his career, what drives him as an artist, why representation matters, and where Corner Gas fits into it all. Says Lorne: “[Corner Gas] made people laugh. Indigenous people are big laughers. We love a good laugh, and I was able to play this character that made people proud.” Look for Part One in your podcast feeds. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 136: Lorne Cardinal – PART ONE

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 22 Jan 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Millions of viewers around the world know Lorne Cardinal as Sergeant Davis Quinton on Corner Gas, the iconic television series turned record-breaking movie turned cartoon – and while Corner Gas is the stuff of legend and Davis is an essential part of it all, Davis doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface in revealing who Lorne is as an artist and human being. Lorne is an actor, a writer, a director, a producer, and a voice actor with more than 100 film, television, and stage credits to his name. He recently appeared in Kayak to Klemtu, a performance that earned him the Best Actor Award at the American Indian Film Festival, as well as Kathleen Hepburn’s superb feature film, Never Steady, Never Still and Florian Haberdl and Luna Ferguson’s mesmerizing short film, Henry’s Heart, about a man grappling with love, loss, and identity at the end of his life. Lorne voices Grandpa Nat in the Peabody Award-winning Molly of Denali, and he’s recurring as Nelson Skye, the granddad in the central family in Dick Wolf’s FBI: Most Wanted for NBC.

Lorne’s remarkable career warrants two episodes of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast. In Part One, Lorne reflects on his childhood, his paradigm-shifting experience as a photojournalist, his involvement in the first-ever all-Indigenous production of a Shakespeare play on a Canadian A-stage, and the innumerable ways in which art and politics are intertwined. Says Lorne: “When you’re born brown in this country, especially as an Indigenous person, you’re political right off the bat.” Look for Part Two in your podcast feeds. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 135: Andy Hodgson

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Andy Hodgson is a cinematographer-producer who made his directorial debut in 2020 with El Color Negro, a short film that explores the concept of the colour black. Is it a colour? An idea? What does Blackness mean in this historic moment? Andy drew inspiration for El Color Negro from his experiences as a Black man in a country that was built on a foundation of white supremacy, as well as the experiences of Black people through history. These were topics that Andy addressed in a June 2020 panel presented by VAFF entitled Amplifying Black Voices. Andy joined Rukiya Bernard, Mariam Barry, Jem Garrard, and Zach Lipovsky in discussing racism and white supremacy in the Vancouver film and television industry, and specifically how it impacts Black artists (that panel was hosted by Sabrina Furminger and can be found in the YVR Screen Scene podcast feed). In this thought-provoking and fascinating episode, Andy reflects on his childhood growing up in the midst of a turbulent civil war, his move to Vancouver and his discovery of cinematography and producing, and the mix of politics, art, and social justice issues that drive him forward in his work. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 134: Agam Darshi Returns

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 10:00:00 +0000

When Agam Darshi visited the YVR Screen Scene Podcast in 2019, she was preparing to embark on the adventure of a lifetime: to Sri Lanka, to film a pivotal role in famed director Deepa Mehta’s Funny Boy. Funny Boy is an adaptation of Shyam Selvadurai’s 1994 novel about Arjun, a young Tamil boy from a wealthy family navigating hate against two key aspects of his identity: his sexuality and his ethnicity. Agam is Radha Auntie, the lone voice who encourages Arjun to be himself, to be precocious, to be the Grand Diva, to cherish those parts of him that make him different and special. The film has garnered much acclaim since premiering in December 2020 (Ava DuVernay’s distribution company Array acquired Funny Boy and released it internationally on Netflix), as well as controversy about its casting of non-Tamil actors in key roles.

In this riveting episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Agam discusses the joys, challenges, and controversy of Funny Boy, as well as what she’s learned about art and storytelling from Deepa Mehta. Agam also previews her feature film directorial debut, tentatively titled Indians in Cowtown and now filming in Regina – and for the first time, she reveals the shining stars that will appear alongside her in her film (a list that includes some beloved friends-of-the-podcast!). Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 133: Camille Sullivan Returns

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Award-winning actress and friend-of-the-podcast Camille Sullivan discusses her jaw-dropping performance in Shawn Linden’s chilling feature film, Hunter Hunter – including how a thriller about fear and predation speaks to this historic moment, acting opposite Devon Sawa, and her experience filming that much-talked-about ending. Also: navigating COVID-19; Gabrielle Rose; a revealing round of Favourite Things. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

BEST OF 2020 – Amanda Tapping, Michael Eklund, Nicole Oliver & Sharon Taylor (July 21)

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 10:00:00 +0000

From July 21, 2020: “Pop the champagne! The YVR Screen Scene Podcast is officially 100 episodes old – and for this epic podcasting milestone, we assembled an epic group of epic past guests for one epically epic episode (deserving of ALL of the “epics” in the preceding sentence): Amanda Tapping, Michael Eklund, Nicole Oliver, and Sharon Taylor. Over mid-morning, midweek mimosas, this remarkable quartet of #BCFilm icons (and YVR Screen Scene Podcast host Sabrina Furminger) discuss chasing magic, Western alienation, and the impact of COVID-19 on their mental health and the local film and television industry. They also play a spirited round of “Best and Worst,” before turning the tables on Sabrina.” Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 132: Brendan Taylor

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Brendan Taylor is a lot of things: a busy actor whose filmography includes Fargo, Supernatural (Officer Doug Stover!), The Magicians, and Firefly Lane (AKA one of the most highly anticipated series of 2021), as well as more than 110 commercials; an art department veteran who dressed sets on Battlestar Galactica and served as production designer on the critically acclaimed independent feature, Daughter; a theatre guy; an acting coach; a COVID-19 survivor. In this expansive and entertaining interview, Sabrina and Brendan talk about all of it: his origin story; his Firefly Lane character, Mutt; his experience with COVID; filming commercials for a famed liquid lubricant in Bulgaria and a famed cruise line in the Caribbean (and what he thinks actors need to know about acting in commercials) – and much, much more. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 131: Nicole Oliver, Chelsey Reist & Kate Green

Sabrina Furminger — Sun, 20 Dec 2020 21:14:51 +0000

The wait is over: NarcoLeap is finally back for season two. Here’s how Sabrina described NarcoLeap when it dropped its first season in 2018: “NarcoLeap is fun. It’s suspenseful. It’s action-packed. It’s female-driven. It’s empowering. In other words, it’s the kind of sci-fi journey that this topsy-turvy world needs right now: pure… escapism with a big, beating heart. Created by Kate Green, the highly anticipated web series – which hit YouTube… after months of development and hype – stars Chelsey Reist (The 100) as Kelsey Atkins, a young woman whose lifelong narcolepsy takes a dramatic turn when she discovers that her consciousness can leap into other people whenever she falls into a narcoleptic slumber… NarcoLeap also stars Madison Smith as Kelsey’s best friend, Austin Eckert as a mysterious agent, Nicole Oliver as Kelsey’s mother, and Aleks Paunovic as a volatile military officer named Colonel Slater.”

NarcoLeap’s second season kicks off on December 20, and Sabrina is stoked to report that it’s just as fun, suspenseful, and action-packed as ever – maybe even more so. This time, the stakes are higher, the secrets are bigger, and Kelsey’s dad – played by Cameron Bancroft – is a new source of conflict and mystery. In this rollicking episode, Sabrina is joined by Nicole Oliver, Chelsey Reist and Kate Green to discuss the making of season two, and what the future holds in store for Kelsey, her friends, her family, and her foes. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 130: Laura Mennell

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Laura Mennell is a mystery. Sure, the Vancouver actress shines bright in all manner of roles, but who is she, really? Is she more like Nina Theroux, the character she played on Alphas who could override willpower in others and push people into doing whatever she asked of them? Is she more like Thelma Harris in The Man in the High Castle, a Nazi American journalist who was arrested for her affair with Nicole Dormer? Is she more like Rebecca from Van Helsing, a high-ranking (and bloody terrifying) vampire who had little use for human life? Or is she most like Mimi Hynek from Project Blue Book, a complex woman, wife, and mother who found her sense of self and purpose in a tangled web of government conspiracies, UFO sightings, Cold War paranoia, and a comely Russian spy? In this freewheeling conversation, Sabrina seeks to uncover the many mysteries of Laura Mennell, while also talking origin stories, sci-fi, government conspiracies, cats, filming Circle with Luna Ferguson during COVID, and favourite things. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 129: Carl Bessai

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Veteran director Carl Bessai collaborated with 17 remarkable women in Los Angeles, New York, and Toronto to create In Her City. The feature film presents 17 vignettes that are drawn from the collaborators’ lives as 20-something urban-dwellers. Every person’s experience of their city is wholly unique, and how each story is told is different – and yet the fact that these women are all striving to live their truth is the thread that binds In Her City into one deeply moving, charming, and wildly entertaining cinematic journey. In Her City screens this December as part of the 2020 Whistler Film Festival – and in this fascinating conversation, Carl Bessai discusses the hows and whys of this beautiful, sometimes whimsical, and poignant film. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 128: Rachel Talalay, Sophie Harvey, Laura Good & K.C. Novak

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 10 Dec 2020 10:00:00 +0000

An Introvert’s Guide to High School is a lot of things: a dark comedy; a study in teen culture and the pressures that parents and society place on teens as they near the end of high school; a manifesto for introverts; and a lot of fun. Woven into this feature film about a group of high school students in an SAT prep class and all of the internal and external pressures they face are puppets, street interviews, objectively bonkers short films, and a visual effect shot worthy of a big budget blockbuster (which is wholly astounding considering the budget for the film was only $5000).

Beginning December 15, introverts and extroverts across Canada can stream An Introvert’s Guide to High School as part of the 2020 Whistler Film Festival. In this special interview, four of the creative forces behind this wildly inventive and deeply moving feature film – director Sophie Harvey, producers K.C. Novak and Laura Good, and executive producer Rachel Talalay (who, besides being the celebrated director of Tank Girl and beloved episodes of Doctor Who, Riverdale, and Sherlock, happens to be Sophie’s mom) – reflect on the heart and heartache that went into creating their darkly comic manifesto for introverted teens (and the extroverts who love them). Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Fall Finale: Ali Liebert

Sabrina Furminger — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Ali Liebert won a Canadian Screen Award for her nuanced portrayal of queer icon Betty McRae on Bomb Girls – but Betty is only part of Ali’s story. As a teen, Ali pursued musical theatre dreams and sang “Papa, Can You Hear Me?” at the Pacific National Exhibition. In the years since Betty, Ali has appeared in all manner of indie, big budget, and network projects, from BH90210 to Mech X4 to Ten Days in the Valley to The Devout. She’s also expanded into producer and director territory, including Cooking With Love and Spotlight on Christmas and the deeply moving Crazy8s film The Quieting, which stars friend-of-the-podcast Sara Canning in a queer identity story mined from moments in Ali’s own life. Sara and fellow friend-of-the-podcast Gabrielle Rose starred in Ali’s feature-length directorial debut, Amish Abduction, for which she was recently nominated for a big award from the Directors Guild of Canada. Ali is also an activist, and an advocate for queer youth. In 2019, when Hallmark pulled an ad featuring a gay couple, Ali – who is a star for the network – used her platform to speak out against homophobia in the film and television industry. In the fall finale of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Ali discusses her move into the director’s chair, how Bomb Girls’ Betty McRae changed her life, and her lifelong pursuit of truth. NOTE: We'll be back with new episodes the second week of December. Episode sponsor: DGC BC

Will Sabrina Furminger’s Cringe be #TheNextGreatPodcast?

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 24 Nov 2020 20:05:00 +0000

Brent Butt, David Lewis, and Degrassi’s Stacie Mistysyn share cringe stories in pilot episode, out now

Episode 126: Shannan Louis from FatBelly VFX on the gender gap in visual effects

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Women are vastly underrepresented in the visual effects part of the film and television industry, especially in key creative positions. In 2019, women only accounted for six per cent of visual effects supervisors – which is truly egregious when you consider that women make up nearly half of all film school graduates. The talent is there. Women just need the opportunity to get their foot in the studio door, and find an environment that is supportive and committed to getting them ahead. This is what FatBelly VFX is all about. FatBelly VFX is a Vancouver-based visual effects studio founded earlier this year by Shannan Louis. Shannan’s vision for FatBelly is to create a company culture that empowers and engages all of its employees, with special attention paid to uplifting and elevating women. In short, FatBelly VFX is determined to change the industry from the inside – and in this special episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Shannan tells us how she’s working to level the playing field. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

BONUS EPISODE: Screen Scene Society reviews ‘Bill & Ted Face the Music’

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 11 Nov 2020 10:00:00 +0000

YVR Screen Scene presents the Screen Scene Society Podcast. Each episode, co-hosts Christian Sloan (The Black Tapes, See) and Sabrina Furminger (The YVR Screen Scene Podcast) watch a new-ish film or television project with special guests from the film industry, and then podcast all about it. In Episode Three, Christian and Sabrina invite actor Ben Cotton into their time-traveling phone booth to talk about Bill & Ted Face the Music. The trio delves deep into the draw of nostalgia, toxic masculinity and the power of male friendship, and the ways in which the franchise has adapted to the 21st century. Also: Is Keanu too famous now to play Ted? And does Ben have the best Keanu anecdote of all time? Join us on this excellent adventure to find out!

Find Screen Scene Society on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts for free.

Episode 125: Jessie Anthony

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 06 Nov 2020 10:01:00 +0000

Jessie Anthony is the filmmaking force behind Brother, I Cry. The feature film follows Jon, a young First Nations man, as he struggles to overcome addiction and avoid the multiple warrants out on him. Brother, I Cry – which won the Audience Choice award at imagineNATIVE and earned Jessie the award for Best BC Emerging Filmmaker at the 2020 Vancouver International Film Festival – is a story about family, addiction, and the justice system, and the ways in which people can lose themselves in all three of these competing realities. It’s evocative without being exploitative, honest without being traumatizing, and rich with empathy and heart. In short, Brother, I Cry is a stunning achievement in filmmaking, and doubly so when you consider that it’s Jessie’s first narrative feature. In this compelling and poignant interview, Jessie discusses the dream that led to Brother, I Cry, and where she’d like to take audiences next. Episode sponsor: Storyhive

Episode 124: Mayumi Yoshida, Amanda Sum & Dino Antoniou

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 06 Nov 2020 10:00:00 +0000

This episode contains not one but two fascinating interviews with fearless multidisciplinary creators. In the first act, filmmaker Mayumi Yoshida and singer-songwriter Amanda Sum talk about their music video for GROUPTHINK. The video – which was directed by Mayumi and filmed in summer 2020 – is in actuality a thought-provoking, evocative, and fanciful short film that explores ideas around identity and Asian stereotypes. In the second act (beginning at 30:01), we hear from actor-producer Dino Antoniou about Variant, a feature film that is perfectly suited for this moment. Variant was written and directed by the immensely talented filmmaker Tony Leech, whose credits include Hoodwinked and Escape from Planet Earth. It stars Ashlynn Yennie as Aria, an artist in LA struggling for purpose, who meets Joel (Dino), a mysterious yet charming stranger. Dino discusses the hows and whys of Variant, as well as the questions it raises about autonomy, fate, identity, and the ethics of technology. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 123: Suanne Braun

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 09:00:00 +0000

Suanne Braun portrayed the goddess Hathor on Stargate SG-1. Hathor was a Villain with a capital V who used everything at her disposal – including über-powerful pheromones – to get what she wanted, be it civilizations to fall at her feet or men as big-brained as Jack O’Neill to obey her every command. Hathor, according to character Dr. Daniel Jackson, was the Egyptian goddess of fertility, inebriety, and music – or, as O’Neill put it, “Sex, drugs, and rock and roll.” Part of what made this particular System Lord so memorable and beloved years after her grisly end was Suanne’s singular performance: powerful, sexy, slightly sneering, and sporting some of Stargate’s best costumes. Hathor is only one of a long list of highlights in a career of highlights, and in this riveting (and often rollicking) conversation with Sabrina Furminger, Suanne reflects on those highlights, and also dishes on her latest role: host of the popular online chat fest, Hathor Hosts, which puts her friends from genre film and TV – including many friends of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast – in the hot seat. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 122: Pat Mastroianni – AKA Degrassi’s Joey Jeremiah

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 09:00:00 +0000

Pat Mastroianni played Joey Jeremiah on Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High (and, later, on Degrassi: The Next Generation). The pre-Internet incarnations of Degrassi – all shot on location in Toronto-area schools – built a massive fanbase for tackling topics that weren’t being broached anywhere else on children’s television: interracial dating; sexual violence and child abuse; teen suicide; drunk driving; epilepsy; depression; grief; abortion; bullying; poverty; teen pregnancy; AIDS; burgeoning sexuality. The original shows explored all of these heavy topics with kids playing their actual age – and, despite the gravity of the subject matter, Degrassi was entertaining. It was fun – Joey wore a fedora and formed a band called The Zit Remedy with Wheels and Snake in which they only played one song (“Everybody Wants Something”) – and it was relatable. It was must-see TV for an entire generation of Canadian kids whose adoration knew no bounds. And now we’re all grown up. Where are our Degrassi kids now? How did Degrassi change their lives? And do they know how much they meant to us Canadian kids?

And thanks to Joey Jeremiah – AKA Pat Mastroianni – we don’t have to wait any longer for answers. Pat is the filmmaker behind a new documentary called A Narbo’s Guide to Being a Broomhead, which unfolds during Degrassi Palooza, a three-day cast reunion weekend in Toronto attended by fans from all over the world. Pat intercuts poignant and funny moments from the reunion weekend with camcorder footage and personal photos from behind the scenes at Degrassi. The result is a film that gives viewers a front row seat to a one-of-a-kind fan experience, and also insight into the many ways the young actors were impacted by their time in Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High. It’s a funny and moving documentary for the generation of Canadians who grew up with Snake and Wheels and Caitlin and Joey, and get an inside look into one of the most iconic and groundbreaking series to come out of Canada. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 121: Brent Butt

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 09:00:00 +0000

You’d be forgiven for not associating Brent Butt with Vancouver, and instead picturing him behind the counter of a gas station in Dog River, Saskatchewan, AKA the setting for Corner Gas, the iconic comedy series turned movie turned animated series. But the road to Dog River includes some significant stops in Vancouver, and Brent remains a mainstay of the Vancouver film and television scene. In this special episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Brent reflects on lessons learned from stand-up and growing up in a small town, his lifelong passion for comic books, why the animation realm is a good fit for Corner Gas, what to expect from Corner Gas Animated's third season, and how he responds to people who criticize the show's diverse characters. Also: what Brent says about raw cauliflower that leaves Sabrina flabbergasted! Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 120: Sachin Sahel Returns

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 09:00:00 +0000

The inimitable Sachin Sahel (Eric Jackson on The 100) returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about Big COVID Feelings, saying goodbye to The 100 (and what it means to him to have had a character named “Sachin” in his honour), why Darkseid is the best/worst supervillain, and his strategies to be an effective ally in the ongoing social justice revolution. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 119: Lisa Durupt

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 06 Oct 2020 09:00:00 +0000

Actress Lisa Durupt is a queen of Christmas movies, an empress of the quirky corner, and a venerated dramatic powerhouse. Since her breakout role as the villainous Shandra in Mark McKinney’s Less Than Kind – which earned her a Gemini nomination and multiple Leo noms – Lisa has thrived in network, studio, and indie projects like Preggoland, Sunnyhearts Community Centre, Murder, She Baked, Heartland, Benchwarmers 2, The Chronicle Mysteries, and seemingly every other Christmas movie filmed in Vancouver. In 2018, Lisa founded Tricities Film Studios, the first-ever dedicated film acting training studio in the suburbs of the GVRD – and despite the acting and the studio, she somehow still finds time to lace up for multiple Hockey Helps the Homeless fundraising events and parent her toddler. In this rollicking episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Lisa lays out her origin story – from ringette player on the prairies to Vancouver screen scene mainstay – and talks #COVIDlife, the Hallmark of it all, her Winnipeg roots, what she’s learned from Alison Sweeney, and why bidets rule. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 118: Karen Lam and Elfina Luk

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 09:00:00 +0000

Much of the work in filmmaker Karen Lam’s filmography can be described as unsettling and weirdly empowering, and her latest film is all this and more. Karen’s newest feature film is The Curse of Willow Song, and it’s screening online and in-cinema this month as part of the 2020 Vancouver International Film Festival. The Curse of Willow Song tells the story of Willow (played by Valerie Tian), a young woman recently released from prison who must choose between her dangerous but honest new life on the streets and her former gang life and the nightmares that have plagued her since childhood. Willow’s gang life returns in the form of Dani, played by Elfina Luk, a real estate agent who invites Willow to serve as caretaker in a spooky warehouse – and it’s in the warehouse where we see the true power of Willow’s haunted mind.

The Curse of Willow Song feels different than other Karen Lam films. There are references to systemic racism, in the form of a white parole officer played by Amanda Burke who can’t figure out why Asian people give their kids names like Willow – as well as in a pointed and profound speech by Elfina’s character, who states that the system is built on white people’s terms; how they’re happy when Asian people open greasy spoons and laundromats but show their racism when Asian Canadians succeed – or, as Dani says, “We didn’t come here because we’re stupid. We came here because we’re smart.”

In this entertaining and thoughtful interview, Karen Lam and Elfina Luk discuss the power and poignancy in this startlingly beautiful and terrifying film, which was named Best BC Film at #VIFF2020. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 117: David Milchard, Christina Sicoli & Ben Cotton

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 09:00:00 +0000

Director David Milchard and actors Christina Sicoli and Ben Cotton drop by the YVR Screen Scene Podcast studio to discuss their audacious new film, F*cking Idiots. The feature film – which also stars Stephen Lobo and Sara Canning and was written by Kris Elgstrand (Songs She Wrote About People She Knows) – tells the story of a broke married couple (Christina and Ben) who visit a rich friend (Stephen) for something akin to aversion therapy. F*cking Idiots screens as part of the 2020 Vancouver International Film Festival. In this hilarious and fascinating interview, the trio dive deep into their love for Kris Elgstrand (and each other), the allure of the 85-minute movie format, joys and challenges of releasing a feature film during a global pandemic. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 116: Loretta Todd

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 08:00:00 +0000

Filmmaker Loretta Todd reflects on her long journey to bring the film adaptation of Eden Robinson’s cherished novel Monkey Beach to the big screen. The eagerly anticipated feature film – which opens the 2020 Vancouver International Film Festival, and then screens throughout – follows a young woman as she returns to her family in Kitimaat Village to save her brother from a tragic fate she’s foreseen since childhood and contend with the mystical creatures lurking in the nearby woods. The film features incredible performances by Grace Dove, Sera-Lys McArthur, Nathaniel Arcand, Adam Beach, Joel Oulette, Tina Lameman, and Ta’Kaiya Blaney, stunning cinematography by Stirling Bancroft, and a moving musical score by Jesse Zubot, and marks the award-winning director’s first narrative feature film. In this fascinating and in-depth conversation, Loretta discusses the challenges and joys associated with directing Monkey Beach, and what it means to her that a story about an Indigenous woman – that celebrates Indigenous womanhood and beauty and resilience – is opening a prestigious international film festival. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 115: Joseph Mallozzi

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 08:00:00 +0000

Producer and showrunner Joseph Mallozzi (Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Stargate Universe, Dark Matter, Utopia Falls) joins Sabrina Furminger for a rollicking and informative interview covering a wide range of topics, including: the legacy and future of Stargate (and the meaning behind “Five Chevrons Locked”); what he learns about storytelling and fandom from hanging out in Reddit forums; his obsession with junk food; the inner lives of showrunners (and what really goes on in a writers’ room); memories of Dark Matter and Stargate; and what the heck is a Toronto bagel? Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 114: Giles Panton

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 18 Sep 2020 08:00:00 +0000

Giles Panton is Iron Man. No really! The busy voice actor can currently be heard voicing Iron Man in Marvel Battleworld: Mystery of the Thanostones. He also voiced Tarzan in Tarzan and Jane, and Clay Moorington in Nexo Knights, and can be heard in Max Steel, Last Kids on Earth, and the iconic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Outside of the voice booth, Giles played Billy Turner, the Minister of Propaganda for the American Reich, in Amazon Prime’s critically acclaimed dystopian series The Man in the High Castle, which was based on a Philip K. Dick novel first published in 1962. He also played Chris “The Waffle King” Smith on Chesapeake Shores, and has a sleigh full of Christmas movies in his filmography, including It’s Christmas, Eve, Christmas on Holly Lane, A Godwink Christmas, Christmas Pen Pals, and A Gingerbread Romance. In this poignant and at times rollicking episode, Giles talks #cartoonlife, hot sauce, the startling parallels between The Man in the High Castle and the dumpster fire that is 2020, Christmas movies, heroes vs. villains, and the Barbie commercial that broke up his band. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 113: Philip Granger

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 09:00:00 +0000

Philip Granger is an actor, producer, and educator based in Vancouver. His IMDb filmography goes on for miles, and includes Walt in Neon Rider, Coach Kolaski in Madison, Supernatural, Caprica, Rogue, and Winston in the highly underrated and gone-too-soon Ghost Wars. He won a Gemini Award for his performance in Neon Rider and a 2019 Leo Award for his work opposite Richard Harmon in Jon Silverberg’s Woodland. In this deeply moving episode, Philip recalls memorable moments from his lengthy career, reflects on the friendships that have at once anchored and buoyed him along the way (including with the late, great actor Bill Paxton), and pulls back the curtain on working with his screen-partner-turned-brother Richard Harmon in Woodland. (Note: this episode was recorded over Zoom, and is noticeably more compressed than our previous remotely recorded episodes. Although it sounds a bit different, it’s still audible and (in our not-so-humble opinion) highly enjoyable!). Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 112: Marci T. House

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 10 Sep 2020 09:00:00 +0000

Inimitable actress Marci T. House talks about her upcoming role in Julie and The Phantoms, #covidlife, stage acting vs. screen acting vs. architecture, the many ways in which CBC’s Strange Empire was ahead of its time, and why she stays in Vancouver. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 111: Lynda Boyd

Sabrina Furminger — Sat, 05 Sep 2020 09:00:00 +0000

Beloved Vancouver actress Lynda Boyd (Republic of Doyle; Tin Star) talks plastic surgery, tattoos, mental health in the age of COVID-19, navigating an industry that doesn’t always value a woman’s worth, acting opposite Victor Garber, Sara Canning, and Diane Keaton, and what Allan Hawco really thought of her attempt at a Newfoundland accent. Also: singing and lasagna! Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 110: Stephen Lobo

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Stephen Lobo’s filmography is populated by characters who, despite being wildly different from each other, are nearly identical in how hard they fight for what they want: earnest Dev on Arctic Air; take-no-prisoners Kellog on Continuum; womanizing head chef Ramir on Godiva’s. It’s something that Stephen himself has exemplified since his very first time on stage in a community theatre production of Grease (that also featured future podcast host Sabrina Furminger and future Broadway star Ramin Karimloo) – and in his case, it's all about craft and characters. In this freewheeling and contemplative conversation, Stephen reflects on his journey from Kenickie to Ramir to Kellog and beyond, and the remarkable artists he’s worked with along the way. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 109: Richard Harmon and Jon Silverberg

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 21 Aug 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Actor Richard Harmon (The 100) and filmmaker Jon Silverberg swing by the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to pull back the curtain on Woodland, an atmospheric and terrifying thriller about a down and out photographer named Jake (played by Richard) who is haunted by bad decisions and takes a job at a winter lodge up in a secluded part of Haida Gwaii. Jake’s employer is Sparky, a kind-hearted roughneck played by the inimitable Philip Granger. Despite the distance between Haida Gwaii and Jake’s previous life, the broken photographer continues to be haunted by – well, something, because he’s seeing the future in the photos he develops in the creepiest darkroom ever. Woodland – which is set in 1989, AKA an era before digital photography and mobile phones – is currently available for purchase and rental on iTunes. In this fascinating and occasionally uproarious interview, Richard and Jon discuss the whys, hows, and WTAFs of Woodland. Episode sponsor: Neverland Tea Salon

Episode 108: Lexa Doig

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Lexa Doig is known around the world for playing ass-kicking characters on beloved genre shows. She played the Andromeda Ascendent on Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda, an android and warship who didn’t like running from a fight, and was Sonya Valentine on Continuum, one of the Liber8 future terrorists. She appeared on Arrow as former member of the League of Assassins Talia al Ghul, and stole her share of scenes in The Arrangement and Virgin River. She can currently be seen playing Aurora’s BFF Sally Allison (a reporter and a member of the Real Murders Club) in the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries series. In this fascinating and expansive episode, Lexa talks about navigating the industry as a white-passing, Filipino Scottish Canadian woman, as well as her thoughts on AI, Simon Barry’s brain, working with people who have vastly different political leanings, and the changing landscape of the entertainment industry. Episode sponsor: Neverland Tea Salon

Episode 107: Shannon Kohli, Raylene Harewood & Jon Ornoy

Sabrina Furminger — Sat, 15 Aug 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Director Shannon Kohli, actor Raylene Harewood and producer Jon Ornoy visit the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to dish on All Joking Aside, a dramatic feature film set in the world of stand-up comedy. All Joking Aside is Shannon’s directorial debut (although she’s no novice director; she’s won awards and acclaim for directing episodic television like Supergirl, Riverdale, Motherland: Fort Salem, and The Magicians, as well as short films). All Joking Aside follows a new stand-up comedian named Charlene (played by Raylene) who is cruelly heckled during her first time at the mic by a man named Bob (played by Brian Markinson). Bob used to be a successful comic but is now a broken, alcoholic mess who lost his family and his career — and he’s offered a chance at redemption when Charlene begs him to be her mentor. The film also features Vancouver comedy legend Richard Glen Lett as a wise comedy club bartender, and it offers a peek at the not-so-funny side of the comedy world. In this contemplative conversation, Shannon, Raylene, and Jon discuss the trials, tribulations, and joys of bringing this gem of an indie film to the screen. Episode sponsor: Neverland Tea Salon

Episode 106: Luna Ferguson & Florian Halbedl

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 13 Aug 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Filmmakers Luna Ferguson and Florian Halbedl visit the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to discuss Henry’s Heart, their short film that screens this month at the 2020 Vancouver Queer Film Festival. In Henry’s Heart, a man named Henry awakens in an overgrown field and travels through a nostalgic reflection of his life by reliving moments of his past loves. Legendary actor Lorne Cardinal – best known to people around the world for playing Sergeant Davis Quinton on Corner Gas – plays Henry at all stages of his life; Jenn MacLean-Angus (Daughter), Malcolm Sparrow-Crawford, and Yukari Komatsu play Henry’s loves. In this thought-provoking and informative conversation, Luna and Florian discuss their journey to bring Henry’s Heart to the screen – including why they wanted Lorne Cardinal for the title role – as well as the importance of on-screen and behind-the-camera representation in the struggle for LGBTQ rights. Episode sponsor: Neverland Tea Salon

Episode 105: Gwynyth Walsh

Sabrina Furminger — Sat, 08 Aug 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Gwynyth Walsh portrayed B’Etor – one of the iconic, scheming Duras sisters – on Star Trek: The Next Generation, but she’s more than that one powerful role. The Vancouver actress is an accomplished, award-winning actress with a diverse and impressive filmography. Her credit list includes animation, science fiction, heavy drama, Christmas movies, rom-coms, crime procedurals, mysteries, and everything in between. She played chief forensic pathologist Dr. Patricia Da Vinci on the legendary series Da Vinci’s Inquest, and voiced Doris the Spider on the popular cartoon Beat Bugs – and yes, she’s known around the world for her portrayal of B’Etor on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek Generations, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. In this comprehensive and captivating interview, Gwynyth lays out her acting origin story, discusses the years she spent in Dr. Da Vinci’s medical scrubs, and serves up the inside scoop on playing one of the most baddest, boldest, bravest women in the Final Frontier. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 104: Fiona Forbes

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Fiona Forbes is a Vancouver media icon and veteran broadcaster who has interviewed more than 30,000 celebrities and newsmakers over the course of her career. Fiona hosted Urban Rush – later The Rush – on Shaw Television, before hosting the aptly titled talker, Fiona Forbes. She is currently senior creative producer and host for Hubcast Media. In this entertaining and fascinating conversation, Fiona shares her memories of Regis Philbin, and talks about panic attacks, shifts in the media landscape, and creating content during COVID-19. Also: a spirited round of Favourite Things – and does Dr. Bonnie Henry need to be sterner with British Columbians?

Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 103: Simon Barry talks ‘Warrior Nun’

Sabrina Furminger — Sat, 01 Aug 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Showrunner Simon Barry returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast for a joyful and revealing conversation about Warrior Nun. Ten episodes of Warrior Nun dropped on Netflix on July 2, and almost immediately it became everyone’s newest obsession. The show is based on the comic book series Warrior Nun Areala by comic book artist Ben Dunn and tells the story of the Order of the Cruciform Sword, a fictional military order of badass nuns in the service of the Catholic Church. Like its source material, the latest incarnation of Warrior Nun is smart. It’s funny. It’s terrifying. It’s packed with fascinating characters, all of whom are clearly ice bergs with riveting stories yet to tell. And it explores the age-old battle between science and religion, and the role that faith plays when navigating both. Simon (who originally appeared on the YVR Screen Scene Podcast in October 2019) returns to reflect on Warrior Nun’s phenomenal first season – and drop a couple of crumbs about the future. Warning: this episode contains spoilers about season one of Warrior Nun. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode 102: Omari Newton Returns!

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 28 Jul 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Actor-playwright-columnist Omari Newton returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about the psychology of anti-maskers, dismantling white supremacy in the local film and television industry, being #40AF, and his upcoming podcast. Also: why does he choose to remain in Vancouver, and is the MCU’s Erik Killmonger a villain? Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 101: Louriza Tronco

Sabrina Furminger — Sat, 25 Jul 2020 10:00:00 +0000

The Order star Louriza Tronco reflects on Gabrielle Dupres’ wild season two story arc – including mauling the character played by her IRL BFF Sarah Grey and cozying up to Randall (played by Adam DiMarco) – and her own identity as a Filipino Canadian actress. Also: should Gabrielle feel guilty for what she did while Midnight was in control? All this – and a spirited round of Favourite Things – in Episode 101 of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast.

Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode 100: Amanda Tapping, Michael Eklund, Nicole Oliver & Sharon Taylor

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Pop the champagne! The YVR Screen Scene Podcast is officially 100 episodes old – and for this epic podcasting milestone, we assembled an epic group of epic past guests for one epically epic episode (deserving of ALL of the “epics” in the preceding sentence): Amanda Tapping, Michael Eklund, Nicole Oliver, and Sharon Taylor. Over mid-morning, midweek mimosas, this remarkable quartet of #BCFilm icons (and YVR Screen Scene Podcast host Sabrina Furminger) discuss chasing magic, Western alienation, and the impact of COVID-19 on their mental health and the local film and television industry. They also play a spirited round of “Best and Worst,” before turning the tables on Sabrina. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode Ninety-Nine: John Cassini & Tony Dean Smith

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 10 Jul 2020 15:56:21 +0000

We’ve packed two interviews into our milestone 99th episode! First up is a fascinating and wide-ranging catch-up with actor-producer John Cassini. John – who was recently nominated for three Leo Awards for acting – discusses his recent spate of passion projects (including Daughter and Volition), sharing screen-time with his brother Frank and wife Jenn MacLean Angus, and creating art in the age of COVID-19. We’ve also got a comprehensive conversation with Volition director and co-writer Tony Dean Smith (interview begins at 1:01:29). Volition tells the story of a broken man named James (played by Adrian Glynn McMorran) who has been clairvoyant for most of his life. As the film opens, James is pulled into a sketchy diamond scheme with a couple of experienced criminals (played by John and Frank Cassini) and their dim but brawny friend from jail (played by Aleks Paunovic) just as he’s fallen head over heels with an infinitely cool woman (Magda Apanowicz) and begins to have premonitions of his own grisly murder. Volition has been a success on the film festival circuit and hits streaming services on July 10. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode Ninety-Eight: Dennis Heaton & Shelley Eriksen

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Netflix’s The Order is the epic, gory, sexy, emotional, and weirdly funny tale of two competing secret societies on a university campus: the titular Order, dedicated to practicing and protecting magic, and the Knights of St. Christopher, who are wisecracking, hard-drinking werewolves sworn to stamp out bad magic. The Order returned for its highly anticipated second season in June 2020, and in this hilarious and informative interview with Sabrina Furminger, showrunner Dennis Heaton and executive producer/writer Shelley Eriksen discuss werewolves, magical terrorists, 90210 cameos, breaking story, the gloriousness that is Louriza Tronco's Gabrielle Dupres, and that devastating cliffhanger. Warning: this episode contains spoilers about season two of The Order. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode Ninety-Seven: Carmen Moore

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 03 Jul 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Carmen Moore’s filmography is filled with complex characters wrestling with big emotions – characters like Simone on Godiva’s, Loreen on Arctic Air, and Leona Stoney on Blackstone. In the last decade, the industry seems to have woken up to Carmen’s immense talent: she’s received three Leo Awards for Best Lead Performance in a Dramatic Series for Blackstone, the 2013 Lorena Gale Woman of Distinction Award from UBCP, and a Leo nomination and a Best Supporting Actress Award at the American Indian Film Festival for Rustic Oracle. In this poignant conversation with Sabrina Furminger, Carmen reflects on her journey from scared and quiet child to fearless performer, as well as filming Outlander in Scotland and how Godiva’s Simone and Blackstone’s Leona changed her life – but not before hearing what legendary showrunner, director, and frequent collaborator Gary Harvey really thinks about her work. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode Ninety-Six: Jacqueline Samuda

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 12:11:15 +0000

Jacqueline Samuda has a Leo Award, two cats, a fan following for her work as the ruthless Goa'uld System Lord Nirrti on Stargate SG-1, and lots of stories to tell about all of the above. In this fascinating conversation with Sabrina Furminger, Jacqueline talks sci-fi, orphan kittens, her most memorable moment from her Stargate-SG1 days, fan conventions, and how much fun it is to play the bad guy. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode Ninety-Five: Amplifying Black Voices

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 25 Jun 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Is the Vancouver film and TV industry racist? How can we dismantle anti-Black racism in the industry while servicing US shows that practice tokenism? What are micro-aggressions, and how and when do Black film workers experience micro-aggressions? Those are some of the questions covered in Amplifying Black Voices, a panel discussion organized by the Vancouver Asian Film Festival that took place online on June 13, 2020. The panel was moderated by YVR Screen Scene Podcast host Sabrina Furminger and featured Rukiya Bernard, Mariam Barry, Andy Hodgson, Jem Garrard, and Zach Lipovsky talking about white supremacy and anti-Blackness in the Vancouver film and television industry. This episode features an excerpt from the Amplifying Black Voices panel. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Episode Ninety-Four: Gigi Saul Guerrero

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 23 Jun 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Actress-filmmaker Gigi Saul Guerrero (Culture Shock) talks about upheaval in the horror scene and why she had to leave Vancouver to direct her first feature. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

Now more than ever: 4 can’t-miss films at 2020 DOXA

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 18 Jun 2020 21:38:24 +0000

DOXA Documentary Film Festival shifts programming online – and we’re glad they did

Episode Ninety-Three: DOXA’s Tamara Dawit, Greg Crompton & Baljit Sangra

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 18 Jun 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Three documentarians with films screening as part of the 2020 DOXA Documentary Film Festival (which has moved online due to the pandemic) speak with Sabrina Furminger about their fearless fact-based work. Finding Sally director Tamara Dawit discusses her journey to learn everything she could about the activist aunt who went missing more than 40 years ago during Ethiopia’s Red Terror; Greg Crompton talks about Eddy’s Kingdom, his stranger-than-fiction documentary about an immigrant to Canada who wanted to build a Middle Eastern–themed amusement park on an island in the Okanagan and ended up leading an embassy hostage-taking in Beirut (interview begins at the 17:52 mark); and Because We Are Girls filmmaker Baljit Sangra reflects on Have You Forgotten Me?, her beautiful short film about North America’s oldest Sikh Temple and the years of struggle it represents (interview begins at the 37:57 mark). Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment

[PS. You haven’t missed a whack of episodes: we’ve combined our previous numbered episodes with our Skype Sessions and "special" episodes to arrive at this new numbering system. -SF]

Episode Ninety-Two: Catherine Lough Haggquist

Sabrina Furminger — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Catherine Lough Haggquist is an award-winning actress, a producer, and an entrepreneur. She founded Biz Books in 1996, and she has more than 140 acting credits to her name, including Continuum, Supernatural, Chesapeake Shores, The Good Doctor, Aurora Teagarden Mysteries, numerous Christmas movies, and, most recently, Freeform’s Motherland: Fort Salem. Motherland: Fort Salem imagines a world where, instead of being burned at the stake, the witches of Salem entered into a pact with non-magical humans that made them a celebrated military force. This alternate history is told through the journeys of a trio of young witches – Abigail, Raelle, and Tally – as they are trained to become powerful weapons for the American military. Catherine plays General Petra Bellweather, Abigail’s mother and one of the highest-ranking witches in the military – and the role has given her the opportunity to kick ass, both physically/literally and as an artist. Motherland: Fort Salem was recently renewed for a second season – and in this riveting episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast (during which host Sabrina Furminger gushes at length about her love for the series), Catherine talks about the many ways in which the series is groundbreaking and audacious, as well as what it means to her to finally play a character like General Petra Bellweather. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

[PS. You haven’t missed a whack of episodes: we’ve combined our previous numbered episodes with our Skype Sessions and "special" episodes to arrive at this new numbering system. -SF]

Dear Becky

Rukiya Bernard — Mon, 15 Jun 2020 10:00:00 +0000

“It’s me: your Black BFF. We need to talk”

Omari Newton: Welcome to the White-Wakening

Omari Newton — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 16:27:53 +0000

“Many of you have just now dipped your toes into the world of anti-racism. A warning: ‘Anti-Racism 101’ has a steep learning curve”

Special Episode: Talking #BlackLivesMatter and social justice with Nicole G. Leier

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 22:37:57 +0000

Nicole Leier is an actor, a producer, a director, and an activist. She’s African Canadian, she’s currently in LA, and she’s been nominated for two Leo Awards for acting: one in 2017 for Black Chicks – which was written and directed by Neil LaBute and explores race and racism in cishet relationships – and another this year for A Score to Settle, in which she acted opposite Nicolas Cage.

Over the last few days – while millions of people around the world, including in 140 American cities, have flooded the streets in peaceful protest, heartbroken and enraged by the murder of George Floyd – Nicole has been active on her Instagram page. She’s recorded numerous IG Live videos about the protests in LA, about #BlackLivesMatter, and about the work she’s doing and that still needs to be done. She’s currently collaborating with Farrah Aviva’s Bite The Bullet Stories, and shared a story of her own about her experience with police violence and harassment in Canada.

In this special episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Nicole talks about the intersection of race and the film industry, why she was determined to make Black Chicks with Neil LaBute, and her message to Canadians who want to do better. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

The Skype Sessions: Lee Shorten

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 29 May 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Lee Shorten is an actor and a filmmaker who brings a unique perspective to both of those roles. As an actor, Lee digs for nuance and authenticity. We saw it in The Man in the High Castle. We saw it in The Terror: Infamy. And we saw it in It’s Not You. It’s Not Me, a short film about sexuality. As a filmmaker, Lee is sensitive and fearless. He wrote and directed Parabola, a moving short starring Hiro Kanagawa as an aging Yakuza assassin, and Mayumi Yoshida as his emotionally fraught daughter. Before that, he wrote and starred in a short film – The Day We Met – that was funded by Storyhive, co-directed by Mayumi and Nach Dudsdeemaytha, and inspired by his own adoption story. And he co-wrote and co-directed The Chaddening, a comedy short that gleefully mined horror film tropes. And Lee hasn’t slowed down during COVID-19. He’s still creating work – at least three films, at last count. In this thoughtful interview with Sabrina Furminger, Lee Shorten reflects on his films, his popular role on The Man in the High Castle (and lessons he learned from co-star Joel de la Fuente), and how he’s pushing himself to stay creative during “The Quar.” Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

Episode Seventy-Eight: Aubrey Arnason

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 28 May 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Aubrey Arnason is a director, an actor, a television host, a writer, and a hard-working prairie girl who grew up in a hockey family. In 2017, Aubrey was named one of Canada's Top 3 emerging female directors by Women In View; more recently, she directed an episode of the Emmy-nominated series Dino Dana. She has been nominated for an astounding 12 Leo Awards, and won one for Best Host for The Wedding Belles. Aubrey wrote, directed, and starred in Kindergarten Da Bin Ich Weider, a hilarious short film about a woman who is sent back to kindergarten and is based on the fact that Aubrey herself skipped kindergarten altogether. Aubrey also wrote and directed Winter Song, a film that draws inspiration from her hockey origins and was broadcast on Air Canada flights. In this thoughtful and fascinating interview conducted pre-COVID-19, Aubrey reflects on growing up in a hockey family, the joys and challenges of directing kids, facilitating joy via 73 episodes of The Wedding Belles (even though she’s not a big fan of weddings), and how she prepared to play Dr. Lucy Fife on the new Apple TV+ series Home Before Dark. Episode sponsor: DGC BC

Asexuality takes centre-stage in ‘It’s Not You, It’s Not Me.’ – and it’s about time

Sabrina Furminger — Mon, 25 May 2020 05:31:41 +0000

“I forgot to realize that this isn’t actually a problem”

‘A-Yi’ explores friendship between East Van hipsters and elderly Chinese gardener

Sabrina Furminger — Mon, 25 May 2020 02:27:12 +0000

“How do we become more human again, and less separated?”

Kathleen Hepburn’s ‘Perfumed Dreaming’ an ode to scent and sisters and memory

Sabrina Furminger — Sun, 24 May 2020 23:28:29 +0000

“I think having the microphone there gave us the excuse to go further than we normally would”

Episode Seventy-Seven: Lauro Chartrand-DelValle

Sabrina Furminger — Fri, 22 May 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Pow! Crash! Boom! Lauro Chartrand-DelValle is a stunt performer, stunt actor, stunt coordinator, stunt double, stunt consultant, stunt motorcyclist, director, producer, writer – seriously, what doesn’t this guy do? According to IMDB, Lauro has upwards of 400 credits: more than anyone who has ever sat in our studio. He’s won seven Leo Awards, as well as the John Juliani Award for Excellence from UBCP/ACTRA. In this wildly entertaining interview (recorded pre-COVID-19), Lauro talks about his rough-and-tumble, made-for-the-big-screen childhood, his 400+ credits, and the 55 days he spent working (and sparring!) with Jackie Chan on Rumble in the Bronx. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA

The Skype Sessions: Adrian Petriw

Sabrina Furminger — Wed, 20 May 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Adrian Petriw returns to the YVR Screen Scene Podcast to talk about Adam’s journey in season two of Netflix’s The Hollow; his reaction to the shocking death of The Hollow's [SPOILER]; his lifelong love of Brio and Led Zeppelin; and how he’s navigating “The Quar.”

Vancouver stars rally for homeless youth

Sabrina Furminger — Mon, 18 May 2020 22:01:47 +0000

“Homeless youth are even more vulnerable in these precarious times”

The Skype Sessions: Fighting Anti-Asian Hate with VAFF

Sabrina Furminger — Thu, 14 May 2020 10:00:00 +0000

How can we combat the xenophobia and racism awakened by COVID-19? Barbara Lee from the Vancouver Asian Film Festival discusses the wave of attacks against Asians in North America, and how the organization’s #Elimin8Hate initiative aims to stem the tide. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment