July 10, 11, 12, 14, 18, 2026
Please check the VIFF website for advance tickets.
Who would’ve thought Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia, could become Camelot? In real life, some say Bigfoot is nearby. But for John Bolton, who made King Arthur’s Night, this alternate take on the legend is something to behold. The director’s cut will make its Vancouver theatrical premiere at VIFF Centre next month.
The original production was created by award-winning playwrights and performers Niall McNeil and Marcus Youssef, directed by James Long, with original music by Veda Hille. The teasers show the labour of love behind this fairy tale, and how everyone can dream. Marketing says this take is not the version of King Arthur folks learned about in school. Some things have changed, and as for who the Lady of the Lake is, well, you’ll have to see it to find out!
From the Press Release:
The film reimagines the Arthurian legend through Niall McNeil’s memory, humour and unmistakable way of seeing the world. In this Camelot, castles may resemble hotels, moats may look like pools, and goats may very reasonably stage an uprising.
“King Arthur’s Night is about imagination as a radical act,” says Producer/Director John Bolton. “The play changed the way I thought about theatre, disability, collaboration and who gets to lead a story. The film is my attempt to honour that, and to let a much wider audience experience the magic these artists created together.”
Bolton’s film moves between the world of the play and the lives of the artists who made it, following what happens when a company built on trust, risk and imagination comes back together years later. The result is a film about fathers and sons, friendship, power, disability, belonging, and the question at the centre of every great story: who gets to wear the crown?
The film also advances the conversation around access aesthetics, the idea that accessibility is not only a practical measure, but an artistic language. This movie includes Integrated Described Video and best-in-class captioning, allowing audiences with and without vision or hearing differences to share the same screening experience.
“From the beginning, this project asked us to imagine a more loving and authentically inclusive society,” says Producer, Star, Subject, Marcus Youssef. “John’s film expands that invitation. It captures the scale, complexity and tenderness of the work, and the remarkable artistic vision of Niall McNeil.”
“Arthur is a great guy. He’s a star. He’s cool,” says Producer, Star, Subject, Niall McNeil. “We need people to watch the film, and see how they feel about watching a cast who have Down syndrome. Everyone wants to see it.”
About Opus 59 Films
This Vancouver-based production company is an innovator with a catalogue of work that includes music, arts and documentary projects. John Bolton founded the company to identify unusual and undervalued properties, acquire the rights to them, develop them as unique works of film and television, and produce them with market partners. As a result, they’ve looked at the life and times of Michael J. Fox, the history of the band Doug and the Slugs in Doug and the Slugs & Me, and Radio City: Date Nights. For a complete catalogue of works, please visit Opus 59 Films.