Tag: Victoria

The Best Five Genre Films to See at the Victoria Film Festival’s 30th Anniversary

Not every milestone year can be perfect, but I try to be fair about what the Victoria Film Festival offers, especially when the 25th didn’t live up to my expectations.

Victoria Film Festival Current LogoWhile there aren’t enough movies to make a top ten picks of nerdy films playing at the Victoria Film Festival‘s 30th year, that’s only because I’m selecting works that I haven’t seen before and am truly interested in. My expectations after experiencing their 20th are hard to top and what I’ve witnessed over the decade is like a sine wave. Their 25th showed them trying to include new venues and making sure there’s works that’ll appeal to non film buffs.

I’m surprised that even now, they and Tsukino Con (the Uvic Anime Club) haven’t decided to partner up. This anime event takes place after the festival, and to work together to offer up the latest Japanese animated film feels like a missed opportunity to help each other out.

It’s tough to offer an movie event celebration that has a bit of everything to cater to all levels of tastes and genres. There was even a year where the organisers experimented with the next wave–with the use of virtual reality–but now there’s little interest in choosing your own adventure storytelling; at least this show is adaptive. As for being a place to find niche genre works, it’s tough to call dibs not to get those films that matter–which I’ve seen elsewhere.

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TheNFB at Victoria Film Festival 2024 News

In what’s special about this year’s spotlight on TheNFB’s programming is that they are staying current on what’s important that locals should really know about this province and Canada’s future.

National Film Board of Canada TheNFB LogoFebruary 2 to 11, 2024
Victoria, British Columbia
Various Venues

The 30th edition of the Victoria Film Festival (VFF) will soon be here, and this year, the National Film Board of Canada (TheNFB) have four works being presented. Two are documentaries, and the other are shorts to be offered in their respective programs.

The Girl with the Red Beret PosterI’m particularly interested in The Girl with the Red Beret by Janet Perlman. It was named Best International Short at the Los Angeles Animation Festival and may well check this out along with the mini documentary, Modern Goose. Both are part of the “Returning” program (ticket link), playing Feb 9, 2024. This showcase’s theme is simply about coming home, going back and unfinished business.

Details on the feature length works are as follows:

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Instead of the Same Ol’ Same Ol’, This Year’s Scary Victoria Halloween Event Guide Tries to Be Different

Only the most loved events are mentioned in this year’s Halloween Event Listing for the Garden City is considered.

Halloween Event Guide with a Skull Looming over the The Parliament Buildings The season for trick or treating is right around the corner, and instead of listing the usual staples that take place around Victoria, B.C., what’s offered in this year’s Halloween Event Guide are either new events and activities that sparked my interest. The lists I’ve published in prior years are generally still valid, and should be listed as related articles following this post. Because variety is important and not everyone is inclcined to revisit the same old thing every year, even I want something different to try!

Not listed are murder mysteries, themed board game nights and other similiar store hosted events where there’s limited seating. This list will be updated as more events get advertised. If you know of one that should get listed here, please do not hesitate to comment or contact us.

FAMILY EVENTS

Empress Kids Haunted Hotel–Shaughnessy ballroom
721 Government Street
Oct 23, 2023

For a taste of the upper class and also being in a haunted hotel, The Fairmount has this unique event for locals and visiting tourists to partake in during the season. Not much information has been made available, but it sounds promising!

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When All You Need is “Yaga,” You Better Be Ready to Fight Instead of take Flight

Halloween season has begun! And to get your early scares on, The Belfry is bringing the cross country hit, Yaga, to Victoria, BC!

Kat Sandler's Yaga Title Card
Playing at The Belfry, Victoria, BC
From Sept 14th, 2023 to Oct 8, 2023.
Tickets are available here

Please check Playwrights Canada for other regional performances.

The formula for what Kat Sandler‘s play, simply titled Yaga, is about may well be like an episode of Twin Peaks for some attendees, but for myself, I’m thinking Murder, She Wrote. But instead of solving mysteries from the perspective of a best-selling author, the point of view is from an omniscient presence needing more than the usual sustenance. Baba Yaga is an infamous Slavic witch known to eat children, but these days, she’s not picky.

Ever since this show’s debut in 2019, various theatre houses have put this play on across Canada. To kickstart Victoria, BC’s The Belfry 2023/24 season and get attendees ready for Halloween, it seems the director Jani Lauzon added an indigenous touch on top. We’re in a birch house to listen to the very beginnings of life. It’s told by a woman shaman (Tracey Nepinak) in a set that I believe was designed to resemble a traditional First Nation longhouse.

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[Victoria Fringe 2023] New Earth Bandits Photo Gallery, Beware of Mutants!

Is the Future Safe from SNAFU Dance’s New Earth Bandits? Look on as we present images from Sunday evening’s performance.

For folks unable to attend SNAFU Dance‘s New Earth Bandits because it’s a regional show, I offer a sequential journey on what I experienced. Please visit the prior article for a full review and synopsis. Although there was lots to take in, the visual spectacle and journey of these remaining survivors of Earth (and visitors to) was amazing to behold, and plus, we got a terrific sunset to experience as the show drew to a close. Not included are images of the closing act, since some spoiler info should be kept masked.

Without further adieu:

  • SNAFU Dance's New Earth Gods 01
  • SNAFU Dance's New Earth Gods 02
  • SNAFU Dance's New Earth Gods 03
  • SNAFU Dance's New Earth Gods 04
  • SNAFU Dance's New Earth Gods 05
  • SNAFU Dance's New Earth Gods 06
  • SNAFU Dance's New Earth Gods 07
  • New Earth Bandits - An Eagle and a Shaman
  • SNAFU Dance's New Earth Gods 08
  • SNAFU Dance's New Earth Gods 09
  • SNAFU Dance's New Earth Gods 10
  • SNAFU Dance's New Earth Gods 11
  • For More Information About SNAFU Dance

In Victoria, BC Cherry Bomb Toys is Back in Business on Yates! Isn’t That Great?

The good news for locals, tourists and toy collectors coming to Downtown Victoria is that Cherry Bomb Toys is back in business!

Cherry Bomb Toys with B Woodward!In Victoria, BC, Cherry Bomb Toys has moved, and it’s now nestled on the same side of the street along with Interactivity Board Game Cafe and Haunted Manor: Mini-Golf + Ping-Pong Lounge. This much beloved family run toy store has lots of memories contained in its now bigger location, and as everything is located on one floor, The National Toy Museum of Canada will occupy the back half of the space. For this weekend, there’ll be a few random giveaways to thank those who supported them over the years and bring even more smiles to what’s been done to show they have no intention of ever closing shop.

They held their grand (re)opening Friday, May 26th with customers old and new wandering through during the afternoon. There’s still a few bits that weren’t ready, like a new storefront sign. I have no doubt it’ll be scaled to size, but for the nostalgia, the original hangs over the payment counter. The museum isn’t quite ready yet for people to wander through, but Biagio Woodward promises it’ll be spectacular.

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