Inside Vancouver

Five films to see at this year’s DOXA Documentary Film Festival

by Shawn Conner in Events on April 5, 2018

Still from Co-Creators, one of the docs screening at this year’s DOXA Film Festival.

A Vancouver radical, a Japanese contemporary artist, and autistic Finnish punk musicians are among the people whom audiences at this year’s DOXA Documentary Film Festival will meet.

This year’s DOXA features 93 films (shorts and features). Spotlight series include Press Play and Quietute, about the power of music and the benefits of silence and observation, respectively. Guest curated programs look at the rise of the rightwing and environmental crises facing Tibetan China. are autistic are among the people.

The DOXA Documentary Film Festival runs May 3 –13. For more info on tickets and some of the films, see below.

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Five films to see at this year’s DOXA Documentary Film Festival

Mermaids, falcons and Link Wray – six picks at this year’s DOXA

by Shawn Conner in Uncategorized on April 20, 2017

Vancouver: No Fixed Address looks at Vancouver’s volatile housing market.

It’s DOXA time again, meaning that you can get your fill of nutritious and delicious documentaries in a ten-day feast. This year, the DOXA Documentary Film Festival runs May 4-14 and features 87 films, including two world premieres (For Dear Life and Butterfly).

Special programming includes a retrospective of seven rarely screened works by Chris Marker. Long considered the inventor of the film essay, Marker is a master of editing and narration. La Jetée/The Jetty, which is probably his most famous work, ranked third in Sight & Sound’s poll of the greatest documentaries ever made.

Here are six other docs we think might be worth checking out.

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Mermaids, falcons and Link Wray – six picks at this year’s DOXA

Meet Mavis, Misty and more in this year’s VIFF documentary lineup

by Shawn Conner in Uncategorized on August 19, 2015

Mavis Staples with the Staples Singers.

A famous art collector, a gospel/soul legend and an American ballerina are among the people you can discover at this year’s Vancouver International Film Festival.

Now going into its 34th year, the VIFF has just has announced several documentaries for this year’s edition. The festival, which runs Sept. 24 to Oct. 9, 2015, features more than 75 nonfiction features. Here are some highlights.

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Meet Mavis, Misty and more in this year’s VIFF documentary lineup

For the love of a pony: A Brony Tale one of this year’s DOXA highlights

by Shawn Conner in Uncategorized on April 23, 2014

A Brony Tale closes this year’s DOXA documentary film festival. Image courtesy DOXA.

As the go-to location for cable SF and fantasy series, Vancouver has a lot of ties to pop culture. But one of the more lesser known facets of the city is its ties to brony culture – that is, adult male fans of the animated children’s show, My Little Pony.

In A Brony Tale, which screens at this years DOXA Documentary Film Festival, you’ll find out more than you’d ever wanted to know about this subculture. But if bronies aren’t your scene – or even if they are – there’s still plenty of other fare to tickle your fancy at this year’s DOXA Documentary Film Festival (May 2-11).

All told, there are more than 90 films and 78 screenings at this year’s DOXA. Here are some of the films we think look particularly illuminating, crowd-pleasing, inspiring or just plain weird.

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For the love of a pony: A Brony Tale one of this year’s DOXA highlights

Beer documentary the Rio Theatre Sept 4

by Shawn Conner in Food & Drink on September 3, 2013

Beer journalist Michael Jackson circa 1977. Photo: goodbeerseal.com.

Michael Jackson (no, not the singer) is largely credited with being the first true craft beer aficionado. Now, a new documentary gives us a portrait of the English journalist and his travels.

On Sept. 4, The Rio Theatre and Camra Vancouver present Beer Hunter, about the man who helped pave the way for today’s craft beer culture. And, as is fitting, the evening will also feature an array of craft beer from local breweries.

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Beer documentary the Rio Theatre Sept 4

DOXA Documentary Film Festival May 3 – 12

by Shawn Conner in Entertainment on April 23, 2013

Image from The Mechanical Bride. Photo courtesy DOXA.

Now in its 12th year, DOXA is one of Canada’s leading documentary film festivals. As usual, the fest features a blend of politically driven, socially conscious flicks as well as some that are meant to be purely entertaining.

This year’s spotlight films include a locally-made film about Occupy Wall Street, a doc that uncovers a heretofore unearthed corner of the Beatles mythos, and some experimental Vancouver cinema from the ’60s and ’70s.

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DOXA Documentary Film Festival May 3 – 12

What Happens Next? The Dan Mangan Documentary on CBC Oct 20

by Shawn Conner in Entertainment on October 15, 2012

Dan Mangan at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival July 13 2012. Photo credit: Christopher Edmonstone

Wake up early the morning of October 20, turn on the TV and tune into CBC at 9 a.m. PST. Instead of watching Saturday morning cartoons you can catch the national network premiere of What Happens Next? a new documentary about Dan Mangan.

One of the most celebrated singer/songwriters to come out of Vancouver in recent years, the musician first came to the nation’s attention with “Robots”, a song with the searing refrain “Robots need love too.” The song was taken from his 2009 album Nice, Nice, Very Nice. Oh Fortune, in 2011, followed, and brought the singer even more acclaim, including a number of awards.

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What Happens Next? The Dan Mangan Documentary on CBC Oct 20