VIFF Amp explores every aspect of the intersection of music and sound in visual media. Amp supports an annual cohort of songwriters, composers, music supervisors and managers through a competitive and juried application process, with a focus on providing access to artists from traditionally marginalized communities. This four-day event features expertly curated masterclasses, case studies, panel discussions, networking, breakout sessions and musical showcases, all of which are designed to develop skills and create connections that can excel a career in film and television.
Attending Amp: Access to the summit is exclusive to members of the Amp cohort. Applications to be part of next year’s Amp cohort will open in June 2023. Sign up to VIFF News to be notified.
The inaugural 2023 Clean Energy Summit is celebrating Burnaby as a hub for clean energy, showcasing groundbreaking technologies, policies, and business practices that shape our sustainable future. The summit aims to spotlight opportunities and foster collaboration to expedite our shift towards a clean, low-carbon economy, while also focusing on a broad spectrum of topics including energy production, transportation, and more.
Attendees will span businesses, government, academia, and NGOs, pooling together leaders in industry, government, and finance to share trends, investments, and innovations propelling clean energy adoption.
The panels at the Clean Energy Summit 2023 will cover a vast array of topics led by some of the best minds in the clean energy business, including international perspectives and global trends, finance and investments, clean energy exports, renewable hydrogen, future market design and more!
The Vancouver Short Film Festival (VSFF) is thrilled to be back in theatres for its 13th annual festival, which will showcase innovative and original short films from across Canada. This year’s festival features 57 films across six programs, including 13 films in the popular After Dark block. All of this year’s films will screen in-person at the VIFF Centre from June 2nd – 4th. Films will also be available online via Eventive Virtual from June 2nd – 11th.
Their 2023 festival is one of “Rising Stars, Revolutionary Stories”, with a lineup that features bold storytelling and daring experimentation from some of Canada’s most talented filmmakers. VSFF is proud to highlight British Columbia’s homegrown artists with 45 films from BC filmmakers, and to give a platform to up-and-coming talent by including 14 student films.
CBC, CAVCO, and CMPA are hosting a fifth season of One Stop Business Workshop, a series of FREE virtual information sessions that introduce emerging independent producers and content creators from traditionally underrepresented groups in the industry (Indigenous, Black, people of colour, women, LGBTQ2+, and people with disabilities) to topics related to the business and financing of TV, film, and original digital content.
This year there will be three sessions: June 6, 7 & 8.
If you want to catch up on any of the sessions from previous seasons, check them out on the One Stop Workshop site
Tuesday, June 6, 2023 @ 1:00pm ET
Current media landscape: some new programs that you can tap into right now
Panelists: Joan Jenkinson, Black Screen Office; Kadon Douglas, BIPOC TV & Film; Joy Loewen, National Screen Institute
Moderated by: Andrew Morris, Disability Screen Office
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Wednesday, June 7, 2023 @ 1:00pm ET
How to budget: what are the challenges, opportunities and best practices in the post pandemic era and some tips for managing lower budget shows.
Panelists: Deborah Patz, Telefilm; Lauren Corber, LoCo Motion Pictures; Sean O’Neill, Visitor Media
Moderated by: Anya Mckenzie, CBC Business & Rights
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Thursday, June 8, 2023 @ 1:00pm ET
Who’s got the $: funding and financing sources particularly for equity deserving creators
Panelists: Marcia Douglas, Canadian Media Fund; Margaret Lewis, Royal Bank of Canada; Zarqa Nawaz, Fundamentalist Films; Ell McEachern, 3 Story Pictures
Moderated by: Clara Lee, CBC Business & Rights
The 2023 Hollywood Climate Summit takes place from June 21-24, 2023.
The Hollywood Climate Summit is an annual multi-day conference that creates a community space for thousands of cross-sector entertainment and media professionals to take action on climate. They gather filmmakers, executives, artists, activists, climate organizations, scientists, and other experts for interactive action-oriented programming and professional development opportunities. The main conference is located in Los Angeles, and there will be hybrid workshops and virtual networking opportunities for international audiences.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit their website
Reel Green™ offers free Carbon Calculator training for all film industry professionals in British Columbia and Canada.
About This Course
In partnership with the Canadian Media Producer’s Association, Reel Green™ is offering a free Carbon Calculator training as part of the STAR Producer Program. CMPA members and non-members can attend this free training session.
Derived from one of the motion picture industry’s leading carbon calculators, albert, Reel Green™ has adapted a carbon calculator, for free, for film productions to use.
Calculating the carbon footprint of your production is an important step in understanding the impact of film production. Having consistent data and metrics from the industry can help organizations like Reel Green™ understand priority areas for sustainable practices as well as help productions understand and measure their carbon impact.
Additionally, with more available data points we can also derive economic benefits of going green on production!
The albert carbon calculator tool is available free for all productions to use. It has helps streamline the process of inputting and collecting data needed to calculate carbon impact. Multiple productions can be tracked on this tool, and having a single data hub helps to develop benchmarks for productions to work from and improve upon.
We can also offer consultative support though Reel Green™. For more information on carbon calculation please contact reelgreen@creativebc.com
Issues Magazine Shop, an independent Toronto magazine retailer and gathering place, presents an evening on the highs and lows of publishing independent magazines right here in Vancouver.
Alieska Robles, Hamaka, Magnus Greaves, RACEWKND, and Becca Clarkson, SAD Mag will all speak. A Q&A session, a pop-up shop, and a meet and mingle will round out the evening.
Want more information or to register? Visit here.
A part of LivePerformance360, VR Salon has been curated with an eye to stimulating the imagination of both audiences and local artists by Sherry J Yoon. These projects highlight what VR does best.
Wednesday May 24: 5:30pm | 7pm | 8:30pm
Thursday May 25: 5:30pm | 7pm | 8:30pm
Friday May 26: 5:30pm | 7pm | 8:30pm
Saturday May 27: 2pm | 3:30pm | 5:30pm | 7pm | 8:30pm
Sunday May 28: 2pm | 3:30pm
The Festival will take place from June 23 – July 2, 2023.
The story of Coastal Jazz and Blues Society is the story of determination, passion, idealism, community, and of course, music. Founded in 1985, they incorporated in 1986 as a community-based, not-for-profit, charitable arts organization located in Vancouver, British Columbia. From the very beginning, the society has worked diligently to establish Vancouver as a centre for the creation and exchange of sounds and ideas between the local, national, and international music communities.
Their mission is to not only increase the appreciation of the music, but to strengthen the arts community by developing special projects, artistic exchanges, partnerships, educational initiatives, community programs, and collaborations that further the art form. Their vision encompasses a wide spectrum of jazz, blues, world, creative, and improvised music, including evolving forms of jazz and the technologies and media that influence jazz as an art form.
Today, the Society ranks as BC’s largest not-for-profit music presenter producing the annual Vancouver International Jazz Festival, Bright Moments series of concerts, the annual Winter Jazz festival on Granville Island, as well as presenting local, national, and international artists throughout the year. Along with music presentation, the society also has a long-standing commitment to music education, presenting the Cypher: Write, Record, Perform program exclusively for young musicians, the Sounds of Youth performance stage, regular workshops by local visiting international artists including the monthly Cool School: Get Hip to Jazz series, children’s music programs, and more.
The Society is also a significant part of Vancouver and BC’s economic engine and tourism industry, attracting over half a million people to the annual jazz festival and generating over $43 million in economic activity.
BC Culture Days will take place September 22nd through October 15th, 2023. Celebrate creativity and culture—champion and support the artists, creators, and creative institutions in your local area by participating in BC Culture Days! For more info, visit CultureDays.ca/bc.
Culture Days is a national celebration of arts and culture that takes place over three weeks every fall. Millions of people attend thousands of free participatory events, presentations, activities, workshops, and more that showcase, share, and explore the artistic and cultural personality of every participating community. Culture Days programs invite the public to get hands-on and behind-the-scenes to highlight the importance of sharing and connecting through arts and culture.
The Vancouver International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia
Looking for a night filled with amazing music and networking opportunities in Vancouver? Look no further than YVR Sounds!
Join for a night of live music from some of the hottest local artists in the Vancouver music scene, and connect with industry professionals in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. Whether you’re a musician looking to connect with other artists and industry professionals, or simply a lover of great music, YVR Sounds is the perfect event for you.
Timbre Concerts presents fish narc With Guests Big City, Smuther, YAWNS.
*Early Show: Doors 7pm, Show 7:30pm, End 10pm!*
Are you a Musician or Composer who would like to get your music into Film, TV and Media?
Attend on May 27, 2023, during Asian Heritage Month, for a full-day program of industry feedback on your music, panel discussion and a legal workshop to set you up for sync success!
This event will be held at the Djavad Mowafaghian World Art Centre, located on the unceded territories of the the x?m??k??y??m (Musqueam), S?wx?wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), s?l?ilw??ta?? (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples, in Downtown Vancouver.
Over the course of the day, you will learn ways to monetize your music, provide in-person listening sessions with industry specialists to showcase your work, and provide career workshops to enhance your legal and systems knowledge. Throughout this summit, you will have the opportunity to connect with other music creatives, including a celebratory showcase at Guilt & Co on the same evening.
The goal of this workshop is to elevate and showcase Asian-Canadian artists and create more international opportunities for career success through placements in Film, TV, Games and Media.
There are only 30 places available. Applications will be reviewed on a first-come-first served basis. Approved participants will be invited to secure their spot. Applications will close once spots fill up, so make sure to apply early!
Modified Ghost is bringing Yob & Elder to the Rickshaw with support from Khemmis, Ruby the Hatchet, Hoopsnake and Heavy Trip!
The HQ for everything Spatial Computing including: Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality (MR) and enabling technologies such as Artificial Intelligence-AI, bio-interfaces, haptics, 5G, streaming and more.
The Vancouver Short Film Festival is thrilled to be back in theatres for it’s 13th annual festival, which will showcase innovative and original short films from all across Canada.
This year’s festival features over 50+ films across six programs, including 13 films in the popular After Dark block. All of this year’s films will screen in-person at the VIFF Centre from June 2nd – 4th. Films will also be available online via Eventive Virtual from June 2nd – 11th!
Learn more about the festival here.
A 46th annual festival is happening! The Vancouver Folk Music Festival is a Canadian cultural institution. It is a unique community-based celebration internationally renowned for presenting the finest traditional and contemporary folk and roots music from around the world taking place at Jericho Beach Park on the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples – S?wx?wú7mesh (Squamish), s?lilw?ta? (Tsleil-Waututh) nations, and the beloved home of the x?m??k??y??m (Musqueam) nation.
More information is available here: https://thefestival.bc.ca/
With a 44-year tradition, and set in one of the most inspiring locations on the planet, BANFF is where partnerships are forged and new films and series are pitched, developed and greenlit across scripted, unscripted, and kids content. With 45+ countries participating at the Festival and Rockie Awards each year, it is an unparalleled international marketplace: one of the world’s largest gatherings bringing co-production and co-venture partners together.
The curated content program, thought leadership and professional development are unrivaled. In addition to high-end keynotes, topical panel discussions, celebrity Master Classes and more, BANFF offers exclusive facilitated networking and pre-set meeting opportunities to connect and do business with senior executives.
Gamescon is a trade fair for video games held annually at the Koelnmesse in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
A two-day conference and development market connecting the domestic US scripted, unscripted, FAST channels and copro business with international partners
The Griffin Poetry Prize is one of the world’s most generous poetry awards. In celebration of the Prize’s two-decade anniversary it announced its largest award to date, combining the existing International and Canadian prizes into one major prize. As of 2023, the prize is worth C$130,000, making it the world’s largest international prize for a single book of poetry written in, or translated into English. The other shortlisted poets each receive C$10,000.
Additionally, a new C$10,000 prize will be awarded in June 2023 for a Canadian First Book of poetry, along with a six-week residency in Italy in partnership with the Civitella Ranieri Foundation to a Canadian Citizen, or permanent resident, for a first book written in English.
A Lifetime Recognition Award is awarded by the trustees in the sum of C$25,000.
There will be readings of the shortlisted poetry at the Griffin Poetry Prize Readings in Toronto on June 7. This year’s Lifetime Recognition Award recipient and the Canadian First Book Prize winner will also be announced at this event.
From the stunning rustic coast to the top of breathtaking soaring mountains, ShowCanada 2023 welcomes you to Vancouver, May 30 – June 1.
Join us for an exciting conference along with the studios, theatre chains and a number of independent theatres for three days of presentations, learning, promotion, networking and plenty of fresh ocean air and west coast hospitality.
Find more information and register HERE.
No matter how big or small your production is, there are lots of ways you can implement sustainable practices. In this session, our fantastic guest speakers will answer your burning questions, like:
The Bass Drum of Death is performing at Capital Ballroom, Victoria, Canada, on Friday, 26 May 2023.
Blueprint Presents: Manila Grey: Sound Drift Tour at the Commodore Ballroom on Sunday, May 21 2023, at 7:30PM.
Live Nation is excited to present The Heavy on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, at the Rickshaw Theatre (254 East Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC, V7A 1P2).
Timbre Concerts presents Mannequin Pussy With Guests Margaritas Podridas. The event takes place at Cobalt (917 Main Street, Vancouver, BC, V6A 2V8) on Sunday, May 7, 2023. Doors open at 7:00PM.
BEZ ARTS HUB (102 – 20230 64TH AVE, LANGLEY).
Gungor is a baroque pop, folk, and experimental rock-influenced collective centered on the husband-and-wife duo of Michael and Lisa Gungor. Their newest recording, Love Song To Life is an uplifting powerful work and they are excited to hear them perform the new songs and others from their inspiring catalog live.
So Far Sounds in Gastown is taking place Monday, May 1, 2023. The address will be revealed 36 hours before the event.
Timbre Concerts presents GoGo Penguin With Guests The Giving Shapes at the Hollywood Theatre (3123 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC, V6K 2H2). The concert is taking place Monday, May 1, 2023. Doors open at 7:00PM.
The Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival is the largest documentary festival in North America. The event takes place annually in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The 2023 REEL Earth Day Challenge takes place from April 11-22 this year.
The REEL Earth Day Challenge is annual fundraising event, presented by Reel Green™ at Creative BC, in support of Metro Vancouver Regional Parks Foundation. Since 2021, the event has raised over $273,000 to build biodiverse, inclusive park spaces, and a more sustainable world.
Visit the challenge website to learn more about the 9 projects this year, donate to the challenge or sponsor a challenger team.
The Reel Green™ Sustainable Production Training offers free online training for the motion picture industry. Learn how motion picture production contributes to climate change and how to adopt best practices to reduce the environmental impact of production. This course offers a unique, engaging and solutions-based training session offering attendees the information and inspiration to live and work in a more sustainable way.
Upon successful completion of the day, attendees will:
Taking the Sustainable Production Training course is free and recommended to everyone in the motion picture industry. In this 2-hour training, crew will learn about climate science, what it means for production, and how to adopt and implement more environmentally sustainable practices on set.
Afroman is live in Victoria, April 18th at Gotham Nightclub, with Special Guest: Robbie G.
Bio: Afroman’s musical career began in the eighth grade, when he began recording homemade songs and selling them to his classmates. “The first tape I made was about my eighth-grade teacher,” he once recalled. “She got me kicked out of school for sagging my pants, which was a big deal back then. So I wrote this song about her and it sold about 400 copies: it was selling to teachers, students, just about everybody. And I realized that, even though I wasn’t at school, my song was at school, so in a way I was still there. All these people would come by my house just to give me comments about how cool they thought the song was.” Foreman also performed in his church at a young age, playing both the drums and guitar.
In 1998, Afroman released his first album, My Fro-losophy and later relocated to Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where he met drummer Jody Stallone, keyboardist/bassist Darrell Havard and producer Tim Ramenofsky (a.k.a. Headfridge).
Ramenofsky produced and released Afroman’s album Because I Got High in 2000 on T-Bones Records; it was distributed primarily through concerts and the file-sharing service Napster before its title track was played on The Howard Stern Show. Afroman was inspired to write the song’s lyrical content by his unwillingness to clean his room, and he ran with the idea of everyday tasks being derailed by drug use.
In late 2001, the song became a hit and was featured in the films Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, The Perfect Score, and Disturbia later in the 2000s. “Because I Got High” was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance in 2002.
After the single’s success, Afroman joined the lineup of Cypress Hill’s fall festival “Smoke Out” with the Deftones, Method Man, and others. After this, Universal Records signed Afroman to a six-album deal, and Universal released The Good Times in 2001. The Good Times was a compilation of Afroman’s first two albums and some new tracks.
Afroman started releasing his music independently and mostly through the Internet in 2004, and that year, he recorded Jobe Bells, which satirized traditional Christmas songs.
Afroman is live in Victoria, April 17th at Upstairs Cabaret, with Special Guest: Robbie G.
Bio: Afroman’s musical career began in the eighth grade, when he began recording homemade songs and selling them to his classmates. “The first tape I made was about my eighth-grade teacher,” he once recalled. “She got me kicked out of school for sagging my pants, which was a big deal back then. So I wrote this song about her and it sold about 400 copies: it was selling to teachers, students, just about everybody. And I realized that, even though I wasn’t at school, my song was at school, so in a way I was still there. All these people would come by my house just to give me comments about how cool they thought the song was.” Foreman also performed in his church at a young age, playing both the drums and guitar.
In 1998, Afroman released his first album, My Fro-losophy and later relocated to Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where he met drummer Jody Stallone, keyboardist/bassist Darrell Havard and producer Tim Ramenofsky (a.k.a. Headfridge).
Ramenofsky produced and released Afroman’s album Because I Got High in 2000 on T-Bones Records; it was distributed primarily through concerts and the file-sharing service Napster before its title track was played on The Howard Stern Show. Afroman was inspired to write the song’s lyrical content by his unwillingness to clean his room, and he ran with the idea of everyday tasks being derailed by drug use.
In late 2001, the song became a hit and was featured in the films Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, The Perfect Score, and Disturbia later in the 2000s. “Because I Got High” was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance in 2002.
After the single’s success, Afroman joined the lineup of Cypress Hill’s fall festival “Smoke Out” with the Deftones, Method Man, and others. After this, Universal Records signed Afroman to a six-album deal, and Universal released The Good Times in 2001. The Good Times was a compilation of Afroman’s first two albums and some new tracks.
Afroman started releasing his music independently and mostly through the Internet in 2004, and that year, he recorded Jobe Bells, which satirized traditional Christmas songs.
AFROMAN performs live in Nanaimo on April 16th at The Queen’s with Special Guest: Robbie G.
Bio: Afroman’s musical career began in the eighth grade, when he began recording homemade songs and selling them to his classmates. “The first tape I made was about my eighth-grade teacher,” he once recalled. “She got me kicked out of school for sagging my pants, which was a big deal back then. So I wrote this song about her and it sold about 400 copies: it was selling to teachers, students, just about everybody. And I realized that, even though I wasn’t at school, my song was at school, so in a way I was still there. All these people would come by my house just to give me comments about how cool they thought the song was.” Foreman also performed in his church at a young age, playing both the drums and guitar.
In 1998, Afroman released his first album, My Fro-losophy and later relocated to Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where he met drummer Jody Stallone, keyboardist/bassist Darrell Havard and producer Tim Ramenofsky (a.k.a. Headfridge).
Ramenofsky produced and released Afroman’s album Because I Got High in 2000 on T-Bones Records; it was distributed primarily through concerts and the file-sharing service Napster before its title track was played on The Howard Stern Show. Afroman was inspired to write the song’s lyrical content by his unwillingness to clean his room, and he ran with the idea of everyday tasks being derailed by drug use.
In late 2001, the song became a hit and was featured in the films Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, The Perfect Score, and Disturbia later in the 2000s. “Because I Got High” was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance in 2002.
After the single’s success, Afroman joined the lineup of Cypress Hill’s fall festival “Smoke Out” with the Deftones, Method Man, and others. After this, Universal Records signed Afroman to a six-album deal, and Universal released The Good Times in 2001. The Good Times was a compilation of Afroman’s first two albums and some new tracks.
Afroman started releasing his music independently and mostly through the Internet in 2004, and that year, he recorded Jobe Bells, which satirized traditional Christmas songs.
DOUG COX & LINDA MCRAE
Two of Canada’s finest. You can see hear the past and the present in their instrumentation, their stories and their songs. A rare treat in an intimate setting. What a long, strange – and delightful – trip it continues to be!
With sixty years’ experience and countless performances between them, these veteran award winning recording artists each with a menagerie of stories to tell, a truckload of strings and things in their arsenal and preponderance of songs will have you glued to your seat listening to their every word, sometimes laughing, singing along, tapping your toes and humming their melodies for days afterward. What a long, strange – and delightful – trip it continues to be!
The performance is taking place on April 14, at the Dream Café (67 Front Street Penticton, British Columbia V2A1H2).
Canadian rapper Sonreal was born Aaron Hoffmann in Vernon, British Columbia in 1985. Growing up in a small town, he was interested early on in skateboarding and heavy metal, but his tastes quickly shifted to a love of hip-hop after becoming fascinated with classic albums by pillars of the early-’90s East Coast scene like Nas and Mobb Deep . After graduating high school, he spent all of his free time recording his own original tracks, resulting in his earliest mixtapes such as 2006’s Trapped in the Streets, 2009’s The Stroll, and the more polished 2011 effort Where’s Waldo. He began to be recognized for his work in Canada, and with the help of a breakout video for his track “Everywhere We Go,” constant touring, and releasing of new music in the form of EPs and free mixtapes, he eventually inked a deal with Capitol Records . With the support of the label, he delivered his first proper full-length studio album, One Long Dream, in 2017. ~ Fred Thomas, Rovi
Sonreal is performing at Vernon and District Performing Arts (3800 – 33rd Street, Vernon, BC) on April 7, 2023. Doors open at 7:00pm.
Don’t miss out on the climate action!
Don’t miss your chance to get in on the climate action. Grab your FREE ticket below!
Join Capilano University’s Second Annual Global Sustainability Short Film Alliance: Symposium and Screening in-person or virtually to take part in a dynamic dialogue around the intersection of education, filmmaking and sustainability, followed by a screening of sustainability-themed international short films. Our very own Reel Green™ Sustainability Lead, Smiely Khurana, will be one of the featured panelists speaking at this event.
Event details:
Location: In-person at Capilano University – Main Campus – Bosa Centre for Film and Animation or virtually via Vimeo.
Meet and hear from our panelists as we explore questions such as:
1. How can filmmakers and films further awareness and inspire action around United Nations Sustainability Development Goals (UNSDGs) in the context of higher education?
2. What role can filmmaking play in showcasing both local and global significance of various models for sustainable development?
3. How can filmmaking act as a catalyst for positive collaboration and engagement across sectors and communities?
Watch an inspiring and thought-provoking line-up of sustainability-themed international short films.
On the big screen in CapU’s state-of-the-art BOSA theatre, films created and produced by students and filmmakers from CapU’s School of Motion Picture Arts in North Vancouver, Canada, VIA University College in Denmark, Design Factory International in Germany and Humber College in Toronto.
This event is organized and hosted by The School of Motion Picture Arts and Centre for International Experience and is open to all CapU students, employees, partners and the community.
Event schedule with panelist and film details coming soon.
The annual BC Library Conference is the work and responsibility of the British Columbia Library Association and serves as the most important aspect of the Association’s commitment to professional development for members and the library community. BCLA mounts the annual conference to share the latest information and research in the library and related fields.
The 2023 conference theme is Windows, Mirrors, & Sliding Glass Doors. This theme of insight, reflection, and transition speaks to the role of libraries and library workers: the work we are striving to do with our communities, in our organizations, and within ourselves.
More information available here: https://bclaconnect.ca/conference/conference-hub/
Toddcast Podcast presents: Joan Bessie & Jennifer Hershman!
LIVE at Blue Light Sessions – 1839 Franklin Ave.
Friday, April 28, 2023
Doors at 7PM, Music at 8PM
Joan Bessie
Born Jessica Beach, she grew up in The Annex district of Toronto gaining exposure to everything from skate punk to club dub. As a child she could be found lying under the stereo, belting out to Sam Cooke and Linda Ronstadt records. When she was 5 years old, a rescued piano made it into their family garage and she was never seen again. Until about age 17, when she moved out on her own to be a fitness instructor by day and an underage gig crasher by night.
After living in Victoria and Toronto, Jessica landed in the middle, making a home in Calgary. There, she began recording demos with a local producer, Carl Cress at Organic Sounds Studio, releasing her first demo in 2003.
Her demos gained attention of local radio station Vibe 98.5. In 2004, she won Calgary’s ‘Unsigned Vibe’ contest, sponsoring her first full length album, Sticky Hands. The lead single, Endless (unbound) got heavy airplay in Calgary and the spins kept coming when the video for her follow up single, “Change” achieved national airplay on Much Music and MuchMore Music TV.
During the production of the Sticky Hands video in Vancouver, Beach was introduced to dancer/choreographer, Leigh Torlage and a long-term relationship was born. Torlage began featuring Jessica’s original music in her Broadway Burlesque shows, and Jessica began performing weekly sets with the “Candy Girl Cabaret”. “Some of the best years of my life, working with beautiful, talented women all day.”
The success of Sticky Hands prompted national and international touring, including performances at The Reeperbahn festival, Canada Music Week, The Western Canadian Music Awards and JunoFest, sharing the stage with artists including Simple Plan, Hedley, Wanting Qu, Mobile, Lily Frost and SilverSun Pickups.
In 2009 the release of her second studio album, “For Your Protection”, demonstrated the consistent strength of her songwriting. She continued receiving accolades with her co-writing efforts, landing a placement with international pop stars S.H.E. on their album “Shero” which was the third best selling album in Taiwan in 2010, and her single “Warning Signs”, was a finalist in the 2011 International Songwriting Competition for the Adult Contemporary category.
Jessica’s 2013 EP, “Songs For Sadie” began tracking in Aachen, Germany at NomadStudios, where she worked with her longtime drummer and friend, BJ Genton. The album continued to take shape in Vancouver and was mixed in Seattle by Jack Endino (Modhoney, Soundgarden, Nirvana). The Video for the lead single “Cheap Junkies” was independently produced in Vancouver and hit over 100, 000 views in the first week of its release.
In 2017, with two young children and another one on the way, Jessica relocated to Victoria, BC. After her youngest was born, she received a generous grant from Creative BC to produce a new project. Having been through many life changes including the loss her grandmother since the release of the last album, Jessica felt moved to pay tribute to her. “When my grandmother was in palliative care, she told me she was going to take my voice with her, as if it could transcend with her once her body retired…. and Joan Bessie was born again.”
Joan Bessie is named in honour of her resting grandmother who’s nickname was also behind the lead single, “G.G.”.
Jennifer Hershman
Jennifer is a folk-rock singer/songwriter from Vancouver, Canada. She’s been known to have an unmistakable voice, one that pierces the air with a sonic difference. Over the past few years,Vancouver-based Jennifer has thrust herself head first into the industry on a number of levels. Her initial foray into the record music business, after a life of dreams and teenage rock bands was to concentrate not only on performing, but tp position herself as a up and coming songwriting talent. Almost immediately, Jennifer’s knack for moody flavoured pop driven songs landed two of her selections in the Chis Isaak show, broadcast in the US,Canada and several international markets.”Full of emotion” written with Mark Ellis, was the first of numerous tracks to be scouted for use on television. “Simple Pleasures” was used thereafter, in the Showtime series “Higher Ground”. Stepping back onto the stage, Jennifer was invited to be part of a worldbeat fusion act called Balligomingo. Pheonix born Garret Schwartz and Burnaby based Vic levak collaborated on the writing and production of “Sweet Allure” which was not only a club hit in Australia, but also, ascended to the top 5 Billboard Dance Chart in November of 2002. While further developing her own material on guitar and with assorted diverse collaborators, a novelty pop song penned by Jennifer with Davor Vulama (Blackie and The rodeo Kings,Coco Lee) was recorded in Taiwan by Asian pop duo Michelle and Vickie. “Kissy Kissy”, an uptempo song brought out every pop confection in Jennifer’s arsenal, and sold in excess of 25,000 units in Taiwan and became the title track of the Sony BMG release throughout the Chinese speaking markets. It was also used as a jingle in a major television campaign for a jeans company. Reuniting with Levak, she returns home to work with a collaborator who knows her voice. Jennifer continues to do various gigs throughout B.C and the lower mainland. She continues to contribute songs to other projects such as Lian Cole’s forthcoming debut with songs like “Before i Walk Away”. She sees herself as an artist on a mission, an observer of great music and a songwriter on the rise.
The Toddcast Podcast
Hosted by Todd Hancock, Canadian radio personality and podcaster. Best known as a longtime CFOX (99.3 The Fox) Afternoon host (2002 – 2014) in Vancouver, B.C., Todd started his radio career in 1996 and is a multiple award winner with The Georgia Strait, The Westender & Vancouver Province readers. The Toddcast Podcast launched in January 2015 and continues to build online momentum! toddhancock.ca for more!
Magnolia
Magnolia is a four piece post punk Band based out of Vancouver, BC, members consisting of Maxim Beggs On drums Kaeden scribner on Guitar, Shervin Muglich on Vocals, guitar and Saxaphone and Ben lock on vocals and Bass.
Marry
Fronted by two black and white Fender guitars, who could easily wear each others clothes, emerges the angst of the kids who sleep all day, don’t care to find a job and just want to play.
LIVE at Blue Light Sessions – 1839 Franklin Ave.
Friday, March 17th, 2023
Doors at 7PM, Music at 8PM
Tickets: $20 Advance / $25 Door
For the last decade, Dillon Francis has barely stopped moving. Since he first broke out with a series of vivid, vibrant dance tracks, he’s maintained a whirlwind tour schedule, playing festivals and shows across the world. In between making hilarious music videos, designing his own clothing line, and writing a surreal animated TV show, he has, of course, issued a nearly countless number of electrifying cuts. His restlessness has made for otherworldly, overwhelming music and compelling art no matter what medium he’s working in. There are always new worlds to explore.
Since rising to prominence as a standout in the colorful moombahton scene of the early 2010s, Francis has made a lot of music, both in collaboration and on his own. He’s made head-spinning dance music, brash rap tracks, and breezy reggaeton, though all his best moments blur together all these worlds and more. Part of the fun of listening to Francis’ music has become that you never know exactly what you’re going to get.
The diversity of his catalog has always been a strength — his genre bending hit “Get Low” with DJ Snake was RIAA-certified platinum, “Coming Over” with Kygo [feat. James Hersey] was RIAA-certified gold plus topped the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart, “Sexo” with Residente was RIAA-certified Latin gold, and “Anywhere” [feat. Will Heard] went to #1 on Dance Radio Airplay. His production work for other artists has been stunning too. Panic at the Disco’s “Hey Look Ma I Made It” — for which Francis helped craft the lush, colorful instrumental — was certified 2x Platinum and spent 65 straight weeks atop Billboard’s Hot Rock Songs chart. That’s to say nothing of tracks which have become underground hits at clubs and festivals around the world. And it all comes from following whatever sound or style caught his ear that day; his biggest singles and wildest experiments are linked by the unrestrained joy of always following his boldest impulses.
It’s a philosophy that’s gone outside of his musical work. As his production schedule has gotten busier and busier, he’s simultaneously branched out into other art forms. Recently, he’s been revising scripts on his long-awaited animated series Gerald’s World, currently in development with 20th Century/Wonderland. He’s also always hard at work on his kaleidoscopic Gerald clothing line with Barney Cools. He’s launched NFT projects with skater and digital artist Chad Knight, among others. And that’s just the stuff he’s up to right now. Over the last decade, Francis has built his career by adopting whatever wild idea strikes him on a given day, learning as he goes — making bold, brilliant art by refusing to stand still.
Let’s give a warm welcome back of Dillon Francis to Vancouver as Blueprint x Enso x Love of Live team up for an epic evening together.
Symphonic Wind Ensemble
Concert Winds
Jaelem Bhate conductor
Josh Rauw, Maggie Whiteman
Graduate Assistant Conductors
Kim Archer In the Gathering Dark
Roshanne Etezady Negative Split (featuring Mia Gazley, saxophone)
Brian Balmages Kindred Spirits
Johan de Meij Symphony No. 1 “The Lord of the Rings” Mvt. 1 “Gandalf”
Ludwig Göransson/arr. Murtha The Mandalorian
Julie Giroux Shine
John Estacio Frenergy
Ola Gjeilo The Spheres
John Williams/trans. Hunsberger The Original Star Wars Trilogy
Full program available on day of performance
University Singers, Choral Union
Graeme Langager, Director of Choral Activities
Choral Union – Hyejung Jun conductor
University Singers – Hyejung Jun special guest conductor
Featuring works by Canadian composers including a premiere by Stephen Chatman CM, and music by UBC alumni Matthew Emery, Katerina Gimon, and Jonathan Quick, Don Macdonald, Sid Robinovitch, and Indigenous composer Andrew Balfour.
Full program available on concert day
Altitunes Music Festival is taking place at Big White from March 31-April 1, 2023. The event is Canada’s biggest mountain music festival and will feature Peach Pit, Billy Raffoul, Shred Kelly, Felix Cartal, Moontriacks, Stickybuds, Rumpus, Kytami & Phonik Ops and DJ sets from DJ Invis, Meems J Girl & Maple Jordan.