A Note from the Curator
From reimaginings and hauntings to resonances, cosmologies, and improvisations, this year’s VIFF Live series flows through a range of thematics, sonics, and live visual presentations across five unmissable shows.
Opening with an invitation to remix and reimagine, dub icon and living legend Mad Professor performs a rare Live AV in Dub set joined by Vancouver interdisciplinary artist Saghi Ehteshamzade, who provides live visuals. The evening celebrates the 30th anniversary of No Protection, Mad Professor’s acclaimed Massive Attack remix album, and will be a hypnotic trip into the psychedelic worlds of dub and trip-hop.
Submerging deeper into the realms of haunted sound and cinema, renowned Los Angeles composer claire rousay performs the Vancouver premiere of her acclaimed live score to the 1981 Slovakian animated classic gothic horror film The Bloody Lady. Also featured is New York composer and sound artist Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe (Candyman; Seeds; After Life), whose compelling film scores conjure hypnagogic states through transformations of the human voice, modular synth improvisations, and cinematic sounds.
From there, we traverse into densely layered, ethereal, ambient soundscapes and Live AV performances. Los Angeles musician Julianna Barwick offers a lyrical inquiry and potent admixture of processed vocals, flickering imagery, and electronic sounds, while Vancouver’s beloved ambient legend loscil brings his latest album Lake Fire to life in resonant, ravishing AV form.
For its Vancouver premiere, renowned astronomer, star knowledge keeper, and author Wilfred Buck appears live in person for Star Stories — a cosmic journey into Ininew (Cree) teachings and tellings of the northern night sky. For this special VIFF Live event, a stunning work of extended reality (XR) will be projected on the dome of the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre and narrated live by Buck, followed by a conversation with him and Anishinaabe co-director Lisa Jackson.
Concluding the Live series and the VIFF festival program, Vancouver pianist Chris Gestrin performs a set of Keith Jarrett-inspired, improvised solo music to accompany the Closing Gala film screening of Köln 75, which tells the story of Jarrett’s iconic concert that became the best-selling solo album in jazz history.
I hope you can join us for these remarkable evenings of sound, cinema, and immersive live performance.
ekosi maka,
Jarrett Martineau, VIFF Live Curator
Jarrett Martineau, VIFF Live Curator
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Look Back at VIFF Live 2025
Mad Professor: Live AV in Dub
Dub legend Mad Professor performs a rare live set celebrating his No Protection Massive Attack remix album’s 30th anniversary – a hypnotic trip into the psychedelic worlds of dub and trip-hop with live visuals from Vancouver artist Saghi Ehteshamzadeh.
claire rousay, The Bloody Lady (Live Score) and Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe
An evening of haunted sound and cinema with claire rousay performing her live score of the animated classic The Bloody Lady and composer Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe presenting a performance tethered to his cinematic sound worlds (Candyman; Seeds; After Life).
Julianna Barwick and loscil
Acclaimed ambient, experimental musicians Julianna Barwick and loscil share the stage for the first time to immerse audiences in their ethereal soundscapes and hypnotic new live AV performances.
Wilfred Buck's Star Stories Live With Wilfred Buck and Lisa Jackson
Join renowned Ininew (Cree) astronomer, star knowledge keeper, and author Wilfred Buck for Star Stories: a cosmic journey into teachings and tellings of the northern night sky, narrated live by Buck, and in conversation with co-director Lisa Jackson.
Image: Courtesy of Door Number 3 Productions
Köln 75 With Live Performance by Chris Gestrin
VIFF 2025 Closing Gala
Experience the transcendent power of music: Vancouver pianist Chris Gestrin performs a set of Keith Jarrett-inspired music to accompany Köln 75, which tells the story of Jarrett’s iconic concert, which became the best-selling solo album in jazz history.