From creators and showrunners to directors, writers, producers, and craftspeople, VIFF Talks draw from a finely curated group of key creatives. Whether they’re responsible for critically acclaimed films or groundbreaking TV series, they provide a treasure trove of information and inspiration for fellow creators, filmmakers, industry professionals, and, of course, fans of their work.
Take a look back at the VIFF Talks of 2022
Supported by
Community Broadcast Partner
In Conversation with
Clement Virgo
Director, Brother
Acclaimed director-writer Clement Virgo is one of Canada’s foremost film directors. His numerous TV credits include Empire, The Wire, The L Word, and CBC’s record-breaking The Book of Negroes, which he directed and co-wrote.
This unique conversation gave new insights into his highly anticipated film, Brother, a VIFF 2022 Showcase selection. The talk was moderated by his fellow Canadian Film Centre graduate, Vancouver-based director Mina Shum.
In Conversation with
Deborah L. Scott
Costume Designer, Avatar, Avatar: Way of Water, Titanic & more
Best known for her work in James Cameron’s record-breaking blockbuster Titanic, which won her the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, Deborah Lynn Scott has over 50 credits for her work, which includes the iconic films Back to the Future, Minority Report, and Transformers.
It was a fascinating conversation about Scott’s process: designing costumes for action movies versus period pieces, the importance of research, and the creative collaboration required to pull off a director’s vision.
In Conversation with
Katie Byron
Production Designer, Don’t Worry Darling
Production designer Katie Byron recently reunited with director Olivia Wilde on one of the most anticipated films of 2022, Don’t Worry Darling, where she created a glamorous look for a 1950s experimental, utopian suburban community.
Byron talked collaborations, working with directors, and designing the perfect look, feel, and shape of a utopian realm.
An Evening with
Michael Abels
Composer,
Nope, Get Out, Us
Two-time Emmy-nominated composer Michael Abels is known for his genre-defying scores for the Jordan Peele films Get Out, Nope, and Us, for which Abels won a World Soundtrack Award, the Jerry Goldsmith Award, a Critics Choice nomination, and multiple critics awards. It was an intimate evening of insight, creativity, and performances of Abels’ music, featuring the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
Dean Fleischer Camp talks:
Marcel the Shell With Shoes On
In 2010, Dean Fleischer Camp, an award-winning filmmaker and New York Times bestselling author, along with Jenny Slate, created a short film about Marcel, an endearingly cheerful talking shell with one eye and little shoes. The little character became a viral hit, leading to a feature adaptation produced by A24. Fleischer Camp shared his singular process about creating a feature film that combines elements of narrative, documentary feature, improvisation, and two forms of animation.