Skip to main content
Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make Believe film image

Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe

This event has passed

For three decades, Ernie Coombs (aka Mr. Dressup) was a fixture in Canadian living rooms. Over the course of some 4,000 episodes, he imparted simple-but-essential advice (“Always put the caps on your markers.”) and quietly went about leading by example when it came to teaching generations of children how to be better people.

Assembling a veritable choir of famous Dressup true believers (including Michael J. Fox, Bif Naked, and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee) to sing the praises of this unassuming television personality, director Robert McCallum also discloses some legitimately fun facts regarding the friendship between Mrs. Dressup and Rogers that are sure to delight. Even more enlightening are the insights into how CBC operated North America’s first dedicated children’s programming department. Equally pioneering was Mr. Dressup’s use of the non-binary Casey puppet and Coombs’ insistence that Judith Lawrence, his lead puppeteer and key collaborator, enjoy pay equity.

Re-assembling many of the beloved sets from the show and restoking countless warm memories, McCallum honours Coombs’ legacy of kindness and creativity.

Director
Cast

Michael J. Fox, The Barenaked Ladies, Peter Mansbridge

Credits
Country of Origin

Canada

Year

2023

Series

Special Presentations

Language

English

18+
90 min
Documentary

Book Tickets

This event has passed.

Credits

Executive Producer

Mark J.W. Bishop, Matthew Hornburg, Aeschylus Poulos, Robert McCallum, Sonya Di Rienzo, Matthew Wexler, Justin Schoenrock, Greg Floyd, Donna Luke

Producer

Mark Bishop, Aeschylus Poulos, Robert McCallum, Matt Hornburg

Screenwriter

Robet McCallum, Jordan C. Morris

Cinematography

John M. Tran

Editor

Nathan Shields, David New

Production Design

Rudin Causi

Original Music

Jonathan Goldsmith

Director

Robert McCallum headshot

Robert McCallum

Armed with infectious positive energy and a deep love of pop culture, Rob McCallum has spent the last 20 years making documentaries on the coolest subjects imaginable: cartoons, action figures, video games and music. He’s garnered three Emmy-nominations for his writing and directing skills, won numerous awards for his films and raised over $500K via crowdfunding initiatives. A Canadian-American dual citizen, Rob has helmed a slew of projects including the fan-favourite, Power of Grayskull, Missing Mom, and Nintendo Quest.

Filmography: Nintendo Quest (2015); Missing Mom (2016); Power of Grayskull: The Definitive History of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2017); Kittie: Origins/Evolutions (2017)

Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre

A Streetcar Named Desire

Dir. Elia Kazan
122 min

"I don't want realism. I want magic!" declares Blanche du Bois, the tragic heroine who meets her nemesis in her sister's husband, Stanley Kowalski, in Tennessee Williams' great play. Brando's performance as Stanley is a turning point in American acting.

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema
The Other
The Other film image; two people looking out at sandy dunes

The Other

Dir. Joy Sela
100 min

Filmed from 2017-2024, including post October 7 and during the subsequent war, Joy Sela's documentary is an inspiring testament to how human beings -- even in the worst circumstances -- can transcend difference to forge connection and understanding.

VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre
#Skoden
#Skoden film image; close on hand holding a tiny photo of a boy

#Skoden

Dir. Damien Eagle Bear
75 min

Pernell Bad Arm was a man, and much more than the provocative meme (captioned #Skoden: Let's go then) which went viral about a decade ago. Damien Eagle Bear gives us a warm and respectful portrait of the man he knew.

VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre

On the Waterfront

Dir. Elia Kazan
108 min

Marlon Brando's definitive performance as Terry Malloy, a New York dockworker (and once a promising boxer) who loses faith in his union and his smarter but corrupt older brother Charlie (Rod Steiger) after a whistleblower is murdered.

VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre

Stories of Our Lives

Dir. Jim Chuchu
138 min

Stories of Our Lives (62 mins) documents personal stories of lovers, fighters and rebels and the community histories that characterize the queer experience in Kenya. This is preceded by the touching and resonant 38-minute Nigerian love story, Ìfé.

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre
Gondola
Gondola film image; two women staring intently at one another sitting in a gondola

Gondola

Dir. Veit Helmer
85 min

In this whimsical comedy two cable car conductors fall in love as they criss cross a beautiful Georgian valley every half hour.

VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre