VIFF Live brings L.A. musician Julianna Barwick, dub icon Mad Professor, and more to this year's Vancouver International Film Festival

Five boundary-pushing events mix audio and visual components at the festival, which takes place from October 2 to 12

At the Vancouver International Film Festival, this year’s VIFF Live series flows through a range of thematics, sonics, and visual presentations across five unmissable shows. From reimaginings and hauntings to resonances, cosmologies, and improvisations, the offerings in store push the boundaries of traditional film programming.

The series opens at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts on October 5 at 7:30 pm with Mad Professor: Live AV in Dub. The Guyanese-born British dub icon, known for his prolific work across four decades and more than 200 albums, has collaborated with everyone from Sade to Lee “Scratch” Perry. This rare set celebrates the 30th anniversary of No Protection, Mad Professor’s acclaimed Massive Attack remix album, with a journey into the psychedelic worlds of dub and trip-hop featuring live visuals by Vancouver interdisciplinary artist Saghi Ehteshamzade.

At the Rio Theatre on October 7 at 8 pm, renowned Los Angeles composer claire rousay performs the Vancouver premiere of her acclaimed live score to The Bloody Lady, a 1981 Slovakian animated gothic horror film. The evening also includes a set by New York composer and sound artist Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe, whose compelling film scores conjure hypnagogic states through the human voice, modular synth improvisations, and cinematic sounds.

From there, the VIFF Live series traverses into densely layered, ethereal, ambient soundscapes. Back at the Rio on October 9 at 8:30 pm, Los Angeles musician Julianna Barwick offers a hypnotic mix of processed vocals, flickering imagery, and electronic sounds; on the same bill, Vancouver-based electronic artist loscil brings his latest album Lake Fire to life in resonant audiovisual form.

And on October 10 at 6:30 pm, renowned Cree astronomer, star knowledge keeper, and author Wilfred Buck appears in person for the Vancouver premiere of his stunning XR work “Star Stories”, a cosmic journey into the teachings and tellings of the northern night sky. This special VIFF Live event features “Star Stories” projected onto the dome of the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre and narrated live by Buck; a conversation between the artist and Anishinaabe codirector Lisa Jackson follows.

VIFF runs from October 2 to 12. Visit the website for tickets and more information.

Post sponsored by VIFF.

Wilfred Buck’s “Star Stories”. Photo courtesy of Door Number 3 Productions

Featured

VIFF Live brings L.A. musician Julianna Barwick, dub icon Mad Professor, and more to this year's Vancouver International Film Festival

Five boundary-pushing events mix audio and visual components at the festival, which takes place from October 2 to 12

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