Arts and Culture

Free Films: Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival

​The 2020 Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival is going virtual.
 
In these pandemic times, the epic adventure of the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival is coming to your living room! The festival wanted to provide a curated program of free Festival films that are available online for you to watch at home with your family.
 
Check back regularly as they will add more films to the program. Stay strong, stay inspired, and enjoy the adventure.

MEC Free Documentary Series


​From riding across Canada from coast to coast to coast on a fixed gear bicycle, to ticking off a truly unique bucket list, watch three Canadian adventurers share their own lived experiences with wild spaces. Created by three of Canada’s leading documentary filmmakers, these raw, genuine portraits explore how the outdoors inspires and challenges us, dialing in to personal triumphs and incredible feats.

Covid 19 Call for Submissions: Kickstart Disability Arts & Culture
Kickstart Disability Arts and Culture gives artists with disabilities a voice. They are are committed to supporting and promoting artists in every discipline, with all disabilities.

In coronavirus times, they are looking for literary, visual or performative artistic submissions from disability identified artists in the community. These works will investigate the creative process in this time of isolation, economic and health precariousness, and social uncertainty.

To submit you need to be a member; memberships for those on a fixed income is $10; some 'by donation' memberships are available for those unable to pay.

Selected writers/artists will be paid $100 for one blog post.

Heart of the City Festival 2020

Heart of the City Festival 2020
October 28 - November 8, 2020

Over 50 events throughout the Downtown Eastside and online
 
Every year, the Downtown Eastside community looks forward to the Heart of the City Festival. This year, more than ever, Downtown Eastside residents and artists seek opportunities for cultural exchange and to get together. The Festival is here to ensure that our community and artists are supported during these challenging times. Due to circumstances of the pandemic, we have reimagined this year’s festival to be smaller in scale with programming mostly online and outdoors. 

We Live Here: West End Audio Tour for Covid 19 Times

Whether you'd like to walk this 1 1/2 hour audio tour or listen to the sections from home, these interesting stories about the West End told by various Vancouverites are worth your time.

E-Books from the Library with No Waitlist

Some libraries have pick-ups available for holds on actual books. But if you'd like to read now and are open to e-books, the Vancouver Public Library has created a list with some of their most popular e-books that are available now with no waiting list.

Great Canadian Short Films

The National Film Board of Canada has a long history of award winning shorts.  These are a great source of our history and superb entertainment. 

Please click the links below to go directly to those films, or click the button to go to the NFB site and choose your own. 

  • The McGarrigle Sisters, “Log Driver’s Waltz”
  • “Remember Africville”, the little-known account of one of Nova Scotia’s independent black settlements
  • “Supreme Law”, an interactive story of Canada told from perspectives of those who have historically been underrepresented

CBC Canadian Videos

​National Arts Centre
​National Arts Centre (website/Facebook)
​Stream free theatre, dance, music, storytelling, talks and workshops as part of #CanadaPerforms.

Dancing  Alone, Together
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​A CENTRAL RESOURCE FOR THE DIGITAL DANCE WORLD
DESIGNED FOR THIS UNPRECEDENTED TIME OF ISOLATION

These classes are free or by donation and the website includes videos on dance from around the world

Virtual Museum Tours

Stuck at Home? These 12 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours You Can Take on Your Couch (Video)
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