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Racism and Cultural Appropriation in the Arts: Screening, Workshop and Panel Event
March 24, 2021 @ 6:30 pm - March 25, 2021 @ 8:00 pm
FREE
On March 24-25 2021, Vancouver Short Film Festival is partnering with the CineVic Society of Independent Filmmakers for our first event in the VSFF On The Road online event series: Racism and Cultural Appropriation in the Arts: A Screening, Workshop and Panel Event with Simone Blais.
Wednesday March 24th / 6:30pm via ZOOM
Short Documentary Screening and Discussion with Simone Blais
Short Documentary Screening and Discussion with Simone Blais
In this workshop, watch the 30 minute film Dance Like Everybody’s Watching, which explores the lives of Black dancers in Victoria, BC (Lekwungen, W̱SÁNEĆ, Esquimalt territories). After this private viewing, participate in a facilitated discussion with the director and other participants. This is the perfect opportunity for people looking to work through themes of cultural appropriation and inclusion in the film and dance communities, and is ideal for artists and non-artists of any background.
Thursday March 25th / 6:30pm via Facebook Live
Filmmaker Panel featuring creators from VSFF and CineVic communities
Filmmaker Panel featuring creators from VSFF and CineVic communities
Moderated by Simone Blais, this panel will further the conversation begun in the screening and workshop, and explore the intersection of these themes with the work and career of local filmmakers. Filmmakers to be announced – stay tuned for details!
Simone Blais is a dancer, doula, director and aspiring midwife. She is a recent UVic Gender Studies graduate whose work focuses on decolonizing the dance community and reproductive justice for marginalized communities. She has worked with the Nesting Doula Collective and the Native Youth Sexual Health Network, delivering workshops about reproductive justice. She is also the director and producer of the documentary Dance Like Everybody’s Watching, which highlights the experiences of Black dancers in ‘Victoria’. Find out more at simone-blais.com
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Dance Like Everybody’s Watching follows three Black dancers in Victoria, BC as they expose their worlds of flamenco, hip hop, and dancehall. While the dancers grapple with racism, tokenism, and stereotypes, we are reminded that dance is always political. This short film deals with themes of cultural appropriation in dance and is uniquely a BC production. 100% of the production, cast and crew are based in Victoria, BC. Dance Like Everybody’s Watching is funded by Storyhive and Creative BC.
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The Vancouver Short Film Festival is excited to announce VSFF ON THE ROAD: an online event series connecting filmmakers across the province while staying apart. Sponsored by Creative BC. VSFF is proud to partner with film organizations province-wide and connect with communities outside of Vancouver as we create unique educational and professional development opportunities for filmmaking in British Columbia. All events are available online, and are FREE and open to the public. More events in the series to be announced soon!