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VIFF PodcastAuthor: Vancouver International Film Festival
Bringing you exclusive in-depth conversations with industry-leading filmmakers, creators and cultural luminaries, recorded live at the Vancouver International Film Festival and year round at VIFF Centre. About VIFF Beyond film exhibitions, VIFF strives to engage and empower communities, encourage dialogue and champion local artists. With decades of experience and an unwavering commitment to creating exceptional programs, VIFF has transformed into a highly esteemed annual festival and a premier arthouse cinema. Founded in 1982, the Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society is a not-for-profit cultural society and federally registered charitable organization that operates the internationally acclaimed Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) and the year-round programming at VIFF Centre. All year, VIFF produces screenings, talks, conferences and events that act as a catalyst for the community to discover the creativity and craft of storytelling on screen. Language: en-us Genres: Arts, Film Interviews, TV & Film Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Brian Daniel Johnson and Dide Su Bilgin on community and Vancouver's avoidance culture
Episode 7
Thursday, 19 March, 2026
In a city plagued by social isolation, Brian Daniel Johnson and Dide Su Bilgin found a story to tell. In their film, A Welcome Distraction, lead character, Ernest, looks for answers amidst grief and heartbreak in this unapologetic portrayal of how disconnected Vancouver can be. Soon, he becomes entangled with a wellness enclave led by a charismatic leader (Adriana Marchand).A true ensemble film, A Welcome Distraction showcases the pursuit of community, as told by a friend group itself. Longtime collaborators, Johnson and Bilgin, met in film school at UBC. Over the years, they cultivated a group of what Bilgin calls "cinematically intertwined" collaborators. Their first feature together depicts the coming-of-age pains they know to be true in a city that challenges them.In this episode of the VIFF Podcast, Johnson and Bilgin talk about their experience finding your friends in film, pushing each other to create work, and how film itself is its own language. This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.
