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Icons and agitators take stage at TWSSF

Whistler’s favourite icons, iconoclasts and agitators are set to showdown at the upcoming TELUS World Ski and Snowboard Festival, debating who or what is Whistler’s greatest icon.

Whistler’s favourite icons, iconoclasts and agitators are set to showdown at the upcoming TELUS World Ski and Snowboard Festival, debating who or what is Whistler’s greatest icon.

Co-presented by the Whistler Museum, Icon Gone promises an evening of stand-up storytelling, replete with verbal barbs, as Dave Steers, Marianne Wade, Heather Paul, and Pique’s own G.D. Maxwell throw down with several wildcard candidates.

“The festival offers the most unique and comprehensive insight into the personality of Whistler. Co-hosting Icon Gone with the museum is a natural partnership for us, given that we share a passion for telling local stories and contributing to the myths and culture that make Whistler special,” Lisa Richardson, TWSSF communications director, said in a press release.

The war of words was first hosted last year by the Whistler Museum, with Stephen Vogler walking away with top honours for his argument that gravity, as represented by the original Garibaldi Lifts Ltd. logo, is Whistler’s greatest icon. This year, the competition will be held on April 13 at MY Millennium Place.

Organizers are now calling for nominations for agitators and icons to battle it out at the upcoming competition. Anyone who would like to present an icon should present their argument in a 200-word case to icongone@watermarkinc.ca.

 

Extreme films come to town

If you’re interested in the environment and everything “extreme”, you should check out the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF).

Luckily, this year you won’t have to go down to the city to view the vast collection of short videos, which capture everything from skiing in far-away lands to mountain biking along the coast.

On the 11 th year of the VIMFF, the festival will be going out to communities across the country, including the Sea to Sky region, presenting an international selection of films in Squamish and Whistler.

The UK film Great White Fright follows climbers, Ian Parnell and Chris Cubitt, as they tackle an airy route along the chalk cliffs of Dover, while University Wall tells the story of four university students in the ’60s who cut class to attempt a new route up the Squamish Chief.

Skiing in the Shadow of Ghengis Khan follows Nils Larsen, Dave Wagg, and Naheed Henderson as they travel to the Altai Mountains of China to explore and document the indigenous use of skis.

In a more environmental vein, 49 Megawatts, directed and produced by local kayaker Bryan Smith, examines British Columbia’s practice of issuing private water licenses for power production. Smith also captured the Best Environmental Film prize at the festival for this film.

The Squamish screening will take place at 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 22, at the Eagle Eye Theatre, while the Whistler screening will be held on Friday, March 28 at MY Millennium Place. Tickets to both showings are $15 in advance.

 

Arts in the great outdoors

The Whistler Arts Council is bringing back its Art Workshops on the Lake for a third summer, due to popular demand.

The classes will be held in July and August at the Alta Lake Station House, a rustic heritage home that offers an intimate setting for up to 15 students, complete with a waterfront view of Alta Lake and peaks in the Spearhead and Fitzsimmons ranges.

So far, seven workshops led by instructors from Whistler and across Canada are confirmed.

Lori Goldberg, Suzanne Northcott, Kiff Holland, Janice Robertson, Grant Fuller, Isobel MacLaurin, and Richard S. McDiarmid will teach the two to four-day workshops, which cover a wide range of mediums, including watercolour, acrylic, oil and pencil. The classes are geared towards beginner to intermediate skill levels.

At the end of last summer, the WAC held a year-end exhibition and reception for participating students and instructors, which allowed the public to view their work and even led to some first-time sales. They are considering hosting at least two more of these public receptions this year to allow interested students to view levels of instruction and skill development.

For workshop information and registration visit www.whistlerartscouncil.com .

 

Calling aspiring TV producers

Do you have a great idea for a new drama, comedy, animated or kid’s show for television?

The National Screen Institute (NSI) of Canada is looking for aspiring writing and producing teams ready to develop their idea for the small-screen through their Totally Television training.

The 10-month program delivers market-driven training designed to help mid-level TV writing and producing teams hone their scripted series concepts and land a development deal with a broadcaster.

Participants are connected with industry experts, who help refine concepts and prepare the perfect pitch to deliver to senior industry executives and broadcasters during the Banff World Television Festival in June 2009.

“NSI Totally Television works because we take strong creative teams and pair them up with the professional support they need to produce hit shows,” Kit Redmond, NSI Totally Television program manager, said in a release. “Like all National Screen Institute programs we support the teams through rigorous training while at the same time providing them with the opportunities to meet people in the industry who can help them to develop their projects and ultimately get them produced.”

It isn’t a full-time program, so participants can keep their day jobs and don’t have to relocate.

Since the program launched in 2002, graduates have landed deals with CHUM, CTV and YTV, with series like ’da Kink in my Hair, which premiered this year on Global, and Less Than Kind, a new series set to premiere this fall.

 

Purim Party

Locals and tourists alike are invited to celebrate the salvation of Persian Jewish people with Sinai Centre Whistler.

The Sinai Centre is hosting a Purim Live Party, an evening of hamatashen, graggers, and a multimedia Megilla reading, plus music, dancing and a buffet dinner.

The party will be held at the Delta Whistler Village Suites, on Thursday, March 20 at 7:30 p.m.

Kid’s activities start at 6 p.m., with a costume contest, arts and craft activities, and the story of Purim.

Suggested donations for the event range from $12 for kids, $18 for adults or $45 for a family.