Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Banff Film Fest Tour is back

If you are still craving mountain culture films after the Whistler Film Festival, the following weekend brings the Best of Banff Film World Tour to Whistler, Friday, Dec. 9 to Saturday, Dec. 10 at MY Millennium Place.

If you are still craving mountain culture films after the Whistler Film Festival, the following weekend brings the Best of Banff Film World Tour to Whistler, Friday, Dec. 9 to Saturday, Dec. 10 at MY Millennium Place.

The Banff tour packs in two evenings of adventure, thrills and mountains with a 14-film lineup. The films come from the Banff Mountain Film Festival, which celebrated its 30 th year of showcasing the world’s best footage on mountain subjects. More than 300 films from 37 countries were featured in this year’s competition.

The Friday showing includes Return2Sender: Bug Out on bouldering; Balancing Point on environment; People’s Choice Award winner The Magic Mountain set in India; High Fly Summits on base jumping, skiing, snowboarding and sky diving; Person as Projectile on skiing; The Hatch on fly fishing; The Lost People of Mountain Village with Wade Davis; and the comic Solilochairliftquist on a ski bum’s life.

The Saturday showing includes The Retrospective — Red Bull Rampage on freeride mountain biking; Grand-Prize winner Sur le fil des 4000 on alpine climbing in the Alps; The Tangerine Dream on skiing, snowboarding and base jumping; Hockey Night… in Ladakh set in New Delhi; Cavewoman on mixed climbing set in the Canadian Rockies; and Best Film on Climbing Award winner Return2Sender: Parallelojams, which looks at modern desert crack climbing.

The Escape Route presents the Banff tour with all proceeds benefiting the Whistler Off Road Cycling Association, which maintains hundreds of kilometres of Whistler trails.

Tickets are $17 for adults and $9.99 for children for one evening. Adults can also buy a two-evening package for $29.50. Friday and Saturday shows start at 7 p.m.

Advanced tickets are available at the Escape Route, MY Millennium Place at 604-932-3228 or via Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.ca .

Open call for Whistler Theatre Project

The Whistler Theatre Project is holding an open audition for its inaugural production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, staged Aug. 2 to Sept. 3 on Whistler Mountain.

The auditions will be held Wednesday, Dec. 7 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Telus Conference Centre.

Actors must prepare one classic monologue for the audition. Actors will be seen on a first come, first serve basis. Equity actors will be given priority and actors 11 years old and up are encouraged to attend.

Rehearsals begin July 4 in Vancouver.

Non-Equity actors will be considered for the Emerging Artist Development Program. The nine-week program aims to build resume, experience and skills for amateur actors pursuing a professional career in theatre. The Emerging Artist Development program is modeled off other apprentice programs in elite theatre festivals such as the Stratford, Shaw and Charlottetown festivals.

Auditions will be held in both Whistler and Vancouver with actors from across Canada auditioning for the company.

A stage manager and arts administrator position is also available.

Local acting coaching is available at Soul Funktion Dance Studios at 604-966-0644.

For more audition information, visit www.whistlertheatreproject.com

Snowman contest with heart

Regardless of snow or no snow in Whistler Village, the Union of B.C. Performers is presenting the second annual Snowman Fund at the Whistler Film Festival, Saturday, Dec. 3 at 1 p.m. in Whistler Village – exact location yet to be announced.

Four teams of snow builders will build snowmen or dress people as snowman (depending on the weather) to raise funds for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of B.C. and the Yukon.

Last year, the group raised more than $3,500 for the cause. This year, the group aims to raise a lofty $10,000.

The B.C. branch of ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) will be collecting donations to the foundation at the film festival. Donations can also be mailed to UBCP, #300 — 856 Homer Street, Vancouver, B.C., V6B 2W5 until Dec. 31. Tax receipts can be issued.

Christmas concert

Get into the Christmas spirit with the Sea to Sky Singers Christmas Memories Saturday, Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m. at the Squamish Baptist Church.

The Sea to Sky singing troupe, under the musical direction of Veronica McPhee, will orchestrate the merry evening of favourite carols and a traditional sing-along. Highlights this year include three guest soloists in Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s Song of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ as well as a small string ensemble.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for seniors and students. Advance tickets are available at Billie’s Bouquet, Highland Video and Mostly Books.

Talent call

From the woman who brought Whistler the debaucherous Absolutely Fabulous productions, couture advice to village strollers as part of the Fashion Police and debuted in this year’s pantomime as the southern belle crocodile, the hilarious Michelle Bush is finally getting her act together – and opening an entertainment business called Porta Potties.

"Singing telegrams, specialized parties, murder mysteries, hiring your own personal fan club or paparazzi, we are going to do a bit of everything," Bush said. "I am going to need artistic theatre types or comedians or anyone that can do something unusual. I want to create a database of performing artists who want to get involved."

Anything theatric is welcome – from singers for a singing telegram, line dance instructors for parities or even balloon artists for the kids.

"The more I can pitch to people – I’ve got a guy that can stand on his head and drink beer – the more work I can find. I need dancers, singers, comedians, circus performers, everything," she said.

Bush is a veteran of the Whistler theatre community. Among her many credits, she facilitated entertainment and group building events for corporate groups, hosted interactive theatre such as Maxine and Blaire’s High School Reunion, performed in the play production of Faulty Towers, developed characters for Tourism Whistler’s summer street entertainment program and is a regular face around Whistler parties – or at least her duffel bag is, stuffed with wigs, boas, blow-up guitars and everything else under the sun.

To get involved, contact Bush at bushwoman@look.ca or 604-907-1495.

Vicious Circle Book Sale

The Whistler Writer’s Group, a.k.a. the Vicious Circle, is hosting a fundraising book sale Friday, Dec. 2 from 4 to 10 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 3 from noon to 8 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 4 from noon to 6 p.m. at Village 8 Theatres.

Used books, new books and CDs will be on sale at the fundraiser.

The Vicious Circle hosts monthly support meetings for both professional and amateur writers. Writers receive constructive criticism on works, participate in workshops and various literary events. The group also hosts an annual week-long writers festival each fall. For more information, contact group founder Stella Harvey at stella25@telus.net.

Filmmakers/photographers needed

Filmmakers and photographers are still needed for Swift Rock Production’s ARTdrenaline showcase, a multi-media/multi-disciplinary art-stravaganza of film, writing, visual arts and photography, dance and acting, to be showcased Dec. 16 and 17 at Millennium Place.

"This competition is all about having fun, showcasing local talent and summing up fearlessness through an artist’s review," said event co-founder Katie Schaitel.

Performance and competition unite for a unique evening of local talent centred on this year’s theme of Fearless – In life/sport/love/art.

For the photography category, two pieces of new work must be submitted by Dec. 8, representing the photographer’s take on the theme.

Film submissions must be three to 10 minutes long, submitted to Swift Rock by Dec. 10. Broadcast regulations apply.

To submit, call Schaitel at 604-906-1321 or visit www.swiftrockproductions.com.

Travel though South America, witness the colourful traditional costumes, listen to the foreign dialects, and engage in local stories, without ever leaving the comfort of your armchair. Join adventurer William Jans for a multi-media presentation of film, live commentary, costumes and comedy, with Solo in South America Saturday, Dec. 3 and Dec. 10 at 8 p.m. at the Rainbow Theatre. Advanced tickets $18 at Escape Route or $20 at the door. Visit