A New West resident will soon be screening her entry in the Crazy8s Film Society’s competition at its upcoming gala.
New Westminster-based writer/director Larissa Thompson (What Are You Supposed to Do With Your Hands) is among the Top 6 film-making teams in this year’s competition.
Tickets for the 25th annual Crazy8s Gala on April 20 are now on sale. The film society’s celebration of film talent in B.C. will take place at The Centre in Vancouver and will be followed by an after-party at Science World.
Vancouver actor Cardi Wong, who recently won the UBCP/ACTRA award for Best Leading Performance in the award-winning feature film Golden Delicious, is the host of this year’s gala. Since the six finalists were announced in January, they’ve been creating their films – which will be screened for the first time at the gala.
Joining Thompson in this year’s Top 6 teams are: Astronaut from Hong Kong-Canadian writer/director Kevin Cheng; DTF? from Leo Award-winning actor and filmmaker Jess McLeod; Gone Abroad from Filipino-Chinese-Canadian animator/director/writer Kevin Ang; Our Long Goodbye from actor/producer/director/writer Dave Beamish; and Toe Pick from award-winning writer/director Teresa Alfeld.
Deadline extended
You have a bit more time to pen your entry to the Royal City Literary Arts Society’s 2024 Write On! contest.
The society has extended the deadline for entries until May 1. Submissions are being accepted in three categories: non-fiction (1,500 words maximum); fiction (1,500 words maximum); and poetry (one page single-spaced maximum)
Each category includes a first prize ($150), a second prize ($100), a third prize ($75) and three honourable mentions.
You can find all the details on the Royal City Literary Arts Society’s website.
Inspiring music
Bryn-Erin Libman Ward recently shared some deeply personal reflections at a fundraising event.
Ward, a New West resident, spoke and shared a song she’d written in rehab at the Music Heals Charitable Foundation's Let Her Sing fundraising event in support of music therapy. She attended the event at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel with her music therapist, Brittany.
“Music therapy saved my life,” she said.
Ward, who said she’s been clean from alcohol addiction for five years, encourages people to reach out if they need help. She told the Record she began putting pen to paper when she went into treatment, and the words in her journal were later set to music.
“Don’t give up,” she said about recovery. “It gets better.”
