A long-anticipated short film viewing has found a home at the Vault Café.
On Thursday, March 16, the Nanaimo Arts Council will present its Short Film Premiere, showcasing the work of three Nanaimo filmmakers. The program includes Zachary Tannar’s All You Did for Me, Raymond Knight’s Nanaimo Music Scene and Doug Wortley’s A Night at the Port Theatre.
The premiere was funded through the B.C. Arts Council’s expanded arts and culture resilience supplement as aid for arts and culture organizations facing financial impacts due to the pandemic.
A director at large with the council, Steve Scott, said the event was formatted and assembled approximately a year and a half ago by past NAC president, Sean Gallagher, the current president and vice-president.
Scott said NAC made previous efforts to bring the viewing to different venues in the city, such as the Port Theatre and Nanaimo Golf Club, but because of various challenges the council was unable to host the event until this week.
“We finally got it situated in a proper event space that is actually looking to reinvigorate the area… This was a great opportunity for them to do quite a bit of a boost,” he said. “They’re trying to have people in the arts… really push forward a little bit more in that space.”
Vice-president Steve Smith said the event was in response to COVID safety regulations in 2021.
“Council was still interested in supporting artists and having some sort of event that we would show later,” he said. “The film would be done in venues generally without an audience or people attending, but they would do the film. And then we would present the film at a later time after things opened up.”
Smith added that NAC wanted to work with a more intimate venue for the viewing this year, and that the Vault was “absolutely thrilled” to host. Scott agreed that it was “a good idea for everyone, all around.”
Smith said the council plans to host more in-person events in the near future.
The Short Film Premiere will show at the Vault Café, 499 Wallace St., on March 16 from 7:30-9:30 p.m., and will have Gallagher as the master of ceremonies. Two of the filmmakers will discuss their work, with the third introduced by Gallagher. Admission is by donation and further live entertainment is also planned for the event.
READ MORE: Nanaimo Art Council presents ‘All Things Patterned and Sparkling’ online exhibit
mandy.moraes@nanaimobulletin.com
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