Actor-turned-writer-director Mayumi Yoshida (The Man in the High Castle) wants to know what love is in Akashi, her gorgeous feature debut shot in Tokyo.
As the film plays at VIFF 2025, Mayumi spoke to ILT about taking a script from the stage to the big screen, shooting in black and white on freezing Tokyo nights, and exploring why generation after generation struggles with the idea of love.
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When Vancouver filmmaker Ryan Sidhoo first travelled to the Bosnian city of Sarajevo, little did he know that he would return with a truly inspiring coming-of-age documentary, shot through the eyes of the country’s young luge team.
As the film plays at VIFF 2025, Ryan spoke to ILT about finding hope in generational trauma, discovering the beauty of Bosnian culture, and being told to get off a luge track that was not quite as abandoned as it seemed.
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When she first got behind a camera at age 16, Karen Chapman knew she wanted to tell stories. Years later, her debut feature follows a single mother who confronts her traumatic past while cleansing her Toronto neighbourhood of fresh crime scenes.
ILT spoke with Karen at VIFF 2024 about paying tribute to our mothers and finding her breakout star in the most unlikely place. 
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After creating a live-action sequel to Disney’s Recess, the sky was the limit for Korean-Canadian director Jerome Yoo. His debut feature, Mongrels, is a multi-layered character study of a grief-stricken Korean family as they adjust to life in 1990s rural Canada.
ILT connected with Jerome at VIFF 2024 where he talked about connecting with Korean culture, going off grid to find his lead actor, and managing a pack of well-trained dogs.
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From the oilfields of Alberta to the director’s chair, Gillian McKercher is a filmmaker determined to stay true to her roots. Her second film, Lucky Star, follows a gambler-turned-family who is forced to return to his old ways after falling for a tax scam.
ILT sat down with Gillian at VIFF 2024 to discuss father-daughter bonds, representing Alberta on the big screen, and going all-in at the poker table.
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Meredith-Hama Brown’s debut feature is a powerful exploration of family instability and destruction, set against a backdrop of “socially acceptable” racism in mid-90s British Columbia.
ILT’s Nicholas Lay sat down with Meredith at VIFF 2023 to discuss her inspiration, the role of Japanese-Canadian identity in the film, and discovering two dynamite child stars.
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Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup was a disaster for the City of Vancouver. As the Canucks crashed to defeat against the Boston Bruins, the fans on the street grew restless, angry, and then violent. What followed was the destruction of downtown Vancouver and a bleak demonstration of mob mentality. In ESPN’s latest 30 for 30, Kat Jayme and Asia Youngman reckon with their hometown’s darkest sporting chapter.
ILT’s Nicholas Lay met with Kat and Asia at VIFF 2023 to chat about the legacy of the riot, who was responsible, and the impact of social media on the young people involved.
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Francis Galluppi recently burst onto the festival scene with his directorial debut The Last Stop in Yuma County, a wild one-location crime thriller starring Jim Cummings, Jocelyn Donahue, and Richard Brake.
Set The Tape’s Nicholas Lay spoke with Francis about how his first feature came about, working with Jim Cummings, and the brutality of desert rainstorms.
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50 years ago, the construction of the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts in Vancouver destroyed Hogan’s Alley and the neighbourhood surrounding it, displacing the Black community that lived there and forcing many families to leave the city. Local filmmaker Jamila Pomeroy’s new film Union Street shines a light on the history and present day community of Hogan’s Alley.
ILT’s Nicholas Lay sat down with Jamila at VIFF 2023 to discuss the legacy of Hogan’s Alley, the continued impact of its destruction, and the African-Canadian experience in Vancouver.
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Taiwanese director King Hu is a legend of wuxia filmmaking, with classics like Come Drink With Me, Dragon Inn, and A Touch of Zen to his name. 25 years after his death, director Lin Jing-jie and producer Steven Tu have made their own King Hu epic, looking back at the life and work of a true master.
Set The Tape’s Nicholas Lay connected with Steven at VIFF 2022 to discuss King Hu’s films, his lasting legacy in martial arts cinema, and the evolution of The King of Wuxia from short documentary to 220-minute epic.
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In Layman's Terms... 