Smash Forward: Growing the Vancouver Esports Scene

DRX - The Rise(en)

Entering Worlds 2022, nobody expected DRX to make it past the Play-In stage. But their past record didn't keep the determined LCK team from eyeing victory at the biggest LoL tournament of the year.

Love in the Time of Fentanyl(en)

An intimate portrait of a community fighting to save lives and keep hope alive in a neighborhood ravaged by the overdose crisis.

Athlete(en)

A tantalizing documentary following the mental and physical toll it takes being an eSport athlete. Taking a focus on eSports and the unrelenting grind it takes to reach the top tier. It follows competitive eSport players of all tiers and exploring the major drawbacks that comes with competing. As well as their routine when training for a game and the backend that holds everything up. Something that not many people even know about.

Dosed(en)

The documentary follows one woman's quest to overcome anxiety, depression, and opioid addiction through the use of psychedelic medicines.

Free to Play(en)

Follow three professional video game players as they overcome personal adversity, family pressures, and the realities of life to compete in a $1,000,000 tournament that could change their lives forever.

Golden Globe - Kanada Highlights(de)

Destination Vancouver(en)

Vancouver's wealth of beauty and culture has enchanted visitors from all over the world. In this video tour of British Columbia's peerless city, you'll visit all the major attractions including selected parts of the Lower Mainland, Stanley Park, the Vancouver Aquarium, the UBC Museum of Anthropology, Grouse Mountain, Gastown, Granville Island and many more fantastic sites.

Haida Modern(en)

In the 50 years since he carved his first totem pole, Robert Davidson has come to be regarded as one of the world’s foremost modern artists. Charles Wilkinson (Haida Gwaii: On the Edge of the World) brings his trademark inquisitiveness and craftsmanship to this revealing portrait of an unassuming living legend. Weaving together engaging interviews with the artist, his offspring, and a host of admirers, Haida Modern extols the sweeping impact of both Davidson’s artwork and the legions it’s inspired.

Call Of The Coastal Wolves(en)

Some of the most secluded beaches of British Columbia are home to a unique wolf species that has evolved to gather their sustenance from both land and sea. Call of the Coastal Wolves follows a group of filmmakers over a two week expedition as they endeavour to film the elusive wolf. This short film asks us to reflect on our impacts to the natural world as we witness these compassionate, loving animals that deserve more attention and respect.

Tadpoles: The Big Little Migration(en)

Short documentary, shot over fours years, showing the incredible daily migration of the western toad tadpoles, a designated indicator species on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

Vancouver: No Fixed Address(en)

There is no topic that unites all of Vancouver quite like that of housing. At every dinner party, social gathering, or chance meeting in the street, everyone has an opinion, and they want to share it. Charles Wilkinson’s new film Vancouver: No Fixed Address tackles the subject from a multiplicity of perspectives. A chorus of voices chime in — everyone from David Suzuki, to Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, Seth Klein, Condo King Bob Rennie, Senator Yuen Pau Woo, and lots of regular Vancouver citizens.

Rise of the eSports Hero(en)

The film explores the sub-culture of pro-gaming through the lives of North America’s top e-sports team, Team Evil Geniuses, as they tour the world competing for money, fame, and glory. Chris “Huk” Loranger, is Canada’s finest e-sports export and self-proclaimed diva; Greg “IdrA” Fields, a legend in the Starcraft community, now disillusioned with his once passion; Geoff “iNcontroL” Robinson, a former college football captain turned pro-gamer now at a crossroads in his career, and his bride to be, a Miss USA pageant contestant. Evil Geniuses’ CEO, Alex Garfield, is faced with the growing pains of being on the leading edge of a burgeoning multi-billion dollar industry; balancing sponsors and managing egos; all while trying to keep his own life in check.

To Win It All(en)

To Win It All: The Road to the Six Invitational is an exciting view into Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, one of the world's fastest-growing esports. Three top players from around the globe try to balance lives, relationships, and training while chasing a chance to compete in the Six Invitational and win its life-changing $2,000,000 prize pool.

Tears for April: Beyond the Blue Lens(en)

In the late 1990s, some officers at Vancouver Police Department made a documentary film (THROUGH A BLUE LENS) about the everyday lives of six drug addicts in Vancouver's skid row, the Downtown Eastside. TEARS FOR APRIL reintroduces us to these six people; with footage shot over a period of nearly ten years, it continues their biography.

NiiSoTeWak: Two Bodies, One Heart(en)

NiiSoTeWak means “walking the path together.” Tapwewin and Pawaken are 10-year-old brothers trying to make sense of the world, their family and each other. They’re already grappling with some heady questions about identity. What does it mean to be a twin? What does it mean to be Cree? How do you define yourself when you’re forever linked to someone else? The twins discuss these questions with their two elder brothers — 22-year-old actor Asivak and 20-year-old basketball player Mahiigan — and their parents, Jules and Jake.

Break the Game(en)

Record-breaking gamer Narcissa Wright grapples with her toxic obsession for attention and her space in the streaming community after coming out as transgender, all while attempting to set a new world record for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Everything Will Be(en)

Sundance award-winning director Julia Kwan’s documentary Everything Will Be captures the subtle nuances of a culturally diverse neighbourhood—Vancouver’s once thriving Chinatown—in the midst of transformation. The community’s oldest and newest members offer their intimate perspectives on the shifting landscape as they reflect on change, memory and legacy. Night and day, a neon sign that reads "EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT" looms over Chinatown. Everything is going to be alright, indeed, but the big question is for whom?

Mind Games - The Experiment(en)

Can exercise sharpen the brightest minds? In this ground-breaking experiment, four world-class gamers, competing in eSports, Chess, Mahjong and Memory Games, put this to the test.

Video Games: The New Masters of the World(fr)

In thirty years, the video game has conquered an increasingly wide audience. Drawing on the recent work of economists, sociologists, experts and interviewing major players in this field, this investigation unravels the overwhelming domination of this new mass media.

eSports: The Celebrity Millionaires of Competitive Gaming(en)

Today, there are more people in the world who play League of Legends than there are people who live in France. We wanted to look inside this rapidly expanding world of competitive gaming, so VICE host Matt Shea flew to South Korea, a country where so-called "eSports" can either make you rich and famous or land you in rehab.