Crazy 8s Gala inspires with six amazing short films by Vancouver filmmakers

Saturday night I went to the Vogue Theatre for the Crazy8s  Gala that supports local filmmakers. Friends in the film industry, like Robyn Wiener from Women in Film, suggested I come out and I’m glad I did because the evening was a great success. It took me Sunday to recover from a great night full of meeting many creative and inspiring people and watching six amazing short films.

I could sense the buzz and excitement the minute I arrived outside the Vogue on Granville Street. There was a long line up waiting to get inside and from the talking and the look on people's faces, I knew it was going to be a good night.

As I was waited for my tickets to get into the Gala, I decided to randomly approach people outside the venue for their comments on coming to the event.

Actor Viv Leacock

 A young well-dressed man was standing near the entrance so I asked why he came to Crazy8s. Viv Leacock happened happened to be the actor who plays the cat Waffles in Cat vs. Man. Viv was very approachable and friendly as I asked him questions. He told me that this was his third time at Crazy8s. He was approached to audition for roles of Waffles. It was his first time working with Director Zia Marashi. It turns out that Cat vs. Man was one of my favourite films.

 Two women near the entrance were waiting patiently, so I approached them. It turns out they had missed getting tickets and were hoping to get into the sold out show. I spoke with Eden Philip who runs an acting studio for kids and teens called Active One Studios. This was Eden’s second year at the event, what keeps her coming back is the high quality of films and the chance to support local films. Eden was approached by Director Catrin Bowen about contributing a film as part of the “Triple Dog Dare” initiative to get more women involved in the event. Eden also looks for actors to teach acting at her studio, which shows a side economic benefit of putting together showcases like Crazy8s.

Acting studio owner Eden Philip and friend