Film and art fans, get ready for more than a week of movies and displays as the Your Kontinent: Richmond International Film & Media Arts Festival lights up screens and public spaces in town next month.
Held at Richmond Cultural Centre (7700 Minoru Gate), this year's event is tripled in length from the one in 2012.
The extension was a response to the surge of positive feedback organizers received after the last festival.
"The feedback was from audiences was overwhelming that the festival was too short," said Ying Wang, the festival's director.
This year, the event runs from July 19-27.
The extended length also provides a better opportunity to further enhance Richmond's reputation as a multicultural and artistic hub in the Lower Mainland.
It's a feature Richmond City Coun. Chak Au was proud to speak about at the festival's media kick-off Wednesday morning.
"Richmond, as you know, has a very strong commitment to promote and support art activities," Au told a gathering of reporters at Richmond City Hall, "because we recognize that arts, culture and heritage are very important things in our city."
Au added, it creates chances for the overall development of the "quality of life of our citizens."
"I think the arts strategy of a city is to broaden diversity of art experience and opportunities," Au said. "And I think this festival not only embraces the diversity of space and form, but also brings together local an international artists under one umbrella."
On the movie side of the festival, the films on show will include an eclectic mix from around the globe - from Russia (Chapiteau Show) to Germany (Dragon Girls) and the Philippines (Harana) to South Korea (Doomsday Book).
Local talent will also be screened in the Short Film Program.
Headlining this year's featured artist program is Dana Claxton and Pisui Clyo.
Claxton will be showing three site-specific works during the festival. On July 19, her video installation entitled Rattle and Video Tipi will kick of the event at the public opening.
It features a tipi, 30-feet in diameter which will be used to project videos on to during the evenings.
Then. on July 20, Claxton with the help of the community, will construct a large medicine wheel.
Claxton said the medicine wheel is for the people of Richmond to "embrace each other in positive and supportive ways, and to live in harmony."
Clyo, an award-winning theatre director, playwright and flamenco dancer will exhibit her multi disciplinary piece, Her Silent Innermost.
Youth will be included at the festival with the (YOU)TH+(ME)DIA Day on July 20.
It is designed to inspire young filmmakers aged 14 to 19 who will be able to meet with experienced industry experts.
Workshops will also be offered and include the chance to use professional equipment at the Mock Movie Set. The $15 fee also includes lunch.
Something unique to the event and free to view is the Art in Containers exhibition where shipping containers set up on the pedestrian plaza of the cultural centre are transformed into pop-up galleries showcasing emerging artists.
According to the festival's website, this year's exhibition features themes of introspection and imagination, beauty and reality.
Tickets to the festival start at $8 for movies. The Dim Sum Movie, which combines a film and dim sum dining at Shiang Garden Seafood Restaurant, is $45, and a Festival Pass is $60.
For more information, call 778-8693278, or visit ykfestival.ca.
