The Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival is an annual international competition and presentation of short films and documentaries about mountain culture, sports, and the environment, held every year since 1976. A selection of some of the best films then go on tour, and the local stop again this year is at Elphinstone Secondary School in Gibsons. It’s on Friday, Nov. 22. Doors at 6 p.m.; screenings start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 (cash only) from Alpha Adventures, Trail Bay Source for Sports, Elphi Cycles, Beyond Consignment, Tapworks, and at the door. Proceeds support the volunteer maintenance of public cabins and trails in Tetrahedron Provincial Park.
Maliha-ha
An evening of comedy is in store at the Heritage Playhouse in Gibsons on Saturday Nov. 23, with local host Toby Hargrave and headliner Patrick Maliha, a veteran of comedy fests across the country. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 at www.share-there.com, The Blackberry Shop in Gibsons and The Fish Market in Sechelt.
Freedom fundraiser
The Big Creek Band does their danceable swing thing, artist Lori Morris does some live painting, and everyone can dig in to the array of desserts at a family-friendly evening at Christian Life Assembly in Gibsons. It’s all in support of the International Justice Mission’s work of rescuing victims of human trafficking. Saturday, Nov. 23. See the feature story in the Arts section.
Classical piano
Award-winning pianist Kevin Kenner – who garnered top honours at the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw – performs a concert at Raven’s Cry Theatre in Sechelt on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 to $30.
Paradis performs
Simon Paradis and Farm Team play tunes from their new CD release Groove and Ruts at Coopers Green Hall in Halfmoon Bay on Saturday, Nov. 23. The album is getting some strong reviews. Toronto critic Tom Sanford has written that this “gifted, insightful musician and songwriter” has created a work that stands “as a uniquely compelling personal statement about the resilience of the human spirit.” Doors at 7 p.m., music at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 at Welcome Woods Market, Halfmoon Bay General Store, and Pastimes in Sechelt.
Le Roux and Debaere
You can catch the unique HA!Man performance at St. John’s United Church in Davis Bay on Sunday, Nov. 24, at 3 p.m. South Africa-based composer and musician François Le Roux plays cello and piano along with pre-recorded tracks, video footage and spontaneous voicing, all while sharing the stage with his wife, Belgian performance poet Jokë Debaere. It’s a touching and stylish words and music event, and one-of-a-kind. Admission is by donation.
Shoplifters
2018 Cannes winner and Oscar nominee, the Japanese film Shoplifters follows a family of outcasts who thieve to make ends meet. When they discover a shivering, bruised little girl alone in the street, their lives change drastically. Sunshine Coast Film Society screenings will be at the Heritage Playhouse in Gibsons on Monday, Nov. 25 and Tuesday the 26th at 7:30 p.m., and Thursday, Nov. 28 at 2 p.m. at Raven’s Cry Theatre in Sechelt. Members $5, non-members, $9.
Historic choral music
The Sunshine Coast Vespersong Choir will perform a rarely heard Choral Evensong, Nov. 24 at 5 p.m. at St. Bart’s in Gibsons. Sunday’s performance features traditional English spiritual music from the past four centuries, directed by organist and pianist David Poon. Escape from the cares of the world at this contemplative, joyful service. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. Admission by donation.
Roots and blues
The five-piece Vancouver band Mud Bay boasts a musical range that stretches from Chicago blues to country, Cajun, rock and soul. They play the Roberts Creek Legion on Friday, Nov. 22. Show at 8:30 p.m. Tickets at the door are $10 for members, $20 for guests.
Music Makers
The annual Fall Celebration for Music Makers will be held Wednesday, Nov. 27 at the Chatelech Secondary School Theatre, 7 p.m. Featured will be the Music Makers Adult Choir, the Monday Morning Feel Good Choir and the young violinists of Fiddlers Wild. Tickets are $15 from Strait Music and The Blackberry Shop.
More music
The Inappropriates play the Lighthouse Pub in Sechelt on Friday, Nov. 22 and Saturday the 23rd at 8 p.m.
The Blue Line Duo do a couple of sets at the Gibsons Public Market, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23, while Charlotte Wrinch entertains the mid-afternoon crowd over at Persephone Brewing.
On Saturday night, Half Cut and The Slackers are in at the Gibsons Legion with their playlist of top-40 dance hits, starting at 8 p.m.
Tunesmith Grant Olson plays the Backeddy Resort in Egmont on Saturday starting at 6:30 p.m.
Submissions
If there’s an event you’d like considered for Art Beat, please let us know by 11 a.m. Tuesday at [email protected]. Space is limited and, regrettably, we can’t list everything. Also check Coast Reporter’s Coast Community Calendar for more music and events.
