CiTR

OLIVIA MARIE GOLOSKY (they/them) Hailing from nistawâyâw, Olivia is a Two-Spirit, Michif Director, Writer and Producer. Olivia’s passion is to empower Two-Spirit, Queer, and Trans Indigenous voices through a lens of radical self-love and joy. In their solo work, they anchor their voice around displacement and rebuilding their world as a Survivor. Their films have screened at festivals and galleries across North America and their play, WIHTIKO, can be found in the Alberta Playwrights Network’s catalogue. Currently, they are in development for their first feature film, Rhinestone Cowboi and they are an Associate Producer with Experimental Forest Films.

Olivia’s animated short film pî?îwî, follows a Two-Spirit Métis person on a deeply personal journey of healing. Set in the fractured spaces of trauma and resilience, the film explores the nuanced process of self-discovery and reclaiming one’s identity in the aftermath of violence. pîkîwî screens on March 7 at 1 pm at the VIFF Centre (GEMFest Shorts Program: Rise), To learn more about the artist visit www.oliviamariegolosky.com, or @oliv3_mar3 on Instagram.



JENNY LEE-GILMORE (she/her) is an actor & filmmaker based in Vancouver, BC. She started her career as a Producer’s & Director’s assistant and has worked on productions for Netflix, Lionsgate, NBC, Newline & Disney. Her debut short film Breakaway played in festivals across North America and was selected in the Top 9 of 2020’s CBC Short Film Face Off. She recently directed THE TELUS Originals documentary OVERTIME, about her mom’s 55+ hockey team which earned her a nomination for the "One to Watch" award by the Vancouver Film Critics Circle. She’s an alumna of the University of BC BFA Film Production Program, as well as numerous programs and producing labs as well as being a recipient of the 2024 Women In the Director's Chair Advantage Award.

Jenny’s film LITTLE MISS SLEEPY (2024) - The filmmaker explores her journey of being diagnosed with Narcolepsy at age 21 and documents her participation in a scientific research study to help raise awareness for the condition that currently has no known cure. Little Miss Sleepy will screen on March 8 at 12:30 pm as part of the Shorts Program: Flutter at the VIFF Centre (1181 Seymour Street)

To learn more about the Artist, visit @jenny_leegilmore, on Instagram



__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

DION SMITH-DOAKKIE (he/they) is a painter by trade and is interested in location and place, infrastructure, communication, materiality and erotics. He holds an MFA from the University of British Columbia and was one of five finalists for the 2024 Phillip B. Lind Prize for Emerging Artists at the Polygon Gallery in North Vancouver.

They have had several exhibitions across Canada and their work has been supported by the BC Arts Council and Canada Arts Council. Dion has participated in numerous residencies and has received awards like the Kwi Am Choi Scholarship Prize and a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Master’s Program Scholarship for research on landscape painting, along with numerous other scholarships. A published Writer, he is a self-described shy gay man and a member of West Moberly First Nations.

RODNEY SHARMAN (he/him) teaches at the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra School of Music and is Program Instructor & Composer Mentor of the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra. He has been involved with numerous music companies including: Victoria Symphony's Composer-Mentor-in-Residence, Early Music Vancouver’s “New Music for Old Instruments”, the Victoria Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, National Youth Orchestra of Canada, and Composer-Host of Calgary Philharmonic’s Festival, "Hear and Now".
In addition to concert music, Sharman writes for cabaret, opera and dance. He has been awarded numerous times for his work including First Prize in the CBC Competition for Young Composers, Dora Mavor Moore Award (Toronto), and the Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts. Learn more about the Artist at www.rodneysharman.com


Mirrors: Michael Morris & Dion Smith-Dokkie, curated by Rodney Sharman is currently running at the SUM Gallery, 268 Keefer Street from February 6th through April 4th. Visit the sum gallery at sumgallery.ca and or queerartsfestival.com