March 27 2025 edition: The people pushed out of Whistler

Hey there. We’ve got big things bubbling away at the Straight at the moment. Big, shiny, aureate things… 

For a different kind of big, shiny experience, nothing beats the saucy glitz of the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival. We’ve got two tickets to give away to the festival’s Glamorama Gala next week. Head over to our Instagram channel for your chance to win before the giveaway closes tonight. 

— V.
Associate Editor

— FEATURE — 

Crazy8s helps emerging filmmakers navigate a crazy film world

Despite the bustling film industry in Vancouver, local indie filmmakers can struggle to launch. “Vancouver sits in this weird juxtaposition of having all these artists living in the city and people wanting to make stuff,” says filmmaker Spencer Zimmerman, “but it doesn’t have the support or framework to actually pull up original Canadian content.” Crazy8s is doing its best to be different. The long-running annual competition supports filmmakers in making creative shorts, like Zimmerman’s dark satire Headcase.

— CITY & CULTURE —

Meet the people fighting for supportive housing in Whistler

Currently, there is no supportive housing in Whistler for people with developmental disabilities. WISH is trying to change that. “We’ve had families that have moved out of Whistler in the past because they didn’t have the support for their loved one,” explains WISH member Sue Hargrave.

• Via Vancouver Tech Journal: A new platform helps businesses hire Canadian residents

• Whether you're an established enterprise or a scaling startup, find a coworking space that's right for you. Connect with a WeWork expert today.*

  *sponsored listing

SPONSORED BY PHS COMMUNITY SERVICES SOCIETY

Make a difference in your community

PHS Community Services Society operates more than 1,900 units of supportive housing and low-barrier sheltering in Vancouver and Victoria and a supporting network of community-based services including recovery from substance use, Indigenous health programs, affordable dentistry and low-barrier banking.

Supportive housing brings people who are in crisis off the streets and back indoors to living with stability, hope and dignity. 

Your support helps PHS provide a path back to independence for people in desperate need. Please donate to PHS today.

— ARTS —

Space Babes is a camp cosmic escape

Alex Allen’s Space Babes opens this week at Slice Gallery. It’s inspired by campy sci-fi and Y2K aesthetics, but flips sexist tropes on their head. “I liked the idea of girls in a little world where nothing can touch them,” Allen tells us. “They can just be cute however they like, and almost safe from reality.”

• Review: American Idol finalist Jayna Elise shines in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

• Catch Twist of Fate at The Improv Centre! This fast-paced show is full of unexpected curveballs that push the limits of the performers’ improvisational skills.*

• Don't miss Kristin Key live at the Vogue Theatre on March 30th! Kristin Key is a nationally headlining, queer musical comedian with sold-out shows nationwide.*

• Join West Coast Chamber Music on Mother's Day for a fabulous performance of Florence Price's Piano Quintet in A minor, as well as works by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco and Franz Schubert!*

*sponsored listing

SPONSORED BY DAN SAVAGES’S HUMP! FILM FESTIVAL

Don't miss 2025 HUMP! Part One at Rio Theatre this weekend!

HUMP!'s 20th season is coming in hot with a Part One lineup that's a wiggling, jiggling masterpiece from its wicked horns to its worshipped feet. Enjoy 23 all-new "dirty" shorts (5 min. max) celebrating human sexuality, and learn why the sexiest, most empowering thing you can be is unapologetically yourself.

— FOOD —

Superbaba is opening its third spot

Voted the Best Casual Restaurant in last year’s Golden Plates, beloved Lebanese eatery Superbaba is opening a new spot downtown.

— ICYMI —

• Commentary: Why are devastating transit cuts up for debate?

• Mèreon brings a fresh twist to French fare

• The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s new flutist is 18

• What’s In Your Fridge: Pickle Juice

• The free Juno Block Party is happening this weekend

— THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND —

COMEDY: British comedian Nish Kumar tours “Nish, Don’t Kill My Vibe.” (March 27 @ Little Mountain Gallery)

BOOKS: Poet Otoniya J. Okot Bitek discusses her first novel, We, the Kindling. (March 27 @ Vancouver Public Library Central Branch)

TALKS: Composer and artist Raven Chacon discusses America’s colonial legacy from an Indigenous perspective. (March 27 @ Chan Centre for the Performing Arts)

THEATRE: Behind the Moon captures a slice of the immigrant experience. (March 27 to April 6 @ Vancity Culture Lab)

THEATRE: Erotic feminist comedy Home Deliveries could consider a cheeky rename to Home Devilries. (March 27 to April 13 @ Jericho Arts Centre)

MUSIC: JUNOfest brings you a double-dose of golden music from Yukon Blonde and Blonde Diamond. (March 28 @ Rickshaw Theatre)

DANCE: Bulleh Shah premieres his mystical latest word, Seeker of Light. (March 28 to 29 @ Scotiabank Dance Centre)

FOOD & DRINK: No Pressure Cookbook Club kicks off. (March 30 @ Birds & the Beets)

MUSIC: Judy Collins promises decades of folk perfection. (March 30 @ Massey Theatre)

Want to know what else is happening in Vancouver? Check out our events listings.

That’s it!

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