Talent Lab 2022
Feature & Short Films for High School Students
IN-PERSON
This is an excellent field trip opportunity for high school students to learn about films and cultures from around the world. These weekday screenings of award-winning feature films are followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker or a discussant. Study guides are provided to all participating teachers, offering useful questions, activities and additional resources for integrating each program’s content into the curriculum.
This program is available for grades 8–12.
When: Wednesday, April 13, 2022
What: In-Person screening for DRINKWATER. The other programs are only available online.
Where: Vancity Theatre, Vancouver
To REGISTER: Registration are now closed for the R2R Festival 2022
Health Measures: Teachers, students, and chaperones are required to wear masks during our indoor programs. All equipment will be cleaned and sanitized after use. See full details on our Covid-19 health measures.
Cost: $7 per student (film + study guide)
ONLINE
When: All films available online from April 3-13, 2022
Where: Available online across British Columbia
To Register: Registration are now closed for the R2R Festival 2022

Young people everywhere are fighting for human rights, climate justice, dignity, freedom of expression, access to education, safe food, and clean water. Alone, against all odds, sometimes risking their lives and safety, teens around the globe are standing up to protect and care for those directly in harm’s way. At a time when everything seems to be or has been falling apart, these young leaders show us all how to live.

In small town British Columbia, Mike Drinkwater (Daniel Doheny), lives with his idiosyncratic and mostly absent dad, Hank (Eric McCormack)–both in desperate need of a role model. At school Mike is relentlessly bullied by star athlete, Luke. Of course Luke and Mike’s dads had a teenage rivalry decades before in the same class. Next door to the Drinkwaters, Wallace has moved in with her welcoming Filipino grandparents. Wallace takes a reluctant shine to Mike as she comes to terms with the loss of her parents and makes her way in a new town.

A Cambodian Buddhist, sci-fi – yes, you read that right! Nano technology has advanced to the point that the economically privileged live in an augmented reality. Unfortunately, not everyone in Phnom Penh has the means to be linked into the network. In fact the closest most in Tralop Bek come to ever being augmented is when scientists pay residents of the impoverished community to be test subjects for their new augments. Prompted by vivid dreams of his past lives, 13 year old Leng set out to find a rare golden statue believed to be taken from his home by the French, centuries ago. As they follow clues to find the statue, Leng and a local street scavenger, Srey Leak unearth unsettling information about Leng’s true identity.

Introverted Masha sees herself as an outsider, unless she’s with Yana and Senia who share her non-conformist status. While she is trying to navigate the intensity of high school and her pre-graduation year, Masha falls in love in a way that forces her out of her mostly isolated comfort zone. Stop-Zemlia is a radical, authentic, and sensitive glimpse at the unsettling feeling of uncertainty and the reality of friendship and social status and its impact on young growth.
*Only Available Online
Exploring the range of emotional, physical and psychological depths of first love, first encounters, and new romance, this selection of films is unafraid to dive into the nuance.
Recommended for grades 8-12
Themes: dating and relating, passion, exploring identity, gender, sexuality, curiosity, trust, intimacy, new experiences
*Only Available Online
Sometimes it’s difficult to know if one is being told the truth, which makes it difficult to trust––in the end instinct, patience and communication come to the fore.
Recommended for grades 8-12
Themes: adults behaving badly, navigating dark truths, sci-fi, courage, family dynamics, trust
*Only Available Online
Bodies intersect and almost touch as they glide through spaces claimed and unclaimed–A collection of the most memorable shorts of the year that incorporate modern dance.
Recommended for grades 8-12
Themes: movement, contemporary dance, gender roles, class disparity, ability, mobility, family, intimacy