The Reel to Real: A Celebration of Moving Images for Youth Society is a non-profit registered charity dedicated to showing the best in culturally diverse, authentic programming for youth. Reel to Real presents an annual film festival, the Reel 2 Real International Film Festival for Youth, and media arts programming year-round.

Through public screenings, hands-on workshops, interactive panel discussions, and public forums, our mission is to involve youth in actively viewing and discussing professionally made films; expose youth to new ideas and cultural perspectives; offer high-quality cinematic entertainment outside the mainstream; explore issues that are important to youth; engage youth in discussions with filmmakers about their work; increase understanding of the art and craft of filmmaking; and promote the production and presentation of high quality independent films for youth.

Photo by: Tammy Bannister

Brief History

Founded in 1998, the Reel to Real: A Celebration of Moving Images for Youth Society has grown and expanded its presentation of Canadian, independent media artworks. The annual Reel 2 Real International Film Festival began as a four-day event in one venue, and has expanded to an eight-day event in two venues: the Roundhouse Community Centre and Vancity Theatre. Highlights have included the Vancouver premiere of several independent Canadian films: Kayla, directed by Nicholas Kendall; Summer of the Monkeys, directed by Michael Anderson; Eleanore Lindo’s widely acclaimed, award-winning Touching Wild Horses; emerging director Evan Adam’s first feature documentary, Kla Ah Men: As Far Back As the Story Goes about the Sliammon First Nation; Sandra Sawatzky’s innovative film without dialogue, The Girl Who Married a Ghost; and Claude Gagnon’s Kamataki. Through community partnerships, the organization has created several outreach programs, bringing independent bringing Canadian, independent media artworks to socially and economically marginalized inner-city and rural youth. Our most successful programs include Animating History and B.C. Stories.