The Artsy Raven Podcast about Writing and Art with host JF Garrard

• Ep 102 Telling Stories Out of Necessity with Luke Gleeson

  Luke Gleeson shares why he felt compelled to tell Tsay KehDene stories, what the disappearing caribou signify, and why filmmakers should take the time to find the story that calls to them.Luke Gleeson owns and operates a number of businessesranging from consultation, to film and media services. As a businessman, and a member of the Tsay Keh Dene Nation, he has experience as a former member of Council for the Tsay Keh Dene Nation as well as Chairman of the Board for theTKD Economic Development Corporation and Director of Lands, Resources and Treaty Operations. Luke's previous award-winning doc DƏNE YI’INJETL | The Scattering of Man is on CBC Gem. His latest feature documentary, Wədzįh Nəne’ | CaribouCountry is have its world premiere at the Whistler Film Festival.The Whistler Film Festival running Dec. 3-7, 2025 featuresfilms, events, a Content Summit and Talent Programs. This year marks 25 years of the festival and the focus is cultivating Canadian talent in the film industry!Festival link: https://www.whistlerfilmfestival.com/Artsy Raven links:For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join ourexclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://artsyraven.com/If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrardPatreonsubscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

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• Ep 101 Behind the Scenes of 25 Years of Film Programming with Angela Heck and Robin Smith, Whistler Film Festival

  Marking the festival’s 25th anniversary, Angela Heck and Robin Smith reflect on the Whistler Film Festival’s (WFF) history, share insights on talentprograms designed to cultivate and elevate Canadian talent in the industry, and share tips on how filmmakers can prepare strong applications.Angela Heck has been involved in Canada’s screen-based media community for over 20 years and with WFF in a variety of ways since its start in 2001. As Executive Director, Angela is responsible for all aspects of the festival, including film and industry programming and the full slate of 15 Talent Programs. Prior to joining WFF she served as Director of Digital & Strategic Initiatives at the National Screen Institute, with past roles atWinnipeg Art Gallery Inuit Art Centre, Tactica Interactive, CBC Manitoba, University of Manitoba, and the National Film Board of Canada (Pacific &Yukon studio). As a producer Angela works extensively in the adventure realm, with productions heading up mountains from Tibet to British Columbia and on the sea in Antarctica. Most recently she produced the documentary CARVED IN STONE: SANANNGUAQTIT, available on CBC Gem and APTN lumi. Past productions include theprime time documentary series THE EXPLORER’S CLUB with FlorianFilm (ZDF/arte), and the Canada/US co-venture SOUL OF THE SEA (Blue Ant). Her first film, IN THE SHADOW OF THE CHIEF, took home the People’s Choice Award at the Whistler Film Festival in 2003. Robin Smith is currently the Director of Programming for the Whistler Film Festival and the CEO of Blue Ice Docs Inc. – a distribution andequity funding company dedicated to funding, acquiring and distributing the best non-fiction work from around the world. Robin brings a strong background of over 30 years of film, video and arts-related work to the marketplace having worked at a variety of distribution companies including The National Film Board of Canada, Alliance Films, Lions Gate Film Entertainment, Seville Pictures,Capri Releasing and level FILM. Robin has recently also been brought aboard to advise a variety of companies such as the Vancouver International Film Festival and Vortex Media. Robin also programmed the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema for its first10 years of operation. Notable releases managed and navigated by Robin include such hits as CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER, AWAY FROM HER, CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS, BLACKFISH, UP THE YANGTZE and KEDI.The Whistler Film Festival running Dec. 3-7, 2025 features films, events, a Content Summit and Talent Programs. This year marks 25 yearsof the festival and the focus is cultivating Canadian talent in the film industry!Festival link: https://www.whistlerfilmfestival.com/Artsy Raven links:For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://artsyraven.com/If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrardPatreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

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• Ep100 Nurturing Writers for Half a Century with Effie Pow & Sean Gunn, Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop (ACWW)

  Celebrating half a century of nurturing Asian Canadian talent, the Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop’s (ACWW) Effie Pow and Sean Gunn talk about the history of the organization, why it’s important to nurture creative voices, and Sean sings us "Asian Canadian Blues"!Effie Pow is a writer/editor and cultural connector interested in storytelling, creative collaboration, and arts-based community engagement. Effie was a storyteller in Gateway Theatre’s True Voices: Pride Storytelling & Tea and Zee Zee Theatre’s Queer Asian Story Collection, and has produced Perilous Words writing workshops (LiterAsian Festival), HakkaBridges, and Transforming Trauma through Words and Music, inspired by themes of identity, home, and migration. IG @perilouswordsSean Gunn was born in Vernon, BC, in August 1948 and wantsyou to know that he is the son of a Chinese head tax payer, grandson of a railway worker, and great-grandson of a gold prospector. Jang Won Jeong (1831-1907; known as On Lee) was his maternal great-grandfather, a prominent member of the Chinese community in Yale, BC. From a childhood in Vernon to Vancouver, Sean’s time at UBC in the late 60s and early 70s was the heart of the Asian Canadian movement as Chinese and Japanese Canadians explored Asian historyand identity together. To mark the 50th anniversary of the Asian Canadian Writers Workshop (ACWW), Sean shared a few personal highlights of the people and community connections that helped shape ACWW.Sean sings at 18:24 “Asian Canadian Blues” and reads his poem Sid Tow Chan at 22:37. RIP activist Sid Tow Chan (https://www.dignitymemorial.com/en-ca/obituaries/vancouver-bc/sidney-chow-tan-10948733).Effie’s interview with Sean on ACWW's journey: https://ricepapermagazine.ca/2025/09/rooted-in-community-sean-gunns-50-year-journey-with-acww/Websites: http://www.asiancanadianwriters.ca/,https://ricepapermagazine.ca/Artsy Raven links:For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join ourexclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/arpodcastIf you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrardPatreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

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• Ep 99 Turning Trauma Into Story: with Sean Paul Bedell

  Sean Paul Bedell explores turning paramedic trauma intofiction, the therapeutic force of writing, and his role in founding the Jampolis Cottage Writing Retreat.Sean Paul Bedell, author of Shoebox and SomewhereThere’s Music, has been writing and publishing for more than 30 years and previously served as a longtime paramedic and fire service captain. He has also worked in the finance, insurance, and aerospace industries and is a leadingsafety expert who holds the Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP) designation, has consulted widely across multiple sectors, served as a director with Capital Health, and was appointed to Nova Scotia’s Occupational Health & Safety Advisory Board. An active member of several national and regional writing organizations, Sean also served for many years on the board of the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia, including as president, and helped establish the Jampolis Cottage writing retreat.He lives in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, with his wife Lisa and their golden retriever, Maggie, has two grown children, Amy and Luke, and enjoys reading, travel, music, hiking, kayaking, golf, and time at the family cabin on North Mountain.At time 17:00 he reads from Shoebox.Author link: https://seanpaulbedell.ca/Jampolis Cottage writing retreat: https://writers.ns.ca/jampolis/Artsy Raven links:For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join ourexclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/arpodcastIf you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrardPatreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

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• Ep 98 Writer’s Block is a Myth with Neal Shusterman

  Neal Shusterman talks about the importance of being at theright place at the right time, how longhand fuels their creativity and why they reject the idea of a writer’s block.Neal Shusterman is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty award-winning books for children, teens, and adults, including the Unwind dystology, the Skinjacker trilogy, Downsiders, All Better Now, and Challenger Deep, which won the National Book Award. Scythe, the first book in his series Arc of a Scythe is a Michael L. Printz Honor Book. He also writes screenplays for motion pictures and television shows. Neal is the father of four, all of whom are talented writers and artists themselves.At time 21:50 he reads from MindWorks: An Uncanny Compendium of Short Fiction.Author link: https://www.storyman.com/Artsy Raven links:For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join ourexclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://jfgarrard.com/arpodcastIf you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrardPatreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

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