Operating a business that focuses on the Canadian film industry (both locally and countrywide) my writers and I get to mingle and meet with other business owners and support them by attending their events AND covering them. Today I want to tell you about Mitribe Media, a local little company in our humble town of Vancouver that offers many opportunities for the aspiring young filmmakers of tomorrow, today! Their convenient services (for those in Vancouver) include a giant location for filming, a studio for recording, a casting service for finding ideal actors for your project, and even a monthly table reading session so you can hear your script read out loud by some local actors in Vancouver. (If any of my filmmakers friends are reading of this and never heard of Mitribe, what are you doing? Reach out to them today!)
But they don’t only provide some super services, they throw the greatest parties/gatherings you could ever go to. A bit on the pricey side, but all worth it and you will enjoy yourself as you mingle with film types, drink, have some refreshments, and enjoy some live entertainment. This year, Mitribe did their Christmas party at a different location than their usual spot at the Anza Club, they instead hosted at Performance Works on Granville Island (funny how I was there the day before for something else) which provided more space for more people and more opportunities for movement by live performances, among other things. I have to give a shoutout to Rowan Jang for inviting me, everyone involved, and all the people I connected with at this party. It was one celebration I thoroughly enjoyed.
Doors Opened – The doors officially opened at 7PM and it took some time for people to come in. The crowd was pretty quiet at first, but at least there was a banquet table with a wide variety. If I could’ve eaten much more than I would’ve. The bar had some pretty interesting drinks, especially the Mitribe Mixture, which was a combination of Gin and fruit juices. You had to be there to taste it. There was a photo wall that allowed me to get this article’s cover photo (but I HAVE to use a different pose for the NEXT event I cover), and then came the entertainment.
Opening Entertainment – Performed by a lovely lady named Lenna, songs included Sia’s My Snowman and Me, Justin Bieber’s Mistletoe, and Mariah Carey’s super popular but overplayed Christmas song that I’ve heard for the 37th time so far in 2 weeks. Sorry, it’s just REALLY getting on my nerves. Then she started singing some sad songs which I definitely felt more in the mood for (last week was rocky, but I don’t want to go into detail on why) but it seemed like people were more interested in eating and socializing. I probably would’ve been the same if I hadn’t brought my notebook and covered this. Lenna was still great, and I wish she had stayed for an encore.
Opening Speech – Started off by Kelly Kieu because we all had to wait for Rowan a little bit longer. As usual, he promoted his business and several other film festivals/businesses, talked about his company’s origin and fascinated us all with his heartwarming and humourous speech.
Door Prizes – On the way in, people could buy raffle tickets to get fabulous prizes like tickets to Crazy 8’s, free headshots by Corey Chadwick Malone, and even an opportunity for something involving MAMM and/or VBAFF. For someone who had a good length of tickets (for only $5 even) I didn’t win anything, but then again I always get free media passes for stuff like that being a Media Man myself. Seriously though, #supportlocal. That’s what we do for each other in Vancouver’s film industry.
Entertainment – First came Canadian Country Singer Kassandra Clack along with her two bandmates on keyboard and guitar. No one paid attention at first, but the music was awesome and eventually a crowd came to stand around by the third song. Following that were some dancers from Studio North who did sensual dancing to seductive music which made the audience holler excitedly. Then Mitribe’s 2 music men, Henny Lucas and Shae Ponzio, who did a few songs for us, because Mitribe Media also specializes in music. There was also a DJ involved as well (Northburn Records feat. Sultry Sessions) but I had to leave early due to my ridiculously tight schedule I’ve got nowadays. I’m practically writing this at 1AM now.
Despite it going on for quite a late time, I still had a good time. The folks at Mitribe Media know how to par-tay! Especially during the Christmas Season!