UPDATE: It was a pleasure hosting the In Conversation With… Sheila McCarthy at the Victoria Film Festival on Saturday February 7. As expected, Sheila was hilarious, insightful, and the hour just flew by. Thanks to the festival and to everyone who attended the sold out interview!
I’ll be hosting the British Columbia premier of “Dancing on the Elephant,” a comedy about two women who form an unlikely alliance over a shared distaste for their nursing home. Soon they are plotting one last rebellious adventure. After the screening I’m thrilled to greet the movie’s star, special guest Sheila McCarthy from the Academy Award-winning “Women Talking.”
The VFF goes all in with elbows up as we present two of Canada’s greatest gems, Sheila McCarthy in conversation with Richard Crouse. Following the liveon-stage conversation, we present the BC premiere of their latest film, Dancing on the Elephant.
Dancing on the Elephant
Directors: Julia Neill & Jacob Z. Smithunt
2025 / Canada / 94min / Drama
Atlantic International Film Festival – Outstanding Performance
I’ll be hosting a screening of the new Anne Marie Flemming film “Can I get a Witness?” and a Q&A with star Keira Jang on Saturday February 8 at 4:30 pm at the Vic Theatre (808 Douglas St, Victoria, BC).
The synopsis: Blending live action and animation, the film is set in a postapocalyptic world in which travel and technology are virtually banned, and people who reach the age of 50 have to submit to death to control the size of the population, while young people are tasked with artistically documenting their final moments.
MOVIE TRIVIA with host Richard Crouse: Film Historia in Victoria!
In The Matrix, does Neo take the blue pill or the red pill? Who played Juror Number 8 in 12 Angry Men? What instrument was the theme from The Third Man performed on? If you know the answers to those questions, join us for a night of movie trivia at Bartholomew’s Public House (777 Douglas St.) on Sunday, February 9. (BTW, the answers are red pill, Henry Fonda and zither!)
Richard visited the Victoria Film Festival to host Q&As with JJ Feild, star of “Etruscan Smile,” Don McKellar, director of “Through Black Spruce” and Tantoo Cardinal and Evan Adams of audience favourite “Smoke Signals.” Read more HERE!
From Michael Reid’s Times Colonist article on the opening night of the Victoria Film Festival!
“Despite having risen at 3 a.m. Friday, Richard Crouse, the Toronto-based CTV film critic whose connecting flight from Vancouver was cancelled, was in good spirits when he finally arrived at 9:45 p.m. It was an hour after Crouse was scheduled to begin a Q & A with McKellar.
“There’s an inch of snow in Vancouver. It shut down everything so we had a planes, trains, automobiles and ferry trip to get here,” said Crouse.
“The ferry was fantastic. I’d never done it before so it was an adventure.”
Read Michael D. Reid’s Times – Colonist wrap of The Victoria Film Festival HERE!
“Festivals like this make people aware there are things other than superhero and comic book movies,” said Richard Crouse, CTV’s Canada AM film critic, back for his fifth time.
“Hollywood is only in the business of giving people what they want, so every time you buy a ticket to Guardians of the Galaxy after seeing it 25 times you’re tacitly saying ‘This is all I want to go and see.’ What you need to do is support smaller, more interesting films, particularly if you’re ever going to complain that Hollywood’s all out of ideas.”
Before Crouse interviewed James and Mark McKinney onstage last weekend, he did the extensive research he’s known for.
“By the time I get onstage I’ll know more about Whoopi Goldberg than Whoopi Goldberg does,” said Crouse, who’s reading books and watching her movies before interviewing the actress and comedian at the Banff Centre next weekend.
Richard hosted two “In Conversation” long form on-stage interviews during the Victoria Film Festival and judged a BravoFACT Pitch Competition which awarded $35,000 to Vancouver based filmmaker Mary Galloway. Read about it HERE!
Thanks to Ron James @TheRonJamesShow Feb 8 for the tweet: “Had best interview ever with @RichardCrouse yesterday AM @VicFilmFestival, praising the hidden boons of our road less travelled.#VICTORIA”
Thanks to Ratfish Comedy @RatfishComedy Feb 8 for the tweet “@RichardCrouse and @Mark_DMcKinney in fascinating chat at @VicFilmFestival” and Mark McKinney @Mark_DMcKinney Feb 9 for tweeting, “@RichardCrouse U were an awesome interviewer. I owe you a Tiki head.”
Richard shares an in-depth interview with Jason Whyte and Mark Leirner-Young of Reel West Magazine on Victoria, British Columbia’s CinemaSpiel Podcast.
UPDATE: It was a pleasure hosting the In Conversation With… Sheila McCarthy at the Victoria Film Festival on Saturday February 7. As expected, Sheila was hilarious, insightful, and the hour just flew by. Thanks to the festival and to everyone who attended the sold out interview!
