Sometimes all it takes to get a film made is asking.
For Vancouver director Corben Bowen and producer Jasmine Vega, that question went out on TikTok: who in Vancouver wants to work in front of or behind the camera? – The response… it was a little bigger than anyone expected.
According to Vancouver-based PUP Films, the post generated more than 5,000 direct messages, including plenty from people looking for their first opportunity in the film industry.
What came next was Grief Goodbye, a new locally made sci-fi drama that brought together a 90-person cast and crew and is now headed to the Chilliwack Independent Film Festival.
That’s not bad for a TikTok post.
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A Vancouver film built around opening doors
Vancouver has no shortage of film and television production. There’s a reason the city continues to carry its “Hollywood North” nickname, with major productions regularly taking over streets and studios across Metro Vancouver.
The media regularly spotlights major productions and celebrities spotted filming across the region, as seen in movies and television shows filming around the region. Yet, for aspiring industry professionals, landing that first opportunity on a production can still be a significant challenge.
That’s part of what made the approach behind Grief Goodbye different.
Rather than building the entire production exclusively through established industry networks, the team used the initial social media callout to bring emerging filmmakers onto a working set alongside experienced department heads. The crew included cinematographer Alfonso Chin, whose credits include David Fincher’s VOIR and Netflix’s Black Mirror, along with production manager Jessica Wadsworth and first assistant director Matt Sawatzky.
It turned the production into more than simply making a short film. For some of the people involved, it became a chance to learn how a professional production works from the inside.
That kind of community-building feels particularly relevant at a time when Vancouver’s film community has increasingly rallied around independent filmmakers and spaces. Earlier this year, the city’s Park Theatre was saved with backing from a group of film industry figures, another example of local filmmakers investing back into the ecosystem around them.
So what is Grief Goodbye about?
The sci-fi drama starts with a pretty heavy question: If you could have one last conversation with someone who has died, would you?
The story follows Vic, played by Jasmine Vega, and Asami, played by Chezca Vega, as they enter a mysterious facility and encounter an inmate known as 3032, August, played by Micah Greentree. From there, the film explores grief, memory and the things people leave unsaid.
Bowen directed the film from a screenplay written with Greentree and Jasmine Vega. The cast also includes Milania Kerr, Matthew Kevin Anderson, Victoria Bidewell, Edik Beddoes, Tintera Bracken, Zia Newton, Henry C. King and Jack Stevenson.
Jasmine Vega and Bowen produced the film under their PUP Films banner, alongside producers Chezca Vega, Anisha Cheema, Micah Greentree and Farryn VanHumbeck, with Mehr Bhatia serving as co-producer. Grief Goodbye – FOR IMMEDIATE R…
PUP Films describes itself as a Vancouver-based BIPOC production company focused on film and other visual work.
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The film hits the big screen this October
Now the project is moving from a social media experiment and local set to a theatre.
Grief Goodbye will screen on Saturday, October 24 at 1 p.m. at Galaxy Cinemas Chilliwack as part of the 2026 Chilliwack Independent Film Festival. This year marks the 10th edition of the festival, which runs from October 21 to 25 and is showcasing more than 100 films from around the world.
For Bowen, Vega and the team behind Grief Goodbye, though, the screening also represents the end result of a pretty unconventional experiment.
Put out an open invitation to Vancouver. See who answers. Then give some of those people an opportunity to actually make something.
More than 5,000 messages later, that something is headed to the big screen.
Event Details
When: Saturday, October 24 at 1 p.m
Where: Galaxy Cinemas Chilliwack, 8249 Eagle Landing Pkwy, Chilliwack
Cost: Chilliwack Independent Film Festival schedule and tickets
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