Kevin Friel
Festival Director
BC + AI Film Club
October 28–30 · Vancouver
The nerve to quit waiting for permission: make the thing, screen it, learn out loud with people doing the same.
About Kevin Friel
Kevin Friel is a Vancouver filmmaker, video producer, and VFX artist with more than 25 years in production, and these days he makes short films with generative video tools. He was VFX production coordinator for the FX department at DNEG Vancouver on Dune: Part One, which won the Oscar and the BAFTA for visual effects. He co-founded and co-hosts the BC + AI Film Club, a monthly night of screenings, prompt challenges, and frontier artists for a room of 80 to 150, and directed its first film festival in 2025: 250+ people and six films at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre. At this festival he also runs cameras and AV across all three days.
Where to find Kevin
- Friday · October 301:50–2:10 PM
H.R. MacMillan Space Centre
1100 Chestnut St, Vancouver, BC V6J 3J9
Get directions to H.R. MacMillan Space Centre (opens in a new tab)Stop Waiting for Permission
Kevin co-founded the BC + AI Film Club. What happens when filmmakers stop waiting for permission, make the thing and screen it.
Add to calendar - Friday · October 302:50–3:05 PM
H.R. MacMillan Space Centre
1100 Chestnut St, Vancouver, BC V6J 3J9
Get directions to H.R. MacMillan Space Centre (opens in a new tab)Questions with the speakers
Kevin, Mayumi and Philippe take questions on artists, authorship and human-led creative work.
On stage with Mayumi Rollings and Philippe Pasquier.
Add to calendar
Times are Vancouver time and can still move. See the full program
Start here
Watch
That Escalated Quickly
His March 2026 Film Club keynote. AI burnout is real, and his answer is punk rock: DIY rooms, no gatekeepers.
Watch
The Visitor
A short he made with Google Veo 3 the month it came out, then screened for the Vancouver AI meetup.
Watch
Shepherds
Shot on an iPhone and rebuilt with Runway's video-to-video the month it came out, in November 2024.
Explore more speakers
All 41 speaker profiles →
Mayumi RollingsFri 302:10–2:30 PMSame session: Q&A
Philippe PasquierWed 288:40–9:04 PMSame session: Q&A
Charles BicariFri 308:00–10:00 PMAlso explores Creativity
Ana SerranoFri 3010:30–10:50 AMAlso explores Creativity
Prem GillFri 3010:30–10:50 AMAlso explores Creativity
Sara BlenkhornFri 3011:30–11:50 AMAlso explores Empowerment
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