AV Kitching

Award-winning filmmaker’s death took away an inspiring, generous mentor

Erin Hembrador was an award-winning Filipina-Canadian filmmaker who had a knack for telling “poignant and sincere” stories of the diaspora.

The budding talent was nominated for Best Manitoba Director Award for her debut film, Piece of Mind, at the Gimli Film Festival in 2018. At the FascinAsian Film Festival in 2022, she had won Best Prairie Short for her film Mansanas, and Best Canadian Short for Container, which she co-directed with fellow filmmaker Quan Luong.

Hembrador had just wrapped up shooting another film when she died, unexpectedly.

“Erin loved to make films. She would have her full-time job, but would take the time in the evening to write scripts and apply for grants. She’d have to figure out locations, casting and things like that. She would be stressed out, but she did a good job balancing things,” her husband Elfren-Ray Raquin shares.

Manitoba Women’s Institute shares stories of pandemic’s daily impact

Annette Holowka kept a journal, Dorothy Braun devoted herself to caring for her mother, Sheena Letexier travelled the world without ever leaving her armchair and Debra Barrett collected stories.

Patience pays off as northern Manitoban composer gets in step with rhythms of seasonal change

Kerey Harper is learning to be patient with himself.

The 26-year-old musician from St. Theresa Point First Nation — a remote community accessible only by ice roads or plane — creates electronic dreamscapes inspired by weather, seasonal changes and nature.

Manitoba acts ready for their closeup on Canada’s Got Talent

A pole artist, a singer, an escape artist and two dance groups from Manitoba will join 77 other talents to face the judges in Season 2 of Canada’s Got Talent, which premieres on March 21 on Citytv.

A treasure of Ukrainian culture open to the world

It may end up being a never-ending task, but it’s one Olesia Sloboda is only too happy to oversee.

The curator of Oseredok Ukrainian Culture and Exhibition Centre has spent the last 14 months digitizing items in aid of its newly launched online catalogue.

Sweet celebrity dreams for Brandon’s Blush Silks

It’s a dream come true for Brandon-based business Blush Silks.

Raising up books as social justice tools

Valerie Chelangat spends her days reading. She reads every day, mostly in the morning, sometimes before bed in the evenings and, if she has time to spare, in the hours between.

What’s up: Belly laughs, beading and budget-friendly dining

Winnipeg Comedy Showcase celebrates nine years with 32nd show

The chill is on thanks to Winter Wanderland

It’s a harsh reality for ice sculptors — their masterpieces will always be reduced to puddles.

Kate Fenske is in the business of boosting much-maligned Winnipeg neighbourhood

Kate Fenske can rewire a light fixture, build a deck and construct wooden stairs from scratch.

What she cannot do is cook.

And yet here she is, standing in a commercial kitchen, tearing up a baguette into bite-size pieces for a bread salad that will accompany today’s meal: roast chicken and broccoli with cheese sauce, Fenske’s go-to comfort food.

“I don’t cook, can’t cook and would rather fix things. He’s better at this and I’m better at that, and we play to our strengths,” she says as the “he” in question, partner Liam Martin, takes on the bulk of the work.

If it’s cool and you dig it, enter it in Cool Digs

Grab your shovels and get building.

Originality of winning banner questioned

Questions are being raised about the winning design of the new Lunar New Year Chinese zodiac banner competition organized by Downtown Winnipeg BIZ and the Winnipeg Chinese Cultural and Community Centre.

Flower power: city bakery’s goodies off to the Grammys

Grammy Award nominees Beyonce, Lizzo and Adele will likely receive goody bags containing items from Winnipeg-based online boutique bakery Flour &Flower when the 65th Grammys take place Feb. 5 in Los Angeles.

Banner melds cultural elements to herald lunar new year

It’s time for the tiger to roar out and the rabbit to hop in as the city’s East Asian community welcomes the Lunar New Year.