Velcrow Ripper (born October 20, 1963, in

Gibsons Gibsons is a coastal community of 4,605 in southwestern British Columbia, Canada on the Strait of Georgia. Although it is on the mainland, the Sunshine Coast is not accessible by road. Vehicle access is by BC Ferries from Horseshoe Bay in West ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...

) is a Canadian documentary filmmaker, writer, and public speaker, best known for his

Genie Award The Genie Awards were given out annually by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to recognize the best of Canadian cinema from 1980–2012. They succeeded the Canadian Film Awards (1949–1978; also known as the "Etrog Awards," for sc ...

-winning 2006 film ''

Scared Sacred ''Scared Sacred'' is an independent film produced in 2004 and released in 2006 by director Velcrow Ripper. ''Scared Sacred'' is a feature-length documentary that takes viewers to many of the places in the world that have experienced great sufferin ...

'' and his newest feature documentary, '' Fierce Light: When Spirit Meets Action''. His 1995 feature documentary, '' Bones of the Forest'', won twelve major awards, including a

, and Best of the Festival at the

Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival The Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival is the largest documentary festival in North America. The event takes place annually in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The 27th edition of the festival took place online throughout May and June ...

. Many of his films examine the intersection of

spirituality The meaning of ''spirituality'' has developed and expanded over time, and various meanings can be found alongside each other. Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape ...

and politics. He has also been a contributor to ''

ascent Ascent or The Ascent may refer to: Publications * ''Ascent'' (magazine), an independent, not-for-profit magazine * ''Ascent'' (journal), a literary journal based at Concordia College * ''Ascent'' (novel), by Jed Mercurio * '' Times Ascent'', a ...

'' and ''Shambhala Sun'' magazines, which explore similar issues. His writing has also appeared in the anthologies, ''We are Everywhere'' and ''Dam Nation''. He is a co-founder of the Gulf Islands Film and Television School, and has taught film at

Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design Emily Carr University of Art + Design (abbreviated as ECU) is a public art university located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The university's campus is located within the Great Northern Way Campus in Strathcona. The university is a co ...

, and at the

Ontario College of Art and Design Ontario College of Art & Design University, commonly known as OCAD University or OCAD, is a public art university located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus is spread throughout several buildings and facilities within d ...

. He also teaches workshops and lectures on the themes of spirituality and activism. Born Steve Ripper, he was raised in British Columbia as a member of the

Baháʼí Faith The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people. Established by Baháʼu'lláh in the 19th century, it initially developed in Iran and parts of the ...

."The punk rocker with 'industrial-strength spirituality'"
''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'', May 14, 2009. He later adopted the nickname Velcrow while participating in punk rock culture in his youth. He currently lives on

Gibsons, British Columbia Gibsons is a coastal community of 4,605 in southwestern British Columbia, Canada on the Strait of Georgia. Although it is on the mainland, the Sunshine Coast is not accessible by road. Vehicle access is by BC Ferries from Horseshoe Bay in West ...

Films

*''I'm Happy. You're Happy. We're all happy. Happy, happy, happy.'' (1990) *''The Road Stops Here'' (1994) *'' Bones of the Forest'' (co-directed with Heather Frise) (1995) *''Open Season'' (1998) *''In the Company of Fear'' (1999) *''

'' (2006) *'' Fierce Light: When Spirit Meets Action'' (2009) *''

Occupy Love ''Occupy Love'' is a 2012 documentary film about the Occupy movement directed by Velcrow Ripper. The film premiered at the 2012 Vancouver International Film Festival. Overview ''Occupy Love'' argues that the Arab Spring, Occupy movement, ''Indign ...

'' (2012) *
Metamorphosis
' (co-directed with Nova Ami) (2018)

References

External links

* *https://www.velcrowripper.com *https://www.transparentfilm.media 1963 births Canadian documentary film directors Living people People from Gibsons, British Columbia Directors of Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners for Best Documentary Film Canadian documentary film producers Film producers from British Columbia {{Canada-film-director-stub