It takes two to tango this Valentine's Day at the Rio Theatre!

The highly-anticipated Burlesque Duos returns to the Rio's stage on Friday, February 14. This beloved (not to mention popular!) East Vancouver Valentine's Day tradition is the ultimate spectacle of partnership and creativity. Spice up your Valentine's Day with a night of never-before-seen pairings and innovative duets!

Wednesday, February 14 - Over 50% Sold Out!
Doors 7:00 pm | Show 8:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

General Admission $30 + s/c in advance | $35+ s/c at the door
VIP Tickets $40+ s/c (Available online only)

Perfect for singles and couples alike, the evening's marquee will include unforgettable performances from eight of Vancouver’s top teasers, including:

Gigi LaVande & Honey Bee
April O'Peel & Homo Hardware
Diva the Violet Femme & Miss Kiss
Vita Devour & Arabella Boop

Hosted by Ella Lamoureux and Gia Sangria

The third film from visionary Australian director Baz Luhrmann, MOULIN ROUGE!, is a hyper-stylized, dramatic and romp that turns the conventions of the musical genre onto its (glittering) head by mixing a period romance with anachronistic dialogue and songs, reminiscent of the approach he utilized (with great success) in ROMEO+JULIET.

Ewan McGregor stars as Christian, a young Englishman who leaves behind his bourgeois father during the French belle époque of the late 1890s to seek his fortunes in the bohemian underworld of Montmartre. Here, Christian meets the absinthe- and alcohol-addicted artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (John Leguizamo), who introduces him to a world of sex, drugs, music, theater, and the scandalous dance known as the cancan at the Moulin Rouge, a decadent dance hall, brothel, and theater that's the brainchild of Harold ZidlerHowever (Jim Broadbent), and quickly becomes completely infatuated with the beautiful singer and courtesan Satine (Nicole Kidman, in a career-high). However, she has been promised by the manager to a Duke - in return for funding his next production. As the young lovers meet in secret, Satine's wedding day draws closer but she hides a fatal secret from both Christian and the Duke. The film seamlessly weaves contemporary songs by Nirvana, Madonna, the Beatles, and Queen into a sparkling confection, loosely based on the opera "Orpheus in the Underworld." With Richard Roxburgh, Kylie Minogue.

"A love-it-or-hate-it experience, MOULIN ROUGE! is all style, all giddy, over-the-top spectacle. But it's also daring in its vision and wildly original." (Rotten Tomatoes)

"MOULIN ROUGE! is a tour de force of artifice, a dazzling pastiche of musical and visual elements at the service of a blatantly artificial story." (Variety)

Friday, February 14
Doors 10:45 pm | Movie 11:15 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Late Night Date Night! Bring a friend, date, or fellow romantic movie musical lover and get two-for-one entry!

MOULIN ROUGE! (Baz Luhrmann, 2001 / 127 mins / PG) A celebration of love and creative inspiration takes place in the infamous, gaudy and glamorous Parisian nightclub, at the cusp of the 20th century. A young poet, who is plunged into the heady world of Moulin Rouge, begins a passionate affair with the club's most notorious and beautiful star.

A stunning tribute to the resilience of Native people and their way of life, SUGARCANE, the debut feature documentary from Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, is an epic cinematic portrait of a community during a moment of international reckoning.

In 2021, evidence of unmarked graves was discovered on the grounds of an Indian residential school run by the Catholic Church in Canada. After years of silence, the forced separation, assimilation and abuse many children experienced at these segregated boarding schools was brought to light, sparking a national outcry against a system designed to destroy Indigenous communities. Set amidst a groundbreaking investigation, SUGARCANE illuminates the heartbreak and beauty of a community breaking cycles of intergenerational trauma and finding the strength to survive.

ISUGARCANE is currently nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Documentary category.

“Delicately infuriating documentary Sugarcane digs deep into pain of Canada’s residential school system” (Globe and Mail)

“Devastating Doc about Canadian Residential Schools Should be Required Viewing” (Original CIN)

“Sears the mind and haunts the soul” (Toronto Star)

"‘Sugarcane' documentary explores residential school intergenerational trauma and resilience" (CBC.ca)

Friday, September 13
Doors 4:00 pm | Movie 4:20 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

SUGARCANE (Emily Kassie, Julian Brave Noisecat, 2024 / 104 mins / PG) An investigation into abuse and missing children at an Indian residential school sparks a reckoning on the nearby Sugarcane Reserve.

In a mysterious and surreal interzone somewhere between Tehran and Winnipeg, the lives of multiple characters interweave with each other in surprising and mysterious ways. Gradeschoolers Negin and Nazgol find a sum of money frozen in the winter ice and try to claim it. Meanwhile, Massoud leads a group of increasingly-befuddled tourists through the monuments and historic sites of Winnipeg. Matthew quits his meaningless job in a Québecois government office and sets out upon an enigmatic journey to visit his mother. Space, time and personal identities crossfade, interweave and echo into a surreal comedy of misdirection.

Structured like a Venn diagram – at the point of confluence between Jacques Tati and Abbas Kiarostami’s Koker Trilogy – UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE is at once a diary film, an absurdist city symphony and a welling-up of confinement-era emotion exploring the mysterious interzone where one person ends and the rest of the world begins. An elusive, half-remembered dream of home, solitude, our responsibilities to others and the wild turkeys that haunt us.

UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE is Canada's official entry to the 2025 Academy Awards, and has been shortlisted for the Best International Film category.

"An off-kilter creation that feels like the wacko offspring of Aki Kaurismäki and Abbas Kiarostami’s cinemas." (The Daily Beast)

"The everyday wonder of late Iranian master Abbas Kiarostami combined with the formal whimsy of Wes Anderson best describes this amusing and affecting second feature from Winnipeg’s Matthew Rankin." (Toronto Star)

"Universal Language is a magnificent film, one that feels warm and familiar even as we realize just how startlingly original it is." (Vulture)

Saturday, February 15
Doors 1:00 pm | Movie 1:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE "Une Langue Universelle" (Matthew Rankin, 2025 / NR / 89 mins / Persian with English subtitles) An absurdist triptych of seemingly unconnected stories find a mysterious point of intersection in this tale set somewhere between Winnipeg and Tehran.

CONCLAVE follows one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events -- selecting the new Pope. Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes, in a Golden Globe and Oscar-nominated performance) is tasked with running this covert process after the unexpected death of the beloved Pope. Once the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders have gathered from around the world and are locked together in the Vatican halls, Lawrence uncovers a trail of deep secrets left in the dead Pope’s wake, secrets which could shake the foundations of the Church. With Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini, John Lithgow.

CONCLAVE is one of the most acclaimed films of the year and is currently nominated for 12 BAFTA awards and 8 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Isabella Rossellini), Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Production Design.

"It all unfolds with such precision: an unlikely potboiler that Berger presents not only thoughtfully, but viciously and deliciously." (Empire Magazine)

"'Conclave' is a papal thriller based on the 2016 novel by Robert Harris and it stars a magnificent Ralph Fiennes. If he doesn’t win an Oscar I’ll eat my hat and also yours. Luckily, the film is also well written, smart, taut and visually stunning. " (The Spectator)

"It’s all competently performed and executed, with loud booms of sound cued to each scene change as an attempt to ramp up the tension, and lots of behind-the-head tracking shots of cardinals anxiously pacing through corridors and stairways." (Little White Lies)

"A major awards contender, this is a deftly executed and gripping tale of secrets, lies and human ambition. Fiennes is magnetic, while the supporting cast conspire to wrap this tale of faith, power and morality in sumptuous dramatic cloth." (HeyUGuys)

Saturday, February 8
Doors 7:00 pm | Movie 7:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

CONCLAVE (Edward Berger, 2024 / 120 mins / PG ) When Cardinal Lawrence is tasked with leading one of the world's most secretive and ancient events, selecting a new Pope, he finds himself at the center of a conspiracy that could shake the very foundation of the Catholic Church.

Shot entirely in secret, Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof’s award-winning thriller, THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG, centers on a family thrust into the public eye when Iman is appointed as an investigating judge in Tehran. As political unrest erupts in the streets, Iman realizes that his job is even more dangerous than expected, making him increasingly paranoid and distrustful, even of his own wife Najmeh and daughters Sana and Rezvan.

In the wake of the announcement that THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG was selected for competition at Cannes, Rasoulef received an eight-year prison sentence (which included whipping, as his revolutionary art is perceived to "represent crimes against the country’s security"). He fled Iran, where the film was made, and has since re-settled in Germany.

Nominated for numerous awards (and nabbing a Golden Globe nomination for Best International Film) and taking home trophies from fests around the world (including a coveted Special Jury Prize at Cannes), Rasoulef's extraordinarily subversive psychological thriller is Germany's official entry to the 2025 Academy Awards, and is currently shortlisted for Best International Feature Film.

"A blistering, propulsive thriller." (New Yorker)

"Mohammad Rasoulof’s sorrowful new film, 'The Seed of the Sacred Fig', a powerful tale of conscience and conflict made while he was evading Iran’s oppressive theocracy, is shot through with potent metaphors." (Toronto Star)

"Through a single family, Mr. Rasoulof has created a vivid portrait of the dilemmas of today’s Iran, where the power of iman, or faith, suggests one kind of observation but the power of the iPhone suggests another." (Wall Street Journal)

"'The Seed of the Sacred Fig' is a political thriller, a horror movie, and an ode to that unrepentance. The boldness of Iranian girls and women is its inspiration and its essence." (Vulture)

"Rasoulof’s film damns Iran for its fanatical, corrupting, chauvinistic tyranny, all while generating breakneck suspense and, ultimately, resolving its tale with a disaster that contains within it a measure of hopefulness." (The Daily Beast)

Saturday, February 15
Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG "Dâne-ye anjîr-e ma'âbed" (Mohammad Rasoulef, 2025 / 167 mins / 14A / Farsi with English subtitles) A paranoid father imposes strict measures on his wife and daughters, which leads to intense verbal altercations and the man holding the women captive at gunpoint.

"Demon to some.
Angel to others."

Go back to where it all started. Stephen King was once famously quoted as saying, “I have seen the future of horror… his name is Clive Barker.”

That future was realized in 1987 with the release of Barker’s directorial debut HELLRAISER. Based on his own novella "The Hellbound Heart," Barker’s HELLRAISER sees Larry and his wife Julia move into their new home, unaware that something evil lurks beneath the floorboards of the dilapidated house – something that wants human blood… Introducing the world to the iconic Pinhead and his sadistic band of Cenobites, HELLRAISER became an instant genre classic upon release and remains one of the most frighteningly original visions in horror.

This release will feature the newly remastered 4K version of the film, as well as an archival interview "Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellraiser" where the iconic actor discusses his first appearance as ‘Pinhead.’

"Horror is at its best when it's relentless. Clive Barker knows this, and his debut feature as director is so gleefully vicious, so relentlessly grim that it's going to be very hard for fans of the genre not to like it." (Empire Magazine)

"Elevated by writer-director Clive Barker's fiendishly unique vision, Hellraiser offers a disquieting - and sadistically smart - alternative to mindless gore." (Rotten Tomatoes)

Thursday, February 15
Doors 9:30 pm | Movie 10:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

British filmmaker Clive Barker cemented his status as one of contemporary horror cinema's foremost creators when he unleashed his iconic creation, HELLRAISERM/b>, in 1987. Buoyed by truly fantastic practical effects in an endless stream of gore, the unforgettable character who would eventually come to be known the world over as "Pinhead," and a seething allegorical undercurrent that acknowledged both queerdom and the inescapable horrors of the AIDS crisis, HELLRAISER would ultimately emerge as one of the more genuinely disturbing movies of the decade (which is saying a lot, as the 80s proved a bloody good time for the genre). The film would go on to spawning a stunning nine additional titles in franchise, including most recently in 2022.

HELLRAISER (Clive Barker, 1987 / 95 mins / 18A) A woman discovers the newly resurrected, partially formed, body of her brother-in-law. She starts killing for him to revitalize his body so he can escape the demonic beings that are pursuing him after he escaped their sadistic underworld.

United Nations, 1960: the Global South ignites a political earthquake, jazz musicians Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach crash the Security Council, Nikita Khrushchev bangs his shoe, and the U.S. State Department swings into action, sending jazz ambassador Louis Armstrong to Congo to deflect attention from the CIA-backed coup.

Director Johan Grimonprez captures the moment when African politics and American jazz collided in this magnificent essay film, a riveting historical rollercoaster that illuminates the political machinations behind the 1961 assassination of Congo’s leader Patrice Lumumba. Richly illustrated by eyewitness accounts, official government memos, testimonies from mercenaries and CIA operatives, speeches from Lumumba himself, and a veritable canon of jazz icons, SOUNDTRACK TO A COUP D'ETAT interrogates colonial history to tell an urgent and timely story of precedent that resonates more than ever in today’s geopolitical climate.

SOUNDTRACK TO A COUP D'ETAT is currently nominated for am Academy Award in the Best Documentary category.

"Riveting and propulsive." (The Hollywood Reporter)

"Cutting between home movies, official texts, historical footage, and Patrice Lumumba’s speeches, “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat” uses an endless rhythm of rumba and jazz to unravel colonial machinations of power in the Congo circa 1960." (indieWire)

"It might manifest as a straightforward historical documentary, but the fascinating, hypnotic Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat unfolds into something much deeper -- and more sinister. " (Time Out)

"This is a film which has a little of Oliver Stone in the way it inhales something eerie and sinister in the atmosphere, and it’s something to set alongside Leon Gast’s 1996 documentary 'When We Were Kings'." (Guardian)

"What [director] Grimonprez creates here is a mind-blowingly rich tapestry of research, music, and the jazziest history lesson imaginable, with freewheeling beats and riffs echoing into today with urgent purpose" (Harper's Bazaar)

Saturday, February 1
Doors 2:30 pm | Movie 3:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

SOUNDTRACK TO A COUP D'ETAT (Johan Grimonprez, 2024 / 150 mins / NR / English with English subtitles) Jazz and decolonization are entwined in this historical rollercoaster that rewrites the Cold War episode that led musicians Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach to crash the UN Security Council in protest against the murder of Patrice Lumumba.

A wondrous journey, through realms natural and mystical, the Latvian animated adventure FLOW follows a courageous cat after his home is devastated by a great flood. Teaming up with a capybara, a lemur, a bird, and a dog to navigate a boat in search of dry land, they must rely on trust, courage, and wits to survive the perils of a newly aquatic planet. From the boundless imagination of the award-winning filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis (AWAY) comes a thrilling animated spectacle as well as a profound meditation on the fragility of the environment and the spirit of friendship and community. Steeped in the soaring possibilities of visual storytelling, FLOW is a feast for the senses and a treasure for the heart.

Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a score of 98%, FLOW is the best-reviewed animated film of the year. Following a world premiere in Cannes, the film then screened in Annecy where it won three juried prizes as well as the Audience Award, before going onto a North American premiere at TIFF. FLOW was also selected as the Latvian entry for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards.

"Critic's Pick! Zilbalodis largely avoids the sort of whimsy and sentimentality that might plague, say, a Disney movie with the same premise. The animals act like real animals, not like cartoons or humans, and that restraint gives their adventure an authenticity that, in moments of both delight and peril, makes the emotion that much more powerful."
(The New York Times)

""One of the year’s richest discoveries, 'Flow' belongs as much to a timeline of animal-centric masterpieces ('Au hasard Balthazar,' 'Gunda,' 'EO') as it does the history of animated indies. And in its simple, generous spirit of giving these creatures palpable narrative power, there’s a profundity: 'Flow' might only be imagining their coping skills without us, but it’s a charming, poignant vision of community and perseverance we could stand to be inspired by." (Los Angeles Times)

Monday, February 17
Doors 10:00 am | Movie 10:30 am *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Family Day pricing in effect, all tickets just $10!

FLOW (Gints Zilbalodis, 2024 / 85 mins / PG) The world seems to be coming to an end, teeming with the vestiges of a human presence. Cat is a solitary animal, but as its home is devastated by a great flood, he finds refuge on a boat populated by various species, and will have to team up with them despite their differences. In the lonesome boat sailing through mystical overflowed landscapes, they navigate the challenges and dangers of adapting to this new world.

Following an incredible four sold out performances at the Rio Theatre in 2024, The East Van Laugh RioT is pleased to welcome comedian Sammy Obeid back to the stage - with all-new material! - on Monday, February 17 & Tuesday, February 18.

Monday, February 17
Doors 1:15 pm | Show 2:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Adult Balcony (General Admission) $39 + s/c
Adult Main Floor (Assigned Seating) $48+ s/c
VIP Meet n' Greet (Rows 2-6, centre section) $65+ s/c
VVIP Meet n' Greet (Front Row, centre section) $75+ s/c
Group Ticket Pricing (Minimum 4) $43 (ea)+ s/c (online only)

Lebanese-Palestinian American and born in Oakland California, Sammy Obeid double-majored in Business and Mathematics at UC Berkeley and then turned down a job at Google to be a comedian.

Now the host of 100 Humans on Netflix, he’s also appeared on NBC's Last Comic Standing and America's Got Talent, as well as TBS’s Conan, and is best known for his world record of performing comedy 1,001 nights in a row, a story featured in both Time Magazine and The New York Times.

Connect on Instagram @sammyobeid
Connect on Facebook
Connect on TikTok @sammyobeidthem
Connect on X @sammyobeid

In a mysterious and surreal interzone somewhere between Tehran and Winnipeg, the lives of multiple characters interweave with each other in surprising and mysterious ways. Gradeschoolers Negin and Nazgol find a sum of money frozen in the winter ice and try to claim it. Meanwhile, Massoud leads a group of increasingly-befuddled tourists through the monuments and historic sites of Winnipeg. Matthew quits his meaningless job in a Québecois government office and sets out upon an enigmatic journey to visit his mother. Space, time and personal identities crossfade, interweave and echo into a surreal comedy of misdirection.

Structured like a Venn diagram – at the point of confluence between Jacques Tati and Abbas Kiarostami’s Koker Trilogy – UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE is at once a diary film, an absurdist city symphony and a welling-up of confinement-era emotion exploring the mysterious interzone where one person ends and the rest of the world begins. An elusive, half-remembered dream of home, solitude, our responsibilities to others and the wild turkeys that haunt us.

UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE is Canada's official entry to the 2025 Academy Awards, and has been shortlisted for the Best International Film category.

"An off-kilter creation that feels like the wacko offspring of Aki Kaurismäki and Abbas Kiarostami’s cinemas." (The Daily Beast)

"The everyday wonder of late Iranian master Abbas Kiarostami combined with the formal whimsy of Wes Anderson best describes this amusing and affecting second feature from Winnipeg’s Matthew Rankin." (Toronto Star)

"Universal Language is a magnificent film, one that feels warm and familiar even as we realize just how startlingly original it is." (Vulture)

Monday, February 17
Doors 9:00 pm | Movie 9:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE "Une Langue Universelle" (Matthew Rankin, 2025 / NR / 89 mins / Persian with English subtitles) An absurdist triptych of seemingly unconnected stories find a mysterious point of intersection in this tale set somewhere between Winnipeg and Tehran.

Following an incredible four sold out performances at the Rio Theatre in 2024, The East Van Laugh RioT is pleased to welcome comedian Sammy Obeid back to the stage - with all-new material! - on Tuesday, February 18.

Tuesday, February 18 - **MORE THAN 90% SOLD OUT!**
Doors 5:30 pm | Show 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Adult Balcony (General Admission) $39 + s/c
Adult Main Floor (Assigned Seating) $48+ s/c
VIP Meet n' Greet (Rows 2-6, centre section) $65+ s/c
VVIP Meet n' Greet (Front Row, centre section) $75+ s/c
Group Ticket Pricing (Minimum 4) $43 (ea)+ s/c (online only)

Lebanese-Palestinian American and born in Oakland California, Sammy Obeid double-majored in Business and Mathematics at UC Berkeley and then turned down a job at Google to be a comedian.

Now the host of 100 Humans on Netflix, he’s also appeared on NBC's Last Comic Standing and America's Got Talent, as well as TBS’s Conan, and is best known for his world record of performing comedy 1,001 nights in a row, a story featured in both Time Magazine and The New York Times.

Connect on Instagram @sammyobeid
Connect on Facebook
Connect on TikTok @sammyobeidthem
Connect on X @sammyobeid

Like so many movie-lovers around the world, we were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of filmmaker David Lynch, whose contribution to arts and culture is immeasurable. His monumentally beloved catalogue is its own impressive, cinematic legacy rich with old friends and oddball characters who make regular visits upon our silver screen. In the wake of his passing, there is no better way for us to pay tribute to his enigmatic career than by raising a glass, dimming the lights, and firing up the projector in his honour with a selection of some of his best loved works on the big screen, as he undoubtedly intended.

"We've met before, haven't we?”

From an inventory of imagery, master filmmaker David Lynch fashions a thrilling neo-noir of two separate but intersecting stories, one about a jazz musician (Bill Pullman), tortured by the notion that his wife is having an affair, who suddenly finds himself accused of her murder. The other is a young mechanic (Balthazar Getty) drawn into a web of deceit by a temptress who is cheating on her gangster boyfriend. These two tales are linked by the fact that the women in both are played by the same actress (Patricia Arquette). With Robert Blake, Henry Rollins.

Originally released in 1997, LOST HIGHWAY was beautifully restored and remastered (under Lynch's direct supervision) as part of the film's 25th Anniversary in 2022.

"It looks fantastic, it has a wildly eclectic cast, and most of all, its pure, unadulterated Lynch." (Tilt Magazine)

"Lynch brings the movie’s febrile and violent artifice to life in visual compositions of a poised, painterly authority and interrupts them with quick bursts of hallucinatory frenzy." (New Yorker)

"It's pensive male anxiety, and for some cultural reason it's easier for audiences to accept female hysteria than the insecurities of men." (Slant Magazine)

"Marking a further escalation in David Lynch's surrealist style, Lost Highway is a foreboding mystery that arguably leads to a dead end, although it is signposted throughout with some of the director's most haunting images yet." (Rotten Tomatoes)

Tuesday, February 18
Doors 9:00 pm | Movie 9:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

LOST HIGHWAY (David Lynch, 1997 / 137 mins / 18A) Anonymous videotapes presage a musician's murder conviction, and a gangster's girlfriend leads a mechanic astray.

Like so many movie-lovers around the world, we were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of filmmaker David Lynch, whose contribution to arts and culture is immeasurable. His monumentally beloved catalogue is its own impressive, cinematic legacy rich with old friends and oddball characters who make regular visits upon our silver screen. In the wake of his passing, there is no better way for us to pay tribute to his enigmatic career than by raising a glass, dimming the lights, and firing up the projector in his honour with a selection of some of his best loved works on the big screen, as he undoubtedly intended.

A dream of dark and troubling things . . .

David Lynch's debut feature, ERASERHEAD is a strange surreal examination of male paranoia with a serious underlying "creep factor," making it a perfect choice for a Friday Late Night viewing on February 21.

While Lynch famously refuses to overly deconstruct his films, "stubbornly" insisting instead that all interpretations are subjective and therefor equally valid, it i widely appreciated that ERASERHEAD is a nightmarish analogy for the discomforts and fears of a new father accepting the role of fatherhood. Our hero and title character, Henry, faces a number of horrifying obstacles in meeting someone of the opposite sex, meeting her parents, and procreating. Produced during a one-and-a-half-year period while director Lynch was a student at the American Film Institute, the film launched him as a major new talent admired by cinephiles and filmmakers all over the world. It stands today as a milestone in personal, independent filmmaking.

Henry (John Nance) resides alone in a bleak apartment surrounded by industrial gloom. When he discovers that an earlier fling with Mary X (Charlotte Stewart) left her pregnant, he marries the expectant mother and has her move in with him. Things take a decidedly strange turn when the couple's baby turns out to be a bizarre lizard-like creature that won't stop wailing. Other characters, including a disfigured lady who lives inside a radiator, inhabit the building and add to Henry's troubles.

"Despite constant ambiguity within it, a key part of 'Eraserhead's' meaning relates to the fear of fatherhood. It depicts the anxiety of becoming a parent and taking on the responsibilities involved. It's not a passive fear either, but rather a full-blown terror about the entire process from start to finish. After the baby comes into his life, Henry's world becomes a rolling nightmare." (ScreenRant)

"David Lynch's surreal ERASERHEAD uses detailed visuals and a creepy score to create a bizarre and disturbing look into a man's fear of parenthood." (Rotten Tomatoes)

"What makes EREASERHEAD great -- and still, perhaps the best of all Lynch's films? Intensity. Nightmare clarity. And perhaps also it's the single-mindedness of its vision." (Chicago Tribune)

"What a masterpiece of texture, a feat of artisanal attention, an ingenious assemblage of damp, dust, rock, wood, hair, flesh, metal, ooze." (Village Voice)

Friday, February 21
Doors 11:00 pm | Movie 11:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Late Night Date Night! Bring a friend, date, or fellow Lynch-lover and get 2-for-1 entry!

ERASERHEAD (David Lynch, 1977 / 89 mins / Henry Spencer tries to survive his industrial environment, his angry girlfriend, and the unbearable screams of his newly born mutant child.

Basel Adra, a young Palestinian activist from Masafer Yatta, has been fighting his community's mass expulsion by the Israeli occupation since childhood. Basel documents the gradual erasure of Masafer Yatta, as soldiers destroy the homes of families -the largest single act of forced transfer ever carried out in the occupied West Bank. He crosses paths with Yuval, an Israeli journalist who joins his struggle, and for over half adecade they fight against the expulsion while growing closer. Their complex bond is haunted by the extreme inequality between them: Basel, living under a brutal military occupation, and Yuval, unrestricted and free. This film, by a Palestinian-Israeli collective of four young activists, was c0- created during the darkest, most terrifying times in the region, as an act of creative resistance and a search for a path towards equality and justice.

NO OTHER LAND is currently nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Documentary category.

"A vital and wrenching documentary." (indieWire)

"What goes unsaid in this movie is sometimes even more powerful than what is spoken.” (Vulture)

"Along with the documentation of material destruction and displacement, the movie is a record of psychological warfare, of the effort to demolish morale, suppress energy, break will. This, as much as the physical violence that it documents, gives the movie immense moral authority.” (The New Yorker)

"If anything can be described as essential viewing, it’s this stark and unflinching account of life on the ground in a contested region of the West Bank." (Observer)

Saturday, February 22
Doors 11:30 am | Movie 12:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

NO OTHER LAND (Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, 2025 / 95 mins / NR) For half a decade, Basel Adra, a Palestinian activist, films his community of Masafer Yatta being destroyed by Israel’s occupation, as he builds an unlikely alliance with a journalist from the other side who joins his fight.

"We dare you to say his name five times."

Researching urban folklore, a University of Chicago student snoops around the housing projects of Cabrini Green to find more about the legend of the "Candyman," who supposedly appears (whenever one looks into the mirror and repeats his name five times) to slash his victims with a metal hook. Only after she witnesses the atrocities herself, does she believe he exists. To her horror, he wants her to join him in his afterlife dimension. This unsettling feature is based on a short story by Clive Barker. Starring Virginia Madsen, Tony Todd, Kasi Lemmons, Xander Berkeley, Michael Culkin.

"The film's spooky atmosphere is accentuated by Anthony B. Richmond's cinematography and Philip Glass's score." (New York Times)

"CANDYMAN is an uppper-register horror item that delivers the requisite shocks and gore but doesn't cheat or cop out." (Variety)

"What I liked was a horror movie that was scaring me with ideas and gore, instead of simply with gore." (Roger Ebert)

Friday, February 28
Doors 11:00 pm | Movie 11:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

CANDYMAN (Bernard Rose, 1992 / 99 mins / 18A) The Candyman, a murderous soul with a hook for a hand, is accidentally summoned to reality by a skeptic grad student researching the monster's myth.

Legendary British filmmaker Mike Leigh returns to the contemporary world with a fierce, compassionate, and often darkly humorous study of family and the thorny ties that bind us. Reunited with Leigh for the first time since her Oscar-nominated turn in Leigh's 1996 film SECRET AND LIES, the astonishing Marianne Jean-Baptiste plays Pansy, a woman wracked by fear, tormented by afflictions, and prone to raging tirades against her husband, son, and anyone who looks her way. Meanwhile, her easygoing younger sister, played by Michele Austin (ANOTHER YEAR), is a single mother with a life as different from Pansy’s as their clashing temperaments - brimming with communal warmth from her salon clients and daughters alike.

This expansive film from a master dramatist takes us into the intensities of kinship, duty, and the most enduring of human mysteries: that even through lifetimes of hurt and hardship, we still find ways to love those we call family.

"A gruelling but ultimately rewarding experience, this is Leigh at his most confrontational, devastating and humane, aided by the unadulterated power of Jean-Baptiste’s career-redefining performance." (Empire Magazine)

"Jean-Baptiste will rightly take all the plaudits, but it’s a reminder of the careful work Mike Leigh does. For all the naturalism, Leigh is a stylist as much as Pedro Almodovar is, just one more interested in capturing scared humans than plot." (London Evening Standard)

"'Hard Truths' is a film for a world that has only gotten angrier, yet its prolific central collaboration cleverly suggests that enduring mutual respect is a force powerful enough to combat such profound rage." (Salon.com)

Saturday, March 1
Doors 2:50 pm | Movie 3:20 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

HARD TRUTHS (Mike Leigh, 2024 / 97 mins / PG) Ongoing exploration of the contemporary world with a tragicomic study of human strengths and weaknesses.

Like so many movie-lovers around the world, we were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of filmmaker David Lynch, whose contribution to arts and culture is immeasurable. His monumentally beloved catalogue is its own impressive, cinematic legacy rich with old friends and oddball characters who make regular visits upon our silver screen. In the wake of his passing, there is no better way for us to pay tribute to his enigmatic career than by raising a glass, dimming the lights, and firing up the projector in his honour with a selection of some of his best loved works on the big screen, as he undoubtedly intended.

“I guess I started smoking when I was about… four. My momma was already dead then from lung cancer.”

David Lynch‘s iconic WILD AT HEART features one of our favourite onscreen cinematic couples, notably our man Nicolas Cage (in fine form; sporting an iconic, snakeskin jacket that represents a symbol of individuality, and a belief in personal freedom) and Laura Dern as young lovers Sailor and Lula, forced to go on the run from the variety of weirdos that Lula’s mom has hired to kill Sailor. Also starring Diane Ladd (Dern’s mother!), Willem Dafoe, Crispin Glover, Harry Dean Stanton, Sherilyn Fenn and Isabella Rossellini.

“Joltingly violent, wickedly funny and rivetingly erotic.” (Variety)

“Lynch’s kinky fairy tale is a triumph of startling images and comic invention.” (Rolling Stone)

Saturday, March 1
Doors 10:15 pm | Movie 10:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

WILD AT HEART (David Lynch, 1990 / 124 mins / 18A) Lovers on the run from an angry mother, a private detective and a hit man, encounter a plethora of grotesques and stop for plenty of explicit sex.

The Rio Theatre's annual Oscar party returns, featuring the live televised broadcast of the 97th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday, March 2. Hosted by Conan O'Brien!

Get ready for the best buttery popcorn Vancouver has to offer, in-house trivia, our own Oscar contest, as well as prizes for Best Dressed, Best Acceptance Speech, and more! Come in your very finest attire (or maybe just recycle that bridesmaid's dress in the back of your closet...) for a chance to prance our red carpet and win a prize for your efforts. You bettah work!

As always, this is one seriously hot ticket... It sells out in advance every year! We strongly recommend making plans and buying tickets early in order to ensure entry, and avoid disappointment. All guests are encouraged to come early to ensure time to locate seats, get drinks and snacks at concession, and not miss any of the show's shenanigans!

The 97th Annual Academy Awards
Sunday, March 2 - 50% Sold Out!
Doors & Red Carpet Coverage Begins at 3:00 pm
Ceremony 4:00 pm

Balcony Tickets (General Admission) $20 | $25 at the door
Main Floor (Assigned Seating) $20 | $25 at the door

The live, smash hit epic comedy THE CRITICAL HIT SHOW returns to the Rio Theatre's stage on Thursday, March 6 to celebrate 13 years of dork filled humour!

Prepare yourself for a generous dose of laughter and snorting out loud, as some of Vancouver’s best comedic performers grace the stage in a night featuring intrepid players on a gallant quest for comedy glory (and more snacks!) in a hilariously epic adventure saga that has been running continuously since 2012.

Spanning over 100 live performances in both Canada and the United States, two years of “at-home” streaming, and frequent festival appearances, The Critical Hit Show is one of the longest running comedy shows around. #DNDLive is an improvised adventure that takes its inspiration from tabletop role-playing games, fantasy film and TV, and (most importantly) you!

Whether you’re a longtime fan, you’ve been enjoying our live streamed shows, or you’re brand new to The Critical Hit Show - you’re going to have a great time.

Thursday, March 6
Doors 6:15 pm | Show 7:00 pm *Please arrive on time. Start time subject to change.

Advance tickets $17 +s/c | $20+ s/c at the door

THE ADVENTURERS

Eric Fell as The Dungeon Master
Ian Boothby as Benoit the Anointed, the Half-Elf Cleric
Joanna Gaskell as Freya, the Elf Warlock
Barbara Beall as Ingrid, the Halfling Fighter
Ellen MacNevin as Belle Strummer, the Half-Elf Ranger
Allen Morrison as Spitz Lube’n, the Human Wizard
Shaun Stewart as Brask Hellbeard, the Dwarf Bard

More monsters! More Magic! More Mayhem! More Off-Brand soda!

Twitter: @critshow
www.criticalhitshow.com
www.facebook.com/dndlive

Banned upon its original release in 1981, Andrzej Żuławski’s stunningly choreographed nightmare of a marriage unraveling is an experience unlike any other. Professional spy Mark (Sam Neill) returns to his West Berlin home to find his wife Anna (Isabelle Adjani, in a role that earned her Best Actress at Cannes) insistent on a divorce. As Anna’s frenzied behavior becomes ever more alarming, Mark discovers a truth far more sinister than his wildest suspicions. With its pulsating score, visceral imagery, and some of the most haunting performances ever captured on screen, POSSESSION is cinematic delirium at its most intoxicating - and a perfect addition to the Rio Theatre's Friday Late Night Movie series.

New 2021 4K Restoration. A Metrograph Pictures release.

"That the film is much more than a gawk-at-it freak show is testament to Zulawski's talent for making even the most exaggerated behavior resonate with pointed and potent emotion." (Time Out Magazine)

"This is not the type of horror movie you take your friends to for a laugh; this is what you watch with your ex and realize how much worse things could have been." (The Stranger)

"[Possession] remains one of the most grueling, powerful, and overwhelmingly intense cinematic experiences that you are likely to have in your lifetime." (Roger Ebert.com)

Friday, March 7
Doors 11:00 pm | Movie 11:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Late Night Date Night! Bring a friend, date, or demonic lover and get two-for-one entry!

POSSESSION (Andrzej Żuławski, 1981 / 123 mins / 18A) After Anna reveals to her husband, Mark, that she is having an affair, she leaves him and their son. Mark is devastated, and seeks out the man who cuckolded him, only to receive a beating. After a series of violent confrontations between Mark and Anna, Mark hires a private investigator to follow her. Anna descends into madness, and it's soon clear that she is hiding a much bigger secret -- one that is both inexplicable and shocking.

THE LAST SHOWGIRL, a poignant film of resilience, rhinestones and feathers, stars BC's own Pamela Anderson in a Golden-Globe nominated performance as a glamorous Las Vegas showgirl named Shelly, who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run.

Directed by Gia Coppola (PALO ALTO), THE LAST SHOWGIRL co-stars Oscar-winner winner Jamie Lee Curtis as Shelly’s best friend, who brings her own unique interpretation and brilliance to the story, Dave Bautista, Brenda Song, Kiernan Shipka and Billie Lourd.

"[Gia]Coppola clearly loves the flash and flesh of Vegas, its sparkle and its haze, but she loves her characters more, and she takes all of them on their own terms." (New York Times)

"It’s impossible not to be enchanted by Anderson’s compassionate turn, and her tender work makes it all the more heartbreaking to watch Shelly refuse to go quietly into the night." (Salon.com)

"Outside of her time in dressing rooms and on stage, Anderson doesn’t wear much makeup in the film, but that’s not what makes her performance brave. Instead, it’s the unflinching look she takes at the realities of life for all of us as we get older." (Consequence)

"This is not a blood-and-guts show business exposé — it’s a diaphanous portrait of a woman who, like Anderson herself, wafts through life like a marabou feather. It’s less a story than a vibe." (Los Angeles Times)

Monday, March 10
Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

THE LAST SHOWGIRL (Gia Coppola, 2024 / 85 mins / 14A) A seasoned showgirl must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run.

The Smashed Potato Kids are back with another year of SketchFest! It’ll be bigger, better, and most importantly funnier, than ever before.

One night, 20 fresh sketches, and infinite laughs. We even heard that Steve Carrel might be there this time! (We didn’t invite him, he’s never heard of us, but ya never know…).

Tuesday, March 11
Doors 6:00 pm | Event 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Advance tickets $25+ s/c | $30+ s/c at the door

An evening of live music and experimental film with Karl Hirzer (piano/ synthesizer) and Josué Valdepeñas (cello), featuring the premiere of Braden Dereniwski’s music film, Crystal Clear, and Vicki Van Chau’s award-winning short film, In Tandem.

Prominent figures in the Canadian classical music scene, Karl Hirzer and Josué Valdepeñas perform standard works from the modern and classical repertoire in addition to original songs, mixing electronic and acoustic instruments. Drawing from a wide variety of influences, their music has been described as “heady and psychedelic” and “Satie meets Radiohead”.

Based on Hirzer and Valdepeñas’ track of the same name, Crystal Clear is an innovative and gripping music and dance film. It follows a young woman who undertakes a visceral journey through her own psyche as she reflects on both her actions and the events that will decide her fate. Directed by award-winning filmmaker Braden Dereniwski, it features captivating performances by Kelsie Vanstone and Ashley Mae Johnston, with choreography by Yukichi Hattori. We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and Calgary Arts Development for this film.

Featuring and inspired by Hirzer's track Daphne and Desmond, off his recent album Relaxer Distractor, In Tandem is a short film shot on Super 8 by award winning filmmaker Vicki Van Chau. It is a love letter to the meaningful spaces between two cities, where Hirzer found sources of inspiration, nostalgia and the feeling of home. Recently it received the ‘Best Experimental’ award at the 2024 Edmonton Short Film Festival. This film is supported by the Alberta Media Arts Alliance Society and the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers.

Wednesday, March 12
Doors 7:15 PM | Event 8:00 PM *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

The event runs approx. 130 mins and includes a brief intermission.

General Admission $30 + s/c
Students w/ ID (GA) just $20 + s/c

Proudly Sponsored by www.SHOWCASEPIANOS.COM

Join the Vancouver Burlesque Co. as we celebrate the culmination of their Winter 2025 season! The VBC is proud to present their March Student Showcase at the Rio Theatre on Thursday, March 13.

Our sparkling students and alumni are ready to knock your socks off with amazing group acts and some stunning soloists. VBC shows are magic and we can't wait to share the evening with friends, family and fans.

Thursday, March 13
Doors 7:00 pm | Show 8:00 pm *Please arrive on time. Start time subject to change.
Tickets $25+ s/c | $30+ s/c at the door.

Get prepared to laugh your arse off! On Saturday, March 15, Clare Voyeur presents another installment of WHAT’S THE CRAIC? A Night of Irish Devilry.

This variety show is the precursor celebration to Paddy’s Day, packed with acts full of hilarity, sexiness and the spirit and lore of the Emerald Isle! We’ve got burlesque, comedy, live music, games and more!

Ask your mammies to say a prayer for you, this show is about to get wild! Say another rosary, count your lucky shamrocks and wear your best greens in honor of the big man himself, St. Patrick!

Saturday, March 15
Doors 8:15 pm | Show 9:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

General Admission $30+ s/c (Early Bird Until February 1) | $38+ s/c | $42+ s/c at the door
VIP $55+ s/c (Assigned seats in Rows A-E, centre section, and a themed goodie bag)

MY FRIEND THE TERRORIST is a moving portrait of two exiled Filipino revolutionaries, the late Jose Maria (“Joma”) Sison and his wife Julie De Lima; both key leaders in the ongoing Philippine revolution. The film explores the life and love of the unassuming pair as they serve the National Democratic movement from exile — in the tranquil Dutch city of Utrecht, 10,000 km away from their homeland. Surviving “terrorist” designations, dictatorships, solitary confinement, torture, and repeated assassination attempts by the Filipino government, Joma and Julie have persevered — just like the vibrant revolution they helped build.

MY FRIEND THE TERRORIST places these revolutionaries’ personal journeys alongside a deep exploration of the struggle on the ground. It provides a first-hand account of a resistance movement supported by millions of Filipinos, striving to free the country from the rule of wealthy landlords, US imperialism, and a fascist government. Directors Malcolm Guy and Demetri Estdelaropolis show all sides of the democratic resistance; the protesters in demonstrations of thousands taking to the streets to demand social and economic justice; the peasant masses and resistance fighters striving for a dignified standard of living for all and defending themselves against a repressive state; and the dedicated couple in a beach-side town in the Netherlands, giving everything for the liberation of their home country.

A Multi Monde production.

Sunday, March 16
Doors 12:15 pm | Movie 12:45 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

MY FRIEND THE TERRORIST (Malcolm Guy, Demetri Estdelacropolis, 2024 / 100 mins / NR)

What better way to mark St. Patrick's Day at the Rio Theatre than with an Irish movie night? We're teaming up with our friends at CelticFest Vancouver to present an evening of live, traditional Celtic music and a double bill featuring both the breakout 2024 hit musical comedy KNEECAP (Ireland's submission to the Oscars, and 6x BAFTA nominee), followed by the psychological drama BRING THEM DOWN (starring Barry Keoghan, Christopher Abbott, and Colm Meaney).

When fate brings Belfast schoolteacher JJ into the orbit of self-confessed ‘low life scum’ Naoise & Liam Og, the needle drops on a hip hop act like no other. Rapping in their native Irish language, KNEECAP fast become the unlikely figureheads of a Civil Rights movement to save their mother tongue. In this fiercely original sex, drugs and hip-hop biopic KNEECAP play themselves, laying down a global rallying cry for the defense of native cultures. With Naoise Ó Cairealláin “Móglaí Bap”, Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh “Mo Chara”, JJ Ó Dochartaigh “Dj Provaí”, and Michael Fassbender.

"Bold, entertaining and boisterous – both as a cinematic piece and as a statement. It is also genuinely hilarious. ... What is pretty rare, though, is that a crowd-pleaser would also happen to be political and unapologetic about it." (ScreenAnarchy)

"Can a movie leave you with a comedown? If it’s as raucous and unruly as Kneecap, a nonstop blizzard of beats, bumps of white powder and punky defiance of the British and Belfast’s sectarian past, the answer’s a firm "yes."" (Time Out)

"Music-filled and spikily edited, “Kneecap” finds rude wit and edge to underscore its needle-drop righteousness; that it sustains its level so exuberantly is remarkable, especially considering how hit-and-miss these self-mythologizing projects often are." (Los Angeles Times)

"A meta-contextual music-world biopic whose success relies upon one giant bet paying off big, the new comedy Kneecap is a riotous delight that will have even the most staid audiences ready to flip the bird." (Globe and Mail)

Monday, March 17
Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

KNEECAP (Rich Peppiatt, 2024 / 105 mins / 14A / Gaelic and English w/ EST) When fate brings Belfast teacher JJ into the orbit of self-confessed 'low life scum' Naoise and Liam Og, the needle drops on a hip hop act like no other. Rapping in their native Irish, they lead a movement to save their mother tongue.

What better way to mark St. Patrick's Day at the Rio Theatre than with an Irish movie night? We're teaming up with our friends at CelticFest Vancouver to present an evening of live, traditional Celtic music and a double bill featuring both the breakout 2024 hit musical comedy KNEECAP (Ireland's submission to the Oscars, and 6x BAFTA nominee), followed by the psychological drama BRING THEM DOWN (starring Barry Keoghan, Christopher Abbott, and Colm Meaney).

Monday, March 17
Doors 5:45 pm | Movie 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

KNEECAP (Rich Peppiatt, 2024 / 105 mins / 14A / Gaelic and English w/ EST) When fate brings Belfast teacher JJ into the orbit of self-confessed 'low life scum' Naoise and Liam Og, the needle drops on a hip hop act like no other. Rapping in their native Irish, they lead a movement to save their mother tongue.

Brief Intermission

Approx. Movie 8:45 pm *Start time subject to change.

BRING THEM DOWN (Christopher Andrews, 2025  /105 min / 14A) When the ongoing rivalry between farmers Michael and Jack suddenly escalates, it triggers a chain of events that take increasingly violent and devastating turns, leaving both families permanently altered.

Single film tickets available at www.riotheatretickets.ca

What better way to mark St. Patrick's Day at the Rio Theatre than with an Irish movie night? We're teaming up with our friends at CelticFest Vancouver to present an evening of live, traditional Celtic music and a double bill featuring both the breakout 2024 hit musical comedy KNEECAP (Ireland's submission to the Oscars, and 6x BAFTA nominee), followed by the psychological drama BRING THEM DOWN (starring Barry Keoghan, Christopher Abbott, and Colm Meaney).

Starring Oscar-nominee Barry Keoghan (SALTBURN, THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN) and Christopher Abbott (HBO's 'Girls,' POOR THINGS, SANCTUARY), BRING THEM DOWN is a tense and gripping thriller about two warring families set against the harsh landscape of rural west Ireland. When the ongoing rivalry between farmers Michael (Abbott) and Jack (Keoghan) suddenly escalates, it triggers a chain of events that take increasingly violent and devastating turns, leaving both families permanently altered.

From first-time filmmaker Christopher Andrews and co-starring Colm Meaney, Paul Ready and Nora-Jane Noone, this is a fierce, muscular debut that signals a bold new cinematic voice.

"'Bring Them Down' bristles with twists and tension, its gorgeous pastoral landscapes turning into sites of escalating violence. Yet the film never settles for simplistic hero/villain binaries. Instead, it brilliantly shifts perspective, revealing the fears and aspirations driving all its characters — a strategy that succeeds in no small part due to Christopher Abbott and Barry Keoghan, who share an incredible ability to reveal for the camera what their characters are hell-bent on hiding." (TIFF.net)

"A promising debut feature, especially for its playfully constructed script that turns the thriller genre inside-out to place real human feeling at its centre." (Cineuropa)

"A brutally violent directorial debut... veers between pitch-black humor and pervading melancholy." (Variety)

"I like having my soul slightly destroyed, and movies like Bring Them Down are just the tonic for what ails me." (Exclaim!)

Monday, March 17
Movie 8:45 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

BRING THEM DOWN (Christopher Andrews, 2025 /105 min / 14A) When the ongoing rivalry between farmers Michael and Jack suddenly escalates, it triggers a chain of events that take increasingly violent and devastating turns, leaving both families permanently altered.

Show And Tell present
SARAH KEYWORTH: MY EYES ARE UP HERE

UK stand-up star Sarah Keyworth makes their North American tour debut, bringing their smash-hit show to the Rio Theatre on March 18.

"My Eyes Are Up Here" is one of the most talked about stand-up shows of the last year, racking up a string of awards and selling out theaters all across their native UK, and Australia.

Tuesday, March 18
Doors 6:15 pm | Show 7:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Balcony (GA) $40+ s/c
Main Floor (Assigned) $50+ s/c
VIP (Rows A-E, centre section) $60+ s/c

‘Achingly funny’- The Herald ★★★★★

‘Gales of laughter’ – The Guardian ★★★★

‘Utterly engaging’ The Telegraph ★★★★

Sarah has appeared on Live At The Apollo, Mock The Week, 8 Out of 10 Cats, ITV's The Stand Up Sketch Show and Comedy Central's Roast Battle. Their BBC Radio 4 show Are You A Boy or A Girl is available to stream on BBC Sounds and their Prime Special Dark Horse is streaming on Prime TV.

Winner of the Most Outstanding Show at Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2024, the International New Faces of Comedy at Just For Laughs Festival 2023.

Guest star on Off Menu and The Guilty Feminist podcasts.

Live On-Stage Comedy with VHS!

Joe Pickett ('The Onion') and Nick Prueher ('The Colbert Report') have over 13,000 VHS tapes in their collection, and have been taking viewers on a guided tour through their latest and greatest finds since 2004.

To celebrate two decades of this VHS nonsense, Joe and Nick will serve up their all-time greatest finds including the dumbest exercise videos, the craziest public access shows and updates with the most wonderful weirdos they’ve met along the way.

"A comedy sensation."

"Hysterical and brilliant."

Thursday, March 20
Doors 7:00 pm | Show 8:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Early Bird Tickets (On sale now Until January 31) $25+ s/c
Tickets $30+ s/c

For more information on Found Footage, head to www.foundfootagefest.com.

Join us at the Rio Theatre on March 21 for H Cupcake Productions Foundation's THE COSPLAY SWIMSUIT CONTEST, a charity variety show mixing comedy and sex appeal - for a good cause!

H Cupcake Productions was founded with the goals of bringing laughter and smiles to adults, while supporting the needs of children. While the world hasn't been the kindest place these past few years, the organization's mission is event-driven, with the goal of bringing as much joy as possible to as many people as possible. The group has been the main event for adult entertainment at Anime Revolution since 2012, with an average current attendance of 3,400 people.

Friday, March 21
Doors 7:00 pm | Show 8:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Early Bird Tickets $25+ s/c (Until February 14!)
Adult Entry $30+ s/c | $35+ s/c at the door
VIP (Rows A-C) $40+ s/c

This Cosplay Swimsuit Contest will benefit BC Children's Hospital, with proceeds going towards purchasing a soft stuffed animal for a child in need at BC Children's. (When else are you going to get to see Burlesque, Singing, Dancing, Feats of Athletics and get to feel good about funding a charity!)

The event's lineup includes many past favourites from the group's annual perfomance at Anime Revolution, including: Veilsinclair, JMRohCreations, Brystak, Vancity_Ranger, Vexxerity, Gothish.Rain, Bad Sheep Cosplay, Cookie._.Rush, Jessisagoshdarnmess, Kamistry, Sharkiekitty and Milkiway.Cosplay.

Come view our past events at our website at: www.hcupcakeproductions.org

The Saturday Morning Spring Break Party of 2025!

The Saturday Morning All-You-Can-Eat Cereal Cartoon Party is returning to the Rio Theatre with a Spring Break event featuring an all-new lineup of retro TV goodness covered in sugary cereal. It's Volume VII!

Kids today may not realize the significance of the Saturday morning ritual, but once upon a time, we had to wait a whole week to get our cartoon fix, and when we got it, we tended to binge. Well – welcome to The Saturday Morning All-You-Can-Eat Cereal Cartoon Party - that special time when kids and kids-at-heart get to relive the exciting Saturday Morning ritual of non-stop retro cartoons, and binge on the multi-colored sugary cereals that used to be a part of every “balanced” breakfast!

The cartoon lineup is always a mystery, but expect to see monsters, sci-fi, sleuths, superheroes and all kinds of 2D silliness, both faves and obscurities spanning the '30s through the '90s, all punctuated with vintage commercials, PSAs and station IDs for a 3-hour trip down memory lane! So get ready for a sugar rush and an explosion of nostalgia all wrapped up in one candy-coated package.

Curated by David Bertrand

Dairy-free options available! Compostable bowls and spoons will be provided. We encourage guests to bring their own NON-BREAKABLE (ie, not ceramic) bowls and spoons.

Saturday, March 22
Doors 10:00 am | Event 10:30 am *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Tickets HERE

Kids Pricing (13 and under) HERE | $14 at the door

A copious cavalcade of top notch talent and captivating cabaret await at The Rio Theatre Burlesque and Variety Show on Saturday March 22!

Local luminary April O’Peel has curated a show full of wonder sure to dazzle and delight our fun loving audience! The theme is NO THEME! That’s right! These talented performers will each be performing one act of their choosing! What act will they decide to bring to The Rio Theatre Burlesque and Variety Show!? Find out on Saturday March 22nd as these stars align for one night only!

Saturday, March 22
Doors 8:00 pm | Show 9:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Early bird tickets just $20, available online only until midnight, March 1!

General Admission $30 + s/c | $35 + s/c at the door
VIP tickets (Rows 1-3, centre section) $40+ s/c
Squad Pass (Group of Four Tickets – online only) $100+ s/c

With Featured Performances By:

Gia Sangria | Ivy Nyx | Kaleidoscope Crush | La Dame Derriere | Lana Luscious
Layna Emerald | Mona Moore | Yuki the Juggler | April O'Peel

Hosted by Randi Andii

Community Trail Running presents:
The Trail Running Film Festival 2025

After a great debut in 2023, and an even better follow-up in 2024, the Trail Running Film Festival is back on tour in 2025 and coming to Vancouver once again! Expect another amazing evening of films, inspiration, and community.

Come and help us celebrate our incredible sport as we explore individual and collective potential. The festival will also have a 50/50 in support of BC AdventureSmart and include prizes and giveaways to add to our celebration!

We’re excited to bring you stories from around the world by filmmakers sharing their work of adventure, inclusivity, wilderness, art, and diversity across the trail and ultra community. Trail running is awesome and so is this film festival!

Thursday, April 3
Doors 6:00 pm | Event 7:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Early Bird Tickets (December 1-31) $25+ s/c
Tickets $30+ s/c | $35+ s/c at the door
Squad Pass Group Pricing (Group of Four) $100+ s/c (Available online only)

Tickets on sale December 1

You’ve watched his clips on Instagram, you’ve shared his standup with your friends and family on TikTok, now it’s time to see Jarlath Regan’s funny bits live - and in person. The brand new standup show from the man behind some of the most hilarious viral standup comedy clips is finally here! After selling out every single seat on his “Yer Man” tour in 2024, Jarlath is on the road again and travelling around the world with a completely fresh, never before seen standup comedy show guaranteed to have you “In Bits”.

Friday, April 11
Doors 6:00 pm | Show 7:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Advance tickets $42+ s/c

Artist Pre-Sale - Thursday, September 12 10:00 am
General On Sale - Friday, September 13 10:00 am

“The jewel in the Irish comedy crown.” (The Examiner)

“Universally enjoyable – 90 minutes of jaw-achingly funny anecdotes which spanned every topic
imaginable.” (The Post)

“A subtle yet sublime helping of observational wit” (The Herald ★★★★★)

“Downright hilarious…comedy genius” (The Irish Times ★★★★)

“Had the audience shaking so violently with laughter they probably could have charged their phones” (Edinburgh Festivals Magazine)

“Regan is an expert storyteller and this is a beautifully constructed show that I could have happily
listened to for twice its length.” (★★★★ The Arts Desk)

You’ve watched his clips on Instagram, you’ve shared his standup with your friends and family on TikTok, now it’s time to see Jarlath Regan’s funny bits live - and in person. The brand new standup show from the man behind some of the most hilarious viral standup comedy clips is finally here! After selling out every single seat on his “Yer Man” tour in 2024, Jarlath is on the road again and travelling around the world with a completely fresh, never before seen standup comedy show guaranteed to have you “In Bits”.

Friday, April 11
Second Show Added!>/i>
Doors 9:00 pm | Show 9:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Advance tickets $42+ s/c

“Regan is an expert storyteller and this is a beautifully constructed show that I could have happily
listened to for twice its length.” (★★★★ The Arts Desk)

Join award-winning host Dandy in the rebirth-day party of the century, THE THIRD ANNUAL FABERGÉ BALL. Join in at the bacchanal that folx are calling "a perfect celebration of spring solstice." Every year we offer the gods and goddesses a tribute serving of the hottest drag, burlesque & musical comedy that the iconic Rio Theatre can muster.  Unexpectedly, Mr. Fabergé, the show's billionaire sponsor, has requested to perform a ritual of his own, so 19+ recommended (and required).

Don't want to be crucified on the runway? Then come coutured out in your most pagan solstice symbols or renaissance Saint inspired bedsheets.

Friday, April 18
Doors 7:00 pm | Event 8:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Main Floor Assigned $30 + s/c | $35+ s/c at the door
VIP – First 4 rows $40 + s/c | $45+ s/c at the door **VIP ticket holders also get an interactive prop bag to be used during the show!**

The Dandy's Disciples 4 Pack $100 + s/c (Available online only)

Early Bird Tickets Available Until Midnight, March 15

Featuring:

Jordy Matheson in the reprisal role of 'Mr. Fabergé'

and Introducing:

Angora Phobia as 'The Easter Bunny'
Gvil as 'Altar Boy'
and Phyllis Hull as 'Mother Superior'

Full Cast List Coming Soon!

About your Host:

Dandy (he/him) is the award-winning host made popular on TikTok for his viral videos promoting queer joy! Winner of Host of the Year 2024 for Vancouver International Burlesque Festival and awarded runner up in the Georgia Straight’s BEST OF VANCOUVER for his show Drag Attack! – you can catch him regularly on stage in his shows at the iconic Rio Theatre in Vancouver, or touring regularly this year between LA and New York City. His all new series Dandyland, which highlights businesses, organizations, and artists in the lower-mainland’s LGBT Community, premiered this Summer on Optik TV and is currently nominated by the Costume Designers Guild Awards for Excellence in Short Form Design thanks to already award winning, multi-talented Costume Designer, Rafaella Rabinovich

@dandyandfriends

30 Years of Gut-Busting Laughs with Don Burnstick!

Burnstick Promotions and the Rio Theatre proudly present Don Burnstick live on stage on Monday, April 21. It’s time to celebrate 30 years of belly laughs, side-splitting humor, and the kind of comedy that makes your face hurt from grinning—and not your auntie bum flat from sitting to long.

After performing across North America, selling out thousands of shows, and spreading joy to countless people, Don Burnstick is bringing the funny to you. Expect an unforgettable night of raw, edgy comedy that’ll have you rolling in the aisles and begging for more. A proud Cree from Alexander First Nation, Don’s comedy transcends borders, blending cultural truths with universal laughs. It’s no wonder he’s a global sensation with a schedule so packed he probably tours more than Santa.

From relatable res stories to his razor-sharp satire, Burnstick’s unique brand of humor connects deeply with audiences all over the world. Whether you’ve followed him from his first joke to now, or you’re experiencing his comedy genius for the first time, one thing’s for sure—you’re in for a treat (or maybe a roast).

“Prepare for a night of storytelling so good, even your chattiest cousin will shut up and listen.”

Monday, April 21
Doors 4:00 pm | Show 5:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Balcony Tickets $30+ s/c (Perfect for those who laugh louder with a bird’s-eye view.)
Main Floor $50+ s/c (Front-row splash zone: Comedy tears and laughs guaranteed!)
VIP $80+ s/c (Includes a post show meet and greet, and exclusive merch. Selfies with Don are priceless!).

Warning: This show contains real comedy. May cause tears of joy, sore ribs, and dangerously funny memories you’ll repeat to your friends forever.

Buy your tickets now before they’re gone faster than a bag of bannock at a family gathering!

Mountains on Stage is back at the Rio Theatre for its Summer 2025 edition on Wednesday, April 23. This renowned international festival aims to bring the mountains to the city and to share all the beauty of mountain sports!

A selection of the best films related to mountain activities are presented. Details coming soon!

Wednesday, April 23
Doors 6:00 pm | Event 7:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Bappa Mazumder & Elita Karem
Presented by Dhaka Club Vancouver

Bangladeshi stars Bappa Mazumder and Dilshad Karim Elita will be coming to perform with Bappa Mazumder’s band, Dalchhut, live onstage at the Rio Theatre on Sunday, April 27. Get ready, and let’s all make the lasting memories together.

Bappa Mazumder is a versatile Bangladeshi singer, lyricist and music composer who won the Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Music Composer for the song "Na Jani Kon Oporadhey" in the 2017 film, SWATTA.

Dilshad Karim Elita, better known as Elita Karim, is a Bangladeshi singer, versatile performer, anchor and voice artist.

Sunday, April 27
Doors 6:30 pm | Show 7:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Balcony (General Admission) $30+ s/c
Main Floor (Assigned) $45+ s/c

You’ve watched his clips on Instagram, you’ve shared his standup with your friends and loved ones, now it’s time to see Manhar Seth’s poetic bits live and in-person.

Manhar Seth is one of the most viral and sensational figures on Instagram known for his unique fusion of poetry (shayari) and comedy. He has captivated audiences with his remarkable ability to blend heartfelt shayari with humor creating a refreshing and relatable experience for fans across the globe. Manhar doesn’t just perform on stage—he connects with his audience through interactive crowdwork making each show a dynamic and personal experience.

With a strong fanbase of 2 Million Followers that spans across India and internationally he has toured over 45 cities in his home country and garnered overwhelming responses during his recent tours in Dubai and the UK. His Canada tour is already generating huge excitement with pre-sale registrations amassing around 500 responses and early ticket sales estimated at 1500 tickets across multiple cities.

Presented by Reality Entertainment

Friday, May 2
Doors: 6:30 pm | Show: 7:30 pm
Language: English, Hindi | Age: 16+

Early Bird Ticket Pricing! (Limited Number Available)

First two rows: $60+Fees
Other Rows(Middle Section): $45+Fees
Other Rows(Left & Right Section): $35+Fees
Balcony(General Seating):$30+Fees

For Group Bookings & Sponsorships:
Reality Ent - (639) 999 0390
ContactRealityEntertainment@gmail.com

Hard Rubber Orchestra, Canada’s 18-piece jazz powerhouse, will reprise the music of the famed Mahavishnu Orchestra. In the early 70's, this five-piece unit, lead by guitarist John McLaughlin, blew minds and drew a cult following with their ground-breaking fusion of jazz, Indian ragas and high volume rock.

Hard Rubber will perform original arrangements by John Korsrud, Fred Stride, Bill Runge and others, with guests; drummer Randall Stoll, and Chris Gestrin on keyboards, along with the 18-piece orchestra. HRO last presented this popular tribute more than a decade ago, and is excited to once again give audiences a chance to see the Mahavishnu Orchestra re-visited and re-imagined by Vancouver's one and only Hard Rubber Orchestra. Special guests: The Fits (Veda Hille and Patsy Klein).

7:30 pm: Short music films
8:15 pm: The Fits
9 pm: Hard Rubber Orchestra
Schedule subject to change

“John Korsrud likes a good challenge. Last year, he and his Vancouver-based 18-piece Hard Rubber Orchestra performed two big-band concerts of songs by the Mahavishnu Orchestra, the 1970 jazz-rock quintet that favoured odd time signatures and high-octane delivery. To these ears, that second concert was the best show at last year’s jazz festival.” (Marke Andrews, Vancouver Sun)

Saturday, May 31
Doors 6:30 pm | Event 7:30pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Main Floor (Assigned Seating) - Sliding Scale $20+ s/c | $25+ s/c | $30+ s/c ('Sliding Scale' pricing = Pay what you can while supporting local, Canadian artists)
Balcony (General Admission) -  $15+ s/c

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Formed by artistic director John Korsrud in 1990, the Hard Rubber Orchestra has consistently been one of Canada's most active and unpredictable ensembles of creative music, presenting concerts of original music by some of Canada's most exciting composers, performed by Vancouver's finest musicians. The orchestra has recorded five albums, toured across Canada and to Europe. In 2005, they were the recipients of the Alcan Arts Award, the largest arts award in Canada for the creation of new work. They have produced several large theatrical works such as operas, avant ice shows, and arts raves and commissioned nearly 100 new works by composers such as Kenny Wheeler, John Hollenbeck, Darcy James Argue, Christine Jensen, Peggy Lee, Marianne Trudel, and Brad Turner. @hardrubberorchestra

Iron Dog Books and Black Bond Books/Book Warehouse proudly present An Evening With V.E. Schwab at the Rio Theatre, in celebration of "Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil." The evening promises a lively discussion, hosted by local author and podcaster Hannah McGregor, and an in-depth question period.

Ticket price includes a signed and specially embossed copy of "Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil." Additionally, autographed copies of V.E. Schwab's previous books will be available for purchase, while quantities last.

VICTORIA “V. E.” SCHWAB is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty books, including the acclaimed Shades universe, the Villains series, the City of Ghosts series, Gallant, and the international bestseller The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. Translated into over two dozen languages and optioned for television and film, V.E. Schwab’s work is widely loved and critically acclaimed.

Monday, June 16 - Over 75% sold!
Doors 6:00 pm | Event 7:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Ticket price includes one signed copy of Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, admission to event, and all taxes and fees.

Ticket purchasers will be contacted ahead of the event for the opportunity to submit questions.

This Rio Theatre gift certificate is good for entry to any single regular screening and includes one medium popcorn, one medium fountain beverage, and one small candy.

This Rio Theatre gift certificate is good for entry to any single regular screening and includes two medium drinks, and one large popcorn.