Arts & Culture

“Earth’s Greatest Enemy” screening reveals the global cost of militarization—and how we fight back

Two months ago, as the US-Israeli war of aggression on Iran and Lebanon continued to heat up, another thermometer was quietly ticking higher in the background. Largely unnoticed outside the areas it affected, in March the southwest US (and interior of BC) experienced an unprecedented heat wave, with multiple states smashing all-time single-day and -month temperature records. This was no one-day flash in the pan: the unseasonal temperatures lingered for nearly two weeks, causing alpine snowpack volume to melt down almost to nothing at a time when it should have been on its way to a typical mid-April peak. The…

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Insights from animate blankets: Artist Andrew Maize’s ‘fan dancers’ spin in McIntosh Gallery 

“There’s this animacy that you get from the wind. The wind fills the sails, livens a tree. I think it’s that sense of animacy we get from these blankets which otherwise are just inert material. It’s seeing that surprise on people’s faces when they first get up. It’s so exciting. There’s a sense of wonder,” says artist Andrew Maize, whose exhibit *(s)twerH is open to the public in Western University’s McIntosh Gallery until May 16.  A key feature of the windowless exhibit is a collection of gleaming silver and gold emergency blankets draped over hangers. First created in 1964 by…

Read MoreInsights from animate blankets: Artist Andrew Maize’s ‘fan dancers’ spin in McIntosh Gallery 

“Prime Minister Carney: No War. Period.” — A letter from 70+ Canadian artists and cultural producers

The following is an open letter from 70+ Canadian arts and cultural producers addressed to the Canadian government about the US-Israel attacks on Iran that began on February 28, 2026. It was provided to the Antler River Media Co-op by Iranian artist Gita Hashemi.  We, the undersigned arts and cultural producers, strongly and unequivocally condemn the US-Israel attacks on Iran. We condemn the targeting of Iran’s schools, hospitals, factories and other civilian infrastructures. We demand an unconditional end to the war that has been devastating the entire region. We firmly support the people of Iran in their courageous movements for…

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“You Will Not Kill Our Imagination”: Palestinian writer Saeed Teebi’s book launch at Western University 

“The greatest battleground in any war is always that of story,” reads Palestinian writer Saeed Teebi from his memoir You Will Not Kill Our Imagination at his book launch at Western University’s Conron Hall on November 10th. “In my view, Israel’s greatest accomplishment is that, even decades after its colonial inception, its story has remained in the foreground, while the stories of the Palestinian natives to the land continue to exist in relative obscurity. Of course, the obscurity of the Palestinian story is a manufactured one, a whole cloth tailored to fit snug over the minds of Western audiences. It…

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Adventure and Inspiration: The Hunter & Co Londonlicious Experience

Londonlicious has returned for its winter edition, taking place from January 16 to February 8 with over 40 London and area restaurants participating in the nonprofit-run food festival. Londonlicious inspires restaurants to introduce new menus that highlight produce from local farms across Southwestern Ontario.  Antler River Media had the pleasure of sitting down at one of those restaurants Hunter & Co, to hear from Chef de cuisine Anthony Abdullah and front of house manager Renee Vecchio about their perspective of the festival  “It’s been a positive experience,” says Abdullah. It’s helped expose our brand to people that wouldn’t regularly know…

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“We call it bougie peasant food”: Bicycle Café’s Londonlicious menu

From January 16 to February 8, more than 40 London restaurants are participating in the winter edition of Londonlicious, a food festival inspiring restaurants to come up with new menus that highlight produce from local farms across Southwestern Ontario. One of the participants is Dutch-inspired restaurant, Bicycle Café. Alicia Berkelmans, executive chef at Bicycle Café, sees Londonlicious as an opportunity to apply much of her farm-to-table mentality. “I’m the granddaughter of Dutch farmers — I also had a farm myself [for a] short period of time and grow a lot of my own food and cook a lot of things…

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“Grounding: States of Gender”: Persian calligraphy documents memoir of womanhood in Iran 

“What are the ways in which gender — our gender as women — has actually conditioned our life?” asked Iranian artist Gita Hashemi, introducing her performance Grounding: States of Gender at Western University’s John Labatt Visual Arts Centre on January 8. Curated by Soheila Esfahani, the exhibit will be displayed at the artLAB Gallery until January 29.  Grounding features Persian calligraphy in red and black ink that tells the story of a woman in Tehran named Zahra. The swaying script is written on twenty-two scrolls that cover the gallery walls, circling audiences from all sides. Live-streamed footage of Hashemi writing…

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In conversation with Mariana Rondón and Marité Ugas on Venezuela’s political unrest

Mariana Rondón and Marité Ugas directorial feature It Would Be Night in Caracas had its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. The film, based on a book of the same name, takes place in Venezuela during a time of massive political unrest following the heightened tensions between the government and its political opponents. The film follows Adelaida (played by Natalia Reyes) as she struggles with the loss of her mother, only to find her home has been seized by a corrupt militia. As she takes refuge in a nearby apartment, she needs to survive and…

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A Tribe Called Love sets the stage for more Somali-Canadian stories

Mohamed Ahmed’s A Tribe Called Love is a heartwarming and heartbreaking Romeo & Juliet story for the Somali diaspora. Although not flawless, the directorial debut from Ahmed is full of nostalgia, strong shot work, and a transparent look at how tribalism affects modern communities far from home. Set amongst the Somali community in Toronto, the film follows Farah both as a child (played by Ahmed Ibrahim) and adult (played by Dalmar Abuzeid) as he tries to pursue a romantic relationship with in with Halima (played by Older Feaven Abera), a fellow Somali but from a different tribe than his own. …

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“Food Chain Labour”: CLIFF and Justice for Migrant Workers joint film screening depicts worker struggles

From November 5 to November 8, an audience passionate about great movies and workers’ rights had the chance to watch six curated short films based on the theme “food chain labour”. These selections were made possible due to a collaboration between Justice for Migrant Workers and the Canadian Labour International Film Festival (CLIFF).  Among the selected films, three were documentaries that show the struggles, challenges, and organizing victories of workers in various sectors. Working for Freedom documents the experiences of a woman in prison labour at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre, A Tarea is set in the Galician estuaries in Spain…

Read More“Food Chain Labour”: CLIFF and Justice for Migrant Workers joint film screening depicts worker struggles