Velcrow Ripper

Canadian filmmaker Velcrow Ripper has directed more than 20 films and videos — “poetic film essays” with an activist bent, reflecting his interest in cultural politics and the environment. In Bones of the Forest, he makes an effective use of slow-motion cinematography, optical printing and expressionistic soundscapes to chart efforts to protect an ancient woodland. “Sound can be a tremendous expression of what is going on in a scene,” says Ripper. “Sound takes us to deep places in a way that scent does.” ScaredSacred (2004), documenting a pilgrimage to the planet’s “ground zeros,” was named one of Canada's Top Ten Films of 2004. He teaches film and video at Vancouver’s Emily Carr Institute, and also works as a writer and sound designer. He was the sound designer for the successful documentary The Corporation.

Selected Filmography

Fierce Light (2008)

ScaredSacred (2004)
Genie Award — Best Documentary
Toronto International Film Festival — Best Canadian Feature Film

The Corporation (2003) Sound
IDFA — Special Jury Award
Genie Award —Best Documentary
Sundance Film Festival — Audience Award

Bones of the Forest (1996)
Genie Award — Best Feature Length Documentary