Join us on February 11th, in partnership with the Vancouver Pride Society, for the Vancouver premiere of Pat Rocco Dared, a documentary that explores the prolific career of the eponymous activist, artist, filmmaker, and entertainer. Pat Rocco was also the International Grand Marshall for Vancouver Pride in 2011, and the parade makes a brief appearance in the film.

Date: February 11, 2023
Doors at 6:30 PM and screening at 7:00 PM
Venue: SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts (149 West Hastings Street, Vancouver)
Tickets: $10 in advance or $15 at the door
Details: https://reelcauses.org/pat-rocco-dared/
Virtual screening window: February 13th to 27th
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Made by Vancouver co-directors Morris Chapdelaine and Bob Christie, Pat Rocco Dared has played in over 30 festivals since its premiere at the Whistler Film Festival. It’s a love letter to a romantic filmmaker and activist, perfect for a Valentine's Day date, that has earned awards for best documentary, directing, research and audience impact.

Artistic and highly romanticized, Pat's films were controversial not due to how explicit they were, but rather their bold political and artistic expression. In A Very Special Friend, Rocco dared to screen the first kiss between two men ever seen on a big theatre screen.

Without Pat’s films, important moments of the LGBTQ rights movement would be undocumented because the mainstream press was not covering it. He filmed the first pride parade in the world, and helped create Los Angeles’ first Pride organization. There is a record of Harvey Milk’s historic speech and attendance at the Los Angeles Pride Parade shortly before his murder because Pat Rocco was there with his camera.

The filmmakers capture this touching portrait of a little known 2SLGBTQ+ hero with candid personal interviews with Pat at this home in Hawaii, and with close friend Reverend Troy Perry, film historian Whitney Strub, and Canadian artist and activist Syrus Marcus Ware.

With ample sumptuous archival footage from Pat’s films, this documentary deserves to be seen on the big screen.