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NIRVANNA

THE BAND

THE SHOW

THE MOVIE

On February 13th, Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie releases in theaters, and if you’ve never heard of Nirvanna The Band before, here’s a quick rundown:

First there was the web series titled Nirvana The Band The Show, which released near the end of the 2000s. Then, there was Nirvanna The Band The Show (note the slight change in the title so as to avoid potential copyright issues), which had a two season run on Vice’s TV channel in the mid-2010s. A fabled third season of the television show was shot and ready to be released before Vice put the kibosh on that and shut their doors, it’s been said, although exact details are hazy. There are rumours that the rights to the show have been re-acquired, and the third season will be released somewhere at some point, ideally soon.

Now, finally, Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie releases this month through Neon in the US and Elevation Pictures here in Canada. I will not be linking to a trailer or the IMDb listing for the film because all of the press materials (and even the IMDb description) gives away some pretty major plot details that go beyond describing the movie and in fact goes a long way towards spoiling it. As someone who’s very averse to spoilers myself, I promise this isn’t me being overly spoiler-sensitive!

The show, through all iterations of it’s existence, is about two friends who have formed the band aptly named Nirvana The Band. Shot in a semi-mockumentary style that takes for granted that we the viewer understand that the people we are watching know they’re being watched, but for a purpose that is never revealed, we follow Matt and Jay on their adventures as they try desperately to book and perform a show at the Rivoli on Queen Street in Toronto. Booking a show there is paramount to their plan, above all others, including when they’ve been outright offered gigs at other venues, such as the El Mocambo. Throughout the web series and television show their quest takes wild detours to sometimes unbelievable heights, and the movie more than lives up to the world that they have created, and really brings you along for the ride.

First premiering at SXSW in March of 2025, playing at TIFF’s Midnight Madness in September of 2025, as well as a myriad of other screenings at festivals plus a tour of just the film itself before releasing in theatres, the wide release of the film happens this month and should definitely be seen by anyone who has had the opportunity to view and appreciate the series, whether in web or television form.

In addition to Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie, the creative team behind the shows have also created such films as The Dirties, Operation Avalanche, and Blackberry.

A big part of that team is former Millbrook resident Jared Raab, who attended PCVS in downtown Peterborough before attending York University and connecting with Matt Johnson and embarking on their creative partnership. Jared has been a Cinematographer, Producer, Executive Producer, and Director for many projects over the years.

An element to Jared and Matt’s collaboration over the years has been a certain type of scrappiness borne out of smaller budgets, random opportunities that arise, and filming limitations that if anything enhance and elevate their projects rather than detract. Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie is the latest of those collaborations, and one of the few movies I have ever seen that truly feels not only like a “Canadian” film, but a “Toronto” film.

I urge anyone who enjoys, well, anything, to go out and see the film when it releases. You do not have to have seen the show in any of it’s forms to enjoy and understand the film. It’s not one to be missed, and is an instant classic worthy of being in the pantheon of truly great films. Congratulations to Jared on the film!

Good Luck, Have Fun,

Don’t Die

Also opening on February 13th is a film titled “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die”, directed by Gore Verbinski (of Pirates Of The Caribbean, Rango, A Cure For Wellness fame). The film deals with the themes of social media and Artificial Intelligence taking over the world. I attended a screening of the film in September 2025 at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, and also had the opportunity to speak with and photograph Gore afterwards.

The film itself has a rather straightforward premise: A time traveller (Sam Rockwell) comes back to a specific place at a specific time in order to recruit people to save the world from a future where Artificial Intelligence has taken over. I won’t go into specifics beyond that, as I am very averse to learning spoilers about things, and that often manifests into my not wanting to share spoilers either, for fear of ruining it for others. I will say that if you’ve seen The Matrix and Terminator and loved those, you’ll appreciate this film. If I were to be objectively critical of the film, I would say that I appreciate the premise, but found the presentation of the film to be overly cynical through some of the very valid points it was trying to make.

There’s a particular set-piece that is a rather sharp turn from the rest of the film, and watching it with an American audience was exceptionally interesting as it directly (and indirectly) touched on a very real and very harsh reality that many Americans deal with on a near-daily basis. It could be argued that this storyline/set-piece deviates from the overall message of the film, and I personally feel that while it could have been played with maybe a little more nuance, there is an argument to be made that the direct and blasé nature of it is very pointedly meant to be jarring; in which case, it hit the nail on the head.

The conversations I was a part of with journalists and other creatives after the film was illuminating. Regardless of their opinion of the film itself, there was a strong resonance with the overall thesis of the film, that AI is bad, and it removes the soul of what makes humans human.

Artificial Intelligence

Conversations on the merits of Artificial Intelligence and the impact that it is having on filmmaking and photography at every stage from conception to the final product, not to mention the impact as a whole on life itself, are happening all over the world; in academic spaces about the broader nature and impact of AI itself, to conversations across many industries on how they can best apply it.

I’d love to know your thoughts on Artificial Intelligence! Take the survey!

Knowledge = Power

I’m always learning things that expand my skillset. Here are a few things I’ve come across that satisfy my curiosity to learn something new, or better educate me about something I already know!

Disclaimer: Some content I share may be sponsored. I support creators being paid for their work, but sponsorships can shape what’s featured. The ideas still matter, but you don’t always need the exact products shown to execute the ideas. I ever find myself in a situation where I have affiliate links of my own to share, I will disclose that information.

Diffusion Materials

There is a common theme among independent/low/ultralow budget film community that I’ve noticed, and especially so in videos about different ways and “hacks” to diffuse your light cheaply and efficiently. Shower curtains have been hailed as on-set heroes that can do the job perfectly, without the hassle of buying expensive diffusion fabrics and so on. I will forever be a supporter of innovative and alternative solutions on set, however this video demonstrates that with a little planning ahead, you can save a potential headache when it comes to dealing with problems caused by a shower curtain solution.

Note: Prices mentioned in this video are in US Dollars. B&H does deliver to Canada and has the option of showing their prices in Canadian currency, however there are businesses in Canada that also offer diffusion products if you don’t feel like purchasing internationally.

Diffusing Outside

Continuing on with the theme of diffusion, this is a helpful introduction to the concept of using diffusion to film outside! This is a fairly short video that definitely fits the description of an introduction, however it is helpful nonetheless in terms of getting the broad strokes of the concept across, and talking about the different ways it can be achieved, as well as some of the equipment involved. In this video they talk about using products from Glide Gear, however there are many alternative options out there of varying quality and price. I have used Glide Gear products in the past and they haven’t let me down, but they are not the only solution out there!

What’s Happening

Here are some things happening this month in the world of film in Peterborough!

ReFrame Film Festival

The ReFrame Film Festival ends today (February 1st), with films showing at Showplace and Market Hall until the final screening at 7:30 PM!

Beginning on February 3rd and running to February 8th, you will be able to watch selected films on-demand through ReFrame’s Virtual Festival, so if you didn’t get a chance to experience the Festival in person, there’s still a chance to check out some of the films from the comfort of your own home!

For more information, visit the Reframe website!

The Dead Of Winter

48 Hour Film Challenge

This month Paradigm Pictures is holding the third Dead Of Winter 48 Hour Film Challenge, and everyone’s invited to participate!

The event begins Friday February 20th with a meet & greet with fellow entrants, along with a Q&A for any questions you may have. Teams will be formed, inspiration packages given out, then you will have 48 hours to write, film, edit, and deliver your film! The teams screening will be held at 8 PM on Sunday February 22nd, with a screening for the public on March 1st!

All are invited, from veterans to amateurs to everyone in between!

For more information about entering the challenge and joining the fun, check out the sign-up form here!

Zacuto Filmmaking Grant

Zacuto has created a filmmaking grant for $1,000 USD towards a project you’re working on, as well as a featured interview with Zacuto, and exposure on their social media platforms!

As you’ll notice when you read the details, there is a condition to being eligible for this grant, which requires a purchase of $250 from Zacuto directly, or an authorized Zacuto reseller. This makes it feel more like it’s a contest rather than a grant, however, $1,000 (or $750) towards a project is not a bad amount of money, and this could be one of the few times where the exposure from winning could outweigh the actual cash value! I suggest if you’re working on or planning a project and need to get some gear anyway, give this a shot!

Community

Peterborough and the surrounding area has a wonderful community of incredibly creative people, and we’re only scratching the surface. If you would like to add yourself to the directory for the possibility of collaborating with others, please fill out this form.

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February 2026