During SakuraFest (April 17 to May 11) tour buses are NOT allowed in the JCCC Parking Lot.
We thank you for your consideration.

 

Karen Gordon

Director

Karen Gordon’s route to the Japanese Canadian Centre started more than a decade ago when she bumped into a former work colleague (now a board member and soon-to-be JCCC President), Chris Hope, at a neighborhood drug store. That chance meeting led to her working with him as story editor and co-writer on his feature documentary. “Hatsumi” is the story of Chris's grandparents, who met and married in Vancouver, and how Canada’s internment during the Second World War affected their lives.  A few years later, she sat as a jury member for the Toronto Japanese Film Festival.  Since then, she and Chris have collaborated on several projects, including the JCCC’s videos for both “Keep the Lantern Lit” COVID-era fundraisers.

Documentaries and movies are only part of her career. Karen has a long and varied history in communications, broadcast, and writing across all media and platforms and has done everything from producing to hosting.  She’s a writer and story editor for documentary TV and IMAX/Giant Screen. She's just wrapped work on the giant screen film "Serengeti," which starts rolling out internationally in Spring 2022. She’s a film critic and one of the founding members of the movie review website original-cin.ca. She’s collaborated with celebrity chef David Rocco on three cookbooks, including the award-winning “Made in Italy.” Karen is also a media trainer and performance coach with a background in strategic publicity, marketing, and branding; She spent the big hair, big shoulder pad 1980s working in the music industry in Montreal and Toronto.

Above all, Karen believes that arts and culture is a powerful bridge that stimulates conversation, opens doors, connects, enlightens, brings joy, and builds friendships.