While B.C. is one of North America's leading movie production centres, the city's locals are also spoilt for choice when it comes to sitting back and watching the silver screen. The downtown core is home to modern mainstream cinemas - including the giant new Paramount multiplex and the popular Cinemark Tinseltown - but there are also several second-run discount theatres and an array of art-house choices for those who prefer movies of the subtitled variety. These include the Ridge Theatre, Pacific Cinematheque (www.cinematheque.bc.ca) and the new, state-of-the-art Vancity International Film Centre (www.viff.org).

With a varied schedule of original and challenging movies, the Vancity Film Centre is also the headquarters of the Vancouver International Film Festival (www.viff.org). The VIFF is one of the city's most popular annual events and draws thousands to theatres across the city with its eclectic roster of Canadian and international movies.

Story Idea: Follow several local filmmakers as they launch their movies at one of the city's film festivals. You could focus on several gay and lesbian movie makers at the Vancouver Queer Film Festival, giving you an original angle for a story on the city's gay and lesbian scene.