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In Gillian McKercher‘s first feature, “Lucky Star”, there is no escapist fantasy or whiff of bicoastal elitism. Instead, there are only temptations: Lucky (Terry Chen), an ex-gambler, starts to reach for the cards after he falls for a tax scam; his wife Noel (Olivia Cheng) wrestles with returning a lost watch amounting to the tens of thousands; their eldest, Grace (Conni Miu), wonders if she should confess her academic dishonesty. All the while, their youngest, Jenny (Summer Ly) presides over the family discord. As the characters’ internal struggles spill into their interpersonal relationships, “Lucky Star” captures an entangled mess of love and lies amid the bone-chilling cold of Alberta winter.

We brought together Gillian McKercher and three of her cast on the occasion of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (Sbiff) over Zoom. Together, we talked about moving beyond stereotypes, the infamous Canadian cold, and Alberta Asians.

This interview...

Christopher Ciccone, the younger brother of Madonna, has died at the age of 63.

Ciccone’s rep Brad Taylor confirmed the death to the Associated Press, adding that Ciccone died Friday in Michigan following a battle his cancer. People adds that Ciccone died “peacefully” with his husband Ray Thacker by his side.

“My brother Christopher is gone,” Madonna wrote on social media Sunday. “He was the closest human to me for so long. Its hard to explain our bond. But it grew out of an understanding that we were different and...