VIFF 2025 | 'Mile End Kicks' Relives the Age of Indie Sleaze

"I think writing is hard and no one should do it."

Vancouver International Film Festival

VIFF 2025—Toronto entertainment writer turned filmmaker Chandler Levack continues to mine her own youthful personal experiences as she revisits the indie sleaze music scene (circa 2011) in her winning sophomore film, Mile End Kicks. Starring Euphoria actress Barbie Ferreira as a young music critic from Ontario who moves to Montreal's vibrant Mile End neighbourhood of artists to write a book about Alanis Morissette before becoming sidetracked after falling for a struggling indie rock band.

Levack's specificity in fictionalizing elements of her actual life as an arts writer and journalist thrown into the French-Canadian city full of attractive musicians and artists from across the country serves as a fine jumping-off point for its coming-of-age romantic comedy material.

Around Ferreira, who more than believably plays the odd-looking geek girl surrounded by older men much dumber than her despite her confident bombshell good looks in reality, as friends and foes, we find highly comical performances from the likes of Devon Bostick and Stanley Simons as dual love interests, Juliette Gariépy as the quirky Québécois roommate, and Jay Baruchel as the creepy boss.

There's so much genuinely authentic recent period details about the highs and lows of arts journalism and being around artists. Levack's brand of uniquely Canadian yet universal personal storytelling about the trials and tribulations of being young, smart, and awkward remains in her second feature. This is very much the kind of post-grad sex comedy fronted by a cast of up-and-coming actors we need more of as a worthy representation of our recent cultural touchstones.

Mile End Kicks screened at the 2025 Vancouver International Film Festival as part of the Special Presentations series at the Rio Theatre with Levack in attendance. It also screens again at the 2025 Whistler Film Festival as part of the Canadian Feature program on December 4th.


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