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In celebration of the 7th MENA Film Festival’s focus on the many expressions of LOVE across the MENA/SWANA region, join us for our closing event: THIS IS A LOVE LETTER — MENA Underground Sounds.
Here, rave culture becomes a site of resistance—where sound and movement turn joy, care, and diasporic connection into a love letter written in basslines, bodies, and belonging, featuring four MENA/SWANA veterans and community leaders from the underground scenes of Vancouver and Calgary.
Co-presented with Miaan Art Association, a collective of SWANA artists rooted in togetherness, performance, and play, and bside Radio Station. This event venue is sponsored by VIVO Media Arts.
8:30
Doors open
9:00PM - 1:00AM
DJ Sets
VIVO is located in the homelands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples in a warehouse space at 2625 Kaslo Street south of East Broadway at the end of E 10th. Transit line 9 stops at Kaslo Street on Broadway. From the bus stop, the path is paved, curbless, and on a slight decline. The closest skytrain station is Renfrew Station, which is three blocks south-east of VIVO and has an elevator. From there, the path is paved, curbless, and on a slight incline. There is parking available at VIVO, including wheelchair access parking. There is a bike rack at the entrance. The front entrance leads indoors to a set of 7 stairs to the lobby.
A wheelchair ramp is located at the west side of the main entrance. The ramp has two runs: the first run is 20 feet long, and the second run is 26 feet. The ramp is 60 inches wide. The slope is 1:12. The ramp itself is concrete and has handrails on both sides. There is an outward swinging door (34 inch width) at the top of the ramp leading to a vestibule. A second outward swinging door (33 inch width) opens into the exhibition space. Buzzers and intercoms are located at both doors to notify staff during regular office hours or events to unlock the doors. Once unlocked, visitors can use automatic operators to open the doors.
There are two all-gender washrooms. One has a stall and is not wheelchair accessible. The other is a single room with a urinal and is wheelchair accessible: the door is 33 inches wide and inward swinging, without automation. The toilet has 11 inch clearance on the left side and a handrail.
To reach the bathrooms from the studio, exit through the double doors and proceed straight through the lobby and down the hall . Turn left, and the two bathrooms will be on your right side. The closest one has a stall and is not wheelchair accessible. The far bathroom is accessible.
Community builder, programming coordinator/curator Jamal aka J Squeezy discovered his love for sharing and gathering around music through involvement in local community radio. From beginnings with CJSW 90.9FM in Treaty 7 (Calgary) to co-founding bside.radio on the Unceded Coast Salish Lands (Vancouver)... from the living room to the dance floor, he's found a taste for fresh grooves and uplifting moods. Jamal's community focused work continues to unfold in fun and fulfilling ways, with bside.radio providing an important third space in the city and most recently, leading the coordination plus execution of Public Disco's Streetside Sessions in collaboration with Gastown for their 2025 Car-Free Sundays.
With roots in Tehran and a growing presence in Vancouver’s electronic scene, Mikubat is an innovative DJ and producer shaping a distinct sound. His signature style, “LangoBit,” blends atmospheric textures with breaky, percussive rhythms, making him stand out in today’s electronic music landscape. As one of the forces behind Miaan.art and Golchin events, Mikubat is dedicated to reclaim cultural narratives, challenging Western hegemony in the music industry, and giving voice to the experiences of the Iranian diaspora.
Beiti is a 'Vancouver'-based DJ whose selections are guided by intentionality and a desire to explore varying expressions of emotion within sounds. Through curated energies spanning House, Electro, and Tech House, her sets invite you to immerse yourself in an environment defined only by unbound movement on the dance-floor.
DJ Hannah is a selector, event producer and music enjoyer based out of “Calgary”/Mohkinstsis. Shaped by a lifelong obsession with the discothèque, DJ Hannah brings the soul of a crate-digger and the energy of a dancefloor alchemist to every performance, spanning across all genres on the four on the floor spectrum. Since her club debut in 2017, she’s become a mainstay in Western Canada’s electronic music scene, with a presence that stretches from club residencies to major festival stages like Bass Coast and Shambhala. Whether she’s curating events at Calgary’s Common/UNDRGRD, slinging records at Edmonton’s Mimi Bar or hosting her CJSW radio show, Neon Window, Hannah creates sonic experiences that are both intimate and expansive.
