A documentary about iconic B.C. landscape painter, E.J. Hughes, makes its Québec première at Le Festival International du Film sur l’Art
Screenings on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Cinéma du Musée in Montreal, and Thursday, March 19, 2026, at Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec (MNBAQ) in Quebec City.
For Immediate Release
Montreal, QC – A feature documentary, The Painted Life of E.J. Hughes, will have its Québec premiere at the International Festival of Films on Art / Le Festival International du Film sur l’Art (aka “le FIFA”) on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at the Cinéma du Musée in Montreal and Thursday, March 19, 2026, at Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec (MNBAQ) in Quebec City.
Over the course of his 70-year career, E.J. Hughes created hundreds of paintings of British Columbia, capturing coastal villages and the Rocky Mountains in vivid, dreamlike detail. Too shy to attend his own art openings, Hughes struggled in poverty until legendary Montreal art dealer Max Stern of the Dominion Gallery discovered his work in 1951. Captivated by what he saw, Stern tracked Hughes down in his remote Vancouver Island studio and signed him on the spot. It was the beginning of a unique artist/dealer relationship that would last over 50 years and help Hughes become one of the most beloved—and highly valued—artists in Canadian history.
On November 19, 2025, an E.J. Hughes painting entitled Entrance to Howe Sound sold for $4.8 million, becoming the fourth most expensive Canadian artwork ever sold at auction, and setting a new record for the highest price paid for a painting by a B.C. artist. As the Dominion Gallery represented Hughes for 5 decades, his work was widely collected across the province of Québec.
The Painted Life of E.J. Hughes features interviews with prominent Canadian art historians and former curators, including Charlie Hill (National Gallery of Canada), Laura Brandon (Canadian War Museum), and Ian Thom (Vancouver Art Gallery), as well as biographer Robert Amos and a slate of local characters who knew Hughes personally.
The Painted Life of E.J. Hughes was written, directed, produced and edited by Jenn Strom, a documentary filmmaker based in Vancouver, BC. It is her feature directorial debut, with her previous credits including the hand-painted NFB animation, Assembly; a short about Bill Reid titled A Golden Voice; and the Nick Bantock artist profile featured in the series 12 Takes (Gemini Award nominee). Her credits as editor include the feature-length documentaries: back home, Stuffed, and the musical NFB documentary, The Road Forward.
The Painted Life of E.J. Hughes was inspired by the award-winning E.J. Hughes books by Victoria author and artist, Robert Amos and is produced by Kevin Eastwood, who previously produced Haida Modern – winner of the Cineplex Odeon Quartier Latin Prize for Best Canadian Work at le FIFA in 2020. The film was commissioned by Knowledge Network, and will be available to stream across Canada starting April 16th on knowledge.ca
The Painted Life of E.J. Hughes is produced by Optic Nerve Films in association with Knowledge Network, and produced with the participation of the Canada Media Fund, Rogers Documentary Fund, Creative BC, the Province of British Columbia, and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit.
For more information and tickets: Le Festival International du Film sur l’Art
#ejhughesfilm Instagram: @picturecutter @kevineastwood
About Knowledge Network:
Knowledge Network is British Columbia’s viewer-supported public educational broadcaster. Available on television throughout the province of British Columbia and on streaming platforms across Canada, we feature Knowledge Original documentaries commissioned from BC-based producers; curated dramas, premium factual series and documentaries from around the globe; and quality programming for pre-schoolers and parents. Our service is free and commercial-free. For more information, visit knowledge.ca
About Optic Nerve Films:
Based on Musqueam, Squamish and Tseil-Waututh territories known as Vancouver, Optic Nerve Films is a production company passionate about making high-quality, ambitious and important film and TV projects that engage and inspire audiences to effect change on some of the most pressing issues of our time. For more information, visit www.opticnervefilms.ca
Kevin Eastwood and Jenn Strom will be in attendance and available for interviews.
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Media Contact: Lesley Diana 604 726 5575, lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
Or Helen Yagi 604-813-4883, hyagimedia@gmail.com