'The Track' Director Ryan Sidhoo on the stories that haven't been told, and getting those movies made

This isn't Ryan Sidhoo's first time exploring the relationship between sports and space. Also having directed Truth North (2017) and produced Handle with Care (2021), two titles that rounded the festival circuit time and time again, Sidhoo's next feature introduces us to three friends growing up in Bosnia, all of whom have Olympic aspirations. What could be seen as a trio chasing a fairytale, The Track (2025) follows three young men coming of age as they train in luge on an abandoned track from the 1984 Olympics. A hopeful look at the next generation striving to clear out the rubble from the past, Sidhoo is keen to remind us that this isn't a sports movie, but a coming-of-age story about following a dream in a post-war society.In this episode of the VIFF Podcast, we speak with the filmmaker about how to make an audience root for your subjects, the logistical hoops of taking your film to market, and the power of seeing life through cinema.This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.