A new documentary premiering this weekend at the Vancouver International Film Festival sheds fresh light on the life and legacy of celebrated Canadian painter E.J. Hughes (1913–2007). The Painted Life of E.J. Hughes, written, directed, and edited by Vancouver-based filmmaker Jenn Strom, offers an intimate exploration of the artist’s world — from his quietly reclusive nature to his enduring devotion to realism and his poetic depictions of British Columbia’s landscapes.

Known for his luminous portrayals of coastal and rural life, Hughes remained steadfast in his style even as Abstract Expressionism dominated mid-century art circles. His work is now enjoying renewed recognition. One of his masterpieces, Entrance to Howe Sound (1949), a meticulously detailed view of an island near Vancouver, is touring across Canada ahead of an upcoming Heffel auction, where it is expected to fetch between C$1.25 million and C$1.75 million ($896,000–$1.25 million). In 2018, his painting Fishboats, Rivers Inlet (1938) set a record at Heffel, selling for over C$2 million ($1.4 million).

“The film will be wonderful for Hughes’s loyal collector base, and we’re looking forward to seeing his market continue to thrive,” said David Heffel, president of the auction house. “These results are a testament to the enduring strength of Hughes’s market and his lasting legacy.”

Strom was inspired to create the film after reading a series of books on Hughes by Victoria-based author and artist Robert Amos. Her previous projects include A Golden Voice about Haida sculptor Bill Reid and the hand-painted short Assembly. She began researching Hughes in 2020, with production delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic — a setback that ultimately enriched the film.

“The slower process actually helped us gather rare material,” Strom explained. “Several major Hughes works came up for auction during that time, giving us the chance to film them up close — a rare opportunity since so many are privately owned.”

Strom said one of the most rewarding aspects of the project was retracing the artist’s steps to locate the real-life views behind his paintings.

“I travelled across British Columbia — even up to remote Rivers Inlet — with Robert Amos’s books and a clipboard of images,” she said. “Some places were easy to find, others were like a scavenger hunt, talking to locals and even knocking on doors to ask if I could see their views.”

With The Painted Life of E.J. Hughes, Strom captures both the artistry and the solitude that defined Hughes’s career, offering audiences a renewed appreciation for a painter whose quiet realism continues to resonate across generations.