Vancouver’s film and theatre community convened at St. Andrew’s Wesley Church on Sept. 1 to remember actor, director and UBCP president John Juliani, who passed away Aug. 20 at age 63, after a short battle with liver cancer.

Juliani, a fierce advocate for Canadian theatre and the arts, founded Savage God, a theatre collective, and had been president of the local film and television actors union since 1998.

He headed CBC radio drama in the early 1980s and also served as president of the Directors Guild of Canada.

He is survived by his wife and collaborative partner Donna Wong-Juliani and their actor-son Alessandro.