Trumpeter and film composer Vince Mai returns to the VIFF Centre with his quintet to play selected hits of celebrated film composer Henry Mancini prior to a screening of the beloved Pink Panther movie A Shot in the Dark.

Mancini was a well known composer whose scores include Peter Gunn, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Days of Wine and Roses, 10, The Party, and of course the Pink Panther series. Mancini’s genius was in his ability to meld jazz with the contemporary in order to evoke the emotions necessary for a memorable dramatic film score.

Joining Vince will be Miles Black on keys, Bernie Arai on drums, Laurence Mollerup on bass, and Steve Kaldestad on saxophone. This should be a very special evening.

About A Shot in the Dark (Blake Edwards, 1964, USA, 103 min)

The second film in the series was rushed into production after the unexpected popularity of Peter Sellers’ bumbling detective Inspector Clouseau in the previous year’s caper The Pink Panther. This is where Clouseau comes into his own, along with first appearances from Herbert Lom as his long-suffering boss Commissioner Dreyfus, and Burt Kwouk as his man servant Cato.