24th annual Kamloops Film Festival boasts variety of movie genres

The Film Festival is screening movies from around the world, but there is an emphasis this year on local film.

The event promises to have something for everyone.

“There’s some great dramas, there’s some comedies, of course there’s DarkFest, there’s all kinds of weird and wonderful horror films, we’ve got the family feature, so yes, there’s a lot of diversity in that,” Ashcroft said.

The first film of the festival is Haida Modern, a documentary about a revolution in Indigenous art and thinking and the way it is impacting society.

“You go anywhere and you see so much Indigenous artwork,” said director Charles Wilkinson. “All of that really came from one place, and all of this was this rekindling of interest.”

The documentary focuses on Indigenous artist Robert Davidson and the message behind his work.

“At the time he started working, Indigenous culture, really across the continent… it had become a museum culture,” Wilkinson said. “And Robert, when he decided to carve the first totem pole on Haida Gwaii, which is up the North Coast, that really kick-started this revolution in Indigenous art and Indigenous worldview.”

Wilkinson will be sticking around after the film for a question-and-answer session.

This sort of an event is what makes the festival a community event.

“Really, what the festival is all about is the engagement piece, so yes, you watch the films, they’re amazing, that’s great,” said Dusan Magdolen, chair of the Kamloops Film Society, “but then you’re connecting with people outside of that at our various events, or you’re connecting with the filmmakers. We’ve got filmmakers out for a bunch of the films. So, that’s what our events are really designed for, for people to be sort of comingling and chatting, and having discussions about the films.”

The festival runs until March 14. Tickets and passes are still available.

by Jill Sperling

24th annual Kamloops Film Festival boasts variety of movie genres

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