Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Adam Donnelly

KAMLOOPS FILM SOCIETY

Local filmmaker set to kick off 27th Kamloops Film Festival with feature premiere of ‘Outrunners’

Feb 28, 2023 | 4:20 PM

KAMLOOPS — On Thursday, the 27th annual Kamloops Film Festival kicks off at the Paramount Theatre in downtown Kamloops. The event features over 20 feature films, a red carpet opening night, wine-, whiskey-, and beer-centric discussions, and a sing-along for the whole family.

“I’m hoping maybe someone will be in the audience going, ‘Wow, a local guy made this? I could do that, too.’”

Ken Hegan, who is a native of Kamloops, remembers watching movies at the old Cineplex that used to be on the corner of Victoria Street and Sixth Avenue.

“I saw Raising Arizona downtown, at the local theatre, and that was the first time I realized there were people behind the camera who were very clever and were guiding the actions of the actors,” Hegan recalls. “The actors weren’t just making it up on the fly.”

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Over three decades later, Hegan will be the one guiding actors’ actions on the big screen, as his feature film debut, Outrunners, will premiere on the opening night of the film fest.

“We’re really excited about Outrunners, something that was shot in Kamloops, y’know, with a bigger-ish budget,” Dušan Magdolen, KFS Executive Director explains. “We’ve premiered some films that are a couple of thousand dollars-type thing, but this is like legit funding and professional actors and crew.”

Hegan grew up in Brock and graduated from Norkam Secondary. He and the film’s producer actually stayed at Hegan’s childhood home.

“It’s the coolest thing, to be able to film a movie in your hometown,” Hegan says. “I stayed at my Mom’s place for the entire shoot. So did my producer, Major. We’d roll out of our beds in the morning, I mean this is my childhood room. I’d clean up so we could film a scene there later that day.”

Thursday night will kick off ten days of movie-going excitement, as the Film Festival will run from March 2 to 11, with plenty of movies for everyone, from the casual viewer to hardcore cinephile.

“I always say to people, if you’re going to go see one film, pick the film you think you’re going to like,” Magdolen says. “If you’re going to see five films, do that with four, and with the fifth film, go outside your comfort zone and see something you wouldn’t normally see.”

When the opening titles for Outrunners flash on the screen at the Paramount Theatre, it’ll make history for the festival and for local filmmakers.

“I understand that I’m the first dramatic feature filmmaker from Kamloops to have their film premiere here at the Kamloops Film Festival,” Hegan says. “It’s awesome! You always want to be number one.”

For a full schedule of films and events, check out the Kamloops Film Society website.