Kamloops Film Festival celebrates an increase in attendance with sold-out screenings and expanded industry partnerships – The Kamloops Film Society

March 16, 2025

The 29th Annual Kamloops Film Festival (KFF) officially concluded on Saturday, March 15th, marking one of its most successful editions to date. This year’s festival welcomed a total of 4,678 film enthusiasts, a 23.5% increase from 2024, and showcased 27 feature film screenings, 17 shorts, and 15 interactive events, with sold out screenings of Oscar-winning films ANORA and FLOW.

During the festival, the energy and participation from guests, sponsors, and community partners helped make the 29th edition memorable. The KFF hosted 24 special guests, including 6 filmmakers, 9 industry presenters, and 8 speakers, who participated in engaging pre- and post-film discussions.

“We are thrilled by the incredible turnout and the overwhelming support from our community, sponsors, and film enthusiasts,” says Kamloops Film Society Executive Director, Colette Abbott. “This year’s festival was a true celebration of cinematic excellence, showcasing some of the top films from around the globe while also highlighting the incredible talent within our local film community. As we look forward to our 30th anniversary next year, we are excited to continue fostering a space where filmmakers and audiences can connect through film.”

One of the standout events at the festival this year was the Learn About Film two-day industry program presented in partnership with the Thompson-Nicola Film Commission, which offered 53 aspiring and emerging filmmakers from across the province a chance to learn from broadcasters, funders, and award-winning filmmakers including Kevin Eastwood and representatives from Knowledge Network, Telefilm, YAP TV, Vancouver Web Fest, Creative BC, and the National Film Board of Canada.

Audiences played a key role in celebrating cinematic excellence throughout the festival, voting THELMA as the 2025 Kamloops Film Festival Audience Award Winner. The comedy stars June Squibb as a 93-year-old grandma who loses $10,000 to scam artists then takes revenge on those that duped her. The screening was paired with an informative discussion on how to avoid financial fraud with over 130 attendees, including many local seniors.

The Kamloops Independent Short Shorts (KISS) Fest, which took place on Sunday, March 9th during the KFF, was sponsored by the Thompson-Nicola Film Commission, Kamloops Arts Council, and Kamloops Film Society. Twelve cash prizes were awarded, totalling $3,600, and recognizing the talent of amateur and professional filmmakers from the Thompson-Nicola region.

Amateur Winners:

• 1st place – THE TRAVEL AGENCY (Logan Gauley)
• 2nd place – HUNGRY ONE (Chris Bose)
• 3rd place – THE UNHOLY TRADE (Debleen Majumar, Tanmita Mukherjee, and Bonneu Dey)

Professional Awards:

• 1st place – THE TRIUMPH & TRAGEDY OF LICKEDY-SPLIT (Brandon Giddens, Kazia Poore)
• 2nd place – CRIMSON PAWPRINTS (Christo Vutev)
• 3rd place – VALUE OF GOLD (Richard Wright)

Special Jury prizes:

• Best Llama – BUBBLES THE KILLER LLAMA (Geordie Stenner)
• Best Visual Storytelling – EMPTY HORIZON (James Twemlow)
• Kamloops Art Council Youth Award – ELOISE (Mirela Cardozo)
• TNRD Showcase Award – VALUE OF GOLD (Richard Wright)
• Audience Favourite – THE TRAVEL AGENCY (Logan Gauley)
• TNFC Lottery Prize – MISSING MARBLES FARM BEGINS (Steve Manhattan and Iesza Jessica Robson-Smith)

DarkFest returned with two well-attended screenings: SEEDS, preceded by the short film THEY CAME FROM THE SEA, and NOSFERATU WITH RADIOHEAD: A SILENTS SYNCHED FILM thanks to the support of presenting partner, Drunk in a Graveyard. Behind the scenes, the KFF ran smoothly thanks to the tireless efforts of the 12-person Festival Committee and 58 volunteers whose dedication and over 1,000 volunteer hours made the festival a success.

The Kamloops Film Festival in 2025 remained committed to accessibility, distributing 283 community tickets through partnerships with the Thompson-Nicola Regional
Library, and financial support from the BCLC and Teck / Highland Valley Copper, reducing financial barriers and increasing access to festival screenings and events.

The excitement peaked on Saturday, March 15th with a Silent Film Era-themed Closing Night Party at the Delta Hotel. It was a wonderful evening of entertainment and fun with our supporters, sponsors, and guests.

The KFF raffle and 50/50 raised over $8,000 for the Kamloops Film Society with the following winners announced at the Closing Night Party. The Rocky Mountaineer SilverLeaf Service Rail Experience for 2 was won by J. Antonia. The winner of the Sun Peaks Resort Bike Park Getaway was K. King. S. Larocque, the winner of the 50/50 jackpot, walked away with $2,985.

The Kamloops Film Festival gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Government of Canada through Telefilm Canada and the Province of British Columbia. We gratefully acknowledge Kelson Investments Ltd. and our major festival sponsors:

• City of Kamloops
• Thompson-Nicola Film Commission
• UBCP/ACTRA
• Delta Hotels by Marriott Kamloops
• Cordo Resto & Bar

The Kamloops Film Festival is looking forward to building on this success for 2026. Next year will be the 30th Anniversary of the Kamloops Film Festival which will run from March 5th to 14th, 2026. Stay tuned for updates and mark your calendars for another unforgettable celebration of film in Kamloops.