SWEET SUMMER POW WOW kicks off the 4th Annual Stseptékwles re Sk’elép (Coyote Stories) Indigenous Film Festival – The Kamloops Film Society
September 4, 2025
JUNO Award-winner George Leach headlines IFF Closing Night Concert, with special opening performance by Duane Marchand
Kamloops, BC (September 4, 2025) The Kamloops Film Society is proud to present the 4th Annual Stseptékwles re Sk’elép (Coyote Stories) Indigenous Film Festival (IFF), in partnership with Tkʼemlúps te Secwépemc, taking place September 26th to 28th, 2025 at the Paramount Theatre in downtown Kamloops. IFF promises three days of discovery, connection, and celebration, and includes 7 feature films, 2 short film showcases, filmmaker panels, a pop-up museum exhibit, artisan market, closing night concert, and more!
“On behalf of the Kamloops Film Society and the IFF Committee, I am honoured to announce the launch of our 4th Annual Stseptékwles re Sk’elép,” says Laura Michel, Kamloops Film Society Board Member and IFF Committee Member. “It’s incredible to see how much the festival has grown over the past four years. Each season, we’ve welcomed more voices, more stories, and more community into this space. Storytelling is a vital way that Indigenous People share knowledge, culture, and connection, and through film, these stories continue to spark dialogue, inspire empathy, and deepen understanding. I am so excited for audiences to experience the powerful narratives being shared this year.”
IFF was curated by an all-Indigenous Committee with films ranging from documentary and drama to horror and rom-com. IFF opens with Darrell Dennis’ 2025 romance Sweet Summer Pow Wow starring Tkʼemlúps te Secwépemc actor Tyler Peters (Avatar: The Last Airbender, Bones of Crows), the late Graham Greene (Dances with Wolves), and Joshua Odjick (Little Bird). This red carpet screening will be followed by a conversation with director Darrell Dennis and actor Tyler Peters.
This year’s festival features JUNO Award-winning musician George Leach headlining a brand-new Closing Night Concert, with a special opening performance by Duane Marchand. Concert tickets are $30 in advance or $35 at the door.
Documentary highlights include Saints and Warriors, directed by award-winning Haida filmmaker Patrick Shannon, which explores how basketball has become a symbol of resilience for First Nations people and a modern-day form of ceremony for a community that was once prohibited from holding traditional cultural gatherings; So Surreal: Behind the Masks, co-directed by Joanne Robertson and Neil Diamond (Red Fever), that unveils the connection between the work of famed Surrealist artists and Yupʼik and Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw ceremonial masks and the quest to bring some of the masks back home; and Jules Koostachin’s NiiMisSak: Sisters in Film, which emphasizes the vital role of Indigenous women in film.
Sunday afternoon offers a family-friendly, relaxed screening of The Lost Tiger, the first Australian animated feature to be written and directed by an Indigenous woman, Bardi filmmaker Chantelle Murray. This relaxed, inclusive screening features dimmed lights, lower audio — and free entry for kids 12 and under!
Rounding out the program are two incredible Saturday night films: the cinematic adaptation of the acclaimed musical, Les Filles du Roi, by award-winning writer, songwriter and director, Corey Payette (Children of God); and the sharp and unsettling thriller, Seeds, written and directed by Kaniehtiio Horn (Alice, Darling, Letterkenny), who also stars in the film.
New this year, IFF presents two short film programs: the Indigenous Without Borders Short Film Showcase on Saturday featuring I Am The Nature (Ecuador), Imillaskate: The Cholita Skaters of Bolivia (Bolivia), Let My People Go Skiing (USA), and Mawtini (My Homeland) (Canada); and on Sunday, the Emerging Talent Short Film Showcase featuring six up-and-coming Indigenous filmmakers from across Canada with audiences invited to vote for the Audience Award.
Festival goers are encouraged to check out the Indigenous Artisan Market on Saturday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at the TNRD Atrium (465 Victoria Street). All other films and events take place at the Paramount Theatre, 503 Victoria Street, Kamloops. Everyone is welcome.
Individual tickets and 5-Film Bundles are available online at thekfs.ca/IFF and in-person at the Paramount Theatre during open hours.
A limited number of complimentary tickets are available through the BCLC Community Ticket Program for deserving not-for-profit societies or organizations. Applications can be submitted through the festival website.
The Kamloops Film Society is grateful for the support of festival partner, Tkʼemlúps te Secwépemc. IFF is made possible with grant funding from the Government of British Columbia, BC Arts Council, and City of Kamloops and the generous support of gold and silver sponsors: BCLC, Tourism Kamloops, Highland Valley Copper / TECK, Stingray Radio, and iNFOnews.
IFF 2025 LINEUP
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
6:30 pm – Sweet Summer Pow Wow with Red Carpet and post-film discussion with director Darryl Dennis and actor Tyler Peters.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
1:00 pm – So Surreal: Behind the Masks, post-film panel with co-director Joanne Robertson, representatives from the Secwépemc Museum and Heritage Park, and Kamloops Museum and Archives, moderated by Shay Paul.
2:00 pm & 4:00 pm – Indigenous Without Borders Short Film Showcase
4:00 pm – NiiMisSak: Sisters in Film with short film Good Daze and post-film Q and A with director Jules Arita Koostachin and short film director Jonelle Belcourt, moderated by Thompson Nicola Film Commissioner, Terri Hadwin.
7:30 pm – Les Filles Du Roi
8:00 pm – Seeds with pre-recorded post-film discussion with director Kaniehtiio Horn.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
1:00 pm – The Lost Tiger, a relaxed, family-friendly screening with partially dimmed lights and lowered audio. Kids 12 & under free.
1:30 pm – Emerging Talent Short Film Showcase, with Audience Award presentation.
6:00 pm – Saints and Warriors with post-film Q and A with director, Patrick Shannon.
8:30 pm – Closing Night Concert featuring George Leach with opening performance by Duane Marchand. Tickets $30, $35 at the door.
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The Stseptékwles re Sk’elép (Coyote Stories) Indigenous Film Festival, presented in partnership with Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc, was launched in the fall of 2022. Guided by an all Indigenous Committee, the festival showcases three days of feature films and highlights Indigenous artists through special engagement events and is now an annual staple of the Kamloops Film Society’s offerings at the Paramount Theatre.
The Kamloops Film Society (KFS) is a non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to enriching the local arts community through diverse film programming. Operating the historic Paramount Theatre, KFS presents a variety of programs including the Thursday Film Series; the annual Kamloops Film Festival (KFF), which features the Kamloops Independent Short Shorts (KISS) Festival; the Met Opera: Live in HD series; and a range of micro-festivals throughout the year. With over 50 years of history and official incorporation under the British Columbia Societies Act since August 17, 1994, KFS continues to be a vibrant hub for film lovers in the region. Learn more at www.thekfs.ca
The Kamloops Film Society (Paramount Theatre) acknowledges that they are located on Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc territory, situated within the unceded ancestral lands of the Secwépemc Nation.
Kamloops Film Society
The Kamloops Film Society is the umbrella organization that operates the Paramount Theatre and runs two main events: The Thursday Film Series and the annual March Kamloops Film Festival, which includes the Kamloops Independent Short Shorts Festival. The KFS has been operating for over 45 years and was officially incorporated under the BC Societies Act on August 17, 1994. In the spring of 2019, The Kelson Group purchased the Paramount Theatre and leased the venue to the KFS. The support of The Kelson Group and Ron Fawcett has made the venture possible as The KFS continues to make the theatre a cultural venue.
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