30th Kamloops Film Festival Brings the World to Kamloops Through Film – The Kamloops Film Society
March 17, 2026
The 30th Annual Kamloops Film Festival (KFF) concluded its 10-day event on Saturday, March 14th, marking another vibrant celebration of cinema and community at the Paramount Theatre. Presented by the Kamloops Film Society, this year’s festival (March 5–14) welcomed a total attendance of 3,464 film enthusiasts, showcasing 26 feature films from 22 countries and 21 foreign languages, alongside 22 shorts from local and national filmmakers. From opening night through the final screening, audiences filled the historic downtown theatre, reflecting sustained enthusiasm for the diverse film lineup and festival experience.
“Celebrating 30 years of the Kamloops Film Festival highlights how much this event has evolved,” said Colette Abbott, Executive Director of the Kamloops Film Society. “From screenings to industry sessions, live performances, and collaborations with local restaurants and wineries, it’s inspiring to see the ways people come together around film in our city.”
“The Kamloops Film Festival is my favourite time of year as a programmer,” commented Sam Theriault, Festival Programming Manager. “The festival gives our audience a chance to expand their cinematic worldview and try something completely different.”
The Learn About Film Industry Program, presented in partnership with the Thompson-Nicola Film Commission, returned this year with a two-day seminar designed to support regional filmmakers. The sessions featured screenwriters, directors, producers, and composers who shared insights on topics ranging from film scoring to crowdfunding, offering practical guidance and professional perspectives for emerging and early-career filmmakers.
The festival also welcomed filmmaker guests Jenn Strom, Kevin Eastwood, Michelle Muldoon, Karen Lam and Connor Gaston, who joined audiences for post-film conversations and special appearances.
In addition to film screenings, this year’s festival expanded its event offerings with a series of live music performances before select films, featuring Jeremy Gutowski, Jeremy Kneeshaw, Janky Eyed Jury, and Duane Marchand, helping create an energetic and welcoming atmosphere throughout the festival. Popular community events such as Movie Trivia Night also returned, providing festivalgoers a chance to come together and enjoy friendly competition.
Festival audiences once again played a key role in recognizing standout films, voting Rental Family as the 2026 KFF Audience Award Winner. Directed by HIKARI, this 2025 comedy-drama stars Brendan Fraser as a lonely, out-of-work American actor in Tokyo who discovers new purpose through a unique Japanese agency, where he is hired to play roles ranging from father and husband to friend. The Whale, which also starred Brendan Fraser, won the KFF Audience Award in 2023.
The Kamloops Independent Short Shorts (KISS) Fest took place during KFF on Sunday, March 8th, awarding $3,650 in cash prizes to regional filmmakers, along with a $5,000 scholarship from the College for Arts and Technology.
The first-place winners at this year’s KISS Festival are The Yoga Teacher, directed by Jason Foui, taking the Professional category; The Box, directed by Abhinanth Kiliyalankandy Chalil, winning the Amateur category; and The Void in Space, directed by Logan Gauley, awarded the Youth Prize.
The audience-selected winners at this year’s festival are The Yoga Teacher, directed by Jason Foui, taking the Professional Audience Award; Pickle Girl, directed by Ryder Dobson, receiving the Amateur Audience Award; and My Bedroom Ate My Homework, directed by Lochlan Lemire, awarded the Youth Audience Award.
The Thompson-Nicola Film Commission Award went to The C.I.eh, directed by Ryan Weichel, while the $5,000 scholarship from The College for Arts and Technology was awarded to Trolley, directed by Elijah Jotie.
Behind the scenes, the festival was supported by a committee of 12 along with 50 volunteers who contributed over 850 hours to ensure every screening and event ran smoothly. The Kamloops Film Festival remained committed to accessibility and engagement, distributing over 100 community tickets through local organizations.
The festival wrapped with a lively Closing Night Celebration at the Delta Hotel, bringing together supporters, sponsors, and community members to toast another successful year of cinema. Raffle winners were also announced: T. De Marni took the grand prize of over $2,300 in local gift cards and experiences, P. Stokes won a one-year all-you-can-watch Paramount Theatre movie pass, F. Bhimji received an original Lindsay Rempel acrylic painting, and E. Fortier claimed the 50/50 prize of $2,220.
Looking ahead, the Kamloops Film Festival team is already planning for the future and building on the momentum of this year’s event. Next year’s KFF will take place March 4 to 13, 2027.
Learn more at kamloopsfilmfest.ca
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.
My Blog Posts Visit My Website