Sun Peaks Film Festival returns with curated films, local shorts and community events

Big, local films at festival

Photo: Sun Peaks Resort

The sixth annual Sun Peaks Film Festival will run from Jan. 15 to 17 at the Sun Peaks Centre.

Movie lovers in Sun Peaks will get three nights of jam-packed cinema this week, with a festival lineup featuring the work of local and international filmmakers.

The sixth annual festival will run from Thursday to Saturday, featuring a curated selection of movies from the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival World Tour as it stops in Sun Peaks.

The festival kicks off Thursday night with Local Fire & Rescue Night, which will see screenings of the film 109 Below and six other VIMFF movies. Special guests that night are Sun Peaks Fire and Rescue, sun Peaks Mountain Rescue Society and Kamloops Search and Rescue members.

Another six VIMFF films are scheduled for Friday night. That’s in addition to Wild Aerial, which an event listing states will be of “particular interest and inspiration” to the night’s special guests, the Sun Peaks Dance Academy.

The Local Filmmaker’s Contest will be held on Saturday, which will showcase two to 15 minute short films and 60-second “Shredits” made by local moviemakers.

An afterparty will be held following the contest, where community members, sponsors and festivalgoers can celebrate the contest winners and filmmaking.

“The Sun Peaks Film Festival continues to grow as a beloved community event — one that champions local voices while presenting exceptional films from around the world,” the event listing reads.

Doors open every night at 6 p.m. at the Sun Peaks Centre and screenings begin at 7 p.m.

More information and tickets are available online.