ArtZone’s sixth annual Sun Peaks Film Festival returned this week with sold-out screenings, emotional storytelling and a strong sense of community that organizers, volunteers, filmmakers and audiences alike say is what makes the event special year after year.
Thursday night marked one of the festival’s standout moments, as members of Kamloops Search and Rescue, Sun Peaks Fire and Rescue and the Sun Peaks Mountain Rescue Society were invited to attend a screening of 109 Below, a film highlighting elite volunteer rescue efforts.
“They brought apparatus and equipment and showed everyone what they do,” ArtZone’s president Marj Knive said. “Everyone was so engaged. It was the perfect way to honour them and connect the film to the people who do this work locally.”
Attendance throughout the festival remained strong, with Thursday and Saturday nights selling out and Friday drawing more than 100 attendees.
While strong ticket sales were encouraging, Knive said one of the most meaningful highlights was the volunteer support behind the scenes.
“It’s always heartwarming when members of the community want to get involved and be part of something like this,” she said. “Our volunteers have been absolutely incredible.”
Filmmaker sharing personal stories
Winner of the Local Filmmaker and the Fan Favourite Film this year, Colleen Hannigan premiered Out From Behind the Glass during the festival, a deeply personal project that began as a song and evolved into a music-video-style documentary.
“I’m a songwriter and I’d done music videos before, but never something this big,” Hannigan said. “Volunteering at the film festival inspired me to take one of my songs and expand it into something more.”
The project took more than a year to complete and came with its own setbacks, including a complete computer crash halfway through editing.
“I had the blue screen of death and had to start over,” she said. “But I learned so much about editing, storytelling, even experimenting a bit with AI.”
Hannigan, who has a background in audio engineering, said the biggest learning curve was video production.
“I’m an audio person, not a video one,” Hannigan said. “But interviewing people and bringing out their stories became my favourite part.”
Her film features interviews with seniors ranging from their 80s to over 100 years old, many of whom shared how skiing and mountain life played a role in their longevity.
“It didn’t start as a ski film,” Hannigan said. “But it ended up becoming one, which I think is really interesting.”
Going East, a documentary following three skiers traveling across Europe using only public transportation, was among the films resonating most with audiences.
“It felt like traveling the world from your living room chair,” Hannigan said. “I’d been looking forward to sharing it ever since I saw it.”
In addition to screening her film, Hannigan volunteered throughout the festival and is preparing for an upcoming music event on March 6 that will feature original music, local musicians and another screening of her work.
“I think my favourite memory will be sharing my passion with the community,” she said.
Volunteers at the heart of the festival
For Karen Lara, volunteering at the festival is driven by a love of independent storytelling and mountain culture.
“I’m really passionate about documentary films,” Lara said. “Especially mountain culture films. Those stories connect people all over the world.”
Lara is part of the team that helps select films, working from a licensed list provided by the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival.
“We look for balance,” she said. “Different lengths, different activities: climbing, biking, kayaking and stories that will resonate with people in Sun Peaks.”
Her favourite films this year included Kindness, Oasis and Gill Crescent. Lara also mentioned one of her most memorable moments from the festival.
“One of the best moments is when something moves me while I’m watching it and then I see the audience react the same way. That shared moment is really special.”
Meanwhile, Janice Hoppenreys, who has worked with ArtZone for nearly two years, said the festival is about more than just films.
“I love seeing locals come together and support each other,” she said. “It’s really fun watching people connect through these stories.”
One of her favourite films this year was Freya, with its powerful history and storytelling behind it. When asked about challenges during the festival, she said things ran smoothly overall.
“I actually think it’s gone really well,” she said.
Lara echoed that sentiment, adding that watching audiences react emotionally to films is one of the most rewarding parts of the experience.
“When people laugh, cry, or sit quietly during a powerful moment, that’s when you know the film has done its job,” she said.
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