The sixth annual Sun Peaks Film Festival is set to return with its most ambitious lineup yet, blending international mountain films with a growing showcase of local talent. This year’s event builds on community feedback and on the festival’s steadily rising popularity, Marj Knive, one of the festival’s founders and the president of ArtZone Sun Peaks, said.
The event has evolved significantly since its 2019 debut, she added.
“Each year we tweak things a little based on what people tell us,” Knive said. “This year we’ve switched things up quite a bit.”
A festival with community roots
The festival began in 2019, when Knive and her husband realized Sun Peaks had no local film event. They approached Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival, secured rights to the tour films, and rented a 100-seat room at the Hearthstone Lodge.
“I worried and worried that nobody would come,” Knive said. “It sold out.”
The festival’s after-party that year was so memorable it became a defining community moment just before COVID shut everything down.
Since then, the event has only grown. It has moved to the Sun Peaks Centre, expanded to three nights and sold out every year. Organizers expect similar demand this season and are encouraging people to buy early.
Bigger spotlight on local filmmakers
For the first time, the Local Filmmakers Night, previously held on Thursdays, will move to Saturday evening, followed by an after-party celebrating contest winners.
“It’s become so popular,” Kinive said. “People have so much fun at it that we decided to make it the big finale.”
The local competition also includes a new category this year: 60-Second Shredit, encouraging anyone with a phone to submit a one-minute video.
“We wanted something quick and fun for people who don’t have time to produce a longer film,” Knive said.
The existing two to 15-minute film category remains. Saturday’s program will open with three professional films created by local B.C. filmmakers, two from Squamish and one from Rossland, before screening the community submissions after the intermission.
Two nights of international adventure
On Thursday and Friday, the festival will present selections from the VIMFF World Tour. The films span the globe, from the nearby Chilcotins to Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and Eastern Europe.
This year’s lineup includes stories about adaptive sports, Indigenous perspectives, climbing, backcountry skiing, freeriding, mountain biking and even aerial acrobatic dance performed on silks suspended from cliff faces.
One film follows a New York man reconnecting with his Turkish heritage and discovering skiing in the process. Another tracks a group attempting to reach multiple European ski areas using only public transit.
“We try to bring in films that make people think,” Knive said. “The intermission is always buzzing with people talking about what they took from each story.”
Importantly, the films shown on Friday and Saturday are all different, allowing attendees to catch multiple nights without repetition.
Get your tickets early
“We’ve already sold quite a few,” Knive said. “The local night always sells out and the VIMFF nights are just excellent films. We really hope people come out.”
Tickets are available at artzonesunpeaks.com, priced at $25 per night or $65 for a three-night festival pass. Capacity is 180 seats per night.
“It’s high-quality entertainment and a great way to spend a few evenings,” Knive said. “We love putting this on for the community and we appreciate everyone who comes out year after year.”
What did you think of this story?
Sun Peaks Independent News is your essential source for community news in Sun Peaks. Your feedback after we publish a story helps ensure we're always improving our reporting to better serve you.
