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Thursday.February 12.2026
Vol.31 No.17
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Film festival marks quarter century
Passes sell out for annual event at renewed Patricia Theatre The 25th annual qathet international film festival will return next month with a lineup of international and local films, a newly renovated historic theatre and community events that organizers say reflect the region’s cultural engagement and growing appetite for cinema. From March 6 to 14, the festival will bring 16 feature films from around the world to the Patricia Theatre, a century-old venue that recently underwent extensive restoration work. Passes have sold out entirely, and individual tickets are now on sale, a milestone that, according to Gary Shilling, executive director of qathet film society, speaks to broader enthusiasm for cinema in the region. “We started with an awesome programming committee, led by Peg Campbell, that helped us narrow down a list of 100 films to 16,” explains Shilling. “The second thing is that the Patricia renovations are complete.” Among the most anticipated features is the festival’s opening film, təm kʷaθ nan Namesake, a locally produced documentary about Tla’amin Nation’s history, culture and place-naming practices, and the ongoing conversation about changing the name of Powell River. Directed by Dr. Evan Adams and WILDWOOD
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many of the films. “These days, the world just seems to get crazier and crazier,” he said, adding that festival programming seeks films that demand focused viewing. “The films we program have more intricate storytelling, are character driven and reward engagement.” Get the Peak to Go iPhone appwill nowalso host mornThe festival in thewhere audiences ingavailable after salons App Store or iTunes can discuss the previous day’s films, moderated by members of the programming committee. The salons are open to all attendees and feature treats supplied by a loPERSONAL ESTATE cal bakery. ThereREAL will also be aCORPORATION talk at Powell River Public Library on March 3, to preview the festival and WARREN highlight key films. BEHAN PERSONAL ESTATE CORPORATION Get the PeakREAL to Go Shilling also points to an imiPhone app now portant cultural milestone: the available in the reopening of the theatre balcony, App Store or iTunes WA which had been closed for decades. “Up until 1970, Indigenous peoPERSONAL REAL ESTATEto CORPORATION ple were segregated that balcony. PERS We’re opening it and making it part of the main auditorium, with an Ayajuthem name that means “tells the truth.” The festival is part of the film society’s broader commitment to reconciliation and truth-telling through cinema. For more information, go to PERSONAL REAL ESTATE CORPORATION qathetfilm.ca/film-festival-2026.
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Eileen Francis, and produced by Campbell, the film is a collaboration of seven Tla’amin filmmakers and allies. “This film is a special community preview before it goes off on the festival circuit,” says Shilling. “It’s representative of a way forward, a way of working together to look at this hot issue of a name change and it’s a film that is clear on how the Tla’amin people have been here for millennia and that their land was stolen from them.” A question and answer session with the filmmakers will follow the screening, offering festivalgoers an opportunity to engage directly with LAND CABIN
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the creative team. Shilling says the response to this year’s festival has been remarkable. “We sold 200 passes; last year, we sold 138,” he adds. “We had to cut it off because we wanted to be sure there were some individual tickets for sale.” Organizers believe a combination of factors explains the surge in interest: completion of the theatre’s renovations; increased comfort and upgraded facilities; and a lineup that includes Oscar contenders, worldwide award nominees and provocative documentaries. “I think there’s a buzz around films that should be seen on the big OCEAN VIEW
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screen, not waiting for them to be streamed.” The lineup features crowd-pleasers such as Hamnet, a romantic historical drama based on a beloved book and led by award-nominated performances, and The Secret Agent, a crime drama with a Brazilian lead actor in contention for best actor awards. Also on the schedule is The Blue Trail, a science fiction-themed drama about a resilient older woman defying authoritarian age restrictions, and The Painted Life of E.J. Hughes, a documentary about a seminal Canadian visual artist. Shilling believes resilience is the underlying theme connecting
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