5th Annual Stseptékwles re Sk’elép (Coyote Stories) Indigenous Film Festival opens with food sovereignty doc ‘Tea Creek’
September 14, 2026
IFF celebrates Indigenous cinema with 3 days of film, artist talks, and performances
The Kamloops Film Society is proud to present the 5th Annual Stseptékwles re Sk’elép (Coyote Stories) Indigenous Film Festival (IFF), in partnership with Tkʼemlúps te Secwépemc, taking place September 25–27, 2026 at the Paramount Theatre in downtown Kamloops. In the lead-up to National Truth and Reconciliation Day, the Festival puts Indigenous voices and stories centre stage, using the power of film to spark connection, understanding, and celebration. This year’s edition features 5 feature films, 18 shorts, 20 Indigenous filmmakers and artists, an Opening Night Red Carpet Reception, a FREE family event, a Closing Night Two-Spirit Drag Show, and more!
“Storytelling is an important way, here in Secwépemcú7ecw and the Tk’emlúps region, to share knowledge, culture, and our experiences,” says Laura Michel, an Indigenous Film Festival Committee member and Kamloops Film Society Board member. “Indigenous stories can encourage us to think differently, see the world through one another’s experiences, and build a greater understanding of the people and communities around us. Film gives us a chance to see ourselves on screen while experiencing stories from Indigenous communities near and far. Indigenous film festivals like ours create a space to celebrate the incredible diversity of Indigenous filmmakers, artists, and storytellers, while bringing our community together to listen, learn, and share.”
The Festival is curated by an all-Indigenous Committee with films ranging from documentary and animation to horror and a musical. IFF opens with food sovereignty documentary Tea Creek, with award-winning entrepreneur and Tea Creek founder, Jacob Beaton in attendance. $1 from each opening night movie ticket will be donated to the Indigenous Food Sovereignty Association (IFSA) in support of Tea Creek Farm.
New this year, IFF presents two 75-minute masterclasses for aspiring and early-career filmmakers and anyone curious about the filmmaking craft: Masterclass with Taratoa Stappard: Transitioning from Short Films to Your First Feature (Saturday, September 26) with the award-winning New Zealand director of Mārama; and Masterclass with Doreen Manuel (Sunday, September 27) led by award-winning Secwepemc/Ktunaxa filmmaker and Capilano University educator.
Film highlights include təm kwaθ nan (Namesake), directed by t̓agəm Eileen Francis (in attendance) and ƛɛsla Dr. Evan Adams, which follows the City of Powell River as they confront how reconciliation is put into action when the Tla’amin Nation requests City Council to change the city’s name.
Saturday afternoon shifts into the realm of Indigenous horror with Bretten Hannam’s Sk+te’kmujue’katik (At the Place of Ghosts), a supernatural thriller about two estranged Mi’kmaq brothers, Mise’l and Antle, who must reunite to fight a malevolent spirit tied to their traumatic childhood. New Zealand director of Māori and British descent, Taratoa Stappard, joins the festival to present his debut feature film Mārama, a striking Māori gothic story of retribution that follows a young Māori woman who discovers her horrific colonial heritage after traveling to Victorian England.
Free events include the Short Film Showcase – Emerging Talent, featuring ten up-and-coming Indigenous filmmakers from across Canada. The short films include Louisa and the Fox, Choices, The Ballad of a Native Man, Dressup, Her Stories Have Always Been a Part of Me, Gâteau Girl (Pussy Pussy Pussy), Shipwrecked, ADANAC, Tsí Tkaròn:to, PIYAK OSKAN. Following the screening, special awards will be presented by the Indigenous Resurgence Project and Sc.wén̓ wen Economic Development Corporation.
Sunday starts off with a Free Family Event where storyteller Peter Michel (Adams Lake/Cstèlen), will share a traditional story rooted in culture and history followed by four family-friendly short films Nenaboozhoo, The Wild Sheriff, Pow!, Louisa and the Fox, Inkwo For When the Starving Return.
Festival-goers interested in how contemporary Indigenous storytellers use different artistic mediums to share their stories are invited to attend the free Indigenous Storytelling Panel on September 27 with screenwriter and comic book writer Isaiah Harris (Stz’uminus First Nation), artist Kel-c Jules (Secwépemc), and filmmaker Gina Bussidor (Sayisi Dene First Nation).
The Festival weekend closes with Corey Payette’s musical Starwalker, a luminous celebration of Indigenous and Queer resilience. Following the screening, a Closing Night Two-Spirit Drag Show, will feature the talented Ella Lamoureux (Mother of the House of Lamour), Khalora Form, and Walter Wilcox.
The IFF School Screening Initiative returns for a second year, providing up to 1,000 Grade 6–12 students with free admission to award-winning Indigenous documentaries that inspire learning, connection, and conversation. This initiative is made possible with the generous support of KGHM.
Festival Passes ($55) and individual movie tickets are available online at thekfs.ca/IFF and in-person at the Paramount Theatre during open hours ($16 for Adults; $13 for Seniors and Students). Masterclasses are $21 per event. Kamloops Film Society members save $2 on individual movie tickets.
A limited number of complimentary tickets are available through the BC Lottery Corporation’s Community Ticket Program for not-for-profit societies or organizations. Applications can be submitted through the festival website until September 17, 2026.
The Kamloops Film Society is grateful for the support of festival partner, Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc. IFF is made possible with grant funding from the Canada Council for the Arts, Government of British Columbia, BC Arts Council, Telefilm Canada, and City of Kamloops, and the generous support of Gold sponsor, BC Lottery Corporation (BCLC), and Silver sponsors: Tourism Kamloops, CN Rail Indigenous Relations, Highland Valley Copper / TECK, Stingray Radio, and Castanet Kamloops.
IFF 2026 LINEUP
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
6:30 pm – Tea Creek (dir: Ryan Dickie) – Red Carpet Reception with music by Duane Marchand and post-film discussion with Jacob Beaton, Shay Paul, and Courtney W. Mason.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
1:00 pm – təm kwaθ nan (Namesake) (dir. t̓agəm Eileen Francis and ƛɛsla Dr. Evan Adams), with short film W7éyle (moon’s wife) (dir. Amanda Wandler), and post-film discussion with co-director t̓agəm Eileen Francis, facilitated by Tkwenem7íple7 Nikki Fraser.
1:30 pm – Masterclass with Taratoa Stappard
4:00 pm – Sk+te’kmujue’katik (At the Place of Ghosts), (dir. Bretten Hannam)
4:30 pm – Emerging Talent Short Film Showcase, with Awards. Louisa and the Fox (dir. Rae Corston), Choices (dir. Jessie Anthony), The Ballad of a Native Man (dir. Penny J. Gullion), Dressup (dir. Andrew Genaille), Her Stories Have Always Been a Part of Me (dir. Naomi Watkins), Gâteau Girl (Pussy Pussy Pussy) (dir. Shanelle St. Hilaire), Shipwrecked (dir. Sheri Ptolemy), ADANAC (dir. Elijah Alexander Chenoweth), Tsí Tkaròn:to (dir. KJ Edwards), PIYAK OSKAN (dir. Arnolda Dufour).
7:00 – Mārama, with post-film discussion with director Taratoa Stappard
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
1:00 pm – Free Family Event with Storyteller Peter Michel and short films Nenaboozhoo (dir. Isaac Murdoch), The Wild Sheriff (dir. Sarah Houle), Pow! (dir. Joey Clift), Louisa and the Fox (dir. Rachel Corston), Inkwo For When the Starving Return (dir. Amanda Strong).
1:30 pm – Masterclass with Doreen Manuel
3:30 pm – Indigenous Storytelling Panel with Isaiah Harris, Kel-C and Gina Bussidor
6:00 pm – Starwalker (dir. Corey Payette)
8:30 pm – Closing Night Two-Spirit Drag-Show, with Ella Lamoureux (Mother of the House of Lamour), Khalora Form, and Walter Wilcox.
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The Stseptékwles re Sk’elép (Coyote Stories) Indigenous Film Festival, presented by the Kamloops Film Society in partnership with Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc, was launched in the fall of 2022. Guided by an all-Indigenous Committee, the festival showcases three days of films and highlights Indigenous artists through special engagement events at the Paramount Theatre during the weekend leading up to National Truth and Reconciliation Day.
The Kamloops Film Society (KFS) brings people together through film as a registered charitable organization operating out of the historic Paramount Theatre. The KFS curates diverse programming and festivals—including the Kamloops Film Festival, KISS Fest, and the Stseptékwles Re Sk’elép Indigenous Film Festival—while supporting local filmmakers and creating inclusive cultural experiences. For 50 years, the Society has worked with the community to bring the world to Kamloops and build a thriving arts ecosystem.
The Kamloops Film Society (Paramount Theatre) acknowledges that they are located on Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc territory, situated within the unceded ancestral lands of the Secwépemc Nation.
