at the festival

Special Guests at qiff 2026

A special preview screening of the locally produced documentary təm kʷaθ nan Namesake is our opening night film on March 6, with the collaborative team of Tla’amin and ally filmmakers in attendance – Dr. Evan Adams, Eileen Francis, Davis McKenzie, Emily White, Peg Campbell, Angela Kendall and Claudia Medina. A Q&A will follow the screening. The team will be on hand to talk more about the film at the first Morning After Film Salon on Saturday at 12 pm.

• In celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8, the afternoon screening will have guests for the short film, as well as the feature. Director Alexandra Knowles from Whitehorse, Yukon and NFB Producer Teri Snelgrove will introduce the short film My Knitting Circle on the importance of finding community wherever you live. Continuing the discussion on how critical it is to have collective effort, especially during the climate crisis, Gibson filmmakers Nova Ami and Velcrow Ripper will present their documentary Emergence: Women in the Storm. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers.

• At the matinee on Friday, March 13, director Jenn Strom and producer Kevin Eastwood of the The Painted Life of E.J. Hughes, will talk about the making of this historical biography that delves into the life and paintings of a very private man, whose art works are now revered. Jenn and Kevin will be at our last Morning After Film Salon, 12 pm on Saturday, March 14.

• Our closing party will have pianist Al Dicken and drummer Stuart Isto getting us in the mood for Köln 75, and the zaniness of the enterprising 18 year old concert promotor trying to pull off a Keith Jarrett concern against impossible odds.

• As a bonus for those who want a preview look into the films at our festival, with a focus on the making of the documentary təm kʷaθ nan Namesake, please attend the qiff 2026 kick off at the PR Public Library on Tuesday, March 3, at 4pm. Peg Campbell will give an overview of the films at this year’s festival, and the filmmaking team of təm kʷaθ nan Namesake will talk about the creation of their documentary on the Tla’amin Nations request for the city of Powell River to change its hurtful name.

This year’s Film Festival welcomes the return of our popular Morning-After Film Salons. They take place upstairs in our new Screening Room and will be led by a variety of local film lovers. These Salons are open to anyone attending films at the festival and are a welcoming place for discussion of the previous day’s screenings. Visiting filmmakers will also attend.

The Salons take place at 12pm on every day that has an afternoon matinee scheduled. They run for approximately an hour, depending on the depth of discussion, and participants can go directly to the 1:30 matinee after the discussion.

Coffee and treats will be supplied. Special thanks to 32 Lakes Café and Bakery for their support. This is a great opportunity to deepen your understanding of the films at the Festival and to share your thoughts with other film lovers.