2023 KFF Guests
February 27, 2023
The 27th Annual Kamloops Film Festival is coming up in a matter of DAYS! And while we have time, we wanted to highlight the incredible guests that will be attending this year for post-film Q&A’s and special discussion panels.
The guests below are available and excited for interviews to discuss their projects and their participation in the 27th Annual Kamloops Film Festival. Please reach out to dusan@thekfs.ca and he can cooridnate this.
RED CARPET OPENING NIGHT
OUTRUNNERS
Thursday, March 2 at 6:30pm
The Kamloops filmed OUTRUNNERS is the most fun you’ll have this year. During a deadly future pandemic (that’s 10 times worse than COVID), bickering reality stars Emily and Todd have just three hours to deliver life-saving medicine to Emily’s mom. As they run through the streets, they must dodge vicious snipers and camera drones piloted by the reality TV showrunner Bronson. All while being cheered on by millions of reality TV superfans who are secretly watching Bronson’s live stream of Emily’s struggles. An 84-minute action-comedy that’s a harsh look at the depths of reality show programming, OUTRUNNERS is like Squid Game meets The Truman Show on Game Night.
Ken Hegan – Writer, Director & Executive Producer
Ken Hegan was born & raised in Kamloops, graduated from Norkam, and grew up in Brocklehurst. Now a marketing/content writer & filmmaker, Ken directed his debut feature film, the action-comedy OUTRUNNERS, in Kamloops and wrote the screenplay in Brocklehurst at the start of the pandemic. His team filmed OUTRUNNERS in / around Kamloops in September 2020. The following year, Ken was the Thompson-Nicola Regional Library’s first-ever Screenwriter in Residence – during his residency, Ken wrote a crucial rewrite of his OUTRUNNERS script and filmed a handful of new shots.
Ken has writing/producing credits on 20 TV shows broadcast on CTV, TSN, Discovery, CBC, and CNBC. Thanks to his Rolling Stone articles on sports mascots, he was hired to co-write the Opening Essay for the Vancouver Winter Olympics (narrated by Donald Sutherland) with 13 million viewers on CTV and TSN. Ken has written/directed 11 short films that have screened at 100+ festivals and on The Comedy Network. He has tens and tens of fans
Shawn ‘Major’ Major – Producer & Executive Producer
Major is a Vancouver-based Producer & Production designer. He has produced/co-produced five feature films: DAUGHTER, BOX OF FREEDOM, TIME HELMET, THIS ISLAND, and OUTRUNNERS. As Production Designer for feature films, Hallmark TV shows, and YouTube sensations like Bucketheads, Major designs film sets, mood boards, and leads a team to make films look amazing. He has been nominated, and won multiple awards around the world. His many years experience coming up from Set Dresser, to Set Decorator on IATSE shows and Hallmark, as well as Art Director for both film and TV have taught Major all aspects of the art department and allowed him to succeed in many genres.
RICEBOY SLEEPS
Saturday, March 4 at 6pm
After losing her husband, So-young relocates to Canada in the 1990s with their young son in tow. There, they must fight for acceptance and respect. Dong-hyun is brutally bullied by his classmates, and he isn’t helped by the timid, distinctly Canadian racism of his teacher and principal, who consider the family “troublesome.” At work, So-young battles loneliness and racist and sexist comments. As they negotiate with their separate circumstances, the rift between mother and son grows. Unwelcome news sparks an unplanned return to South Korea and the possibility of mutual understanding.
Bryan Demore – Producer
Bryan has worked in Vancouver, Toronto, South Korea and New York as a filmmaker. Credits include: RICEBOY SLEEPS (Crave/CBC Films), ALI AND THE QUEENS (Netflix) and DAUGHTER (CBC Gem/Amazon Prime). During the 2010’s he was artistic director of two theater companies where he wrote, ran development, and produced while also shooting film projects under his company A LASTING DOSE PRODUCTIONS. Focusing on filmmaking for the past decade he wrote, produced, and co-directed a short film adaptation of award winning poet Patrick Lane’s JUST LIVING which played at numerous festivals around the world including Cannes, VIFF, and Bronx International Film Festival.
Approaching all challenging projects with a DIY ethos he has bootstrapped, raised funding, and been involved on multiple projects that have premiered at TIFF, Busan International Film Festival, Marrakech International Film Festival, Calgary International Film Festival, Palm Springs Film Festival and FIN. Currently focused on writing in-house development for his company which includes the feature film SLOWLY WE ROT and the recent Screencraft finalist script JEREMIAH.
GOLDEN DELICIOUS
Sunday, March 5 at 6pm
Everyone wants something from high school senior Jake: his father is pushing him to try out for the basketball team – an abandoned dream of his own – and his girlfriend wants to take their relationship to the next level. But it’s not until Aleks, an openly gay teen with a love for basketball, moves in across the street that Jake begins to struggle with his own desires. To get closer to Aleks, Jake devotes himself to making the basketball team – only to realize it’s not basketball he really wants.
Jason Karman – Director
Jason Karman (He/Him) is a graduate of the University of British Columbia with a Master of Fine Arts in Film Production and Creative Writing; his films have travelled internationally and won awards. His short film, LIONS IN WAITING, was selected by Telefilm Canada’s Not Short on Talent at Clermont-Ferrand in 2018. Jason’s debut feature, GOLDEN DELICIOUS, is supported by the Telefilm Canada Talent to Watch program, which has launched Canada’s brightest talents. Jason is working on a second feature film with Norman Y. Li, a 2021 Pacific Screenwriting Program graduate.
FREE MEMBER MOVIE
FINDING FRED LEE
Thursday, March 9 at 6pm
FINDING FRED LEE is a documentary about the search for a young man from Kamloops, BC, who joined the Rocky Mountain Rangers in 1916 and disappeared at the Western Front. Presumed killed at the Battle of Hill 70 in France, Fred Lee’s body was never recovered; his life was forgotten for 100 years. Filmmaker Jack Gin’s story of deep research, extensive travel, and countless interviews have resulted in Private Frederick Lee being sealed into Canadian history and forgotten no more.
Jack Gin – Writer, Producer, Director
Jack Gin is a corporate director, entrepreneur and engineer. He is active in the community both locally and on the global stage. He is the founder of the Jack and Sylvia Gin Foundation and privately supports registered Canadian charities and not-for-profits. He considers himself a global citizen of no fixed address and a true Vancouver East-sider.
Jack’s role as writer, producer and director of FINDING FRED LEE was driven by his belief that an extreme effort was required to uncover the story of Frederick Lee and to publicize the forgotten contribution Fred made to his country.
DARKFEST
SKINAMARINK
Friday, March 10 at 7pm
Two children wake up in the middle of the night to find their father is missing, and all the windows and doors in their home have vanished. To cope with the strange situation, the two bring pillows & blankets to the living room and settle into a quiet slumber party. They play well worn videotapes of cartoons to fill the silence of the house and distract from the frightening and inexplicable situation. All the while in the hopes that eventually some grown-ups will come to rescue them. However, after a while it becomes clear that something is watching over them.
Kyle Edward Ball – Writer, Director
Kyle Edward Ball is a queer horror filmmaker from Edmonton, Alberta. In 2017 he began a web- series called NIGHTMARES where he re-creates real peoples dreams and nightmares using minimalism and old Hollywood inspired trick photography. Through his NIGHTMARES YouTube series, Kyle has amassed a modest cult following of horror fan’s from around the world.
Kyle was diagnosed with Schizophrenia at the age of 20. He is currently living with his boyfriend and two cats in Edmonton, Alberta. SKINAMARINK is his first feature length film.
AMERICAN SCAR
A Short film screening during the March 11 Sustainability Event
At the US–Mexico border, a ragtag group of environmental activists uncover the devastating effects wall-building has had on the local fauna, who have no concept of national borders. What these creatures need to survive and thrive is a unified and accessible ecosystem. Needless destruction to fragile ecologies is not acceptable. The time to act is now!
John Kurc – Subject of American Scar
John Kurc is a photographer with a love for the art form that began in his teens. With a background in concert photography and fine art portraiture, John has honed his skills to create stunning and memorable images. His travels through the United States and Europe have allowed him to experiment with different formats and capture memories in motion. John’s passion for photography is evident in the quality of his work and his commitment to capturing life’s fleeting moments.
John ended up on the US/MX border because of his interest in documenting the ecocide, human rights violations and the militarization that is happening. His two week trip is now in it’s third year.
Some examples of John’s work are at www.kurc.com.