If you've ever found yourself wondering what to do on a hot summer evening, or a rainy one. Reel Okanagan has your answer. This brand-new Wednesday night film series at the Rotary Centre for the Arts runs only through the month of August, giving people something different to do during the peak of summer: a chance to cool off, slow down, and take in powerful, locally connected stories.
Each week features a different film with Okanagan or BC ties, some heartfelt, some urgent, but all of them grounded in this region. Whether you're a longtime resident or just visiting, Reel Okanagan is about seeing your own backyard on the big screen. We also want to thank our outreach partner, the Okanagan Society of Independent Filmmaking (OSIF), for helping us share this new series with the local film community.
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What’s Coming Up
The series runs every Wednesday in August at 7:00 PM in the Mary Irwin Theatre. Here's what's ahead:
A landlocked coming-of-age gem, this story takes place in a dusty Okanagan RV Park in 2003. It follows 12-year-old “Goat,” who dreams of becoming a surfer, despite the obvious lack of ocean. It’s about childhood imagination, summer freedom, and chasing the impossible. An absolute must-see if you grew up in small-town BC.
Tickets are already moving fast for Wild Goat Surf, so don’t wait. This is your last day to grab them.
August 20 – The Casorsos: La Prima Famiglia
This award-winning documentary tells the story of Giovanni and Rosa Casorso, Italian immigrants who helped build the Okanagan’s agricultural and wine industries. With stunning archival footage and interviews with descendants, the film explores legacy, hard work, and the deep roots of family in this valley.
This timely and eye-opening 45-minute documentary looks at the province’s wildfire crisis and, more importantly, what we can do about it. Featuring interviews with forest ecologists, researchers, and policy experts, it moves past panic to focus on practical, science-driven solutions. Director Murray Wilson will be on-site for a Q&A after the screening.
Tickets are $14 per screening, or grab a 3-film pass for $11 a show
Tickets are available online at the RCA website, or in person at the RCA Box Office (1 PM – 4 PM) and the Kelowna Community Theatre Box Office (10 AM – 4 PM).
Why We Started This
We created Reel Okanagan to celebrate stories that feel closer to home and to support local film and filmmakers. In a world overflowing with global streaming content, there’s something grounding about watching a film made here. Whether it's a documentary about local pioneers, a fictional tale set in a nearby RV park, or a deep dive into environmental issues that hit close to home.
They spark conversations about where we live, what matters to us, and the changes happening in our community.
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How It Began: A Wild Story That Got People Talking
We opened the series last Wednesday with Eddy’s Kingdom, and the response was exactly what we hoped for. Curious, engaged, and ready for more.
The screening was nearly sold out as audiences gathered to watch the true story of Eddy Haymour, a man who tried to build a Middle Eastern theme park on Rattlesnake Island. What started as an eccentric dream quickly turned into lawsuits, international hostage crises, and bomb plots. It’s the kind of story that makes you laugh in disbelief and then gasp at what really happened.
Director Greg Crompton’s conversation with the audience after the film added context you wouldn’t get anywhere else and reminded us just how personal documentary filmmaking can be. Greg is a talented documentary filmmaker with more than 20 years of experience. Greg grew up in Kelowna and first heard about Eddy Haymour’s story from his father, Don. What started as a short film idea eventually grew into the full-length documentary that opened the Reel Okanagan series. During the Q&A, he spoke candidly about the challenges of portraying such a controversial figure and what it took to bring this unbelievable story to the screen. The audience stuck around, asked questions, and left buzzing.
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Okanagan Kettle Korn was there too, serving up fresh local popcorn and giving the whole event a community, movie theatre feel.
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Why It Matters
If one night told us anything, it’s that people are hungry for authentic storytelling, especially when it’s rooted in the places we live. Whether it’s a misunderstood visionary, a determined young girl, or an immigrant family laying the groundwork for an industry, these stories reflect who we are and where we come from.
Join Us
Step inside, cool down, and connect through story. Reel Okanagan is happening every Wednesday night in August, and each film is a chance to see the Okanagan and BC in a new light.
Next up:
Wild Goat Surf – Wednesday, August 13, 7 PM
Mary Irwin Theatre, Rotary Centre for the Arts
Tickets at rotarycentreforthearts.com or in person at the RCA Box Office (1 PM – 4 PM) and the Kelowna Community Theatre Box Office (10 AM – 4 PM).
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