About the Shuswap Film Society

The Shuswap film society is an all-volunteer organization of ardent (some may say obsessed) fans of World Cinema.

The society began in 1974 when a group of film fans in Salmon Arm decided to initiate a lively program of movies from around the globe -something totally unavailable at the time. Thanks to the generosity of the Salmar Community Association, movies were screened once per month at the venerable Salmar Theatre - at that time Salmon Arm's single movie screen. The Association's ongoing support enables us to continue operating there 30+ years later. During the early days of the society a program of films on 16-mm film was also shown at various venues around town.

In the ensuing years many changes have occurred:

1990 - Saw the introduction of the first Shuswap International Film Festival. From a modest five films screened on one day the festival has grown to 12 or more feature films screened over a period of a week. Additional events such as a selection of recent Canadian short films, an opening night Gala party and closing night celebrations featuring a variety of special guests all contribute to the fun.

1997- Our programming went weekly, making possible a much wider range of film choices for our audience.

1999 - Saw the introduction of Rule Britannia: The Commonwealth Film Festival. The festival showcases recent films from around the countries of the Commonwealth and runs for a period of 5 days. It also features a program of short films and special guests.

2000 - We introduced our program to audiences in Kelowna with instant success! Movies are currently shown weekly in September and October, and from January – May.

2003 - Our first website. We look on this as the beginning of an ever-evolving process. Over time, we feel the site will change to meet the needs of our audience and of the organization.