Since 1955, the Paramount Theatre has been showing films in the heart of BC’s sunny Southern Interior. Since 1973, the Kamloops Film Society (KFS) has been bringing diverse, hand-picked cinema to the city. In 2001, KFS found its permanent home at the Paramount Theatre.

This community-supported venue operates as more than just a cinema: it’s a cultural hub that hosts film festivals throughout the year, from the annual Kamloops Film Festival every March to the Indigenous Film Festival and Kamloops Queer Film Festival.

Their legendary Rocky Horror Picture Show screenings every October have become the stuff of local legend, while thoughtful programming choices like classic film retrospectives continue to introduce new generations to cinema history.

We spoke with programming manager Sam Theriault as he leads celebrations for 70 years of the Paramount Theatre.

Tell us about the Paramount Theatre and Kamloops Film Society:

The Kamloops Film Society (KFS) is the umbrella organization that operates the Paramount Theatre. A key part of its mission is to orchestrate and host numerous film festivals and series, bringing diverse cinema to Kamloops.

Specifically, the KFS runs:

• The annual Kamloops Film Festival (KFF) every March, which includes the Kamloops Independent Short Shorts (KISS) Festival and every September, The Indigenous Film Festival (in partnership with Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc).
• The ongoing Thursday Film Series (TFS).
• Cult and Genre film screenings year-round in partnership with Drunk in a Graveyard.
• Several micro-festivals throughout the year, including:
  • CinéLoops: French Film Festival (in partnership with the Kamloops Francophone Association).
  • Kamloops Queer Film Festival (QFF) (in partnership with Kamloops Pride).
  • The Kamloops Black Film Festival (BFF) (in partnership with Valid Dreams Foundation).

The KFS has a rich history spanning over 50 years, officially incorporating in 1994. Its operations have evolved through various venues, eventually settling at the Paramount Theatre in 2001. In 2019, The Kelson Group purchased the Paramount and leased it to the KFS, whose ongoing support is vital to the theatre’s operation as a cultural venue.

The core mission of the KFS is to deliver hand-picked, diverse, high-quality films, with a focus on independent, Canadian, and foreign cinema, to the Kamloops community. It aims to unite film lovers. 

What makes the Paramount Theatre unique?

A Historic Hub for Diverse Cinema: It’s the long-standing home of the Kamloops Film Society, an organization with over 50 years of history bringing non-mainstream films to the area, starting from 16mm films in 1973. This makes it a venue with deep roots in supporting independent, Canadian, and foreign cinema.

Community-Supported & Mission-Driven: Unlike many commercial cinemas, the Paramount Theatre operates under the non-profit Kamloops Film Society, supported by a significant partnership with The Kelson Group and Ron Fawcett. Its operation is driven by a mission to provide curated, high-quality, and diverse film experiences, and to actively promote local filmmaking, rather than purely commercial interests.

What sort of films do you show?

We screen all sorts of films, from recent releases to beloved old classics, and also feature theme or genre films. It’s a very diverse programming, due to our partnerships and film series. 

What are Paramount Theatre’s greatest challenges?

As a non-profit organization operating the Paramount Theatre, our primary challenges revolve around sustaining operations and continuing our mission to bring diverse, high-quality cinema to the Kamloops community.

We rely heavily on external funding and grants to cover operational costs, maintain our historic 70-year-old building, and curate our film programming. Securing consistent and sufficient financial support is an ongoing priority and challenge. We value the generosity of our community, including sponsorships and partnerships, that help us ensure we can continue to offer accessible programming and maintain the theatre as a vital local cultural venue.

Despite these challenges, we are incredibly grateful for the amazing network of dedicated volunteers who generously contribute their time and passion. Their help is essential to our daily operations and the successful execution of our film series and festivals.

What are your favourite compliments that Paramount Theatre receives from your audience?

As the programming manager, I love hearing that we played someone’s favourite film, especially if it was their first time seeing it in theatres.

We try to play movies from all over the world, so getting thanked for bringing films from people’s home countries here is a great feeling.

What’s a memorable film screening or event you hosted?

Of course our Rocky Horror Picture Show screenings every October are nuts and get wilder each time. My personal favourite screening was Tremors (1990) last summer. I didn’t know how well it would do, but the turnout was fantastic. Halfway through the movie, after Michael Gross and Reba McEntire blow up a giant worm, the crowd applauded.

Getting to celebrate David Lynch earlier this year was also incredible (and so sad). He was my favourite filmmaker, and seeing so many passionate fans of his show up was very touching.

What are your most popular concession items?

It’s almost too obvious to say, but our popcorn is undoubtedly our most popular concession item.

While the popcorn itself is a star, our fantastic combos also make the concession shine. They’re designed to give the best value and our movie-goers absolutely love them. Twizzlers fly off our shelves as well, something about the retro feel of the Paramount makes them seem like a good fit.

What projects are you considering for the future?

I’m hoping to put together a film series around classic films with an educational element. At our screening of 2001 earlier in the year, I saw so many young people who hadn’t seen it before. We have a great group of film lovers in town that I want to recruit to introduce these films and place them in historical context. We don’t have a film program at our local university, and I think we can serve that need. We’re always looking to program more Canadian content and hope to have it be a larger part of our yearly film festivals.

Tell us about yourself; how did you get your start in film exhibition?

I started at the Paramount in my first year of University, working part-time. Back then, it was a chain theatre, and the programming was much more new release-focused. When the building was sold, I moved on to other work thinking it would likely get torn down. I got a call from the Executive Director of the KFS asking me to come back and I happily accepted. Since graduating, I took on larger roles, eventually becoming the Programming Manager. The theatre expanded my lifelong love of movies and continues to do so.