Powell River Film Fest is perfect for movie buffs looking for something unique

For the Tla’amin Nation members, the canoe is a powerful symbol – if we are all in the same canoe, we must paddle together to get to where we need to be. 

Make sure to check out the film festival schedule.

One of the delights of the film fest is everything happens at the historic Patricia Theatre in Powell River’s Old Townsite. Built in 1928, the theatre is Western Canada’s longest serving theatre and began its life as a playhouse for vaudeville, stage productions and silent movies. The stage, with its velvet curtains, is still there, as is the orchestra pit and organ, the balcony seating and the original 35 millimetre projector. Beloved by the community, she’s a little worn, but life will begin anew again as the Film Society takes over.

“My son and I have been the stewards of the building for the pass 16 years, and we’ve always wanted it to be community-owned,” says Ann Nelson. “We feel this move is perfect. It’s a win, win, win for everyone as this is a significant building in B.C.’s history and this new community ownership will ensure that it is well looked after.”

“It will be a two-year transition and we’ve plenty of plans, including renovations,” said Shilling. Still, there’s something about sitting down in an old theatre with fresco-styled paintings on the walls, gilded millwork and flip-down seating that’s just simply magic. (The theatre is wheel-chair friendly.)

Up in the projection room at the Patricia Theatre, the old 35 millimetre projector sits side by side with today's digital projectors.

The Pat (as the theatre is referred to by the locals) isn’t the only building in Old Townsite to be refurbished and given a new life. The ground floor of the original post office is now home to one of the sponsors of the festival, the Townsite Brewery, where you can enjoy a tour of the brewery and sample it’s creations. If you visit, make sure to ask about the history behind the names, they are as colourful as the beers are tasty.

The old Tudor-style courthouse no longer houses criminals and lawyers, it was reinvented in 1997 as a historic hotel – The Old Courthouse – and marries the refinement of yesteryear with modern conveniences. It's the perfect place for those attending the festival and who love staying in boutique hotels.

The Old Courthouse has been turned into a historic hotel with eight rooms that reflect both history and modern needs.

The latest building to be given new life is the Powell River Company store. When it was first built in 1940, it definitely stood out with its modern style verses all the Craftsman and Tudor that surrounded it. It took four years to complete and only opened in December of 2018 under the name – Townsite Market.

Reusing as much of the existing materials as possible, owner Steve Brooks has taken a page from places like the Granville Market in Vancouver and filled the space with local entrepreneurs and artisans. One of which is the Powell River Climbing Co-op, the perfect place to challenge yourself in between film screenings.

Genevieve B. is a member of the Powell River Climbing Co-op, which can be found in the newly opened Townsite Market.

Brooks also believes in extending his community involvement by supporting various events and activities within the community, including the film fest.

“The film festival and the wonderful Patricia Theatre have a long and important history in the Townsite and I’m very happy to be able to support the event. I’m keen to offer Townsite Market as a new venue for community events and given the close proximity to the Patricia, this is an ideal first event.”

I’ll leave you with one last suggestion; Pow folks love dining out and they have an amazing selection of ethnic and Canadian restaurants to choose from, but if you’re in the mood for some tasty Italian fare, head to Culaccino Modern Italian. It’s located in the "new" area of Powell River and everything is home-made. The meatball sandwich and Minestrone soup are amazing.