ENTERTAINMENT

Two years after filming in Cache Creek, Ashcroft, and Spences Bridge, the Canadian feature film Lunar Sway is returning to the Thompson-Nicola region for special hometown screenings after a successful international festival run.

Written and directed by award-winning Canadian filmmaker Nick Butler, the dark comedy premiered at the BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival in March 2026, and has since screened at the Inside Out 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival.

The TNRD says the film continues to build momentum with official selections at festivals across North America and Europe, including the Rhode Island International Film Festival, Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival, the Santa Cruz Film Festival, the Fayetteville Film Festival, Zepfest, and the East Village Queer Film Festiva, among others.

Before its wider theatrical release, Lunar Sway will return to the Thompson-Nicola region for screenings in Kamloops at the Paramount Theatre on Nov. 13, 2026 and in Cache Creek – where the film was partially shot – at the Community Hall on Nov. 14, 2026. The film will then continue with select theatrical screenings across Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom before its video-on-demand release across North America and England on Dec. 8, 2026.

Lunar Sway tells the story of Cliff (played by Noah Parker), a young man whose life takes an unexpected turn when he reconnects with his estranged birth mother, setting him on a journey of self-discovery through a series of unforeseen adventures. Co-stars in the film are Liza Weil (Gilmore Girls, How to Get Away With Murder) and Douglas Smith (Die Alone, Big Love).

Filming took place throughout the TNRD in September 2024, with locations including the Oasis Hotel and Pub, BN Dulay’s warehouse bays, and the Desert Inn in Cache Creek, as well as Vulture Garage & Antiques and Baits Motel in Spences Bridge, and several properties in and around Ashcroft.

“It is incredibly rewarding to see Lunar Sway reaching audiences around the world and returning to the communities that helped bring it to life,” said Terri Hadwin, film commissioner with the Thompson-Nicola Film Commission.

“It was a dream to work with writer, director, and producer Nick Butler, and we’re proud to have supported the production.”