The second annual ReelPeachFest film festival concluded Aug. 7 during the Penticton Peach Festival with an encore showing from the winning entries.
A total of 39 film entries were submitted ranging from one to three minutes in one of two categories: Okanagan Experiences or Okanagan Liquid Libation.
There were seven judges representing the sponsors, PeachFest, film industry, arts and entertainment media and the arts community. The winners in the Liquid Libations category are:
First place ($1,000): Osoyoos Larose Winery, produced by Shawn Talbot (Kelowna).
Second place as well as fan favourite ($500+$500): Coconut Express, produced by Martyn Lewis (Penticton).
Third Place ($250): Quidni Experience, produced by Marty Gunderson (Penticton).
In the Okanagan Experience category the winners are:
First place ($1,000 plus a weekend getaway to Penticton Lakeside Resort):
Peach Please, produced by Alec Simmons, Jack Hirchfield, Carolina Bevanda (Penticton).
Second place as well as fan favourite ($500+$500): I Live Here, produced by Shaun Kennedy (Penticton).
Third place ($250): Golden Trails, produced by Nic Collar (Kelowna).
“We were thrilled to receive more submissions than our initial year and hope the event can continue to grow to showcase creative talent and our region” said organizer Andrew Jakubeit. “I still would like to see more ‘fun’ and less of a ‘corporate’ feel to some of the submissions. There were many films that made you smile, laugh and evoked a sense of pride.”
Next year, Jakubeit is hoping to run a ReelPeachFest workshop series to provide skills to new and aspiring filmmakers as well.
The ReelPeachFest film festival was created to entertain the audience prior to the main act performing each evening on the Penticton Peach Festival main stage. Tourism Penticton benefits with the usage of video submissions to help brand the region as a premier destination or location off the beaten path. “We are excited to sponsor the event as our target audience is so visually orientated, and we are always looking for creative ways to tell the story of our region” said Kelly Hopkins, executive director at Tourism Penticton. “We also ran a contest to help boost fan voting by offering the ultimate Penticton prize package valued at $250 ... congratulations to Diane MacDonald who entered and won.”
To view all of the submissions please visit www.reelpeachfest.com.