The Sunshine Coast Film Society will present Rams, an Australian comedy/drama at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 3 at the Gibsons Heritage Playhouse and 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 6, at the Raven’s Cry Theatre in Sechelt.
The movie is a remake of the Icelandic film of the same name, and stars veteran actors Sam Neil (Jurassic Park, The Tudors) as Colin and Michael Caton (The Sullivans, Last Cab to Darwin) as Les, two estranged brothers forced to pull together in order to save their flocks of sheep.
Les and Colin both raise a special breed of heirloom sheep, so when Les’s prize ram is found to have contracted a rare and lethal illness, the veterinary authorities order a purge of every sheep in the valley. The brothers rebel against the rules in their own distinct ways. While Colin attempts to stealthily outwit the powers that be, Les opts for angry defiance.
The film was shot in the Mount Barker area of Australia, renowned for its scenic vistas. Nearby mountains, beaches, sweltering temperatures and frequent bushfires play significant parts in the film.
Although different in tone from its Icelandic predecessor, Rams’s oddball humour and warring brothers bely its tender and touching tone. Film society memberships and tickets are available in cash at the door and online at www.scfs.ca. 18+ membership is required to attend SCFS screenings.
Lifting up teenaged musicians
This year’s Daniel Kingsbury Music for Youth Endowment Grant has issued its call via the Sunshine Coast Community Services and Coast Cultural Alliance. Applicants aged 13 to 19 (as of Dec. 31, 2025) are eligible to apply to receive financial assistance for opportunities such as music lessons, musical instruments, software, or electronic production — like studio time or studio mentoring.
The grant is open to Sunshine Coast youth aged 13 to 19 (as of Dec. 31, 2025) who are looking for financial assistance. Those who applied in the past may apply again. Several grants up to $500 are available.
“The financial and emotional boost this award has made to the recipients in the past has been significant and we are excited to be able to offer this opportunity again,” said Linda Williams, executive director of the Coast Cultural Alliance.
Information and application forms are available online at coastculture.com, or by emailing [email protected]. The deadline is 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28.
The grant’s endowment has grown from donations made in Daniel Kingsbury’s memory, and is held by the Sunshine Coast Foundation. Kingsbury was a transformational leader, award-winning filmmaker and prolific musician who died 10 years ago. The non-profit Jellyfish Project he founded during his lifetime continues to educate young people across Canada about climate change.
Donations to the Music for Youth endowment can be made directly through the Sunshine Coast Foundation. The Foundation will issue charitable tax receipts for all donations received. Gifts can be made online (http://tinyurl.com/DKMusicFund), by e-transfer ([email protected]), or by cheque (PO Box 1343, Sechelt, BC, V0N 3A0). Specify the Daniel Kingsbury Fund when gifting by e-transfer or cheque.
Longest-running festival open for registrations
Registration for the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Performing Arts, the Coast’s longest-running annual festival, remains open until Feb. 14 (reduced-rate early-bird registrations close on Jan. 31).
The festival, which takes place from April 8 to 25 (including a highlights concert on May 10), is open to amateur performers of all ages and abilities in a range of disciplines: piano, folk instrumental, dance, bowed strings, voice/choir, woodwinds, brass and percussion, plus speech and dramatic arts.
Adjudicators with professional expertise in each discipline offer detailed evaluations and feedback.
The non-profit festival society is also seeking additional volunteers.
Registrants and prospective volunteers can browse to coastfestival.com for full details and signup instructions.
