Desert Reels

08/18/2026

Desert Reels’ Fall Film Series

Hope you can join Desert Reels again this fall for our second season of films. Here’s a list of what you can enjoy starting in October at the Oliver Theatre.

Oct. 7 - The Christophers
A witty chamber comedy exploring art, commerce, and simmering resentments. Ian McKellen delivers a sharp, acerbic performance as a fading artist, while Michaela Coel’s cool, conflicted art forger anchors the film. Together, they drive a clever film about ambition, authenticity, and the murky ethics of artistic legacy.
Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzPt1GjQurI

Oct. 21 - Saints and Warriors
Follow the legendary basketball team, the Skidegate Saints from Haida Gwaii, as they defend their title at the All Native Basketball Tournament. This award-winning 2025 feature documentary, directed by Haida filmmaker Patrick Shannon, captures a story of resilience, brotherhood and the unbreakable spirit of Haida Gwaii.
Trailer and website: https://www.saintsandwarriors.com/

Nov 4 - Dancing on the Elephant
Faced with a future of "chair-xercise" and spoon-fed pudding, nursing home friends, Nora and Edna attempt to break out of the "fox farm" with one last grand adventure in hopes of reminding each other that there are still "elephants left to dance on." This Canadian comedy-drama stars Sheila McCarthy, Mary Walsh and Amanda Brugel.
Trailer and website: https://www.dancingontheelephant.com/

Nov 18 - The Mother and the Bear
After 26-year-old Sumi suffers an accident on the streets of snow-swept Winnipeg, her mother Sara flies in from Seoul to be by her now comatose daughter’s side. Once Sara sets herself up in the young woman’s apartment, she discovers she doesn’t really know Sumi at all and as Sara meddles in her daughter’s life via a dating app, she ends up on a journey that will leave her forever changed.
Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPiwpX0nnns

Dec 2 - Spices and Lies
A delightful French comedy revolving around a young bistro chef, Mehdi, who lives his life on a fragile balance. He plays the role of the perfect Algerian son for his mother Fatima, while hiding his relationship with girlfriend Léa. When Léa can no longer tolerate his family secrets and demands to meet Fatima, Mehdi is cornered and comes up with the worst possible solution…
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmuU8I6aFG8

All films Wednesdays. Doors open at 6:00 film starts at 6:30pm.
Oliver Theatre, 6387 Main St, Oliver
Five show series Pass - $40 - available after Labour Day through Oliver Eats
Individual tickets - $10 - cash only at the theatre
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07/23/2026

I just wanted to share a show I found streaming on Masterpiece - Maryland. It's a 3 part show from the UK about a family dealing with a surprise after their mother died. I found it well acted, good storyline and that it was real. The show kept me curious about what came next.
When I was handling an estate that had a big surprise, I was asked what advice I'd give, I said: Deal with any skeletons in your closet!

MaryLand is a story about two sisters, about what binds them together and what has driven them apart. Becca and Rosaline find themselves thrown together by the sudden death of their mother, Mary. Trapped on the Isle of Man with each other, the sisters can’t escape the ripple effect of their mother...

07/05/2026

Hello movie goers!

I've been asked about when our next movie will be. In April and May, we tried a couple out and one was a big hit, the other put us in the hole a teeny bit.

So the Reels crew has taken summer holidays. All the things that go with living in the Okanagan hot spot are on their agenda too. Garden, canning, guests, and more guests, and generally balancing life and the heat (it must be coming?). Did I mention wine?

We were thrilled that The Oliver Theatre showed 'The Sheep Detective' and there was great attendance too!

The Oliver Theatre is open through the summer [a/c works!] and we have given them a short list of films we'd like to see in case they have an opening in their summer schedule. We will be sure to let you know if they show any of them.

Desert Reels returns with a Fall Series on October 7. We have chosen 5 films for your entertainment and will definitely let you know more closer to the time.

The Penticton group has also wrapped for the summer and will be back in September, we'll share their news too.

Be cool, See you at the Movies!

05/17/2026

Desert Reels' next film, THE SECRET AGENT, won Best Actor and Best Director at this year's Cannes Film Festival. On screen at the Oliver Theatre this coming Wednesday May 20th, the film is a visually rich and ambitious political thriller.
THE SECRET AGENT is set amid political turmoil in Brazil during the late 1970s. Surrounded by the repressive military dictatorship, award winning actor, Wagner Moura plays a technology expert forced into hiding while seeking help from the underground resistance to try to flee the country with his young son.
The film is described as “a thrillingly unpredictable, playfully shape-shifting epic steeped in history even as it feels remarkably contemporary.”
Wednesday May 20
Tickets $10, cash at the door
The Oliver Theatre, 6387 Main Street
Doors open at 6:00, show time 6:30pm
Watch the trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UfrzDKrhEc

05/06/2026

This week the Oliver Theatre is presenting THE SHEEP DETECTIVES, a great 'feel good" movie with a stellar cast. The movie stars Hugh Jackman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Emma Thompson, amongst other, though the Globe and Mail reviewer writes that the Sheep steal the show!
The movie is on this weekend, playing Friday, Saturday and Sunday, May 8-10. 7pm nightly with a matinee at 2 on Sat.
Oliver Theatre, 6387 Main Street

04/19/2026

Desert Reels' next film, The Secret Agent coming Wednesday May 20th, won Best Actor and Best Director at Cannes Film Festival.

A visually rich and ambitious political thriller, The Secret Agent is set amid political turmoil in Brazil during the late 1970s. Surrounded by the repressive military dictatorship, award winning actor, Wagner Moura plays a technology expert forced into hiding while seeking help from the underground resistance to try to flee the country with his young son.

The film is described as “a thrillingly unpredictable, playfully shape-shifting epic steeped in history even as it feels remarkably contemporary.”

Wednesday May 20
Tickets $10, cash at the door
The Oliver Theatre, 6387 Main Street
Doors open at 6:00, show time 6:30pm

Watch the trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UfrzDKrhEc

04/09/2026

HOLY DAYS
Wednesday April 15 – at the Oliver Theatre
Doors open at 6pm, Showtime is 6:30
Tickets: $10 cash only
When the eccentric sisters of St. Suzanne’s convent are threatened with forced retirement, they hit the road in a stolen car bound for New Zealand’s remote South Island. This Canadian/New Zealand coproduction stars Judy Davis, Miriam Margolyes, and Jacki Weaver in a heartfelt, riotous comedy about rebellion, faith, and found family.
Trailer for the film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSiACjgELyM