It鈥檚 time for the always-popular Snakebite Film Festival in Penticton.

Formed in 2017 by Carl Meadows, the weekend-long event features films that highlight unique stories from Penticton and South Okanagan.

Landmark Cinemas hosts all the action from Feb. 1 to 4, with John Waters鈥� classic 鈥楬airspray鈥� serving as the event鈥檚 opening film on Thursday at 7 p.m.

The festival鈥檚 vision remains the same, according to organizers: 鈥淎wakening Culture, Uniting Communities,鈥� and to 鈥渉ighlight the rich diversity that may be perceived as invisible.鈥�

Kicking off the action Friday is a wine tour from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. before 鈥楾he Inspection鈥� and 鈥楶olarized鈥� hit the big screen Friday at 4 and 7 p.m., respectively.

Also on deck is a showing of 鈥楽eagrass鈥� on Saturday at 1 p.m. and the conclusion of the 鈥�5-day Film Challenge鈥� at 4 p.m. The 5-day Fil Challenge invited individuals and groups to write, shoot, and edit their own films in January for the chance to win up to $1,000.

Organizers called the festival a 鈥渕ajor success鈥� in 2023, with more than 650 movie passes sold.

Ahead of this year鈥檚 event, the Snakebite Film Festival joined forces with the Okanagan Society for Independent Filmmaking (OSIF). The partnership includes a bursary for young filmmakers and a new collaboration that will produce short films for the 2024 edition of the festival.

鈥淭he festival is a place to showcase those human stories and connect us to the fabric of a culturally rich community,鈥� organizers said.

The festival鈥檚 full film schedule can be found Tickets, including day passes, can be purchased