Join us at the Rio Theatre on Tuesday, April 17 as we mark Reel Canada‘s National Canadian Film Day with a FREE screening of director Cody Lightning‘s new comedy HEY, VIKTOR!

Lightning – who appeared as young Victor Joseph in Chris Eyre‘s groundbreaking 1998 feature SMOKE SIGNALS, a film that completely revolutionized Indigenous representation onscreen – is playing a fictionalized version of himself in HEY, VIKTOR!, which he also co-wrote. In this mockumentary re-telling, Lightning is grappling with his own dwindling celebrity as he moves back to his reservation in northern Alberta, and the only gigs he can get are in fracking commercials that play off his Indigenous identity, or porn. After his wife and kids ditch him for a younger, more successful actor, Lightning is motivated to make the movie he has always wanted to make, “Smoke Signals 2: Still Smoking.” Enter the “documentary film crew,” an onslaught of hilarious (and occasionally raunchy) hi-jinks, nostalgic appearances from the original film’s co-stars, and a refreshingly thoughtful character progression that poignantly drives the story into an unexpectedly meaningful depth. With Simon R. Baker, Adam Beach, Hannah Cheesman, Gary Farmer, Irene Bedard, Colin Mochrie,

“Make no mistake, this is a comedy, first and foremost, and a raunchy one at that, but as it works its way to the end, it careens through a dysfunctional journey of self-discovery.” (Richard Crouse)

“‘Hey, Viktor!’ is the rare example of a film that’s both lowbrow in spirit and execution and unquestionably pure of heart.” (The Gate)

“When all the gags are played out, you get the sense that there is, in fact, a community of artists ready to tell their stories. All they need is a project to coalesce around.” (Globe and Mail)

Wednesday, April 17
Doors 8:15 pm | Movie 8:45 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Reserve your FREE spot HERE

HEY, VIKTOR! (Cody Lightning, 2024 / 18A / 102 mins) Twenty-five long years after his time in the limelight, former child actor Cody Lightning tries to revive his fortunes with a self-produced sequel to Smoke Signals (1998).

*Minors OK. Must be 19+ w/ID for bar service.
*This event is FREE and seating is General Admission. Come early for great seats!
*Please arrive 20-30 minutes prior to showtime to ensure great seats and time for treats.