Picaroon Pictures Presents Psychological Thriller: Hypnonaut

Picaroon Pictures has announced the premiere of “Hypnonaut,” a new short film that strikes into the thrilling depths of Sci-Fi Horror. This locally directed and produced feature was masterminded by director Jonathan Chuby and written by R.D. Muirhead. A cast & crew of roughly 50 people was assembled in Prince George–Lheidli T’enneh over the past year to bring the project into fruition, with financial aid from TELUS Storyhive Editions.

Set Designer/Actor Bradley Charles joins us in the CFUR studio with the film’s Cinematographer Sam Ellis to keep us in suspense ahead of the March 13th Premiere at the Prince George Playhouse. In summary:

The story follows Jacob (Chase Wamderdam), suffering from fatal insomnia, whose rare condition is not just extreme, but fatal. Desperate to survive, Jacob seeks out an experimental treatment at a secluded sleep clinic in northern British Columbia, run by the enigmatic Dr. Stygian (Gil Botelho). But the scientist’s motives may be more sinister than therapeutic. 

Hypnonaut’s script was written about 8 years ago, and what may appear as a leap into this project now is actually the result of many prior stepping stones. While the team has its share of credentials with Charles’ live theatre directing credits, Sam Ellis’s Emmy in cinematography, & Jonathan Chuby’s Indie Series Award, that isn’t where they started. While the collective accreditations may indeed be serious, Charles speculates that the film’s funding application was secured because of its heavy reliance on the Northern BC setting and the crew’s proven track record. While the project experimented with a number of techniques in order to build the crew’s skill set, Charles emphasized, “If you can prove that you have capacity to do something, you’re that much closer to getting that funding.” 


Get your tickets on Eventbrite by searching Hypnonaut

The March 13th premiere promises more than just the screening of Hypnonaut, but also a live performance which takes advantage of the crew’s experience in theatre, as well as a curated selection of Picaroon short flicks ready for the big screen.

- Ian Gregg, CFURadio 88.7FM, Due North

Northern BC Queer Connection Society hosts February Voices & Culture Summit

The Northern BC Queer Connection Society (NBCQCS), a non-profit here in Prince George–Lheildi T’enneh tested the waters by holding the first 2SLGBTQIA+ event of its kind, a conference, this past September 2025. Rolling forward with that momentum, the organization is hosting the Voices & Culture summit Friday, February 27th 2026. Executive Director, Laura Binette, says one of the lessons learned from the last go-round was, “Hey, we’ve got to market a lot more!” Feedback was positive, but there was room to grow, and this February’s event hosted at the Prince George Civic Centre has the capacity.

As a professional event planner, Binette knows how to throw a party, and the NBCQCS has a reputation for hosting solid soirées. September’s conference at the Treasure Cove Casino & Resort was impactful, though a relatively subdued affair. This February’s summit meanwhile, has some scheduled fun to soak in alongside the seminars with a night market, film preview, and evening gala planned.

Besides a good time, attendees can expect a day of interactive panels, workshops, and collaborative community projects focused on supporting the 2SLGBTQIA+ community across Northern BC.

In case any prospective attendees get cold feet, Binette wants people to know they are welcome, “It’s a learning opportunity. As long as you’re coming, and your heart is open, and you’re being kind, come on over. Ask questions, and just be part of the whole event, and a whole opportunity to just be a part of this community.”

- Ian Gregg, CFURadio 88.7FM, Due North

More Information

CFURadio Spoke with NBCQCS Executive Director, Laura Binette about the February 2026 Voices & Culture Summit

Photo Credit - Ian Gregg

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Afro Prince George brings Celebrations to Black History Month

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Afro Prince George has emerged over the past few years as one of our city’s notable event promoters and 2026’s Black History Month (BHM) will witness two of their signature gatherings. While coordinator Offiah Patrick says that having fun is probably the primary objective of their efforts, they also create opportunities to connect with community members. A BHM soccer tournament, takes place across two weekends at UNBC’s sports centre where spectators are most welcome, and culminates in a club night at Ignite Night Club downtown.

Over time the organization has built relationships with the University’s sport centre, Le Cercle des Canadiens Français de Prince George, and more picking up enthusiasm with each event along the way. Patrick reflected on a call he got this year from a venue rep when he was asked, "Somebody wants to do an event. They want you guys to show them how an event is done.” An affirmation that Afro Prince George is doing something right.

Photo Credit - Offiah Patrick

The events may even be stirring up their own micro economy. Attendees claim the local nail salons get completely booked up ahead of the shows, the visiting artists are beginning to incorporate Prince George into small multidate tours, and Patrick speculates that deals with rideshare & taxi companies will become easier to negotiate as demand for rides spike during the events. While acknowledging black history in Canada is often regarded as a solemn occasion, Afro Prince George is bringing reasons to celebrate along with it to our community.

- Ian Gregg, CFURadio 88.7FM, Due North

RSS:

https://anchor.fm/s/10166ba64/podcast/rss

Photo Credit - Offiah Patrick

To register for Afro PG’s BHM Soccer Tournament

(Fri-Sat Feb 20th to 21st, advancing to the following weekend, Fri-Sat the 27th & 28th)

email afropgentertainment@gmail.com with your team name and team list.

For advance tickets to The Night Shift (BHM edition) on Friday February 27th, visit eventbrite

Tickets: $20 in advance (up to $25 at the door)

The Offspring Concert

It’s the end of January - how is your New Year’s Resolution coming along? Mine was to see more live music, which landed me on the floor of CN Centre on January 27, shoulder to shoulder with a crowd ready to scream along to The Offspring and Bad Religion.

I’ll be honest: I haven’t really listened to punk in years. But during my formative teenage years, Warped Tour was the highlight of my year and its lineup the foundation of my musical education. I caught Bad Religion when they came to Calgary in ‘09, so I thought I was more familiar with them than the headliners. Luckily, I had a few days to re-acquaint myself with The Offspring’s discography and realize that I knew a lot of their music (and it rocks). 

Making my way to the floor during Bad Religion’s opening chords, suddenly I felt fifteen again: a little anxious about the future, trying to figure out the world, and losing myself in driving music and anonymity of a surging crowd. But maybe it's not just nostalgia. Punk has always been political, so indulge me for a moment: in a time when the geopolitical climate feels unstable, rage-inducing, and disorienting, I'm once again anxious about the future and confused about the world. Getting lost in punk music and that anonymous, pulsing crowd felt really good. Turns out, it might be time to listen to punk again.

Bad Religion’s opening set brought me back

There is one important difference from my teenage self, though: I remembered earplugs (but not enough, unfortunately, for the three separate people I overheard wishing they’d brought some).

The stage was set for a goofy and engaging concert from the intermission. I’d barely call it an intermission - I didn’t want to leave and miss any of the action. There was an inflatable blimp floating overhead, filming the audience and dropping packs of guitar picks; a gorilla shooting t-shirts off the stage; and a suite of silly moments on the crowd camera.

The Offspring entered the stage to an enthusiastic countdown from the audience and an explosive rendition of “Come Out and Play”. I was flying solo, but it wasn’t hard to find a clump of friendly and enthusiastic fans who were as excited to dance and sing-along as I was. The crowd was a pretty diverse cross-section of ages, ranging from elder punks to pre-teens (who were THRILLED by the many opportunities to scream curse words over the course of the concert).  The dynamic show offered constant surprises and delights - even beyond the memorable musical performance. (The XL beach balls flooding the crowd during “Why Don’t You Get a Job” and the Wacky Waving Inflatable Tube Guys during “Pretty Fly For a White Guy” were particular favourites of mine).

Despite the prevalence of props, some of the most special moments were the stripped down ones: The banter between Dexter and Noodles was fun and natural - you could tell they’ve been playing together for a long time. A white grand piano rolled out for “Gone Away,” accompanied by a sea of phone lights offering a collective tribute to those no longer here, packed an emotional punch.

Another sign I am no longer 15: for the last few years I have no patience for encores - I’m sleepy okay?! But when The Offspring left the stage, I surprised myself by enthusiastically chanting for one more song and dancing just as hard when they closed with their (actual) last song “Self-Esteem.”

As I enter the depths of the winter semester, The Offspring concert was the perfect study break. If lead singer, Dr. Dexter Holland, can get a PhD in Molecular Biology while also selling out the CN Centre... I guess I can finish my master’s. 

BANDCAMP