CIFF Announces First Wave of Films
Press Release from the Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF)
Calgary, AB – The Calgary International Film Festival, presented by connectFirst Credit Union, celebrates a quarter-century of success, growth, and resilience as it embarks on the recently announced Constellation of venues in Downtown Calgary and Cineplex Scotiabank Theatre Chinook. Celebrating local, national, and international films, CIFF reveals the first wave of films at this year’s festival taking place from September 19 – September 29, 2024, and the return of The Trailer Party, a fan-favourite event.
“I’m really excited about this unique mix of films from all over the world, with standouts from Iran, Argentina, Belgium, and our homegrown talent with a number of Alberta films featured. This wave includes horror and family friendly animation in the mix, amongst all other great stories and film genres – this announcement sets the stage for what’s to come for the 25th Anniversary edition of the festival,” said Brenda Lieberman, CIFF’s Lead Programmer.
“We have a couple of World Premieres that I think our audience will be intrigued by, starting with SOUL’S ROAD, directed by Joel Stewart, which was shot in Alberta and stars Canadian country star Dallas Smith. Award-winning Fort McMurray-based director Sanjay Patel returns with his exciting second feature, THE BIRDS WHO FEAR DEATH, a thrilling drama that stars legendary Canadian actor Graham Greene (THE GREEN MILE, RESERVATION DOGS) alongside Carmen Moore (BLACKSTONE).”
FEATURE FILMS 2024
From documentaries and narratives to Music on Screen, CIFF has it all! From around the world to right here at home. Announcing the first round of feature films at CIFF 2024:
7 BEATS PER MINUTE, Directed by Yuqi Kang (Canada)
During a world record freediving attempt, Jessea Lu blacked out and was lifeless for four minutes. Alberta Premiere.
ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT, Directed by Payal Kapadia (France/India/ Netherlands/Luxembourg)
In Mumbai, Nurse Prabha’s routine is troubled when she receives an unexpected gift from her estranged husband. Alberta Premiere.
WINNER: Grand Prix, Cannes Film Festival 2024
THE BIRDS WHO FEAR DEATH, Directed by Sanjay Patel (Canada)
Disinherited and desperate for cash, two brothers journey into the Canadian wilds to find themselves, their people and their fortune. World Premiere.
THE BONES, Directed by Jeremy Xido (Canada)
THE BONES traverses the globe alongside paleontologists on a quest to unearth dinosaur fossils that may hold the key to save humanity from extinction. Alberta Premiere.
BOOKWORM, Directed by Ant Timpson (New Zealand)
During a time of crisis, a washed-up American magician, and his precocious estranged daughter, take to the New Zealand wilderness in search of a mythical black panther. Alberta Premiere.
CURL POWER, Directed by Josephine Anderson (Canada)
In this sport/coming-of-age documentary, a team of young women pursue their dream of becoming Canadian National Curling Champions. Alberta Premiere.
DARK MATCH, Directed by Lowell Dean (Canada)
A small-time wrestling company accepts a gig in a backwoods town run by a mysterious cult leader with devious plans for their match. Alberta Premiere.
EUDAIMONIA, Directed by Dylan Rhys Howard (Canada)
A young artist with telepathic abilities searches for connection and meaning in a world of her own eccentric design. Calgary Premiere.
FLOW, Directed by Gints Zilbalodis (France/Belgium/Latvia)
Cat is a solitary animal, but when its home is devastated by a great flood, he finds refuge on a boat populated by various species and will have to team up with them despite their differences. Alberta Premiere.
WINNER: Jury Award for Best Feature, Audience Award for Best Feature, Annecy
International Animated Film Festival 2024
GODDESS OF SLIDE: THE FORGOTTEN STORY OF ELLEN MCILWAINE, Directed by Alfonso Maiorana (Canada)
GODDESS OF SLIDE is an intimate look at a pioneer performer whose road trip to stardom and long career deserves a rightful place in music history. World Premiere.
GRAND THEFT HAMLET, Directed by Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane (United Kingdom)
Struggling actors stage a production of Hamlet through the video game Grand Theft Auto. Alberta Premiere.
WINNER: Documentary Feature Jury Prize, SXSW 2024
THE HOBBY, Directed by Simon Ennis (Canada)
From the World Series of Board Games on the Las Vegas strip and dating back to ancient Mesopotamia, THE HOBBY is an affectionate, character-driven portrait of the massive and diverse subculture of board games. Canadian Premiere.
LINDA PERRY: LET IT DIE HERE, Directed by Don Hardy (United States)
An intimate look at Linda Perry’s personal and professional life as one of pop music’s major creative forces as a multi-faceted singer, songwriter and producer. Canadian Premiere.
LUTHER: NEVER TOO MUCH, Directed by Dawn Porter (United States)
An intimate portrait of R&B legend Luther Vandross, as told by Luther, his closest friends, and his musical collaborators. Alberta Premiere.
A MAN IMAGINED, Directed by Brian M. Cassidy and Melanie Shatzky (Canada)
A bracingly intimate and hallucinatory portrait of a man with schizophrenia surviving on the edges of society. Alberta Premiere.
MISERICORDIA, Directed by Alain Guiraudie (France/Spain/Portugal)
A man returns to his hometown for the funeral of his former boss. Mysterious circumstances make Jérémie’s stay in the village take an unexpected turn. Alberta Premiere.
MY FAVOURITE CAKE, Directed by Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha (Iran/France/Germany/Sweden)
Mahin, 70, lives alone until she decides to break her solitary routine and revitalize her love life. As she opens up to romance, an unexpected encounter evolves into an unforgettable evening. Alberta Premiere.
WINNER: Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Competition, Berlin International Film Festival 2024; FIPRESCI Prize Competition, Berlin International Film Festival 2024
A NEW KIND OF WILDERNESS, Directed by Silje Evensmo Jacobsen (Norway)
In a forest in Norway, a family lives an isolated lifestyle in an attempt to be wild and free, but a tragic event changes everything. Alberta Premiere.
WINNER: Grand Jury Prize World Cinema Documentary, Sundance Film Festival 2024
OUR DREAM – A RIO DE JANEIRO FUNK STORY, Directed by Eduardo Albergaria (Brazil)
OUR DREAM dramatizes the musical journey of Claudinho and Buchecha, the superstar duo of Brazilian funk music. Canadian Premiere.
PORCELAIN WAR, Directed by Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev (United States/Ukraine)
Three artists struggle with their morality when they choose to stay behind and fight in Ukraine. Alberta Premiere.
WINNER: Grand Jury Prize US Documentary, Sundance Film Festival 2024
PRIDE VS. PREJUDICE: THE DELWIN VRIEND STORY, Directed by Darrin Hagen (Canada)
An Albertan gay man fired for his sexuality sets a transformative precedent for 2SLGBTQ+ rights worldwide. Calgary Premiere.
REINAS, Directed by Klaudia Reynicke (Switzerland/Peru/Spain)
As his estranged family prepares to flee 1990s Peru, an absent father must confront his neglect and earn back their love before it’s too late. North American Premiere
WINNER: Grand Prix International Jury Best Film in Generation Kplus, Berlin International Film Festival 2024
RESYNATOR Directed by Alison Tavel (United States)
In unearthing the synthesizer her late father invented in the 1970s, Alison forges a bond with the man she never got the chance to know. Canadian Premiere.
WINNER: Audience Award Best Documentary, SXSW 2024
SECRET MALL APARTMENT, Directed by Jeremy Workman (United States)
The bonkers real story of eight artists who built and lived in a secret apartment inside their local mall from 2003 to 2007. Alberta Premiere.
WINNER: Grand Jury Prize Best Documentary, Independent Film Festival Boston 2024
SINGING BACK THE BUFFALO, Directed by Tasha Hubbard (Canada)
Award-winning Cree filmmaker Tasha Hubbard examines North America through the lens of buffalo consciousness and their return to the Great Plains. Calgary Premiere.
SISTERS, Directed by Susie Yankou (Canada/United States)
Best friends Lou and Esther are each other’s “chosen sisters”, but when Lou discovers she has a long-lost half-sister, she must redefine what that loaded F word– family–means to her. Alberta Premiere.
SOUL’S ROAD, Directed by Joel Stewart (Canada)
After ruining his career and taking a break from music, a former rock star returns to his hometown to make amends with the people he abandoned years ago. World Premiere.
SUNBURNT UNICORN, Directed by Nick Johnson (Canada)
A teenager on a mission to rescue his father adopts the identity of a mythical unicorn to survive surreal encounters. Alberta Premiere.
THEY ALL CAME OUT TO MONTREUX, Directed by Oliver Murray (United Kingdom)
The epic story of Claude Nobs and the Montreux Jazz Festival. Canadian Premiere.
VERA AND THE PLEASURE OF OTHERS, Directed by Romina Tamburello and Federico Actis (Argentina)
A 17-year-old rents out an apartment to teenagers looking to have sex and discovers her own pleasure along the way. Alberta Premiere.
SHORTS AT CIFF 2024
Short films at CIFF are just that – short. But they are also sweet, pointed, and theatrically packaged for the audience’s convenience. The 25th edition of the festival will also see a new experimental shorts package, films that are playing outside the box with form, look, feel, and artistry.
“With a record number of submissions from all over the world, the 2024 CIFF Short Film Program features a wide array of international viewpoints, film styles, and diverse local stories. 11 unique short film packages spotlight vibrant animation, deeply personal documentaries, award-winning live action films, and, new this year, ground-breaking experimental films,” said Adam Keresztes, CIFF’s Lead Shorts Programmer and Programming Administrator.
With approximately 100 shorts set to screen at the festival, listed below are just the first batch of exciting titles screening at CIFF 2024.
ALL IS NOT FORGOTTEN, Directed by gbohunmi (Canada/Alberta)
A criminal organization is in disarray after an unknown presence threatens their existence. World Premiere.
ASMR DECONSTRUCTED, Directed by Karolina Gliniewicz (United Kingdom)
A non-scripted, performative ASMR piece, looking at the (non)sense of a regular self- exposure to overstimulation. Making sense is optional. North American Premiere.
BAIGAL NUUR – LAKE BAIKAL, Directed by Alisi Telengut (Canada)
Hand-made animation reimagines the history of Lake Baikal in Siberia. Calgary Premiere.
BEHIND THE DOOR, Directed by Una Roulston (Canada)
Ever get the funny feeling that someone’s hiding in your basement? World Premiere.
A CALM AND HUMBLE MIND: THE AN CHHAY STORY, Directed by Nick Styles and Mitch Malyk (Canada/Alberta)
Dive into the mind of An Chhay, a refugee displaced by the reign of terror brought by the Khmer Rouge. Alberta Premiere.
CAMPING, Directed by Sasha Michaud, Alyssa Ashmore and Nicole Calfchild (Canada/Alberta)
A stop-motion short that follows the story of Shawna, a young woman living in an urban encampment, as she attempts to find housing.
CIRCLES, Directed by Sarah Houle-Lowry (Canada/Alberta)
A reflection on the universal questions of where we come from and where we go after this life.
CONCRETE WHISPER, Directed by Jannis Lenz (Austria)
A medieval saga and surrealistic play in a chat group gradually give shape to a creature that makes its tracks through the big city. North American Premiere.
CROW, Directed by Morgan Ermter (Canada/Alberta)
To see the birds you must be like the birds. World Premiere.
DUCK, Directed by Paola Contreras (Canada)
A new immigrant father struggles to provide for his son. Alberta Premiere.
EMERGENCE, Directed by Scott Portingale (Canada/Alberta)
An animated story of creation. Calgary Premiere.
ENBY BREAST CANCER, Directed by Ally Ferris (Canada/Alberta)
Drag performer Mike Hooves discusses their experience as a non-binary person following a breast cancer diagnosis.
A FRIEND LIKE COYOTE, Directed by Wendy Walker and C.H. Baradoy (Canada/ Alberta)
A cowboy and the Trickster Coyote journey to find some hidden gold. World Premiere.
THE GHOST HUNTER, Directed by Aidan Taylor Groves (Canada/Alberta)
One brave and important film crew decides to do a public service and goes on the hunt for a ghost.
HECKIN’ WEENS, Directed by Vinson Chan (Canada/Alberta)
A desperate animator tries to show his weiner to animation legend Don Hertzfeldt. World Premiere.
IN THE SHADOW OF THE CYPRESS, Directed by Hossein Molayemi and Shirin Sohani (Iran)
A father, a daughter and a guest. Canadian Premiere.
WINNER: Best Animated Short, Tribeca Film Festival 2024
INISKIM – RETURN OF THE BUFFALO, Directed by Leanne Allison, Pete Balkwill, and Amethyst First Rider (Canada/Alberta)
An intercultural artistic response to the return of the buffalo, as wild animals, to Western North America. Calgary Premiere.
THE LAKE IN THE SKY, Directed by Caleb Reese Paul (United States)
An isolated teenager explores the past, his late father, and unstable memory through the use of celluloid on his 16th birthday. International Premiere.
LAST SUMMER, Directed by Barry Bilinsky (Canada/Alberta)
They’ve known each other forever, but tonight can only happen once. Alberta Premiere.
LIFE CO., Directed by Zoe Elizabeth Maier and Edie Louise Sawyer (Canada/ Alberta)
1950s video broadcasting gone wrong.
LILLY VISITS THE HOSPITAL, Directed by Medina Dennie, Ocean Demuth, Zaiyah Dennie, Sol Demuth, Xstine Cook and Heather Cook (Canada/Alberta)
Lilly, a 12-foot-tall orange monster, takes her friend Fluffle to visit patients in a hospital.
ME, Directed by Don Hertzfeldt (United States)
A musical odyssey about pain, technology and the retreat of humanity into itself. From two-time Academy Award® nominated director, Don Hertzfeldt. Playingalongside Don’s legendary feature film IT’S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DAY. Calgary Premiere.
NIX’S SYMPHONY, Directed by Karina Loerchner (Canada)
A spirited young musician and inventor finds herself thrown into continuing a remarkable legacy. Alberta Premiere.
POOS, Directed by Celestine Twigg (Canada/Alberta)
An animated exploration of Blackfoot culture and language through the eyes of Thumper the cat.
POWER, Directed by Declan Cameron (Canada/Alberta)
As the world plots against him, a musician descends into a relentless spiral of emotions, finally finding acceptance where he least expected. Canadian Premiere.
THE RAVEN, Directed by MJ Hansen (Canada/Alberta)
A film adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven.
RESONANCIA, Directed by James Choi (Mexico)
A visual meditation on awareness. Canadian Premiere.
TEEN GIRL FANTASY, Directed by Marisa Hoicka (Canada)
An examination of the fantasies held by teen girls and the fantasies projected onto them. Canadian Premiere.
THUNDERBIRD AND KILLER WHALE: S-hwuhwa’us & Qul-lhanumutsun, Directed by Jason Cheng (Canada)
A Stz’uminus master carver embarks on a journey to revitalize his community’s traditional art of canoe carving. Canadian Premiere.
UNBLENDING, Directed by Michelle Ku (Canada/Alberta)
Put your racing bedtime thoughts to rest in a few vivid minutes of hand-painted animation.
WISTFUL THINKING, Directed by Amy Kim Dryer (Canada/Alberta)
A lovesick teenager spends the day awaiting a phone call.
THE TRAILER PARTY is back for the 25th Anniversary!
September 3, 2024 6:30 PM Globe Cinema
Tickets on sale now! https://ciff2024.eventive.org/schedule/ 66a3e28a653b3b008666209b
Back by popular demand, get the scoop and get excited for the 25th Anniversary edition of the festival at The Trailer Party. CIFF’s Artistic team will present some of the most exciting trailers and tell you more about all the incredible talent at this year’s festival.
Stay tuned for CIFF’s Full Festival Lineup Announcement on August 28, 2024. A press conference will be held at 11 a.m., details coming soon.
Single tickets will be on sale September 5, 2024 at 10 a.m. MST. For more information, please visit https://www.ciffcalgary.ca/
Videos HERE
Film Reviews HERE
