The Calgary International Film Festival announced a full slate of 13 films and television series with an Alberta connection coming to the 2017 festival this fall.
Executive Director Steve Schroeder said, “One of the biggest goals of our festival is to celebrate local filmmaking talent. This year, the opportunities to do so were more abundant than ever. Approximately 25% of our programmed Canadian feature content is Albertan, representing 7% of our overall lineup. We want to showcase as much local content as possible.”
Several of the titles are part of special presentations and galas showcasing the local industry talent.
Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre will host a special presentation of NO ROADS IN on Wednesday, September 27, followed by a performance from the documentary subject, singer-songwriter Blake Reid and the Blake Reid Band.
The final Saturday of the festival will be a busy day, with a Showcase Alberta event featuring an interactive Q&A panel with the cast of the locally created WYNONNA EARP.
Meanwhile, SUCK IT UP, shot in Calgary and Invermere with local cast and crew, will be the Closing Gala film. In this locally funded feature, Ronnie (Grace Glowicki) lost her brother, and Faye (Erin Carter) lost her true love. These two best friends take a raucous mountain journey to cope with the loss of the man they both adored. A special three-course dinner is available before the film, which will be followed by a party at Workshop Kitchen + Culture.
GALAS & SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
SUCK IT UP
Closing Gala at Theatre Junction GRAND
Ronnie lost her brother, and Faye lost her true love. Ronnie turns to drinking, and when that escalates to dangerous levels, Faye decides to intervene and spirits them both away from their Calgary home to the family’s isolated mountain cottage in Invermere. A look at the bonds of friendship and the struggles that can test, stretch, and ultimately break them – or strengthen them. Director Jordan Canning and lead actor Erin Carter in attendance!
NO ROADS IN
Special Music on Screen Presentation at Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre
A musical journey through Alberta that celebrates music’s imperfections, and explores what is really important in music and life. Following the film, singer-songwriter Blake Reid and The Blake Reid Band will perform songs from the documentary in an immersive musical performance.
SHOWCASE ALBERTA: UP CLOSE & INTERACTIVE WITH WYNONNA EARP
Special Alberta Scene Presentation at Cineplex Eau Claire
Are you an Earper? Get behind the scenes of Alberta’s hit series WYNONNA EARP at this special fan event. Show Runner Emily Andras, S24 Producer Jordy Randall and cast members Melanie Scrofano (Wynonna Earp), Tim Rozon (Doc Holliday), Katherine Barrell (Officer Haught) and Greg Lawson (Sheriff Nedley) in attendance!
FEATURE FILMS & TV WITH ALBERTA CONNECTIONS
BIRTH OF A FAMILY
Mary Jane, a survivor of the residential school system, lost four children during the 1960s – and in 2015, the siblings reunite for the first time, just outside of Calgary against the backdrop of Banff National Park.
BUCKOUT ROAD
A project about myths turns terrifying when a trio of students realizes that many of the legends around New York’s Buckout Road may be real. Calgarian Matthew Currie Holmes’ first feature pays homage to the midnight movies of the ’80s while still freshening up its genre.
ENTANGLEMENT
After an attempted suicide, Ben uncovers a family secret that leads him to Hanna – a woman who was once his adopted sister. ENTANGLEMENT is a dark comedy from the mind of Calgary screenwriter Jason Filiatrault.
EVERFALL
Eva Saint, a fallen figure skating phenom, skates for her life in this supernatural thriller from Calgary director John Kissack. EVERFALL was shot in and around Calgary with local cast and crew including writer Shaun Crawford, producer Jayson Therrien and actor Joe Perry.
GREGOIRE
Four young adults in Fort McMurray, AB, struggle to deal with the consequences of their actions and how it affects their friends and families. Shot in Fort McMurray before the 2016 wildfires, the first feature-length film from Alberta filmmaker Cody Bown is a dark coming-of-age story.
ICE BLUE
In this locally made thriller, a teenage girl’s life is turned upside down when her long-estranged mother returns to the family farm. The tense psychological thriller shot against the sweeping backdrop of Alberta’s foothills is the debut feature by local filmmaker Sandi Somers with a script by Calgarian Jason Long.
MADE IN VIETNAM
Follow along with Vietnamese-Calgarian director Thi Vo as he tries to track down his father, left behind long ago in Asia. At times breathtaking, at others emotionally staggering, Vo tells a story that transcends borders, generations, and cultures.
TIN STAR EPISODE RELEASE
Set in the majestic Canadian Rockies and starring Tim Roth and Christina Hendricks, TIN STAR tells the story of Jim Worth, a former British detective turned small town police chief. Filmed in and around Calgary with plenty of local cast and crew, the series holds the distinction of being the first series to use the Calgary Film Centre as a shooting location.
TRAGEDY GIRLS
In this dark satire from Alberta’s Tyler MacIntyre, two teen girls with a popular blog manipulate a local serial killer into doing their bidding.
WALL
Separation fence or apartheid wall? Calgary director Cam Christiansen and Sir David Hare experience life along the Israel/Palestine border in the world premiere of the first animated feature documentary produced by the National Film Board of Canada.