Calgary Underground Film Festival announced its lineup for the 17th edition of the festival. Originally scheduled to take place in April, like many other festivals around the world, CUFF has shifted to an online model for the 2020 edition. From June 22-28 CUFF fans will have the opportunity to get their eyes on the newest genre-defying independent films not streaming anywhere else, and ensure that these films find an audience while film festivals are paused and cinemas remain closed.
The coronavirus, (COVID-19) pandemic is having a devastating impact on film festivals with many postponing or cancelling outright. Major festivals such as San Francisco International Film Festival and RiverRun International Film Festival have canceled, while others such as Richmond International Film Festival and Florida Film Festival have been postponed until the Summer or Fall.
CUFF.Docs, the 7th Annual Documentary Film Festival presented by Calgary Underground Film Festival (CUFF), starts this Wednesday night, November 27, with the Sundance hit THE AMAZING JOHNATHAN DOCUMENTARY, about the final tour of a dying magician, “The Amazing Johnathan”, which turns into an unexpected and increasingly bizarre journey as the filmmaker struggles to separate truth from illusion. The 5-day festival runs until Sunday, Dec 1 at Globe Cinema.
The 16th edition of Western Canada’s biggest genre film festival, Calgary Underground Film Festival will open with the Canadian Premiere of the Australian zombie horror rom-com LITTLE MONSTERS.
AN EVENING WITH BEVERLY LUFF LINN[/caption]
Western Canada’s biggest genre festival, Calgary Underground Film Festival (CUFF) returns for it’s 15th anniversary with its boldest and most eclectic lineup yet, with 43% of the festival’s feature films by female filmmakers. AN EVENING WITH BEVERLY LUFF LINN starring Aubrey Plaza, Jemaine Clement, Emile Hirsch and Craig Robinson will open the festival on Monday, April 16. Director Jim Hosking in attendance.
“I remember the day we started this festival and our vision was to grow within our means, screen provocative, boundary-pushing independent film, build a solid community, and to really make sure we were creating a festival as fans, for fans,” said Co-Founder & Festival Director Brenda Lieberman.
With humble beginnings using fold-out chairs at The Venue (now called HiFi Club) attended by a few hundred fans over three-days; today, CUFF is a seven-day internationally-recognized festival presenting 55 films to nearly 7,000 attendees.
“I’m excited we’ve reached 15 years, continually growing, and achieving what we set out to do! I love this festival, and what we’ve become so far!”
The Calgary Underground Film Festival runs April 16 to 22, 2018 at Globe Cinema; and highlights of this year’s festival include:
The psychological thriller KNUCKLEBALL from local director Mike Peterson, and the international premiere of FREAKS & GEEKS: THE DOCUMENTARY from Alberta filmmaker Brent Hodge, just days after it premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Three more world premieres including THE SECRET POPO from CUFF alumnus Sean Pierce (MEATHEAD GOES HOGWILD); PAPER YEAR, the feature directorial debut from Canadian Rebecca Addelman, a prominent Hollywood screenwriter of the hit TV shows NEW GIRL and LOVE; and SLAVE TO THE GRIND, a documentary about grindcore from DIY filmmaker Doug Brown featuring the local band Wake.
The return of the FOUND FOOTAGE FESTIVAL: VOLUME 8, a one-of-a-kind CUFF-favorite event that showcases footage from videos that were found at garage sales and thrift stores and in warehouses and dumpsters across the country. Curators Nick and Joe will be back at CUFF for the first time in four years.
Big hits fresh off their premieres on the film festival circuit including the French-thriller REVENGE (Dir. Coralie Fargeat), a documentary about the history of roller-dancing in Venice Beach ROLLER DREAMS (Dir. Kate Hickey), and Lynne Ramsay’s latest YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE will be presented alongside a retrospective of her past work.
FRANK
The Calgary Underground Film Festival (CUFF) announced the 2014 festival line up today. CUFF will bring 31 feature films from all over world to Calgary from April 7-13 at Globe Cinema. The festival opens on April 7, 2014 with the Canadian premiere of FRANK. In the film, an amateur musician,Jon (Domhnall Gleeson) who finds himself mixed up with some seriously strange bandmates, led by the mysterious and enigmatic Frank (Michael Fassbender). Based on the memoir by Jon Ronson (THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS) and his experiences playing with ultimate outsider musician Chris Sievey.
Some highlights in the 2014 festival lineup include:
OPENING GALA – FRANK (Ireland/UK, 2014, 95 Min, Canadian premiere) April 7, 2014
An amateur musician,Jon (Domhnall Gleeson) who finds himself mixed up with some seriously strange bandmates, led by the mysterious and enigmatic Frank (Michael Fassbender). Based on the memoir by Jon Ronson (THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS) and his experiences playing with ultimate outsider musician Chris Sievey.
THE RAID 2 (Indonesia, 2013, 148 min, Canadian premiere) April 9, 2014
Only a short time after the first raid, Rama goes undercover with the thugs of Jakarta and plans to bring down the syndicate and uncover the corruption within his police force.
WETLANDS (Germany, 2013, 109 min, Canadian premiere) April 10, 2014
Helen (Carla Juri) is wild, brash and uncompromising, and a huge pain for her divorced parents. Based on author Charlotte Roche’s 2008 controversial and mega bestselling cult novel, WETLANDS pushes the boundaries of eroticism with an unabashedly sexual and intimate portrait of one young woman’s loves, longings and penetrating fantasies.
THE FOUND FOOTAGE FESTIVAL (USA, 2014, 90 min) Tuesday April 8, 2014
A one-of-a-kind event showcasing videos found at garage sales and thrift stores and in warehouses and dumpsters throughout North America. Curators Joe Pickett (The Onion) and Nick Prueher (Late Show with David Letterman) take audiences on a guided tour of their latest and greatest VHS finds, providing live commentary and where-are-they-now updates on the people in these videotaped obscurities.
AS PLACES BURN (USA, 2013, 121 min) Thursday April 10, 2014
Hard touring, thrash metal supergroup Lamb of God are a force to be reckoned with. Vocalist Randy Blythe credits the band with saving his life, and after the group wraps up a global tour, he finds himself fighting for it. Charged with the death of a fan at one of the group’s shows, Blythe finds himself facing a lengthy sentence in a Czech prison. What started as a band portrait quickly becomes a nail-biting legal thriller.
ASPHALT WATCHES (Canada, 2013, 94 MIN) Friday April 11, 2014
This autobiographical psychedelic animated road movie-and TIFF award winner. Visual artists Seth Scriver and Shayne Ehman spent seven years turning their real-life adventures hitchhiking along the Trans-Canada Highway into this hilarious, grotesque, and utterly original adult animated feature.
