Another year of the Calgary International Film Festival has arrived! First held in 2000, CIFF is consistently rated among the top Film Festivals worth the entry fee by industry reports. Originally a six day festival, the first iteration was attended by 8,000 people. 25 years later, attendance has nearly quadrupled and the festival has expanded to 10 days, this year happening from Sept 18-28.
The largest film festival in Alberta and among the largest in Canada, it is both an Academy Awards Oscar-qualifying festival, a Canadian Screen Award Qualifying festival, and hosts many Alberta and Canadian Premieres across multiple genres. Audiences can be exposed to everything from Palme d’Or winning films (the top prize at Cannes) to local independent shorts.
Calgary Guardians’ Top Picks
This emotionally layered dramedy unfolds over a single day inside the home of a Canadian family of eco-architects, centred around a restless matriarch worn thin by emotional labor, played by Michelle Thrush. This Gemini-winning Cree actress was born and raised in Calgary. DO US PART is the debut feature from Downstage Calgary’s artistic director, Clare Preuss.
Why see this film? The film portrays a family who happen to be Indigenous, rather than centring their identity to lead the story.
World Premiere Sept 23rd, 6:30pm @ Globe Down
HAVE YOU HEARD JUDI SINGH?
Originally from Edmonton, Judi Singh was a gifted jazz singer who captivated musicians and audiences alike. Her album “A Time for Love” recorded with legendary Canadian pianist, Tommy Banks, is considered by collectors to be one of the greatest Canadian vocal jazz records. Working in collaboration with Singh’s daughter, Emily Hughes, filmmaker Baljit Sangra delivers a stylish, intimate portrait of Edmonton’s own starlet, highlighting a woman whose remarkable story has long been overlooked.
Why see this film? As a Black-Punjabi artist in the late 1950s, the music industry failed to give her the recognition she deserved, despite her remarkable talent.
Alberta Premiere Sept 19th, 630pm @ Contemporary Calgary Auditorium (Director Baljit Sangra and Singh’s daughter Emily Hughes in attendance)
Sept 24th, 4:15pm @ Chinook 13
A PRIVATE LIFE
Some may not be aware that Academy Award winner Jodie Foster is fully bilingual, but CIFF offers audiences a chance to witness her linguistic prowess, as she leads a cast of French all-stars in A PRIVATE LIFE. Foster plays a renowned psychiatrist who is convinced that her patient’s suicide was actually foul play, so she recruits her ex-husband to help her investigate the death.
Why see this film? Jodi Foster – in French!
Alberta Premiere Sept 23rd, 4:00pm @ Chinook 10
Sep 26th, 6:45pm @ Globe Down
DEAF
This highly celebrated Spanish film will be having its Canadian Premiere at CIFF. Adapted from an award-winning short, it won the Audience Award for Best Feature at the Berlin International Film Festival. The film brings us into the world of Ángela, a Deaf woman, having a baby with a hearing partner. Spanish director Eva Libertad offers a sensitive, immersive portrayal of a Deaf woman’s experience, revealing the quiet but profound divide between her world and the one inhabited by those around her.
Why see this film? What better way to explore the deaf experience than through a visual medium?
Canadian Premiere Sept 20th, 6:00pm @ Contemporary Calgary Dome
Sept 27th, 4:45pm @ Chinook 15
LILITH FAIR: BUILDING A MYSTERY
In 1997, Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan spearheaded the revolutionary travelling music festival Lilith Fair, featuring exclusively women or women-led acts, to challenge the notion that women’s voices couldn’t sell out festivals. This galvanizing documentary from director Ally Pankiw (I USED TO BE FUNNY) chronicles Lilith Fair’s triumphant three-year run
Why see this film? This film features new interviews with key performers such as Jewel, Bonnie Raitt, Erykah Badu, and Emmylou Harris.
Alberta Premiere Sept 20th, 2:30pm @ The Plaza Theatre
Sept 27th, 6:00pm @ Globe Cinema
YOUNGBLOOD
The 1986 cult classic YOUNGBLOOD, originally starring Rob Lowe, is revisited and reimagined in this film, co-written by the late Toronto filmmaker Charles Officer, and directed by Hubert Davis (Black Ice, CIFF 2023).
Why see this film? While the original centres around a player learning how to fight, this version flips the script; Youngblood is a skilled scorer who must learn to control his temper.
Alberta Premiere, Sept 21st, 6:00pm @ The Plaza Theatre
Sept 27th, 1:30pm @ Globe Down
Calgary Guardians’ Honourable Mentions
SIRÂT – A father and his son arrive at a rave deep in the mountains of southern Morocco, searching for a family member who vanished months ago.
Why see this film? The latest from legendary Spanish director Pedro Almodovar, and winner of the Cannes Jury Prize 2025
Alberta Premiere Sept 22nd, 4:00pm @ Chinook 10
Sept 25th, 9:30pm @ Chinook 10
SINGHS IN THE RING – a dive into the legacy and impact of Canadian Stampede Wrestling legend Gama Singh
Why see this film? Some might not realize, but Professional Wrestling has always been a diverse and globally popular sport
World Premiere Sept 24th, 6:30pm @ Globe Down
Sept 27th, 11:45am @ Chinook 14
SIKSIKAKOWAN: THE BLACKFOOT MAN – an intimate portrayal of the lives of Blackfoot men as they navigate identity, kinship and the complex expectations of manhood.
Why see this film? Men across cultures are finding themselves evaluating their expectations of manhood
Alberta Premiere Sept 24th, 7:15pm @ Chinook 14
Sept 28th, 12:00pm @ Chinook 16
KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN – in 1983 Argentina, political prisoners bond as one narrates the story of his favourite movie musical.
Why see this film? a visionary new interpretation of this literary and cultural landmark
Alberta Premiere, Sept 22nd, 6:30pm @ Globe Down
Sept 25th, 4:00pm @ Chinook 10
