FOSTER CHILD: ohpikihâkan awâsis... An important figure in the history of Canadian Indigenous filmmaking, Gil Cardinal was born to a Métis mother but raised by a non-Indigenous foster family, and with this autobiographical documentary, he charts his efforts to find his biological mother and to understand why he was removed from her. Considered a milestone in documentary cinema, it addressed the country’s internal colonialism in a profoundly personal manner, winning a Special Jury Prize at Banff and multiple international awards. “Foster Child” is one of the great docs to come out of Canada and nobody, but Gil could have made it,” says writer and broadcaster Jesse Wente, the former Director of Canada’s Indigenous Screen Office. “Gil made it possible for us to think about putting our own stories on the screen, and that was something new and important.”

THE BEARDED GIRL... On the brink of inheriting the position of "The Bearded Woman" – matriarchal leader to an outcast community of circus performers – a young woman defies her overbearing mother and runs away instead. Free from the expectations and responsibilities at home, she seeks romance and adventure with the normies in a tiny farm town. In order to fit in, she reinvents herself with stories of a fabricated past, until the truth of who she is can no longer be concealed.

CUFF INFO & TIX: https://www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org/2026/bearded-girl/
INSTAGRAM: @thebeardedgirlmovie
@jodysays

EARTH TO COLBY... An aspiring vlogger discovers a notebook detailing hidden portals in her hometown, leading her on a journey to discover the city's supernatural history. After paranormal vlogger Colby vanishes, a documentary crew digs through her content and recovered footage to uncover the truth. What they find is her growing obsession with a strange coil-bound book and the escalating hauntings that followed. As Colby searches for a sign from her late father, friends and family reveal the chilling descent that led to her disappearance. 

CUFF INFO & TIX: https://www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org/2026/earth-to-colby/
INSTAGRAM: @rino_mioc

The feature directorial debut of Anthony Oberbeck (Dad & Stepdad, Reveries: The Mind Prison), LITTLE DOORS is a relentlessly deadpan comedy about loneliness, love, and the pain of human connection. In a strangely quiet, apocalyptic world, a lonely, reticent, and perpetually scowling woman is one day visited by an odd, but good-natured locksmith. They tumble awkwardly into their own strange, stilted version of a romance, and just as a real connection seems to be forming, the woman discovers a small wooden door on the side of her body. Oberbeck stars, with his wife Megan Koester, in a movie indebted stylistically to Aki Kaurismaki, Jim Jarmusch, and Yorgos Lanthimos, but moving very much with its own distinctly absurd logic and quietly thoughtful surrealism.

CUFF INFO & TIX: https://www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org/2026/little-doors/
INSATGRAM: @anthonyoberbeck

Amid the shadows of oppression in Iran, THE FORBIDDEN UNIVERSITY unveils a secret beacon of hope. Explore the clandestine world of the Bahá'í Institute for Higher Education, an informal underground university created by the Bahá’ís of Iran in a country where, for them, education is a crime. With poignant interviews and stunning rotoscoped animation (crafted by the Academy Award-winning studio behind The Perfect Storm and Blade Runner), this made-in-Edmonton doc shines a light on the courageous souls who dare to defy tyranny for the sake of education.

NWFF WEBSITE INFO & TIX: www.northwestfest.ca/2026/the-forbidden-university
FILM WEBSITE: www.theforbiddenuniversityfilm.com/team
INSTAGRAM: @nauzaninnknight

YOUNG FEMALE PLAYWRIGHT... 26-year-old Millie lands a career-making debut at Canada’s National Theatre, but the celebration quickly turns to scrutiny after a press release describes her play as a “deeply personal story.” Certain her dark family drama is a work of fiction, Millie is blindsided as those around her begin to read it as confession, especially her uncle Mark, a schoolteacher and recovered alcoholic. Through bright lights and dark comedy, the film interrogates who gets to tell which stories, what it costs a woman to be believed. YOUNG FEMALE PLAYWRIGHT is the debut feature from Calgary-born CUFF alum Director Pony Nicole Herauf (ART BABY, CUFF 2025).

CUFF TIX & INFO: www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org/2026/youn…aywright/
INSTAGRAM: @youngfemaleplawright
@ponynicoleherauf
@elliemooner

FRIDAY THE 69TH, the first-ever period piece feature shot entirely on an iPhone (probably...don't Google it), is a microbudget slasher-comedy paying tribute to the bottom-shelf horror films of the early ’80s. It follows a group of adult filmmakers in 1981 who aim to capitalize on the slasher trend by making their own independent ripoff about a group of spring breaking college coeds as they are terrorized by a mysterious killer beekeeper with a vendetta, leading to a series of gruesome and absurdly comedic events. Made for under $15,000 and featuring a scene shot on location at the original TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE house, FRIDAY THE 69TH embraces the charm of low-budget horror and DIY spirit of films like EL MARIACHI while delivering a bloody fun time for fans of cult cinema.

CUFF WEBSITE & TIX: www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org/2026/frid…the-69th/
FILM WEBSITE: fridaythe69th.com/
INSTAGRAM: @friday69film
@akmontilla

Cross your heart...and hope to die. Celebrate the 45th Anniversary of this cult Canadian slasher with the 4K uncut version of MY BLOODY VALENTINE! This 1981 Canadian slasher film was released in the wake of the popularity of the slasher genre that had overtaken the 1970s. Considered an example of the low-budget cult films reminiscent of popular slasher films such as Halloween (1978) and Friday the 13th(1980), the movie was filmed on location in Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia Canada.

CUFF WEBSITE & TIX: www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org/2026/my-b…iversary/

This raucous, decidedly stranger-than-fiction doc is one of the wildest movie-going experiences you'll have this year. A SXSW 2025 world premiere, NOW! MORE! YES! tells the incredible story of TW Hansen, the legally blind used car salesman and picture car coordinator based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, whose dreams and schemes know no limits. TW will do just about anything to get a car in front of a camera, even if it means using company funds without his boss, Dave Manyo's, permission. Recorded over three years by Max Hey (one of TW's tenants), the film takes a raw, personal approach to documenting a charming, flawed, and relentlessly optimistic man.

TIX & INFO: https://www.northwestfest.ca/2026/now-more-yes

INSTAGRAM: @nowmoreyes
@maxphey

NEVER GET BUSTED!... A highly decorated Texas narcotics officer turns his back on the police force, busting crooked cops and teaching drug users how to hide their stash. Barry Cooper is an expert at hiding drugs, evading police, and raising hell! But once upon a time he was a highly decorated Texas Narcotics Officer. After a raid goes wrong, destroying a family not unlike his own, Barry's conscience gets the better of him and he quits the force. Using stolen police tapes, he creates a DVD series teaching drug users how to hide their stash and becomes an instant media sensation. This is the story of one man’s fight to turn the tide on the War on Drugs, if he doesn’t get busted in the process!

You can also find NEVER GET BUSTED! on Paramount+

TIX & INFO: https://www.northwestfest.ca/2026/never-get-busted
INSTAGRAM: @nevergetbustedfilm

SILVER SCREAMERS is a heartwarming and spine-tingling documentary that follows a group of spirited senior citizens as they embark on an extraordinary adventure far outside their comfort zone: creating a horror film! In a quaint retirement community, a diverse group of retirees find themselves yearning for excitement and creative expression in their golden years. Led by a local filmmaker, the seniors pool their talents and resources to produce a short horror film that will defy expectations and challenge stereotypes.

NWFF WEBSITE: www.northwestfest.ca/2026/silver-screamers
INSTAGRAM: @silverscreamersdoc
@seancisterna

HISTORY IN 60 is a six-part documentary series hosted by journalist John Loeppky. In each episode, he digs into a moment of disability history and then takes on the challenge of fitting it all into one minute. The series explores pivotal events, overlooked figures, and the evolving story of disability rights in Canada, connecting past struggles to the present.

HISTORY IN 60 WEBSITE: h60.ca/
AMI WEBSITE: www.ami.ca/news/class-session-…-moments-disability
INSTAGRAM: @historyin60series
@cymru_et_canada
@accessiblemediainc
FACEBOOK: AMI
History in 60
John Loepppky

LOVE OF THE GAME: RISE OF THE REAPERS, is a film hosted by stand-up comedian and adaptive sports enthusiast Niek Theelen. This potential film combines Niek's love of laughter and overcoming adversity with his desire to maintain a healthy lifestyle amongst his peers in the Alberta Wheelchair Rugby Community.

VOTE AT DECENTRALIZED PICTURES: app.decentralized.pictures/project/69a…WMT2EQJcaFA
INSTAGRAM: @ niektheelen
FACEBOOK: Niek Theelen
Niek Theelen Comedy
YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/@niektheelencomedy

IT'S A GIRL... Adeline brings her new boyfriend home to her troubled parents for a dinner none of them will forget

FAVA FEST INFO: fava.ca/wp-content/uploads/20…_program_cover_V3.pdf
INSTAGRAM: @kyletobiasson
@ohbabyitsmia
@alexa_rodominski
@lady_juliet94
@gavinnbartlett
WEBSITE: poppyrosemedia.ca/#recent

WHO IS THE BOY? is Nick Lange and Milan Kalra's first film. Shot entirely on 16mm film, this short film/long-form music video combines traditional filmmaking with musical elements to capture the themes and story first introduced in Nick Lange’s first album “Who Is The Boy?”. The story brings the audience into the daily life of a young musician attempting to find his purpose through music.

FAVA FEST INFO: fava.ca/wp-content/uploads/20…_program_cover_V3.pdf
INSTAGRAM: @milank_12
@nlangemusic
SHORT FILM LINK: www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6ChtibE-M8

THE TABLE BETWEEN US - Growing up in an abusive, volatile home, drove Celia (Anna Primiani) to marry a man just like her step- father. Now seven years after her husband's death at the hands of her sister, Lily (Nikki Rae Hallow) the sisters finally meet within the confines of the prison. As they sit across the table, tormented by guilt and past mistakes, they're forced to face their inner demons as they seek redemption and hope for a future together.

FAVA Fest 2026 INFO: fava.ca/wp-content/uploads/20…_program_cover_V3.pdf
ANNA PRIMIANI: www.annaprimiani.com/
NIKKI RAE HALLOW: www.annaprimiani.com/
INSTAGRAM: @mrsashpearce
@nikkihallows
@annaprimiani

TRHE GIRL WHO CRIED PEARLS... In Montreal, at the dawn of the 20th century, a poor boy falls in love with a girl whose sorrow turns into pearls. He sells them to a ruthless pawnbroker, who hungers for more. Tempted by greed, the boy must choose between love and fortune. The choice could damn his soul.From the Oscar-nominated team of Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski (MADAME TUTLI-PUTLI), this meticulously crafted film is a testament to the magic of stop-motion animation. With handmade puppets, mesmerizing narration by Colm Feore and a haunting score by Patrick Watson, THE GIRL WHO CRIED PEARLS is a timeless parable of desire, deception and the price of innocence.

NFB WEBSITE: www.nfb.ca/film/the-girl-who-cried-pearls/
FULL FILM: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zanj0zDKfR8
INSTAGRAM: @clydehenryproductions

DREAM EATER follows Mallory (Drumm), a documentary filmmaker, who heads to a remote cabin in the mountains with her boyfriend Alex (Williams) to document his violent parasomnia. As his condition worsens, Mallory suspects something more sinister may be at play. As the nightmares escalate, so do the scares, right through the final frame. “What these three filmmakers have pulled is not just remarkable on a low-budget DIY filmmaking level; they achieve the holy grail of horror, which is to make a movie that absolutely terrifies you.” Eli Roth.

HORROR SECTION WEBSITE: horrorsectionstudios.com/movies/
INSTAGRAM: @dreameatermovie
@blindluckpictures
@horrorsectionstudios

They discuss the documentary EX LIBRIS: THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY. See it Saturday, February 21st, 2026  at 2:45 PM. Director Fredrick Wiseman offers an observational, "fly-on-the-wall" look at the NYPL system. It explores how the library fosters community, lifelong learning, and digital access across its research centers and neighborhood branches, highlighting its role as a vital, democratic institution. 

As well, they discuss THE LIBRARIANS screening Friday, February 27th, 2026 at 6:30 PM. Kim A. Snyder's film examines how lawmakers seek to review a list of books and librarians find themselves on the frontlines of a national battle. Across the U.S., librarians face the impact of uniting against library collection standards that include restrictions on race-related and LGBTQIA+ content. Drawing on historical context, The Librarians explores the broader implications for education and public life.  

FInally they discuss an Emilio Estevez film THE PUBLIC.  In the film, a brutal Midwestern cold snap drives homeless library patrons in Cincinnati to stage an Occupy-style sit-in, refusing to leave the library at closing time to avoid freezing. Led by Stuart (Emilio Estevez), a librarian who connects with the patrons, the act of civil disobedience escalates into a standoff with police, a crisis negotiator (Alec Baldwin), and a politically ambitious DA (Christian Slater). 

Ex Libris: The New York Public Library TIX INFO:  https://metrocinema.org/event/ex-libris-new-york-public-library/

The Librarians TIX INFO: https://metrocinema.org/event/the-librarians

BODYCAM... When a routine domestic disturbance spirals into tragedy, two police officers find themselves trapped in a relentless nightmare. Over the course of one harrowing night, their bodycams capture a descent into pure terror—where every moment feels inescapably real. Delivering a bold reinvention of the found footage genre, BODYCAM isn’t just another shaky handheld horror—it transforms the audience into unwilling partners on the most terrifying ride-along imaginable, with no way of knowing how, or if, it will end.

TIX: www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org/year-roun…-bodycam/
INSTAGRAM: @thebrandonchristensen

SINGHS IN THE RING is an exuberant, heart-forward dive into the legacy and impact of Gama Singh, the Canadian Stampede Wrestling icon who turned prejudice into power, and the trials of his son, Raj, in carrying on the family name. Featuring WWE superstars Bret Hart, Chelsea Green, and Jinder Mahal, this doc is an action-packed, joyous homage to the wild, high-flying bygone era—while wrestling with the hard truths of identity, culture, and the challenging echoes of the past that still linger today.

Website: www.singhsinthering.com/
Instagram: @singhsinthering
X: @singhsinthering

RISISNG THROUGH THE FRAY offers a poignant exploration of resiliency, healing and reconnection of a roller derby family with a bond that goes beyond sport. Uniting from across continents to bring representation to the sport they love, Indigenous Rising laces up their skates to claim their space on the roller derby track. Indigenous Rising is the first team in roller derby history to break the barriers of representing a single country at the Roller Derby World Cup – igniting a movement that pulsates throughout the sport and within each other. Rising Through the Fray follows the team as it welcomes a new generation of players set on changing the face of roller derby – a sport that champions female empowerment and inclusivity but lacks diversity.

WEBSITE: www.risingthemovie.com/
INSTAGRAM: @courtneymontour

SEND & RECEIVE took Dominique around the globe after she read an article about initiatives in different countries that has postal workers check in on senior citizens on their route. The film focuses on the importance of the relationship between these community members. SEND & RECEIVE won the Best Documentary Production Under 30 Minutes at the 2025 Rosies (the Alberta Oscars presented by Alberta Media Production Industries Association).

TIX: ticketing.uswest.veezi.com/purchase/98…yv313wkqpkw
WEBSITE: www.dominiquekeller.com/
NFB LINK TO WATCH DOMINIQUE'S FILMS: www.nfb.ca/directors/dominique-keller/?language=en
INSTAGRAM: @domkeller

THE EDMONTON STORYTELLER: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF TONY CASHMAN is an uplifting documentary that follows the remarkable 100-year journey of Tony Cashman, an Edmonton historian, writer, and eternal optimist. From his childhood filled with storytelling to surviving the trials of World War II, and later becoming a celebrated author, Tony’s life is a testament to the promise and hope that thrives in the city of Edmonton.

TIX: ticketing.uswest.veezi.com/purchase/98…yv313wkqpkw
WEBSITE: www.scenicrouteentertainment.ca/team-1
INSTAGRAM: @clare_mullen_geikiestreet
FACEBOOK: Clare Mullen

UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE - Matthew Rankin
A lovingly detailed, charmingly impossible story of a Canada where Persian and French are the two official languages, and loneliness is the common currency.
Instagram: @universal_language.film

LUNATIC: THE LUNA VACHON STORY - Kate Kroll
LUNATIC profiles the complex life of famed WWF women's wrestler Luna Vachon who, while battling for glory inside the wrestling ring, was also battling her inner demons outside the ring.
Instagram: @lunaticdocumentar

EBONY & IVORY - Jim Hosking
You all know the song EBONY & IVORY. If you don't... Imagine two musical legends convene at a remote Scottish cottage to discuss a potential collaboration that may unite an entire generation.Stevie (Gil Gex, DANGEROUS MEN), a blind musical legend, sails to the Mull Of Kintyre to visit Paul (Sky Elobar, star of THE GREASY STRANGLER), another musical icon.
INSTAGRAM: @jimhosking

SOMETHING BETTER CHANGE - Joey Keithley & Scott Crawford
The story of D.O.A. frontman Joey “Shithead” Keithley, who transitioned from a punk activist musician to politician when he was elected for the Green Party in Burnaby, BC. SOMETHING BETTER CHANGE documents Keithley's 40+ year journey as an activist musician in Canada’s most iconic punk band, and how it informs him as a politician today.
INSTAGRAM: @somethingbetterchange_doc

CRIP TRIP - Daniel Ennett & Fredrick Kroetsch
This docu-series revolves around Daniel Ennett, a quad amputee, and his best friend, fellow filmmaker Fredrick Kroetsch. While on the road to visit other disabled activists and artists, they explore the struggles of living with disabilities and the stress of being a caretaker.
INSTAGRAM: @criptrip

CLAUDIO SIMONETTI
Claudio Simonetti is the keyboardist of the progressive rock band Goblin, Simonetti has specialized in the scores for Italian and American horror films since the 1970s. A long-time collaborator of director Dario Argento, Simonetti has worked on several of the director/producer's films including Deep Red, Suspiria, Dawn of the Dead, Tenebrae, Phenomena, Demoni, and Opera.
INSTAGRAM: @claudiosimonettisgoblin

PATH UNPAVED - Brad Bartko & Danny Chamberlain
This is a doc produced with the help of Telus StoryHive. It centers around Brad Bartko, an accessibility consultant in Edmonton. At birth, Brad was born prematurely. He had one fully developed lung, bleeding in his brain, and was given only 24 hours to live.
LINK TO SEE THE FILM: www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4A7kKzDZF8

SINGHS IN THE RING - Akash Sherman & Shane Fennessy
An exuberant, heart-forward dive into the legacy and impact of Gama Singh, the Canadian Stampede Wrestling icon who turned prejudice into power, and the trials of his son, Raj, in carrying on the family name.
INSTAGRAM: @singhsinthering

CONTAMINATION - Preston Ewasiuk & Neil Chase
CONTAMINATION... Sent to destroy a top secret lab in the wilderness, a black ops team finds their ranks infected with a deadly alien virus that spreads through human contact. We discuss the influences and importance of filming in Alberta for their production company, Brimstone Pictures.
INSTAGRAM: @brimstone.pictures @neilchasefilm @prestonewasiuk

CHRISTMAS IN WONDERLAND (2006) follows the Saunders family's chaotic move from LA to Edmonton. After losing his job, Wayne Saunders is struggling to keep it together with his wife arriving from the US, his children resenting the move and just trying to get through Christmas Eve at W.E.M. The Saunders children, Brian and Mary, find counterfeit money that falls into their laps while skating at the Ice Palace. A chase by criminals (Chris Kattan, Preston Lacy & Carmen Electra) ensues while the kids go on a spending spree. All the while, Dad (Patrick Swayze) tries to save Christmas and catch the crooks, all culminating in a surprise visit from Santa... in multiple forms, multiple times.

FACEBOOK: REEL ENTERTAINMENT!!! The best lil theatre there is!
Scary Prairies Film Festival

INSTAGRAM: @reel_entertainmet

MEADOWLARKS... Inspired by her own acclaimed documentary BIRTH OF A FAMILY, the film tells the story of four Cree siblings, Connie, Marianne, Gwen, and Anthony, separated as babies through Canada’s notorious Sixties Scoop, which saw indigenous children taken from their homes to be adopted by white families. Excited and curious, but also scared and afraid of rejection, they agree to meet for the first time over a holiday weekend in the mountains of Banff.

TIX: metrocinema.org/production/meadowlarks/
INSTAGRAM: @meadowlarksmovie

MEASURES FOR A FUNERAL brilliantly spotlights a young academic’s run towards one woman — acclaimed early 20th-century Canadian violinist Kathleen Parlow — as she simultaneously flees from another, her failed musician mother. Sofia Bohdanowicz’s latest pieces together the extraordinary story of real-life early 20th-century Canadian violinist Kathleen Parlow — who by rights should be a household name — blending fact with a fictionalized family history.

The director’s frequent collaborator, actress Deragh Campbell, plays Audrey Benac, a woman on a single-minded mission to learn more about Parlow, who has slipped away from collective memory. Melding her own personal history into the film, Parlow was Bohdanowicz’s grandfather’s violin mentor and teacher. Culminating in a beautiful final concerto that is layered in meaning and importance, this film brings to light a forgotten icon, while simultaneously reflecting on loss, regrets, and closure.

TIX: metrocinema.org/production/measures-for-a-funeral/
WEBSITE: www.sofiabohdanowicz.com/films-1/meas…or-a-funeral
INSTAGRAM: @greenground_productions
@sofiagolightly

NorthWest FEAR Fest is thrilled to present this special Sneak Preview screening of director Mike P. Nelson’s twisted reimagining of the controversial 1984 classic! In SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT, after witnessing his parent’s brutal murder on Christmas Eve, Billy transforms into a Killer Santa, delivering a yearly spree of calculated, chilling violence. This year, his blood-soaked mission collides with love, as a young woman challenges him to confront his darkness. This Christmas, ask yourself: “Have you been naughty?”

TIX: metrocinema.org/production/silent…eadly-night-2025/
WEBSITE: sndnmovie.com/
INSTAGRAM: @sndnmovie
@rockfordroad

NEVER GET BUSTED!... A highly decorated Texas narcotics officer turns his back on the police force, busting crooked cops and teaching drug users how to hide their stash. Barry Cooper is an expert at hiding drugs, evading police, and raising hell! But once upon a time he was a highly decorated Texas Narcotics Officer. After a raid goes wrong, destroying a family not unlike his own, Barry's conscience gets the better of him and he quits the force. Using stolen police tapes, he creates a DVD series teaching drug users how to hide their stash and becomes an instant media sensation. This is the story of one man’s fight to turn the tide on the War on Drugs, if he doesn’t get busted in the process!

TIX: www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org/cuff-docs…t-busted/
INSTAGRAM: @nevergetbustedfilm
@davidanthonyfilm

HEARSE CHASING follows singer-songwriter Cassidy Waring as she returns to her hometown of Calgary, seeking answers about her family’s tragic breakdown. Cassidy Waring is a soulful singer-songwriter whose music carries warmth, wit, and raw honesty. Originally from Calgary and now based in East Vancouver, she has spent years using her art to understand the lasting impact of childhood trauma and, more recently, a diagnosis of Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. When Cassidy was 12, her family life was shattered by alcohol addiction, abuse, and domestic violence, culminating in the sudden death of her mother. As an adult, she has struggled with panic, substance use, and emotional upheaval, experiences that her diagnosis has helped contextualize. In this impactful documentary, Cassidy returns to Calgary with her younger brother, Cooper, to confront their shared past. Through intimate conversations, home videos, and Cassidy’s deeply felt music, the film explores grief, memory, and the difficult, courageous work of healing.

TIX: www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org/cuff-docs…-chasing/
WEBSITE: cassidywaring.bandcamp.com/
INSTAGRAM: @hearsechasing
@cassidywaring
@teresaalfed

NOW! MORE! YES! follows a legally blind used car salesman who drunkenly purchases an ambulance online with his boss’s credit card. Meet TW Hansen: a used car salesman, a landlord, and a film ‘picture car’ coordinator living in Milwaukee. After TW drunkenly purchases an ambulance using his boss's money, one of his tenants began following him with a camera. Recorded over the course of three years, the film takes a raw and personal approach to documenting a man of many layers – charming, flawed, and relentlessly optimistic.

TIX: www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org/cuff-docs…more-yes/
INSTAGRAM: @nowmoreyes
@maxphey

THE PYTHON HUNT... Every year, the Florida government calls upon the general public to compete in an invasive python removal contest in the Everglades in an attempt to save the threatened ecosystem. For 10 gruelling nights, an eclectic group of amateur hunters confront the dangerous terrain, nocturnal creatures, and their own desires. Meanwhile, one professional hunter leads the charge to undermine the competition, questioning what hides beneath the python mania gripping the ‘glades. The film, which had its World Premiere at SXSW, is the feature documentary debut of CUFF alum Xander Robin, who attended CUFF in 2017 for the Canadian Premiere of his first narrative feature ARE WE NOT CATS.

TIX: www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org/cuff-docs…hon-hunt/
WEBSITE: xanderrobin.com/
INSTAGRAM: @xanderroobin

HOW DARK MY LOVE... Controversial painter Joe Coleman, known for his intricate portraits of serial killers and outlaws, undertakes his most challenging subject yet – a seven foot portrait of his wife, Whitney. At the heart of this visceral and unexpectedly tender film is a love story like no other––between notorious outsider painter Joe Coleman and his wife and muse of 25 years, Whitney Ward. Known for his intricate portraits of serial killers and outcasts, Coleman turns his obsessive gaze on Whitney in his most personal and ambitious work yet: a towering portrait that lays bare her entire life. Director Scott Gracheff blends vérité and archival material to create a hypnotic journey, teetering between wincing at the grotesque and adoring the beauty from the love story that unfolds.

TIX: www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org/cuff-docs…-my-love/
WEBSITE: joecoleman.com/
INSTAGRAM: @howdarkmylovefilm
@joecolemanartist
@scottgracheff

MODERN WHORE is a hybrid documentary that reimagines popular depictions of sex work through the lived experiences of writer, performer, and sex worker, Andrea Werhun. Based on her book "Modern Whore: A Memoir", Andrea grapples with social stigma and reclaims her narrative in a series of funny, heartbreaking, and surprising stories. Part documentary and part re-enactments, MODERN WHORE features Andrea in interview and playing herself, in addition to a dastardly character named “Shame” — a tyrannical inner demon. From CUFF award-winning filmmaker Nicole Bazuin (CUFF 2023 Audience & Jury Award Winner for Best Canadian Short THRIVING: A DISSOCIATED REVERIE), the film also features interviews with Andrea’s current and former sex worker friends, her devoutly Catholic mother, long-term romantic partner, and her regular strip club client. In the end, Andrea continues to dream of making a living as a writer – but until that day, she works.

TICKETS: www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org/cuff-docs…rn-whore/
WEBSITE: www.nicolebazuin.com/modern-whore-short
INSTAGRAM: @nicobazuin
@weenerwoman

Every meme has its story. #skoden delves into the origins of NDN country’s most iconic meme to redefine the man at the center of it all, Pernell Bad Arm. In the early days of social media, a notorious image circulated of an Indigenous man with raised fists, ready to strike. The photo was initially shared to mock and reinforce stereotypes of Indigenous peoples, but one word added to the image would change it forever. #skoden – an Indigenous shortening of “let’s go then” – ignited an instant Indigenous pop culture icon that spread like wildfire across Turtle Island and beyond. But underneath the viral fame was a kind and generous Blackfoot man from Kainai who faced immense challenges while living on the streets. This documentary seeks to reclaim Pernell’s humanity, offering a deeper, more complex portrait of the man behind the meme. This is his story.

TIX: www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org/cuff-docs…5/skoden/
WEBSITE: www.skoden.film/
INSTAGRAM: @eaglebearfilms
FACEBOOK: Eagle Bear FIlms

BANANAHEAD... There is no cure for the shine of the lure. After her mother’s disappearance, Andi Sanger hopes to land the lead role in the adaptation of her mother’s bestselling novel "Bananahead". But after discovering the haunting legacy within the walls of her familial home, her own aspirations threaten to tear her apart.

TIX: https://yikesfest.com/
INSTAGRAM: @BANANAHEAD_film
@christopher_greenslate

In EXES, Jane(Payton Wilson) and John(Stefan Sikanja) have forged a strange and dangerous relationship together. After burying a body, Janes reveals she has a plan for more of her exes.

WEBSITE: yikesfest.com/
YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/channel/UCPEPw2zRKRDcl1uLH2wyfyw
INSTAGRAM: @g.ryderhartman

SEND & RECIEVE had Dominique travelling to world to examine the relationship forged between mail carriers and seniors on their route.

TIX: ticketing.uswest.veezi.com/purchase/96…yv313wkqpkw
WEBSITE: www.dominiquekeller.com/
INSTAGRAM: @domkeller

NECHAKO: IT WILL BE A BIG RIVER AGAIN is a crucial documentary from Lyana Patrick that follows two Indigenous Nations fighting for our collective future. When the Kenney Dam was built in the 1950s, it diverted 70 percent of the Nechako River into an artificial reservoir, severely impacting the lives of local Stellat’en and Saik’uz Nations. What followed were decades of resistance, including legal actions against the Canadian federal and provincial governments and Rio Tinto Alcan, a subsidiary of a global mining conglomerate.

NECHAKO: IT WILL BE A BIG RIVER AGAIN follows the people fighting today to restore a river and a way of life: Nations going up against industry, community leaders advocating for their people, Elders documenting their histories and community members living off the land. An urgent call to action, Patrick’s film asks what survival looks like when it serves everyone, in a story 70 years in the making—a story of hope and resistance against all odds, amidst large-scale environmental destruction and despite the will of powerful institutions.

WEBSITE: www.nfb.ca/film/nechako-it-wil…-a-big-river-again/
TICKETS: metrocinema.org/production/wahkohtowin-in-focus/
INSTAGRAM: @nfb_northweststudio

ARACHNID is a psychological horror short film that delves into the unravelling psyche of a young man after witnessing an entrancing dance performance. The film offers a haunting exploration of obsession and identity. The film stars Killer Kelly, known for her work in TNA, in her acting debut. She delivers a compelling performance, embodying a character that is both alluring and unsettling.

TIX: filmfreeway.com/YIKESFilmFestival/tickets
INSTAGRAM: @luke_paron
@arachnidmovie
X: @LukeVParon
@ArachnidMovie

SPECULAR... Unable to sleep, Dylan turns to a guided sleep meditation. However, as the meditation plays out, it starts to take a sinister turn.

TIX: filmfreeway.com/YIKESFilmFestival/tickets
YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/channel/UCHQZ9a3RlHL-ZSBtJvKMiGg
INSTAGRAM: @shadowpondproductions

YIKES! FILM FESTIVAL is a three day celebration of everything in Genre Film. Above all, the festival is focused on FUN for the attendees. Think less of a red carpet and more watching movies with your friends, or having drinks at your favourite pub. Each evening will include viewings of the nominated films. Breaks will be provided throughout the program to allow for mingling, drinks, bathroom breaks, giveaways and announcements. After the film portion of the program, each night will cap off each night with live music from some incredible local artists and bands! We have curated an experience for film fans to connect and celebrate the wonderful medium that is film, all while having a good time. Food and drinks also available!

WEBSITE: yikesfest.com/
INSTAGRAM: @yikesfilmfest
FACEBOOK: @yikesfilmfest

CONTAMINATION... Sent to destroy a top secret lab in the wilderness, a black ops team finds their ranks infected with a deadly alien virus that spreads through human contact. We discuss the influences and importance of filming in Alberta for their production company, Brimstone Pictures.

TIX FOR SCREENING: www.landmarkcinemas.com/film-info/contamination
WEBSITE: www.brimstonepictures.com/contamination/
INSTAGRAM: @brimstone.pictures
@prestonewasiuk
@neilchasefilm
@davidheacockmovies

WOMEN WHO DIG showcases Canadian women on a journey to combat food insecurity and the industrial farm system by utilizing traditional farming techniques rooted in ancestral history. The small family farm is often perceived to be an occupation of the past that is being overtaken by large-scale industrial farming practices. Big Ag wreaks havoc on our global climate, all the while creating a GMO monoculture that contributes to an enormous loss of our planet’s biodiversity.

Adapted from the book "Women Who Dig: Farming, Feminism, and the Fight to Feed the World" by Trina Moyles, this documentary, filmed over the course of three years in cinema veritas, offers an intimate portrait of the lesser-told story of women farmers and land stewards pushing back against industrial practices.

TICKETS: metrocinema.org/production/women-who-dig/
WEBSITE: annakmedia.ca/

HEY PANSY!... Set in Edmonton, the film follows fictional journalist Pam Flap as she investigates the rise of anti-trans and anti-drag rhetoric across the prairies. Through candid conversations with conservative protesters, educators, community members, academics, and drag performers, Pam asks one central—and provocative—question: Are drag queens dangerous? Balancing humour with compassion, HEY PANSY! offers a sharp, heartfelt exploration of inclusion, identity, and belonging at a moment when these conversations are more vital than ever.

TICKETS: metrocinema.org/production/hey-pansy/
WEBSITE: ettahouse.squarespace.com/

Tickets are $25 for the whole night and give you access to watch:
American Graffiti at 7PM
The Exterminating Angel at 9:15PM-ish
Collateral at 11PM-ish
After Hours at 1:30AM-ish
The Funhouse at 3:20AM-ish
Gremlins 2: The New Batch at 5:10AM-ish
*start times are not exact.

WEBSITE: metrocinema.org/production/one-helluva-night/

You can come at the beginning, middle, or end; watch all 6 or only one; stay up all night with us or not—it’s your adventure!

WILDCAT... The hustles and bustles of the internet are shaken, not stirred, when one woman has had enough and decides to take matters into her own hands. Award-winning Edmonton playwright Nicole Moeller’s fast-paced, nail-biting, crime caper is set right here in Edmonton —that’s right, it’s set here in Smith’s Alberta in 2025. Edmonton’s resistance during the Kline era ignites a story of courage and resilience that will make you want to laugh and cheer. A sure-fire antidote to the Alberta news cycle.

WEBSITE: www.workshopwest.org/wildcat-25
NICOLE MOELLER INFO: playwrightsguild.ca/playwright/moeller-nicole/
INSTAGRAM: @workshopwest

BODYCAM... When a routine domestic disturbance spirals into tragedy, two police officers find themselves trapped in a relentless nightmare. Over the course of one harrowing night, they capture a descent into pure terror—where every moment feels inescapably real. Delivering a bold reinvention of the found footage genre, BODYCAM isn’t just another shaky handheld horror—it transforms the audience into unwilling partners on the most terrifying ride-along imaginable, with no way of knowing how, or if, it will end.

NIGHT OF THE REAPER... In the wake of the brutal murder of a teenage babysitter, college student Deena returns home for the weekend and is roped into a babysitting gig of her own. When the local sheriff receives evidence that proves the murder may not have been an isolated incident, he goes on a scavenger hunt to reveal that the killer may be planning a sequel. Alberta's master of terror, Brandon Christensen (The Puppetman, SuperHost), is back with what just might be 2025's scariest movie.

NORTHWEST FEAR FEST WEBSITE: www.northwestfest.ca/fearfest-2025/bodycam
INSTAGRAM: @thebrandonchristensen

DREAM EATER follows Mallory (Drumm), a documentary filmmaker, who heads to a remote cabin in the mountains with her boyfriend Alex (Williams) to document his violent parasomnia. As his condition worsens, Mallory suspects something more sinister may be at play. As the nightmares escalate, so do the scares, right through the final frame. “What these three filmmakers have pulled is not just remarkable on a low-budget DIY filmmaking level; they achieve the holy grail of horror, which is to make a movie that absolutely terrifies you.” Eli Roth.

NWFF WEBSITE: www.northwestfest.ca/fearfest-2025/…ts-dream-eater
HORROR SETION WEBSITE: horrorsectionstudios.com/movies/
INSTAGRAM: @dreameatermovie
@blindluckpictures
@horrorsectionstudios

VAMPIRE ZOMBIES... FROM OUTER SPACE! - From the darkest corners of space, Dracula has hatched his most diabolical scheme yet: transforming an unsuspecting small town into a bloodthirsty army of vampire zombies! Facing this interstellar horror is a motley crew like no other—a grizzled detective haunted by former cases, a skeptical rookie cop desperate to prove herself, a chain-smoking greaser with attitude to spare, and a determined young woman whose courage might just save the world. Together, they must stop Dracula before his undead minions turn all of humanity into cosmic snacks!

Overflowing with gruesome special effects, retro B-movie miniatures, and laugh-out-loud comedy, VAMPIRE ZOMBIES…FROM SPACE! is a gloriously gory, black and white homage to 1950s horror and the irreverent humour of Mel Brooks. It’s a blood-soaked, side-splitting ride that proves even the undead can’t escape a good punchline.

TICKETS: www.northwestfest.ca/fearfest-2025/…ies-from-space
WEBSITE: www.vampirezombiesmovie.com/
INSTAGRAM: @vampirezombiemovie
FACEBOOK: @vampirezombiesfromspace

MAKING MEGAFORCE examines the personal impact of the film "Megaforce" on director Bob Lindenmayer. The original film, directed by Hal Needham (Smokey & the Bandit, Cannonball Run) was originally released in the summer of 1982 and was intended to be a stunt spectacle. Unfortunately, the movie's box office and critical reception didn't match the expectations of star Barry Bostwick (Rocky Horror Picture Show) or producer Al Purdy (The Godfather). MAKING MEGAFORCE takes you behind the making and so much more. It examines the fandom, the vehicles and the friendship between Bostwick and Lindenmayer as Bob fulfills a childhood dream.

TICKETS: www.northwestfest.ca/fearfest-2025/…king-megaforce
WEBSITE: www.makingmegaforce.com/
iNSTAGRAM: @makingmegaforce

The evening begins with a rare screening of North of Superior (1971), one of the very first IMAX films ever shown in Canada, returning to Edmonton’s historic IMAX Dome Theatre for this special occasion. Directed by Graeme Ferguson, co-inventor of IMAX, North of Superior was commissioned by Ontario Place for the 1971 opening of the Cinesphere in Toronto, the world’s first permanent IMAX theatre. The film takes the viewer on a breathtakingly immersive tour of the Northern Superior region in Ontario. Its form and techniques would have a massive influence on IMAX documentaries in the decades to follow.

There will be a post screening Q&A with Janine Marchessault and Leila Sujir.

FREE TIX: www.eventbrite.ca/e/outer-worlds-i…ts-1707877731269
LEILA SUJIR WEBSITE: leilasujir.com/
INSTAGRAM: @outerworlds2023
@janinemarchessault
@leilasujir

PORTAL TO HELL... Dunn (Trey Holland) is a debt collector. His life is interrupted when a demon (Richard Kind) explains in no uncertain terms that he’s come through a portal to drag Dunn’s neighbour, Mr. Bobshank (Keith David), to hell over a debt.

EIFF WEBSITE: edmontonfilmfest.com/films/
INSTAGRAM: @portaltohell
@treyholland

DANCING ON THE ELEPHANT... When Nora’s (Sheila McCarthy) son drops her off at Shady Rest Retirement Home, she’s pretty sure there's not much left to hope for. That is, until unfiltered firecracker Edna (Mary Walsh) wheels into her life and reminds her it ain’t over till it’s over. The pair kindle a friendship around a love of Fat Archies cookies, disdain for “Chair-xercise,” and Edna’s quest to escape the “fox farm.” Edna’s failing memory eventually lands her in the secure memory care wing, leaving Nora to plot one last grand adventure in hopes of reminding her friend there are still elephants left to dance on.

EIFF Website: edmontonfilmfest.com/films/
WEBSITE: www.dancingontheelephant.com/
INSTAGRAM: @dancingonthelephant
@jacobzsmithofgolden

BIF NAKED... more than just a rock star documentary—it's about a survivor, a poet, and a trailblazer who shattered expectations at every turn. Born in India, adopted by American missionaries, and raised in Canada, Bif’s unconventional upbringing set the stage for a life that would be anything but ordinary. Bursting onto the music scene in the early ‘90s, she carved out a space in the male-dominated punk and alternative rock world with her unmistakable voice, raw lyrics, and fearless attitude. But behind the tattoos, the powerhouse performances, and the rebellious persona, was a woman fighting battles far beyond the stage. From surviving cancer to overcoming addiction, heartbreak, and industry hurdles, Bif has never backed down.

EIFF Website: edmontonfilmfest.com/films/
INSTAGRAM: @bifnakedofficial
@scoreg

WHAT WE CARRY... In 1963, a restless Jennifer Notley spots an ad in a teacher’s magazine for a position in Northern Alberta. She leaves her life in England and arrives by bush plane to Wabasca-Desmarais—an isolated place with bad roads, no electricity, limited services, and a residential school. Jennifer taught 5 years at Desmarais Indian Residential School as it transitioned from a residential school to a day school. In 2022, her daughter Katrinka and granddaughter Bracken return to this beautiful northern lakeside community in the heart of Treaty 8 territory (one of the largest Treaty Nations in Canada) with questions, carrying a trunk full of history. Kat McDermott and Willow Auger, both members of the Bigstone Cree nation, introduce Bracken and Katrinka to the community. Together, they open the trunk and open the doors to discovery.

EIFF Website: edmontonfilmfest.com/films/
INSTAGRAM: @whatwecarrydoc

NADER’S GIRL is adapted from Saeed Teebi’s short story "Cynthia". It's a darkly funny and sometimes disturbing exploration of masculinity, assimilation and performative allyship. The film follows a lonely Palestinian international student, Nader (Anas Hasan), desperate to fit in with his Western roommates — two misogynistic bros who exploit him for rent money and social currency during a wave of pro-Palestinian campus protests. Hoping to earn their respect, Nader invents a girlfriend named "Cynthia" (Megan Tracz). At first a fantasy of self-validation, Cynthia gradually devolves into a warped projection of Nader’s insecurities as a foreigner. But as reality blurs, he must decide whether to end the illusion or keep clinging to the only 'person' who values him.

TICKETS: edmontonfilmfest.com/films/
WEBSITE: omarmouallem.com/
INSTAGRAM: @omar_aok

SINGHS IN THE RING is an exuberant, heart-forward dive into the legacy and impact of Gama Singh, the Canadian Stampede Wrestling icon who turned prejudice into power, and the trials of his son, Raj, in carrying on the family name. Featuring WWE superstars Bret Hart, Chelsea Green, and Jinder Mahal, this doc is an action-packed, joyous homage to the wild, high-flying bygone era—while wrestling with the hard truths of identity, culture, and the challenging echoes of the past that still linger today.

EIFF TICKETS: edmontonfilmfest.com/films/
Website: www.singhsinthering.com/
Instagram: @singhsinthering
X: @singhsinthering

STEVE SCHAPIRO: BEING EVERYWHERE focuses on the fascinating story of a photographer and photojournalists' entire career in his own gentle and humble words. Steve Schapiro is famous for documenting the Civil Rights Movement and providing America with iconic images to magnify the voices of James Baldwin, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and John Lewis among others. Schapiro also took some of the most classic photographs of Andy Warhol, Muhammad Ali, David Bowie, Ray Charles, Barbra Streisand, The Godfather, Taxi Driver, Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderley, and countless more.

EIFF Website: edmontonfilmfest.com/schedule/
INSTAGRAM: @steveschapirobeingeverywhere
STEVE SHAPIRO WEBSITE: www.steveschapiro.com/index

PATH UNPAVED is a doc produced with the help of Telus StoryHive. It centers around Brad Bartko, an accessibility consultant in Edmonton. At birth, Brad was born prematurely. He had one fully developed lung, bleeding in his brain, and was given only 24 hours to live. But 24 hours soon turned into 24 days and countless more, and as the days went by, Brad had beaten the odds. Due to his disability, Brad endured twenty childhood operations, many of which included Botox injections to relax his muscles. Thirty years later, he's using his story to help change the lives of others in the disabled community.

EIFF Website: https://edmontonfilmfest.com/films/
disAbility: Accessible by Design Website: https://disabilityabd.com/
Instagram @bbartkoinspires
Facebook: DIsability Accessibility by Design

Simonetti’s Goblin celebrates Dario Argento’s 1977 classic, SUSPIRIA by performing Goblin’s iconic score to a special screening of the film. 48 years after its release, SUSPIRIA and Goblin’s masterpiece of a score are both the stuff of legend and laid the framework for a myriad of horror scores to come. Following the screening there will be a short intermission and then a 45 minute “Best of” live set.

Tix for Edmonton: https://metrocinema.org/production/suspiria-live-score-by-claudio-simonettis-goblin/
Tix for Calgary: https://www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org/year-round/claudio-simonettis-goblin-performs-suspiria-film-live-score/
Claudio Simonetti's Goblin Website: https://goblinsimonetti.com/
Instagram: @caludiosimonettisgoblin

in SIKSIKAKOWAN: THE BLACKFOOT MAN, Siksika filmmaker Sinakson Trevor Solway intimately portrays the lives of Blackfoot men as they navigate identity, kinship and the complex expectations of manhood. Amidst a sweeping Prairies backdrop, this luminous exploration of strength and vulnerability spans generations of Siksika men and boys as they learn to embrace the intricacies of self-discovery, identity and love in a world that often misunderstands and stigmatizes them.

EIFF Website: edmontonfilmfest.com/schedule/
CIFF Website: www.ciffcalgary.ca/films/2025/siks…-blackfoot-man/
NFB Website: collection.nfb.ca/film/siksikakowa…he-blackfoot-man
Instagram: @trevorthecreator

The India Film Festival of Alberta Foundation (IFFA) was established in 2015 to showcase films made by independent filmmakers from India and Canada, as well as those from smaller film industries within India.

Website: 2025.indiafilmfestival.ca/

Instagram: @indiafilmfestivalofalberta

Facebook: IFFA

Tickets: 2025.indiafilmfestival.ca/schedule/

The new season follows three teams: River Cree from Enoch Nation, Alberta (also featured
in Season 1), Poitras Relay from Saulteaux Nation in Saskatchewan, and Two Medicine from
Browning, Montana. During the summer of 2024, documentary cameras followed the three
teams as they competed in the biggest and most prestigious relay races, including the
Calgary Stampede and Enoch Gold Cup.

Website: www.aptn.ca/media-centre/shows/horse-warriors/

Instagram: @horsewarriors.tv
@jaypeeaychew

Streaming: aptnlumi.ca/home

EUFF.02 is a celebration of creative, low-budget filmmaking. EUFF encourages filmmakers to explore their unique process while challenging the conventions of typical film production. EUFF is committed to screening experimental, fringe, subversive short films that exude creative freedom, energy and experimentation.

TIX: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/edmonton-underground-film-festival-tickets-1331417859659?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

FILM FREEWAY: https://filmfreeway.com/EdmontonUndergroundFilmFestival

INSTAGRAM: @euff.02
@cassandrapaigej
@tommydobbela
@malcomjparker

EUFF.02 is a celebration of creative, low-budget filmmaking. EUFF encourages filmmakers to explore their unique process while challenging the conventions of typical film production. EUFF is committed to screening experimental, fringe, subversive short films that exude creative freedom, energy and experimentation.

TIX: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/edmonton-underground-film-festival-tickets-1331417859659?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

FILM FREEWAY: https://filmfreeway.com/EdmontonUndergroundFilmFestival

INSTAGRAM: @euff.02

UNDERDOG INC. is an adrenaline-fueled 8 episode docuseries following Dale Kristensen—heavy-machinery operator, truck driver and mechanic—who stands just four-foot-two but takes on jobs built for giants. Navigating the brutal terrain and unforgiving weather of the Western Canadian mountains, Dale battles blizzards, breakdowns and backbreaking labour to prove that skill and determination matter more than size.

Born with dwarfism, Dale has never let his disability define him. This resilience and dogged determination are qualities he is passing onto his seven-year-old son, Cooper, who is also a Little Person. Living in a world that is not designed for them, Dale is forced to adapt in every aspect of life. From grocery shopping and cooking to farm work and driving enormous machines, he must be creative to get the job done.

Stream UNDERDOG INC. www.amiplus.ca/Underdog

Instagram @accisablemediainc
@dale_kristensen
@underdog.inc.tv

SUGAR ROT may be candy-coloured, but its embrace of pink avoids anything cute or twee. This isn’t a bubblegum pink film; it’s Pepto-Bismol pink, genital pink, earthworm pink. Set in an ice-cream shop, Becca Kozak’s film is a relentless sensory onslaught—depraved, delicious, and unafraid to plunge into the darkest, dankest corners of the imagination.

Website: beccakozakfilmmaker.wordpress.com/

Instagram: @sugar_rot_productions

Fantasia Info: fantasiafestival.com/en/film/sugar-rot

HELLO MARY LOU: PROM NIGHT (1987) is a Canadian supernatural slasher film directed by Bruce Pittman, written by Ron Oliver, and starring Michael Ironside, Wendy Lyon, Louis Ferreira, and Lisa Schrage. It follows Vicki Carpenter, a high school student who becomes possessed by Mary Lou Maloney, a student who died at her high school prom in 1957. It was a sequel to the slasher film PROM NIGHT (1980) originally intended to be a standalone film titled "The Haunting of Hamilton High", but was retitled in order to capitalize on the success of the original "Prom Night". The only story connection between the two films is that they are set at the same high school.

Tanya Lapointe is a Canadian filmmaker and former journalist. Her debut as a documentary filmmaker, 50/50, was broadcast by Radio-Canada in 2018, and examined the gender gap between men and women in society. She began working with Denis Villeneuve on ARRIVAL and BLADE RUNNER 2049. That lead to becoming a an Oscar nominated producer on DUNE: PART ONE and DUNE: PART TWO. Her next project will be as a producer on the next installment of Amazon's James Bond franchine.

ORTONA DIASPORA celebrates a dispersed arts community. The Ortona Artists’ Reach Society (OARS) is proud to present artists of the Ortona Armoury—a unique arts community in flux—from past and present.

An Affectionate Salute to the Mighty Ortona Armoury Arts Bldg. starts the evening with the Ortona Diaspora Group exhibit reception in the theatre lobby followed by Reel Ortona, a retrospective of short films from local filmmakers sprung from the Ortona and a music performance by the Trincan Steel Orchestra. The evening wraps up with “Edmonton Tonight”; join host Tom Bernier for laughs, music and tips for living in a late night talk show format featuring a who’s who of Edmonton’s art & cultural scene with musical guest Danielle George of Trincan.

Filmmakers include: aAron Munson, Adolfo Ruiz, Alex Vizmeg, Conor McNally, Dave Morgan, Eva Colmers, Helen Folkmann, John Osborne, Ken Berry, Kyle Armstrong, Patrick Higgins, Lindsay McIntyre, Matthew Rankin, Mike McLaughlin, Tim Folkmann, Tom Bernier, and Trevor Anderson.

https://metrocinema.org/production/an-affectionate-salute-to-the-mighty-ortona-armoury-arts-bldg/

From the World Series of Board Games on the Vegas Strip and dating back to ancient Mesopotamia, THE HOBBY: TALES FROM THE tABLETOP is an affectionate, character-driven portrait of the massive and diverse subculture of board games. With a fascinating cast of charming subjects, including the “Roger Ebert of board games,” a rock-climbing board game philosopher, and a birdwatcher who created an unlikely smash hit, players share personal stories of competition, compulsion, creativity, and connection throughout the film. More than just a movie about board games, THE HOBBY explores the value of leisure time and uncovers the deep meaning found in “meaningless” pursuits.

THE HOBBY: TALES FROM THE TABLETOP Website: https://www.sepiafilms.com/films/the-hobby
@sepia_films

ELIZABETH HARGRAVE Website: https://www.elizhargrave.com/

METRO CINEMA Tickets: https://ticketing.uswest.veezi.com/purchase/9334?siteToken=bfsmvs00k2v5xfayv313wkqpkw

Tickets: www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org/year-roun…iversary/

www.horror-con.ca/

Melanie Kinnaman Instagram @screensiren5

Sixteen people died and 13 were hurt.

Lucas Frison and his film crew with Regina-based Prairie Cat Productions followed Straschnitzki for eight months to create the series WE WERE BRONCOS. It airs on AMI, or Accessible Media Inc., beginning May 26, 2025.

AMI PLus Link: https://www.amiplus.ca/?app-config=ami-tv

INSTAGRAM: @accessiblemediainc
@rstraz_
@prarie.cat.productions

In GRIFFIN IN SUMMER an aspiring young playwright Griffin Nafly, summer break means it's time to stage another dramatic new play, this time an ambitious cross between "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" and "American Beauty." However, his producer and cast members are starting to get distracted by more trivial (aka: fun) teen pursuits, so Griffin's attention shifts toward the hunky handyman (Owen Teague) his mom has hired to do some light renos around the house. Finding himself utterly smitten, but also seeing Brad as a peer and kindred creative spirit, Griffin embarks on a potentially life-changing summer.

Filmed over 21 years, SABBATH QUEEN follows Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie's epic journey as the dynastic heir of 38 generations of Orthodox rabbis, including the Chief Rabbis of Israel. Torn between rejecting and embracing his destiny, he becomes a drag-queen rebel, a queer bio-dad, and the founder of Lab/Shul—an everybody-friendly, God-optional, artist-driven, pop-up experimental congregation. SABBATH QUEEN joins Amichai on a lifelong quest to creatively and radically reinvent religion and ritual, challenge patriarchy and supremacy, champion interfaith love, and stand up for peace. This invigorating powerhouse of a film interrogates what Jewish survival means in a difficult, rapidly changing 21st century.

https://www.sabbathqueen.com/

INSTAGRAM: @sabbathqueendocumentary

FLASHBACK is the story of a defiant disco dance culture of sweat and sex and drugs and fashion in Edmonton. It became a sensation on the international club circuit despite police raids, threats of violence and the scourge of AIDS. Even though the club is no more, it comes alive again in the memories of the people who were there and the legends they left behind.

https://www.flashbackdocumentary.ca/

INSTAGRAM: @flashbackdocumentary

SALLY! focuses on Sally Gearhart: lesbian, feminist, professor, and fantasy author who helped transform the world for gay people —but too few folks know of this hidden figure. (Did you know how much of an influence she was on Harvey Milk?) It's borderline criminal how unknown this firebrand of a woman is, and this phenomenal new documentary celebrates Sally's dynamism and complexity, as well as the collective (if chaotic) nature of revolutionary movements and their icons.

https://www.sallygearhartfilm.com/

FACEBOOK: SALLY! Feature Documentary

SAINTS AND WARRIORS, a documentary featuring the leaders of iconic Indigenous-Haida basketball team, the Skidegate Saints as they compete for two titles - defending their championship title at the 2024 All Native Basketball Tournament, and the political title battle for their lands and waters. Filmed throughout the Haida basketball season, SAINTS AND WARRIORS tells an intimate and sweeping story of how basketball has become the heartbeat of contemporary culture on the remote Indigenous nation of Haida Gwaii.

https://www.saintsandwarriors.com/

SEGAL looks at the life and career of George Segal. From a shy kid from Long Island to a sought-after leading man during Hollywood's most prolific decades, legendary entertainer George Segal shares his life story. From television (The Goldbergs, Just Shoot Me) to films (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Terminal Man, California Split) his career spanned seven decades.

https://www.segal-doc.com/

Instagram: @segalmovie

SATURDAY is a tribute to filmmaker Jessica Hall’s sister and mother, chronicling their journey as Katherine navigates life with an intellectual disability. Shot in Whitehorse, the short documentary weaves in family movies of Katherine’s childhood, family gatherings and their immigration to Canada, celebrating her independent and creative life.Katherine and her mother, Frances, spend every Saturday together. They go thrifting, peruse the hardware store and devote time to their shared hobby of building—and renovating—dollhouses. 

https://www.nfb.ca/film/saturday/

In DARK MATCH, Miss Behave and her fellow wrestlers reach a creepy destination for an unsanctioned car. They realize too late that the weekend won’t go as planned. Once the event begins, Miss and her friends are pitted against each other, one at a time, in a kill or be killed event that’s part gladiator match, part ritual sacrifice.

https://darkmatch.com/

Instagram: @darkmatchmovie

Facebook: Dark Match

MICRO BUDGET revolves around wannabe filmmaker Terry (Patrick Noth) on the cusp of discovering he's about to be a father. So, he does what any other sane person would do. He moves himself and his nine-month pregnant wife from Iowa to Los Angeles to shoot a low-budget indie movie and sell it to a streamer for a "f**k-ton of money." Documented by his cousin Devin's behind-the-scenes camera crew, Terry suddenly finds that his beliefs about diversity, the #MeToo movement, and what technically qualifies as an adequately financed film production put him at odds with anyone who meets him. This mockumentary features Bobby Moynihan, Chris Parnell, Maria Bamford, Carla Jimenez, Nichole Sakura and a very special cameo.

INSTAGRAM @microbudgetmovie

https://www.microbudgetmovie.com/

THREADS @microbudgetmovie

LUCY: THE STOLEN LIVES OF ELEPHANTS does focus on the elephant currently living in captivity at the Edmonton Valley Zoo, but it also examines how this happens and how detrimental it is to the animals. Lucy has been a focal point of controversy for decades. Activists, including many well-known celebrities, have advocated for Lucy to be moved to a sanctuary in Tennessee. All the while, the Valley Zoo continues to stress that due to Lucy's fragile health, she could die during transport. This impassioned documentary exposes the overall impact of keeping elephants in zoos through several interrelated stories, Lucy's story acting as the film's emotional core. 

NorthWest Film Fest: https://www.northwestfest.ca/films-2025-backend/lucy-the-stolen-life
Film Website: https://lucythestolenlivesofelephants.com/learn-more
Instagram: @lucythestolenlivesofelephants
Facebook: Lucy: The Stole Lives of Elephants
TikTok: @lucytheelephant

This is the first time the FascinAsian Film Festival is being showcased in Edmonton. It is a culturally specific film festival based in the Prairie provinces. The festival celebrates Asian contributions to the film and media landscape and aims to showcase the talents of Asian-Canadian and Asian-American artists in film. FAFF has 4 feature films (LUCKY STAR, PAPER FLOWERS, 7 BEATS PER MINUTE and NEW WAVE) as well as 15 Short films.

Schedule & Tickets: https://fffyeg2025.eventive.org/schedule
Instagram:  @fascinasianedmonton
Facebook: FascinAsian Film Festival - Edmonton

A heavy metal slacker comedy, VULCANIZADORA cascades into an existential nightmare and journey through themes of friendship, guilt, and contemplations of mortality. Two friends trudge through a Michigan forest with the intention of following through on a disturbing pact. After they fail, one of them must return home to deal with the legal and emotional repercussions. Director and star Joel Potrykus (BUZZARD, THE ALCHEMIST COOKBOOK, and CUFF 2018 Secret Screening RELAXER) serves up another deliciously dark film, and possibly the most well-realized culmination of the themes featured throughout his body of work. The Tribeca and Fantasia Film Festival selected film is a masterful combination of jet-black humour and psychological horror.

CRIP TRIP is a docu-series revolving around Daniel Ennett, a bilateral amputee, and his best friend, fellow filmmaker Fredrick Kroetsch. While on the road to visit other disabled activists and artists, they explore the struggles of living with disabilities and the stress of being a caretaker.

AIM + Website: amiplus.ca/welcome
Instagram @criptrip
Facebook @criptrip

THE LAST PODCAST is a dark comedy about a skeptic podcaster desperate for subscribers who lands the ultimate guest — an actual ghost — but keeping the afterlife on-air comes with killer consequences. Young and ambitious, Charlie and his podcast "ParaNormalcy" take the piss out of those who believe in ghosts. His girlfriend Brie wishes he wasn't so mean-spirited about debunking spirits, but Charlie's humorous sardonic style is what his burgeoning audience loves about him. All this changes with a text from Duncan – a University junior professor who claims he can scientifically prove there's no afterlife.

iNSTAGRAM: @thelastpodcastmovie  
@kaiiikane
@deanalito
@erictabach

You all know the song EBONY & IVORY. If you don't... Imagine two musical legends convene at a remote Scottish cottage to discuss a potential collaboration that may unite an entire generation.Stevie (Gil Gex, DANGEROUS MEN), a blind musical legend, sails to the Mull Of Kintyre to visit Paul (Sky Elobar, star of THE GREASY STRANGLER), another musical icon. What results is a tense summit to discuss a potential collaboration that will ultimately result in a Global Number One smash hit single. EBONY AND IVORY offers a highly fictionalized account of the first meeting between Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder as they get to know each other with the hope of sparking a future collaboration. Director and writer of the cult-sensation THE GREASY STRANGLER and the CUFF 2018 Opening Night Film AN EVENING WITH BEVERLY LUFF LINN, CUFF favourite Jim Hosking returns to the festival with his latest deadpan absurdist indie comedy.

INSTAGRAM: @jimhosking
https://www.jimhosking.com

The story of D.O.A. frontman Joey “Shithead” Keithley, who transitioned from a punk activist musician to politician when he was elected for the Green Party in Burnaby, BC. In 2018, punk icon Joe Keithley turned art into life by winning a council seat in his Vancouver hometown. When he ran for reelection in 2022, his campaign demonstrated how music can still affect change, even in these surreal times. SOMETHING BETTER CHANGE documents Keithley's 40+ year journey as an activist musician in Canada’s most iconic punk band, and how it informs him as a Green Party politician today.

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/somethingbetterchange

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/somethingbetterchange_doc

TWO WOMEN focuses on struggling mothers grappling with unfulfilled expectations and societal pressures when one's unexpected affair sparks a reevaluation of their lives and priorities. Violette and Florence no longer understand what is happening to them. Respectively, on maternity leave and off work, one is on edge, the other no longer feels anything. The neighbours are both filled with a feeling of failure: despite their careers and families, they are not happy. Florence’s first infidelity with is a revelation. In a context where having fun is very low on the list of priorities, sleeping with a delivery guy is perhaps downright revolutionary. For Violette and Florence, it will be the breath of fresh air they were hoping for. From acclaimed Quebec filmmaker Chloé Robichaud (HERD LEADER, SARAH PREFERS TO RUN), the fun and sexy alternative rom-com was a stand-out at Sundance 2025.

When Mike Alvarado's crypto investment strategy decays into a full-blown gambling addiction, he sends his life into a nightmarish anxiety-inducing downward spiral, compromising his relationships with his girlfriend, his developmentally disabled brother, and his recovering addict cousin. The feature directorial debut of writer and director Brandon Daley is a semi-autobiographical story based on his time trading stocks and crypto during the COVID-19 quarantine days. A twitchy, hyper-contemporary comedy with equal doses of laughs and panic attacks, $POSITIONS recently had its World Premiere at SXSW 2025.

Instagram @coolbrandond

REVERIES: THE MIND PRISON is a comedy movie/art film hybrid, a sprawling experiment in unbridled creativity and collaboration. Told through a combination of narrative scenes, abstract video montages, and meditative voice-overs, it’s best described as Aki Kaurismäki meets a lo-fi KOYAANISQATSI narrated by Steven Wright, or as Vulture magazine put it, “Like an Ayahuasca session conducted by Mitch Hedberg.” This is the third movie in a trilogy that includes the comedy art films REVERIES (2018, 46m) and REVERIES: GOING DEEPER (2020, 60m).

Matt Barats: https://www.mattbarats.com/reveries

Graham Mason: https://www.graham-mason.com/

Anthony Oberbeck: https://vimeo.com/anthonyoberbeck

Watch REVERIES: https://vimeo.com/288091227

Watch REVERIES: GOING DEEPER: https://vimeo.com/491265630

THIS TOO SHALL PASS focuses on sheltered 16-year-old Simon Benson, desperate for autonomy from his strict Mormon upbringing. So, he rebels by skipping town with friends for a weekend in Canada. Going into his senior year, Simon feels the cultural uncertainty of the year 1987. To add to his anxiety, his family is one of very few Mormon families in Syracuse, NY – suffocating him with strict rules. But Simon leads a double life. Away from his family, Simon is a lover of rock music who smokes the occasional joint. When a girl from school implies that she'd like to see him in Ottawa, Simon steals his father's church money and convinces his best friends – Tim, Chris, James, and John – to ditch their camping plans, and take a trip to Canada. Shot in Calgary, CUFF alum Rob Grant's (CUFF 2019 Audience Award Winner HARPOON) latest feature is a coming-of-age story about ever-escalating circumstances that force evaluations on one's perceived beliefs.

SKEET follows Billy Skinner (Sean Dalton) after being recently released from prison. He returns to his transformed low-income neighbourhood and finds that assimilating is more difficult that he thought. BIlly has to negotiate a strained relationship with his mother and a son he left behind. The neighborhood has changed and so has Billy. Struggling to overcome his dark past, Billy forges an unexpected bond with Mo (Jay Abdo), a compassionate Syrian immigrant determined to build a better life for his family. Sean Dalton received a nomination for Performance in a Leading Role, Dram at the 2025 Canadian Screen Awards for his portrayal of Billy Skinner.

Facebook @skeet-themovie
Instagram @skeet_themovie

LUNATIC profiles the complex life of famed WWF women's wrestler Luna Vachon who, while battling for glory inside the wrestling ring, was also battling her inner demons outside the ring. Born into a wrestling dynasty, Trudy Vachon transformed into Luna “The Lunatic” Vachon, a formidable force in the WWF during the “Attitude Era” in the late 1990s early 2000s. Known for her intimidating presence and unparalleled skill, Luna shattered stereotypes, inspiring a generation of women to embrace their strength and challenge the status quo. Beyond the wrestling ring, however, Luna battled personal demons, including the guilt of balancing motherhood with her career, a bipolar diagnosis, abuse, and addiction. The film poignantly portrays the duality of Luna’s life, revealing the sensitive woman beneath the hardened exterior.

Instagram:
@lunaticdocumentary

Facebook
Lunatic: The Luna Vachon Story

SHADOW OF GOD... When several of his fellow Vatican exorcists are simultaneously killed, Father Mason Harper (Mark O'Brien, READY OR NOT, CUFF 2022 Selection THE RIGHTEOUS) returns home to spend time with a childhood friend, and await orders from the Church. However, this small town holds dark secrets about Mason's past and the religious organization once run there by his father, Angus (Shaun Johnston, HEARTLAND). Thought dead, Angus reappears, forcing a reunion between father and son. But Angus is different now, and before long, Mason suspects he’s possessed, not by the devil, but by something… holy. When Mason attempts to exorcise the holy presence from his father, he sets off a chain of events that may end in a cataclysm of biblical proportions, testing everything he holds sacred.

We discuss Anna's inspiration, her aesthetic sensibility, filming in 35 mm, why the project took so many years and more. 

FInd out more about Anna Biller:

Instagram & X - @msannabiller

Get her films and novel BLUEBEARD'S CASTLE - https://www.amazon.ca/Bluebeards-Castle-Novel-Anna-Biller/dp/1804291854

"pakosêyimowin" was produced with the help of The Creating Hope Society to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination. This special screening features a panel discussion of this powerful anti-racism documentary, featuring interviews with inspiring individuals. Through the lens of the Medicine Wheel—Physical, Emotional, Mental, and Spiritual—"pakosêyimowin" focuses on resilience and the power of hope in the face of racism. Stay for an engaging conversation with the creators and guests.

Check out the band:
www.youtube.com/@danielmartinandtheinfamous1773

www.facebook.com/DanielMartinAndTheInfamous

INSTAGRAM @dm_infamous

They also discuss EIFF's Oscar's Viewing Gala at The Matrix Hotel (10640-100 Ave). Hosted by singer, actor and former Klondike Kate, Maria Manna and former Edmonton Elk, Kavis Reed, the evening will replicate a night at the Oscars™ complete with a red carpet, entertainment, silent auction, and prizes to be won! Each guest will receive a welcome glass of prosecco, appetizer and three-course meal. Guest are encouraged to dress to impress! Tickets are $150 (inc. $50 donation receipt).
eiffoscars.eventive.org/schedule/675b…5aaa1dabc2a2d

Links to tickets for the Oscar Shorts @ Metro Cinema

metrocinema.org/production/2025-o…shorts-animation/

metrocinema.org/production/2025-o…orts-live-action/

metrocinema.org/production/2025-o…orts-documentary/

SUZE is a comedy/drama written and directed by the duo of Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart. Michaela Watkins is the titular character Suze, a woman who succumbs to empty nest syndrome after her daughter Brooke (Sara Waisglass) moves away to attend university. This leads her to become a doting mother figure to Brooke's ex-boyfriend Gage (Charlie Gillespie) even though she never liked him at all when he and Brooke were dating.

UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE is Rankin’s second feature. A lovingly detailed, charmingly impossible story of a Canada where Persian and French are the two official languages, and loneliness is the common currency. The film blends the seemingly unrelated stories of Negin and Nazgol, who find money frozen in ice and try to claim it; Massoud, a tour guide in Winnipeg who is leading a confused and disoriented tour group; and Matthew (Rankin), who quits his unfulfilling job with the provincial government of Quebec and travels home to Winnipeg to visit his mother. The film is the official selection for Canada's International Picture Nomination for the 2025 Oscars.

Adrian G de la Peña is a Mexican-born Canadian emerging Director, Editor, and Producer, with over 13 years of experience, specializing in horror and genre-related content. He is the founder of Machakiller Productions, a dynamic Canadian film and television production company dedicated to crafting captivating scripted and non-scripted content for audiences worldwide.

www.adriandelapena.com/aboutme
www.machakiller.com/

Featured filmmakers in this episode are Jason Pichonsky (THE BLOODY BROOD), Kevin Martin/Josh Lenner/Cody Kennedy/Tim Rutherford (THE LAST VIDEO STORE), Michelle Thrush (BOIL ALERT), Omar Mouallem (BREAKING KAYFABE), Caden Douglas (MOTHER FATHER BROTHER SISTER FRANK), Sav Rogers (CHASING CHASING AMY), Darrin Hagen (PRIDE V PREJUDICE: THE DELWIN VRIEND STORY),Sean "Massive Damage" Dunster (THE DEATHE TOUR), Michael Mabbott (ANY OTHER WAY: THE JACKIE SHANE STORY) and Steven Kostanski (FRANKIE FREAKO).

As much as THE CHRISTMAS TREE is about an orphanage run by a cruel and corrupt woman named Mavilda, it's so much more: a tree named "Mrs.Hopewell", and amputee teddy bear, a Santa with the power of lightning, degenerate poker games, a mayor with bags of money... And that's just a taste.

PAVEMENTS appears to be just another music documentary, until it doesn't. A prismatic, narrative, scripted, documentary, musical, metatextual hybrid, the film intimately shows the band preparing for their sold-out 2022 reunion tour while simultaneously tracking the preparations for a musical based on their songs, a museum devoted to their history and a big-budget Hollywood biopic inspired by their saga as the most important band of a generation. From mult-CUFF alumnus Alex Ross Perry (THE COLOR WHEEL, HER SMELL).

Christopher Lee’s story would be fascinating, even if it only went as far as audiences already know; that of an iconic actor who defined the role of Dracula and went from being the star of the 1960s Hammer horror films to a distinguished career encompassing the 007, STAR WARS, and LORD OF THE RINGS franchises. But there is so much more to the life and career of Sir Christopher Lee. From Italian aristocratic roots through his wartime experiences in the Finnish and British military, his post-war Nazi-hunting spy adventures (perhaps making him the inspiration for James Bond, which was written by his cousin), and his unequalled acting career which culminated in a Guinness World Record for highest number of screen performances.

www.jonspira.co.uk/

WHATEVER IT TAKES is the extraordinary true-crime story of a middle-aged couple subjected to cyberstalking threats by the Fortune 500 company eBay. In the summer of 2019, Ina and David Steiner started being harassed online and receiving bizarre deliveries to their suburban home, including a bloody pig mask and funeral wreath. As the harassment against the two e-commerce bloggers intensified, the police and FBI closed in on a Silicon Valley giant and some very unlikely suspects. Founded on the principle that "people are basically good,” WHATEVER IT TAKES tells the story of the legal case, the toxic work culture at eBay, and how members of the security team ended up in federal prison. This is a timely true crime caper about dysfunction, the disintegration of ethics, and a couple of unsuspecting journalists whose lives are changed forever.

https://www.flashbackdocumentary.ca/

HORSE WARRIORS is a 13 episode docuseries from Neil Grahn and Dominique Keller that follows three dedicated teams as they train, compete and strive for victory in the North American Indian Relay Championships. This thrilling series captures the unique challenges each team faces, from balancing work and family responsibilities to overcoming injuries and personal strife. Featuring both male and female athletes, the show highlights the significant roles women play in this demanding sport. Find out more at https://www.aptn.ca/media-centre/shows/horse-warriors/

KUNG FU ELLIOT tell the bizarre story of Elliot "White Lightning" Scott, a martial artist with big ambitions: he's determined to become Canada's first kung fu action hero with his low-budget karate epic, BLOOD FIGHT. This surreal documentary captures two years in the lives of a passionate amateur filmmaker, his supportive partner Linda Lum, and their cast and crew of outrageous dreamers striving to achieve success.

https://www.kungfuelliot.com/

THE DONN OF TIKI is the incredulous story of Donn Beach, creator of the Tiki Bar, and perhaps the most important influencer of modern-day cocktails and bar aesthetics. Better known as "Don the Beachcomber," Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt was an American maverick famous for telling entertaining, if unverifiable, stories about his life. There are slivers of truth to his tales – a youth spent in Jamaica, running rum during prohibition, hunting down cigars and liquor for troops in World War II. By combining audio from a 1986 interview with stop-motion animation reminiscent of a 1960s Christmas special, Donn comes to life. As we learn about Donn's travels through The South Seas, bootlegging in 1920s Hollywood, scavenging for liquor in Europe during WWII, and creating authentic travel experiences in Hawaii in the 1950s, we begin to understand who he was as a person, what drove him to do the things he did, and how his influence is still felt today.

www.thedonnoftiki.com/

SPACE COWBOY focuses on Joe Jennings, a pioneer of skydiving cinematography, as he looks back on creating iconic moments in film and television, while he tries to turn a dreamlike vision into reality. An innovator in the world of skydiving, Joe spent decades capturing breathtaking aerial moments with his camera for extreme sports competitions, Super Bowl commercials, and Hollywood blockbusters. Now, at 62, this pioneering skydiver is taking on a new challenge, elevating his art with a daring “flying car” stunt. Through stunning archival footage, revealing interviews, and dramatic verité, SPACE COWBOY uncovers a deeper emotional journey as Joe navigates loss, depression, and the challenge of balancing a life in the sky with the realities on the ground.

https://spacecowboymovie.com/

A contemporary portrait of America, told through a collection of stories observed within the walls of former Pizza Hut buildings across the country. These nostalgic spaces hold memories of a bygone era, but through the power of transformation, they provide something new and special for the communities that continue to flow through them. From an LGBTQ+ church in Florida, to a karaoke bar in Texas, to a cannabis dispensary in rural Colorado, these modern-day portraits are paralleled with the origin story of Pizza Hut - one of America's most iconic brands, and the two brothers who founded the company in Wichita, Kansas in 1958.

sheila is a short experimental documentary about Sheila Rohan, one of the founding members of Dance Theater of Harlem. "It is in many ways an experimental short bio documentary, part dream, but above all I hope it conveys the mystery and strength of this talented, remarkable, inspirational, strong, elegant and kind woman who I am lucky to know. I want the world to know her too and feel the magic of her presence." - Gabri Christa

"PLACE/is a city written on this body?" centers on a trilogy of improvised and choreographed chapters based on cities that Terracciano has a connection with. First Napoli, the birthplace of her parents. Then Sevilla, a foundational city for her work in flamenco experimentation. FInally Calgary, where she was raised and developed into an artist.

In MEMBERS CLUB, "Wet Dreams," a middle-aged male stripper group, have hit rock bottom. After a string of disastrous gigs, the gang considers disbanding. Alan, the group's happy-go-lucky front man, takes over the business and books the boys a lucrative and mysterious gig in rural Essex. But when the group arrives at the desolate club, their night quickly turns dark when they find themselves tangled up in a plot to raise a murderous 16th-century witch from the dead! Marc Coleman's outrageous, splattery, wildly entertaining horror comedy is an unholy meeting of "The Full Monty" and "Green Room", filled with winning performances and big laughs, as only the British can do!

Guy discusses several of the films screening at NWFF. The Closing Night film is PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE with special guest Paul WIlliams. Other films featured that will be Alberta Premieres SMILE 2, HEAVIER TRIP, HUSH - SHUSH CUT and more. There are also 40th anniversary screenings of screenings of A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET and FRIDAY THE 13th: THE FINAL CHAPTER. Northwest Fear Fest also features Canadian genre films SCARED SHITLESS and MOM as well as short films before the majority of the screenings.

In FRANKIE FREAKO, Connor (Connor Sweeney) calls a late-night party hotline that promises out-of-this-world fun. Once he hangs up the phone, he unleashes three pint-sized forces of evil led by the maniacal rock ‘n’ roll goblin Frankie Freako and his life will never be the same.

In BOOKWORM, eleven-year-old Mildred’s life is turned upside down when her mother lands in hospital and estranged, American magician father, Strawn Wise, comes to look after her. Hoping to entertain the bookish tween, Strawn takes Mildred camping in the notoriously rugged New Zealand wilderness, and the pair embark on the ultimate test of family bonding – a quest to find the mythological beast known as the Canterbury Panther.

DRIVE BACK HOME starts Alan Cumming. It's the winter of 1970, a conservative plumber from a small east coast village who travels to Toronto in order to get his brother out of jail after he is arrested for having sex with another man in a public park. At the insistence of their strong willed mother, the two brothers must drive the 1000 mile trip back home to New Brunswick, together - discovering each other and themselves along the way. Inspired by a true story.

SOUL'S ROAD follows Ronan Garrett (country star Dallas Smith), a disgraced rock star who returns to his hometown and people he had forsaken a decade earlier. Following massive success, and an even more massive fall from grace, Ronan returns with little more than a suitcase, a well-worn knit cap, and a heart full of regret. Reconnecting with the town he once knew, he also rediscovers his passion for music.

The series EATING EDMONTON uses food, the people who make it, and their experiences as second-generation immigrants to tell richer stories about Edmonton communities. It premieres in full on TELUS Optik TV on Sept. 24, though the episodes will be staggered for release on STORYHIVE’s YouTube page starting the same day.

In VILLAGE KEEPER, Jean is a widow paralyzed by anxiety and struggles to protect her kids in a Toronto neighborhood gripped by violence. As her kids grow and find themselves desperate for independence, and as her mother hides secrets from her own past from her, Jean tries to find happiness and peace. However while finding solace in cleaning, she inadvertently uncovers her own long-buried trauma while tidying a bloody crime scene.

In DARK MATCH, Miss Behave and her fellow wrestlers reach a creepy destination for an unsanctioned car. They realize too late that the weekend won’t go as planned. Once the event begins, Miss and her friends are pitted against each other, one at a time, in a kill or be killed event that’s part gladiator match, part ritual sacrifice.

In DIE ALONE (starring Carrie-Anne Moss and Frank Girllo) a young man with amnesia bands together with a rugged survivalist after a devastating virus causes a zombie-like outbreak.

A pioneer of graphic art, Jim Phillips, known for his bold and visceral imagery, has left an indelible mark on the world of rock posters, surf, and skateboard art. Drawing inspiration from his life in Santa Cruz, California, Jim's journey from publishing his first artwork in Surfer Quarterly in 1962, and all the way to becoming the art director for Santa Cruz Skateboards, shaping the golden era of skateboarding. This documentary explores Jim's dynamic life and career, showcasing his iconic work that has not only defined an era but has also secured his place in modern art history. Reflecting on a life lived with fervor, Jim's story is a profound narrative of resilience, passion, and enduring artistic vision.

NEAR MISS revolves around Jim, a kind albeit passive person, married the first and only woman he ever dated. When she leaves him eighteen years later, and enters into a new world of relationships and sexuality, Jim’s friends relentlessly hound him to re-enter the dating world. Jim reluctantly gets back into the dating game… only to fall in love with the second woman he’s ever dated, who is planning on leaving the country in a few months time.

FLASHBACK is the story of a defiant disco dance culture of sweat and sex and drugs and fashion in Edmonton. It became a sensation on the international club circuit despite police raids, threats of violence and the scourge of AIDS. Even though the club is no more, it comes alive again in the memories of the people who were there and the legends they left behind.

ANY OTHER WAY: THE JACKIE SHANE STORY... A lost R&B star who eclipsed Etta James and Little Richard, trans soul singer Jackie Shane blazed an extraordinary trail with an unbreakable commitment to her truth. Forty years after vanishing from public view, this 20th century icon finally gets her second act.

HORSE WARRIORS is a 13 episode docuseries from Neil Grahn and Dominique Keller that follows three dedicated teams as they train, compete and strive for victory in the North American Indian Relay Championships. This thrilling series captures the unique challenges each team faces, from balancing work and family responsibilities to overcoming injuries and personal strife. Featuring both male and female athletes, the show highlights the significant roles women play in this demanding sport. Find out more at www.aptn.ca/media-centre/shows/horse-warriors/

THE DEATH TOUR is a deeply personal documentary that travels through Canada’s frozen North and into the wrestlers’ minds as they battle the elements, each other, and the impacts of our colonial past. The film is Executive Produced by wrestling legend Chris Jericho and also features Kenny Omega. 

GROTESQUE 2 is the outrageous sequel to the hit slasher comedy of the same name. The story follows lovable psychopath Mildred Moyer (Elizabeth Chamberlain) on her new murderous adventure as she unleashes vengeance upon a corrupt religious organization. GROTESQUE 2 was filmed in Edmonton and surrounding areas.

BODY PARTS (DIrected by Eric Red) screens Thurs June 6th at 6:45 pm. All proceeds for the screening will be donated to the Glenrose Hospital Foundation. The second film is THE HAND (1981) from director Oliver Stone an starring Michael Caine. It screens Fri June 14th at 9:30 pm.

WILFRED BUCK is about a man from the “fresh-out-of-the-bush, partly civilized, colonized, displaced people,” and he’s here to take us to the stars. Lisa Jackson’s portrait of Cree Elder Wilfred Buck moves between earth and sky, past and present, bringing to life ancient teachings of Indigenous astronomy and cosmology to tell a story that spans generations. Adapted from Buck’s rollicking memoir "I Have Lived Four Lives", the film weaves together stories from his life, including his harrowing young years of displacement and addiction. Seamlessly fusing present-day scenes with cinematic re-enactments and archival footage, this intimate yet expansive documentary takes us on an inspiring journey to the space beyond, and to the spaces between us all.

In OFF RAMP, a couple of lovable, degenerate Juggalos, Trey and Silas, journey through America's hellish underbelly to The Gathering of the Juggalos, the one place on earth they feel accepted. On the way, they are detoured by a psychotic powerful Sheriff, a violent blood ritual, a trailer park princess, a backwoods gang, and a country cop tripping on LSD. And then things start to get really crazy. Originally aired on CJSR. Find out more at MetroCinema.org

"Pride vs. Prejudice: The Delwin Vriend Story" delves into the riveting narrative of the Vriend v. Alberta case, where Delwin Vriend, an unlikely hero, courageously battles against discrimination from a government determined to deny his human rights. Uncover the twists and turns that unfold as Vriend's pursuit of justice challenges societal biases, culminating in a ground-breaking Canadian Supreme Court ruling in 1998 that confronts prejudice and sets a transformative precedent for LGBTQ+ rights that is cited around the world.

THE DAY ICELAND STOOD STILL is the true story of one day that sparked a revolution. With a score by Icelandic rock singer Margrét Rán (GusGus, Vök) and evocative animated sequences by artist Joel Orloff, The Day Iceland Stood Still unfolds through the vivid memories of the women who created and lived this moment. When 90% of the women of Iceland walked off the job and out of their homes one fall morning in 1975, refusing to work, cook, or take care of the children, they brought their country to a standstill and catapulted Iceland to the "best place in the world to be a woman."

Sav Rodgers' debut feature film CHASING CHASING AMY explores the unexamined legacy of Kevin Smith's cult classic, "Chasing Amy". On a quest to understand how this divisive LGBTQ+ '90s rom-com saved his life as a queer kid, the film becomes both a tribute to the movie and an exploration of its mixed reviews from the LGBTQ+ community.

THE CIGARETTE SURFBOARD follows a young designer who realizes that a surfboard –which he crafted from thousands of littered cigarette butts picked up off California beaches– could captivate the eyes of millions across the globe, he decides to use it as the impetus to do something more. The Cigarette Surfboards become a platform to spark ocean stewardship and the symbol of a campaign to hold Big Tobacco accountable for their toxic waste.

In RILEY, Dakota is an athlete that lives within carefully designed boundaries, a calculated blueprint upon which he's formed the basis of his identity. But when the reality of that identity is thrown into disarray, Dakota is forced to confront the consequences of denying himself or coming to terms with who he really is.

By compassionately observing the culture's true social conditions, Jon Liton finds a deep pathway to empathy through connection with gestures as simple as asking and using people's names. Without an ounce of intent and purely through organic outflow, Jon became an activist and advocate, finding donors, partners and supporters through the most improbable sets of circumstances under the simple banner of let's BE BETTER HUMANS.

IN SEARCH OF PROFESSOR PRECARIOUS is a documentary in which the director, a long-time precarious contract instructor, travels Canada to lift the curtain on higher education’s dirty little secret. The search takes viewers into the lives of precarious contract faculty and tells their compelling stories. We also hear from permanent faculty, students, administrators, activists and experts.

ARAB WOMEN SAY WHAT?! paints an unparalleled portrait of Arab women living in Canada. The film offers a counter-mainstream narrative that embraces the unique experiences and perspectives of eight Arab women sharing their insights, cuisine and laughter. Amid the rhythm of poetry and music, they tackle issues of feminism, politics, exile and the yearning for a sense of belonging.

Vincenzo Natali reminisces about these spiritual sequels, CUBE and NOTHING. In CUBE, without remembering how they got there, several strangers awaken in a prison of cubic cells, some of them booby-trapped. There's one-time cop, master of escapes, autistic savant Kazan (Andrew Miller) and architect Worth (David Hewlett), who might have more information on the maze than he lets on. Where as, in NOTHING, corporate worker (David Hewlett) and a travel agent (Andrew Miller) find themselves in an environment surrounded by blankness.

You know all of the monsters from scary stories? They’re totally real, but they’re just trying to get by like the rest of us. In the DEPARTMENT OF PARANORMAL AFFAIRS, a special branch of the government, and its employees Jenny Hicks (Nancy Ngo) and Scott Power (David Feehan), led by Director Greg LeGrow (Donovan Workun), are the civil servants dedicated to dealing with the ordinary problems of extraordinary beings. Scott does things by the book, Jenny’s never read a book, and Greg couldn’t care less what either of them does – but they’ll all have to work together if they’re going to keep the paranormal world safe.

In RATS! the summer just got a lot shorter for Raphael Tinski. It's 2007 and the peak of emo-culture is in full swing. Raphael just got arrested by a psychotic cop. Raphael just fell in love with a girl at community service. Raphael might get blown up by nukes. He’s a good kid, so you can't blame Raphael for the events that unfold after his arrest. None of it is Raphael's fault, but it is his problem.

In this love letter to the era of the video store, THE LAST VIDEO STORE follows Nyla who accidentally uncovers a "cursed" VHS tape her father wanted her to return upon his death. This transports her into a world of magnetic tape madness with store owner Kevin (Kevin Martin). From the minds of Edmonton-born filmmakers Cody Kennedy and Tim Rutherford (aka House of Heathens).

In BLACKBERRY, Matt Johnson (Nirvana the Band the Show) explores the incredible growth and tragic collapse of the world's first smartphone and how it smashed huge enterprises before surrendering to Silicon Valley's fiercely competitive companies. It's not a conventional tale of modern business failure by fraud and greed. The rise and fall of BlackBerry reveals the dangerous speed at which innovators race along the information superhighway. It stars Glen Howerton, Jay Baruchel and Michael Ironside.

In MOTHER FATHER SISTER BROTHER FRANK, the Jennings family couldn’t be more painfully suburban, but when asshole Uncle Frank crashes their weekly Sunday dinner with a nasty surprise, murder turns up on the menu.  On the surface, they seem like a happy family, but trouble is brewing. When Uncle Frank shows up, and the adult children learn that he’s been blackmailing their parents, the Jennings' thoughts turn to murder. Once the haze of bloodlust, wine and pie clears, the Jennings’ realize they have no clue how to be murderers, how to get rid of a body, or how the hell to get out of this bloody mess! Can they overcome secrets and dysfunction to learn that the family that slays together stays together?

In OFF RAMP, a couple of lovable, degenerate Juggalos, Trey and Silas, journey through America's hellish underbelly to The Gathering of the Juggalos, the one place on earth they feel accepted. On the way, they are detoured by a psychotic powerful Sheriff, a violent blood ritual, a trailer park princess, a backwoods gang, and a country cop tripping on LSD. And then things start to get really crazy. Originally aired on CJSR. FInd out more at CalgaryUndergroundFilm.org

Brenda discusses the feature/documentary/short films, guests (John Waters & Vincenzo Natali), Albertan filmmakers and events surrounding the festival. Find out more at www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org

The monopoly of Cineplex Entertainment in Canada combined with restrictions of "zoning" and "clean runs" are making it increasingly difficult to operate for small theatre in cities and towns across the country. Find out more about N.I.C.E. at www.nicecinema.ca

MAKING KAYFABE is a documentary that revolves around Omar Mouallem venturing into the squared circle. Facing a midlife crisis, Oamr decided to tap into his childhood dream of wrestling to be his next project. Entering the world of Love Pro Wrestling leaves an impression on him that goes beyond the ring.

Find the film at: https://gem.cbc.ca/absolutely-canadian/s24?autoplay=1

DANCE WITH THE DEVIL is a spy thriller filmed in and around Edmonton.  

"LABELED: Missing, Murdered and Forgotten" is a harrowing, intimate journey into the lives of three Indigenous women who were abused, exploited, and harmed during their time in Edmonton’s sex industry.

Having left Nunavut with her mother Kumaa’naaq (koo-MAT-na) in 1938, young Marguerite must negotiate the unspoken pressures of being Inuk in her new life in the South. When an extraordinary letter arrives from home, Marguerite discovers what’s really expected of her. NIGIQTUQ ᓂᒋᖅᑐᖅ is based on a true story told to Lindsay by her grandmother. It connects to a larger story that is touched upon in several of Lindsay’s other films, including her upcoming feature, "The Words We Can’t Speak", currently in advanced development.

It screened as part of FAVA Fest 2024 and on Super Channel's Canadian Film Fest.

"The Book of S.H.E." (acronym for Success.Heal.Emerge) is a documentary film that serves as an artistic collection of Natalie Meyer's creative body paint and set designs with a focus on 10 local female entrepreneurs and community builders who identify as BIPOC in Edmonton. This film is an emotional journey of storytelling, documented through the process of the making of the book and amplified to share with others, especially young women of color, that although you may see a beautiful, perfect, strong woman on your screen, each one of these women have their own unique stories of struggle and healing that lies beneath the surface.

Michelle is a Nehiyaw performing artist (actress, producer, activist and more). BOIL ALERT follows activist/musician Layla Staats as she embarks on a dual journey to explore the Indigenous relationship to water and the struggles she has grappled with her whole life as a Mohawk Woman.

Two years before directing the 3-D cult favorite THE MASK (1961), Julian Roffman made his feature directorial debut with this early canuxploitation film, THE BLOODY BROOD (1959). When his brother turns up dead after eating a hamburger laced with ground glass, Cliff (Jack Betts) sets out to investigate the murder, venturing into the underground world of beatnik culture and its sinister underbelly of drugs and vice. Peter Falk makes his feature debut as Nico, sinister mentor and drug-dealer to the tuned-in kids of the beat generation. This 60th anniversary release has been newly mastered from archival 35mm elements, and showcases the moody cinematography of D.P. Eugen Schüfftan, who would two years later win an Academy Award® for his cinematography of THE HUSTLER.

See CONAN THE BARBARIAN (1982) Fri, Jan. 12 @ 9:15 PM, CLASH OF THE TITANS (1981) Sat., Jan. 27 @ 3:30 PM and THE BARBARIANS Sun., Jan. 28 @ 7:00 PM at Metro Cinema.

A KARATE CHRISTMAS MIRACLE focuses on 10-year-old Jesse Genesis as he creates a "12 Days of Christmas List" of tasks to honour his missing father. He believes that if he completes them all, including becoming a self-taught karate black belt, his father will return on Christmas Day. Throw in an eccentric psychic-turned-law professor and you have a pseudo-Hallmark, problematic mess.

CHASING CHASING AMY is a trans coming of age love story documentary, set against the backdrop of an indie film that solidified some careers and damaged others. Featuring interviews with the cast and crew of CHASING AMY (Kevin Smith and Joey Lauren Adams), alongside thought leaders from the LGBTQ+ community, several revolutionary filmmakers, and friends of the filmmakers.

THE J-HORROR VIRUS charts the origins, evolution and diffusion across the world of a distinctive brand of made-in-Japan supernatural chillers featuring vengeful ghosts manifesting themselves through contemporary technology against a backdrop of urban alienation and social decay. From its origins in Teruyoshi Ishii’s fake documentary PSYCHIC VISION: JAGANREI (1988) and Norio Tsuruta’s seminal SCARY TRUE STORIES (1991/92) straight-to-video series, through such key titles as Hideo Nakata’s RING (1998), Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s PULSE (2001) and Takashi Shimizu’s JU-ON: THE GRUDGE (2002), critics and the filmmakers reflect on how the bleak dystopic visions and unsettling atmospheres that made these works so unique infiltrated their way across the world.

BOIL ALERT follows activist Layla Staats as she embarks on a dual journey to explore the Indigenous relationship to water as well as her own identity struggles she has grappled with her entire life as a Mohawk Woman. Layla explores her past through the lens of uncovering why there is a lack of access to drinking water for many First Nations. There are currently 32 long-term boil-water advisories in 28 communities across Canada; drinkable water isn’t a reality for all living in this country.

A look at the history, controversy, and legacy behind one of the most bizarre and successful genres in movie history: the Bruce Lee exploitation craze. When Bruce Lee died in 1974 at the peak of his superstardom, he had completed only four feature films. But within hours of his funeral, Hong Kong movie studios began to produce hundreds of unauthorized biopics, sequels, prequels, spin-offs, and rip-offs starring a competing series of Lee lookalikes. Over the next decade, fueled by both deception and demand, ‘Bruceploitation’ would become a staple of global cinema.

Set on a Nova Scotia dairy farm, John Andrew has just lost his wife Miranda to cancer. When a young woman with a startling resemblance to Miranda appears on his porch, an odyssey towards understanding begins. John Andrew’s estranged son Donald is now Dawn, and she’s come home to mourn her mother and keep her promise to repair her relationship with her Dad. Restoring the tractor her mother learned to drive on becomes a focus for the mechanically minded Dawn. John Andrew begins to realize that if he’s to reclaim this relationship, he has to come out with Dawn, and what better setting than the community tractor trials — an event Miranda created as a tireless village volunteer — where he proudly cheers for his daughter Dawn, as she enters the arena at the wheel of the lovingly restored tractor.

In BETWEEN WAVES, a woman pursues her missing lover, a quantum physicist, by crossing into a parallel dimension after his presumed death. Following a map and notebook left behind, she embarks on a journey to the island of Sao Miguel in the Azores. Here she begins to untangle the truth of what really happened the night he disappeared.

SUMMER QAMP focuses on the staff and attendees of Camp fYrefly, a haven for LGBTQ2S+ teens, far away from the fierce political battle currently being waged against queer expression and gender identity – particularly in this Province. SUMMER QAMP invites ALL audiences into the innocence and joy of a summer away with friends, while never losing sight of the bravery of these young protagonists whose very existence is challenged in their normal lives.

This is the Edmonton premiere of the film for Arlen and Kevin who had the roots of their careers planted here. HOW TO RUIN THE HOLIDAYS focuses on a struggling comedian reluctantly returns home for the holidays, not only must she deal with her eccentric family, but she ultimately faces a life-changing decision about her special-needs brother. The film features performances by Ronny Chieng, Colin Mochrie, Amber Nash & Aisha Tyler.

After walking away from the conservatory, renowned pianist (and Edmonton native) James Carson backpacks overland from Spain to Japan. At the center of the story is the unusual off-grid cabin in the Alberta wilderness that James designs and builds by hand upon his return. It is here, away from everything, that a new form of music emerges.

A documentary told only in the way a true artist could make one, CABIN MUSIC is a 74-minute piece of living art on the screen, as filmmaker, artist, and subject James Carson, combine to make a film quite unlike any you've seen before.

On the eve of his special live performance at the Yardbird Suite on November 5th, NorthwestFest is thrilled to welcome James Carson 'home', for the Alberta premiere of his mesmerizing documentary film debut.

In DEPARTING SENIORS, a masked killer stalks the halls of a high school. A student named Javier finds himself (due to a nasty fall) with an unexpected new ability: the power to see through the eyes of anyone he touches. But with great power comes great responsibility, so Javier and his best friend/sidekick Bianca decide to try and catch the killer themselves.

SLEEPAWAY CAMP (1983) cult slasher horror movie from the mind of Robert Hiltzik, who served as writer, director, and executive producer. At first glance the film is about teen campers getting killed at a summer camp but the story delves into mystery, humor and psychological genres.

From first time feature filmmaker Will Gilbey comes a non-stop, white-knuckle siege thriller in the vein of classics like "Assault on Precinct 13" and "VFW"! The amazing Nikki Amuka-Bird channels her inner Sarah Connor, as her small town sheriff station is attacked by unknown assailants. Only she holds the key to preventing a wholesale slaughter!

Jamie Lancaster (Lyndsey Craine) is the sole survivor of a blood-drenched massacre at a remote cabin in the woods. Claiming that her friends were torn apart and eaten by a horrific monster, she is arrested by the local cops and locked up for a crime she didn't commit. Stewart Sparke's Lovecraft-inspired, throwback monster movie extravaganza has to be experienced to be believed!

With a setting based on star Kevin Martin’s beloved cult video store The Lobby, THE LAST VIDEO STORE is a loving homage to the homegrown Canuxploitation, direct-to-video ‘90s sci-fi, and the rough-hewn potboilers that adorn its shelves. The feature debut of directing duo Cody Kennedy and Tim Rutherford, who produced a bunch of outrageous shorts filmed at The Lobby under the moniker House of Heathens, THE LAST VIDEO STORE is genre cinema lovingly crafted by true aficionados.

GEOFF McFETRIDGE: DRAWING A LIFE examines what defines a life. How do you decide what matters? Geoff McFetridge’s art is everywhere: from Apple watch faces, to solo shows around the world, to movie titles for Spike Jonze. But this film is more than a primer on Geoff’s prolific career. It’s about the choices we confront in trying to lead meaningful lives.

LOST LAKE CONFESSIONS follows the character Jahan “JD” Davani as he returns to Vancouver only to find out the devastating news that his cancer has relapsed and his life now hangs in the balance. In an attempt to escape this harsh reality, if only for a fleeting time, JD takes his 3 best friends, Hilary, Ray and Connie on a camping trip to Lost Lake for one last nostalgic hoorah.

FInd out more about THE FLYING SAILOR at https://www.nfb.ca/film/flying-sailor-the/

THE GIRL WITH THE RED BERET encounters an array of colourful, extravagant characters during a wild ride on the Montreal metro in  this animated short. FInd out more at https://www.nfb.ca/film/the-girl-with-the-red-beret/

Find out more about the festival schedule: https://edmontonfilmfest.com/schedule

THE AMITYVILLE CURSE deviates from series formula, to surprising, amusing, and unsettling effect. Handsomely shot by Rodney Gibbons (My Bloody Valentine) and based on a novel by famed parapsychologist Hans Holzer – who also wrote the source material for Amityville II: The Possession – this inspired oddity is full of memorable horror flourishes and moments of jaw-dropping weirdness. With a lively ensemble that includes Kim Coates (Innocent Blood), Cassandra Gava (Conan the Barbarian), Helen Hughes (The Incubus), and Jan Rubes (Witness), The Amityville Curse is essential Canuxploitation viewing.

DARK NATURE tells the story of a therapy group that is forced to confront the monsters of their past when an isolated weekend retreat tests their emotional resilience and ability to survive

In I LIKE MOVIES Lawrence Kweller is an irascible, self- and movie-obsessed teenager living in the wilds of early-2000s Burlington, Ontario. He’s the kind of guy who, when he buys a movie ticket, mentions the director’s name just to show that he’s there for the right reasons. He dreams of NYU, where he’ll be mentored by a grateful Todd Solondz. But for Lawrence, who delivers every statement with utter certainty, this isn’t a mere dream: it’s locked in — as long as he can make thousands of dollars working part-time at his local video store.

IMMEDIATE FAMILY is the true story of a group of close friends who became the studio band to the biggest stars of the 1970s and beyond, changing the course of musical history. The film chronicles the next wave of studio players to follow in the footsteps of 60s session icons, Denny Tedesco also directed the original THE WRECKING CREW (2008) documentary and the series HANGING WITH DR. Z streaming on YouTube.

COVER YOUR EARS... With such a powerful influence on all aspects of society, the messages and themes portrayed by musicians have long been considered dangerous to some. Sprawling from the early twentieth century to Tipper Gore’s ‘Parental Advisory’ crusade and beyond, this provocative film looks at how the censorship of music has shaped how we make and view art and who we are as consumers and free-thinkers

BLACK BARBIE is a personal exploration that tells a richly archival, thought-provoking story that voices the insights and experiences of Beulah Mae Mitchell, who spent 45 years working at Mattel. Discussing how the absence of Black images in the "social mirror" left Black girls with little other than White subjects for self-reflection and self-projection, Beulah Mae Mitchell and other Black women in the film talk about their own complex, varied experiences of not seeing themselves represented, and how Black Barbie's transformative arrival affected them personally.

SATAN WANTS YOU is the shocking story of how a young woman and her psychiatrist ignited the global Satanic Panic with their bestselling memoir. During the 1980s and ‘90s the world was gripped by the cultural hysteria known as the Satanic Panic. Ignited by Michelle Remembers, a lurid memoir by psychiatrist Larry Pazder and his patient Michelle Smith, rumours of “Satanic Ritual Abuse” spread through panic-stricken communities worldwide.

LABELED: The Missing, Murdered and Forgotten is a harrowing, intimate journey into the lives of three Indigenous women who were abused, exploited, and harmed during their time in Edmonton’s sex industry.

ADAPTATION follows a group of wheelchair-bound athletes as they converge for the BC Summer Race Series, the World's 1st downhill mountain bike race series to include an adaptive bike (aMTB) category. However, this is not just a film about a bike race; it's a group of stories about the ability to overcome adversity - whether for the thrill of competition or a need to push through the pain of daily life to simply get lost in a moment.

SATANIC HISPANICS is an anthology of 5 short films from some of the leading Latin filmmakers in the horror genre (Mike Mendez, Demian Rugna, Eduardo Sanchez, Gigi Saul Guerrero & Alejandro Brugues). The film spotlights Hispanic talent both in front and behind the camera. The film starts when police raid a house in El Paso. They find it full of dead Latinos, and only one survivor. He’s known as The Traveler, and when they take him to the station for questioning, he tells them those lands are full of magic and talks about the horrors he’s encountered in his long time on this earth, about portals to other worlds, mythical creatures, demons and the undead.

SATAN WANTS YOU is the shocking story of how a young woman and her psychiatrist ignited the global Satanic Panic with their bestselling memoir. During the 1980s and ‘90s the world was gripped by the cultural hysteria known as the Satanic Panic. Ignited by Michelle Remembers, a lurid memoir by psychiatrist Larry Pazder and his patient Michelle Smith, rumours of “Satanic Ritual Abuse” spread through panic-stricken communities worldwide.

RELAX, I’M FROM THE FUTURE follows Casper (Rhys Darby), a charming, but embarrassingly underprepared Time Traveller, now trapped in the past. When Casper befriends Holly (Gabrielle Graham), a jaded drifter, she helps him exploit his trivial knowledge of the future for a series of quick payouts, oblivious to the consequences they have set in motion. When Doris (Janine Theriault), a more competent Time Traveller, tracks them down, Casper and Holly are forced to figure out what they mean to each other and whether the future they’ve threatened is even worth saving.

In CULT HERO, manager-summoning control freak Kallie Jones teams up with washed-up cult buster Dale Domazar to rescue her husband from the clutches of a cannibalistic death cult masquerading as a new age wellness centre.

Based on the true story of Roger Sharpe, a young midwesterner who overturned New York City's 35 year-old ban on pinball machines. An unsettled writer with a fantastic mustache, Roger Sharpe, finds solace and confidence in one thing he has mastered: pinball. When a police raid destroys the only machines he can find in 1970s New York City, he learns the game is illegal. Roger reluctantly joins forces with the Music and Amusement Association to overturn the ban while falling in love with Ellen, an artist and single mother.

POLARIS is set in 2144 against the harsh backdrop of a frozen wasteland, Sumi, a human child raised by Mama Polar Bear, narrowly escapes capture from a brutal Morad hunting party and sets out across the vast winter landscape. When Sumi stumbles across Frozen Girl, an unlikely friendship is forged and together they race ahead of the vindictive hunters towards the only guiding light Sumi knows, the Polaris star.

THUNDER: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF ARTURO GATTI examines the Montreal boxer, and world champion. He was a legend in his time, but his mysterious death has remained suspiciously unresolved for years. This documentary series explores forensic evidence that has been overlooked, and uncovers a new narrative about Arturo that will change everything. Arturo Gatti’s name still echoes in the streets of Montréal. For many, his name represents the glory of modern boxing. But for others, he is a reminder of a murder gone unpunished. Officially, Arturo’s death was ruled as a suicide: he was found allegedly hung by the purse strap of his wife, Amanda Rodrigues. More than 10 years later, the cloud of murder still hangs over the story.

INFLUENCER revolves around a social media influencer Madison (Emily Tennant) having a lonely and uneventful trip in Thailand despite what she tells her followers on Instagram. While reflecting on her boyfriend not being on  the trip, she meets CW (Cassandra Naud), a fearless and enigmatic traveler who offers to take her to some of the most Instagram-worthy locations. Together, they share authentic meals and drinks with locals, discussing the differences between Madison’s online presence and CW’s lack of one. After showing Madison all the amazing sights, things take a different turn when CW brings her to a surprise location – a deserted island that is completely off the grid.

When director Valérie Lemercier was asked if Dion had seen the film, she said, "I contacted Celine Dion's manager in Quebec who told me that maybe Celine would see it one day but she was not interested in it."

MINDFIELD is a uniquely ambitious experiment in genre filmmaking that’s part explosive action movie, part MK-ULTRA-inspired conspiracy thriller, and part sleazy underworld crime saga. Purchase a copy at canadian-international.com OR at The Lobby DVD Shop on Whyte Ave.

In THE CIVIL DEAD Clay is a loner photographer who happens upon his long-lost friend, Whit. After a night of catching up, Whit discloses an unsettling secret to Clay, which puts a strain on his marriage and causes him to question his own sanity.

The Calgary Underground FIlm Festival (CUFF) presents a special event to give people a sneak peek of two upcoming episodes of the CBC series RUN THE BURBS at Globe Cinema. Tuesday February 7th. Following a screening of RUN THE BURBS Season 2 Episodes 6 & 7, show creators Andrew Phung & Scott Townend will join the audience at The Globe Cinema for a Q&A. It will be a a candid conversation about getting your start as an indie Alberta filmmaker to the lessons learned creating, developing, and starring in a national TV show.

Rapsittie Street Kids: Believe in Santa is a CGI musical Christmas special that aired once during the 2002 holiday season in syndication and on WB+ (a prepackaged channel for smaller markets). Since it never aired again after that, it was considered to be lost for over a decade. It finally resurfaced on the Internet in 2015 to widespread mockery for its extremely poor quality, most notably its unfinished, stiff, dated (even for its era) computer animation. The plot of the special focuses on a spoiled rich girl named Nicole (Paige O'Hara) throwing away a teddy bear given by one of her classmates and later scrambling to find it after learning of its sentimental background.

In OCTAVIO IS DEAD Tyler escapes her overbearing mother (Rosanna Arquette) and travels to the rich and surreal world of her deceased father, Octavio (Raoul Trujillo), a father she never knew. She discovers that “the past is never dead” as she navigates her own sexual identity and the occult. Her ability to know the difference between fantasy and reality becomes an obstacle for Tyler, and she speaks to her late father who tells her that “you can’t hide forever.”

Jack Tuller has a plan. And in the final hours of that plan, Jack will have a party with his friends, tell his wife how much he loves her, and finally, he will take a cocktail designed to end his life peacefully. Twenty-five years earlier, the musician was given six months to live. But he lasted 25 years, until taking a turn for the worse. This predicament propels Jack on a quest to reconcile with his mother, find his biological father, and prepare his exit strategy. Jack’s best friend documents his three-year quest to die a happy man, culminating in a permanent going-away party.

THE EMPRESS OF VANCOUVER is a cinematic and intimate collision of drag, queer history, and performance art, that follows trans icon Oliv Howe as she prepares for the 40th anniversary of her coronation. A genre bending irreverent documentary that blends archival footage, musical elements and just the right amount of dark humour, THE EMPRESS OF VANCOUVER is a journey through the history of LGBTQ+ rights and recognition in Canada, and a loving tribute to those lost during the AIDS epidemic.

LIVING WITHOUT MENACE examines how for over 70 years, Alberta has been the only inhabited part of the planet without rats. But with the emergence of several ambitious, ecologically-focused rat eradication  efforts in other parts of the world, what does the future hold for Alberta's iconic “Rat Patrol”?

DROP THE NEEDLE is is the story of Play De Record. In August 1990, a record store opened on Yonge St. in Toronto  that quickly began serving the needs of college radio and DJs who spun new sounds far from the mainstream. Through the contagious work ethic and guidance of founder Eugene Tam, organically it became the hub for “Dance” music and the genres which emerged from under that umbrella, fueling and fostering Hip-Hop and Electronic culture. Today, its impact today on Toronto and by extension Canada is without question.

OUT IN THE RING uses a combination of interviews with LGBTQ+ wrestling talents (past and present), allies & historians, archival footage and rare photos, The documentary uncovers the history of the pro-wrestling industry and the rise of visibility for performers and fans around the world.

in GOLDEN DELICIOUS, Everyone wants something from high school senior Jake: his father ie pushing him to try out for the basketball team and his girlfriend wants to take their relationship to the next level. But it’s not until Aleks, an openly gay teen with a love for basketball, moves in across the street that Jake begins to recognize his own desires. To get closer to Aleks, Jake devotes himself to making the basketball team only to realize it’s not basketball he really wants. Distraught and confused, Jake pulls away until he’s finally outed as gay. With the truth in the open, Jake and his father come to terms with the reality of their relationship and expectations for each other.