2023 FESTIVAL REPORT
Lot ‘58 Outdoor Screening of GREASE at Eau Claire Market
2023 WAS A 4,158 80 BRILLIANT YEAR 116 AT CIFF! 106 FILM SUBMISSIONS FROM
CANADIAN FILMS
COUNTRIES
2022: 3812 FILMS FROM 96 COUNTRIES
27,911 TOTAL ATTENDEES
48
EMERGING FILMMAKERS
FEATURE FILM SCREENINGS
95
84
SHORT FILMS
13
WORLD PREMIERES
SPONSORING PARTNERS
CIFF
9,634 VOLUNTEER HOURS
PROGRAMMING
OPENING NIGHT FILM Opening Night celebrated homegrown Calgary talent with GEOFF MCFETRIDGE: DRAWING A LIFE. McFetridge is a visual artist whose graphic design work on high-profile film, media, and advertising projects has gained international acclaim. Having McFetridge’s parents, family, and friends in attendance made for a full house and heartwarming event, delving into the work and life of an innovative creator who developed an artistic career on his own terms.
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS CIFF 2023 showcased one of our most exciting international film lineups to date! Our Special Presentations included Palme d’Or winner ANATOMY OF A FALL, Wim Wenders’ PERFECT DAYS, Hirokazu’s Kore-eda’s MONSTER, and Canadian legend Atom Egoyan’s SEVEN VEILS.
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ALBERTA SPOTLIGHT As the largest film festival in Alberta, CIFF prides itself on championing the growing local screen industry. This year, we presented a great selection of Alberta films, with 11 amazing features and 20 unique shorts. Attendance was high, proof that there is no shortage of local filmmaking talent and audiences wishing to see homegrown stories on film.
BARCODE XR Our impressive lineup of games and virtual reality experiences brought action and adventure to Eau Claire Market. Players engaged in galactic events, explored alternate lives and identities, met monsters and mayhem, while conquering new worlds replete with ghosts, songs, cats, secrets, and cosmic sisterhood.
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INDIGENOUS PROGRAMMING Outstanding submissions from Indigenous filmmakers this year resulted in some of our most exciting red carpets, packed screenings, and lively Q&A sessions. A new CIFF land acknowledgement video, created by Indigenous guides and filmmakers, told a powerful story about the evolution of identity, language, representation, reconciliation, and cultural exchange here on Treaty 7 territory. On September 30, we honoured the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation by donating $4 from each ticket sale of AITAMMAAKO’TAMISSKAPI NATOSI: BEFORE THE SUN and TELLING OUR STORY to Calgary’s Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth. Attendees were also treated to hoop, fancy, and jingle dances by Danyka LaBelle and storytelling by Ivan Eagletail. Our Closing Night comedy, HEY, VIKTOR, focused on the Cree kid from Alberta who made it big in the ‘90s indie hit SMOKE SIGNALS, trying to make a selfproduced film sequel.
INDUSTRY WEEK
ATTENDANCE AT INDUSTRY WEEK GREW BY
Industry Week at CIFF is one of the most vital gatherings of screen media creators in Western Canada.
64%
Featuring world-class panels led by filmmakers and exclusive networking events, Industry Week creates spaces for screen professionals to exchange knowledge, grow their skill sets, and share their passion for the arts.
80%
CIFF’s State of the Alberta Industry Summit explored the growth, diversification, and sustainability of Alberta’s screen industries. Our Creatives Empowered partnership generated a lively conversation by, and for, diverse IBPOC content creators. Canadian directors Atom Egoyan and Pascal Plante shared their filmmaking wisdom and insights through engaging keynote speeches.
OF ATTENDEES WORK IN BOTH FILM & TELEVISION
“As a creative in the film and media industry, I found the festival very vibrant, welcoming, and great for networking.” - Samuel Kugbiyi
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EXPERIENCES CIFF is deeply committed to delivering remarkable festival experiences for our audiences. Guests delved into the worlds of music, art, television, gaming, and virtual reality.
Screening of HEARTLAND at the Jubilee Auditorium
HEARTLAND Celebrating 250 episodes of great Albertan television. We are continually expanding our programming to include incredible episodic content and highlight locally-made television productions. That’s why we partnered with CBC to host the fabulous World Premiere of the 17th season and 250th episode of HEARTLAND, beloved by fans around the world. The event was even attended by a fan who travelled all the way from Brazil to see the cast and meet Spartan the horse in person!
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LOT ‘58 Hopelessly devoted film fans, young and old, rocked and rolled into a transformed Eau Claire Market parking lot. The result was a 1950s-themed, outdoor singalong screening of GREASE, featuring food trucks, beer gardens, live musical performances, and the second annual Red Car-PET. We capped off the evening with a captivating fireworks display.
100TH ANNIVERSARY SCREENING OF THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, WITH LIVE SCORE BY CHAD VANGAALEN Bringing film history to life. To celebrate the 100th Anniversary of director Wallace Worsley’s 1923 adaptation of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, CIFF collaborated for the third time with Calgary’s own Chad VanGaalen (performing as Black Mold) to bring his experimental soundscapes to Knox United Church. It was a fitting venue for his live score to one of the most influential films from the silent era.
HOW TO FAIL AS A POPSTAR World Premiere and musical performance. What happens when a star isn’t born? The CBC Gem original series HOW TO FAIL AS A POPSTAR, an adaptation of Edmonton-raised Vivek Shraya’s hit play and book, answered this question with hilarity, vulnerability, imagination, music, and some serious showbiz glamour.
Photo credit: Jesse Gillett
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JURY AWARDS
AWARDS Offering over $60,000 in cash and prizes, CIFF awards outstanding films selected by esteemed juries as well as audience members. Showcasing 200+ short and featurelength multi-genre films, from Canada and around the world, CIFF is a qualifying, accredited festival for the Academy Awards® and the Canadian Screen Awards.
RBC Emerging Canadian Artist Award ($10,000 CAD)
Short Film Grand Jury Prize ($2,500 CAD)
Grand Jury Prize: HUMANIST VAMPIRE SEEKING CONSENTING SUICIDAL PERSON, directed by Ariane Louis-Seize
PALM SUNDAY, directed by Wes Andre Goodrich
Special Jury Prizes: HEY, VIKTOR!, directed by Cody Lightning / ASOG, directed by Sean Devlin Air Canada Canadian Narrative Feature Award ($5,000 CAD) Grand Jury Prize: SUZE, directed by Linsey Stewart & Dane Clark. Jury Prize for Lead Performance: Ariane Castellanos in RICHELIEU Jury Prize for Supporting Performance: Charlie Gillespie in SUZE DGC Canadian Documentary Feature Award ($5,000 CAD) Grand Jury Prize: SWAN SONG, directed by Chelsea McMullan Special Jury Prize: SUMMER QAMP, directed by Jen Markowitz
NBCUniversal Alberta Short Film Devon Bolton Memorial Award ($1,000 CAD + $10,000 Gift Card from William F. White International, Inc.) Grand Jury Prize: MONSTR, directed by Tank Standing Buffalo Special Jury Prize: CONVICTION, directed by Bruce Thomas Miller
Special Jury Prize for Performance: Elliot Page in CLOSE TO YOU, directed by Dominic Savage
Audience Choice Award - Alberta Feature: TALES FROM THE REZ, Directors: Trevor Solway & Colin Ahnahktsipiitaa Van Loon Audience Choice Award - Canadian Narrative Feature: HUMANIST VAMPIRE SEEKING CONSENTING SUICIDAL PERSON, Director: Ariane Louis-Seize Audience Choice Award - Canadian Documentary Feature: SUMMER QAMP (Overall High Score), Director: Jen Markowitz
NBCUniversal Youth by Youth Canada Short Film Award ($1,000 CAD + up to $18,000 scholarship to Vancouver Film School + $2,500 Gift Card from William F. White International, Inc.)
Audience Choice Award - International Narrative Feature: THE PERSIAN VERSION, Director: Maryam Keshavarz
Grand Jury Prize: OPERATION CARL, directed by Sandra Hurd
Audience Choice Award - International Documentary Feature: GEOFF MCFETRIDGE: DRAWING A LIFE, Director: Dan Covert
Special Jury Prize for Cinematography: ONLY YOU, directed by James Duric Live Action Short Film Award ($1,000 CAD) Grand Jury Prize: DEATH TO THE BIKINI!, directed by Justine Gauthier
Best International Narrative Feature Award ($1,000 CAD) Grand Jury Prize: ANIMALIA, directed by Sofia Alaoui
2023 CIFF AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS - PRESENTED BY TELUS
Best Animated Short Film Award ($1,000 CAD) Grand Jury Prize: BOAT PEOPLE, directed by Thao Lam & Kjell Boersma Documentary Short Film Award ($1,000 CAD)
Special Jury Prize for Director: 20,000 SPECIES OF BEES, directed by Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren
Grand Jury Prize: THE LAST REPAIR SHOP, directed by Ben Proudfoot & Kris Bowers
International Documentary Feature Award ($1,000 CAD)
Student Short Film Award ($1,000 CAD)
Grand Jury Prize: BETWEEN THE RAINS, directed by Moses
Grand Jury Prize: SIMONE, directed by Aisha Amin
Thuranira & Andrew H. Brown
Audience Choice Award - Late Shift: THE PUPPETMAN, Director: Brandon Christensen Audience Choice Award - Generation Next: AITAMMAAKO’TAMISSKAPI NATOSI: BEFORE THE SUN, Director: Banchi Hanuse Audience Choice Award - Music on Screen: IMMEDIATE FAMILY, Director: Denny Tedesco Audience Choice Award - Special Presentations: THE OLD OAK, Director: Ken Loach Audience Choice Award - Alberta Short: MONSTR, Director: Tank Standing Buffalo Audience Choice Award - Narrative Short: DEAD CAT, Directors: Annie-Claude Caron & Danick Audet
BARCODE XR Award for Outstanding Experience Special Jury Prize: GREAT PHOTO, LOVELY LIFE, directed by Amanda Mustard & Rachel Beth Anderson
A HIGHLAND SONG by inkle Ltd.
Audience Choice Award - Animated Short: NINETY-FIVE SENSES, Director: Jerusha Hess & Jared Hess Audience Choice Award - Documentary Short: JACK AND SAM, Director: Jordan Matthew Horowitz
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COMMUNITY
27,911 2023 TOTAL ATTENDANCE
94% OF ATTENDEES ARE FROM THE CALGARY AREA
30%
AGE RANGE:
MALE
63%
FEMALE
32% WERE FIRST-TIME FESTIVAL ATTENDEES, A SIX YEAR HIGH! 2022: 28%
OUR AUDIENCE We’re known for our dedicated fans: a third of our audience sees 5+ films, while a notable portion of the audience sees 11+ films. The festival continues to delight returning audiences and provide an exceptional experience for first-timers, who made up 32% of our audience, a significant growth from last year. Over 86% of audience members report that they had an excellent experience at CIFF 2023.
86% WOULD RECOMMEND ATTENDING CIFF
4.5
NUMBER OF FILMS THE AVERAGE ATTENDEE SAW
12% • UNDER 30 24% • 30-39 16% • 40-49 41% • 50+ 7% • NOT SHARED
PRESENTING PARTNER Thanks to the generous support of our Presenting Partner, connectFirst Credit Union, we were able to bring audiences a bigger, brighter festival. From the smile-inducing Be Kind, Unwind Lounge and Video Vault to Movie Prop Trivia and gourmet popcorn seasonings, connectFirst Credit Union played a huge part in making CIFF 2023 about movies and so much more! Photo credit: Michaela Neuman
“connectFirst was so thrilled to be back for our second year as Presenting Partner of CIFF. There’s nothing like the feeling you get when your passion, hard work, and dedication are brought to life and we’re honoured to play a role in supporting the arts by providing an opportunity for filmmakers to showcase their work. We are grateful to once again be part of this exciting celebration of film.” - Bob Webb, Chief People, Brand and Culture Officer
Festival guests enjoy the Be Kind, Unwind Lounge.
PARTNERS PRESENTING PARTNER connectFirst Credit Union MAJOR PARTNERS Calgary Economic Development Cineplex PUBLIC FUNDERS & FOUNDATIONS Government of Alberta Alberta Film Commission Alberta Foundation for the Arts City of Calgary Calgary Arts Development Government of Canada Rozsa Foundation Telefilm Canada The Calgary Foundation AWARD PARTNERS RBC Directors Guild of Canada Air Canada NBCUniversal Canada TELUS Vancouver Film School William F. White International Inc. INDUSTRY PARTNERS RBC Canada Media Fund Directors Guild of Canada Warner Bros. Discovery Access Canada IATSE Local 212 Bow Valley College Centre for Entertainment Arts
Directors Guild of Canada - Alberta District Council Canadian Media Producers Association ICG 669 ACTRA AMPIA Prairie Dog Film + Television Vancouver Film School Creatives Empowered Canadian Cinema Editors FILM SECTION PARTNERS SVR Lawyers NBCUniversal Canada Jerilyn Wright & Associates Ship & Anchor FESTIVAL PARTNERS Calgary Downtown Association Forward Level Alberta University of the Arts Hopewell Residential Pekarsky & Co. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP University of Calgary MNP LLP Binder Productions Harvard Property Management Stone Olafson Globe Cinema Finlandia Cultural Association Casa Mexico Conway Injury Law Taylor Law
HOSPITALITY PARTNERS Sandman Signature Calgary Downtown Local Public Eatery Cafe Gravity ExecSuite MEDIA PARTNERS CTV Virgin Radio CJAY-92 CBC Calgary CJSW LoKnow Range Magazine RedPoint Media Group Curiocity Group Gay Calgary Magazine Pattison Outdoor OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS City & Country Urban Winery The Establishment Brewing Company Village Brewery Zero Issue Brewing MBS Equipment Canada Minas Brazilian Steakhouse XP-Pen The Printing House Wi-com
FILM CIRCLE MEMBERS GOLD: Therese ‘Tag’ Goulet Kelly Hewson Paul Moore/Susan Swan Mary Rozsa de Coquet Cody Slater/Bernadette Geronazzo SILVER: Catherine Anderson Josée Duchesne/Trent Meyer Louise & Jeff Gill Sammi Ha Lindsay Horne/Karen Cosenza Nevena Ivanovic Jil Macdonald Jill MacKenzie/Phillip Johnson Lynn Moen Lori Montgomery Chris & Sue Mylde Joe Novak Kelly Pitaoulis/Zack Laurent Quinton Rafuse/Karin Põldaas Becky & Terry Rock Domenic Venturo Peter & Terry Wallis Joy Williams/Stafford Gorsalitz Helen Zenith
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OUR PEOPLE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Amish Morjaria, President Kristin Anderson, Vice President Sammi Ha, Treasurer-Secretary Zahra Allidina, Director Jil Macdonald, Director Azrah Manji-Savin, Director Paul Moore, Director Kathryn Nyland, Director Kelly Pitaoulis, Director Quinton Rafuse, Director Terry Rock, Director Alan Ross, Director Kory Wickenhauser, Director
STAFF EXECUTIVE Stephen Schroeder, Executive Director Ashley Menzies, Stakeholder and Funder Relations Associate Courtney Smith, Special Events Associate Phillip Johnson, Controller Phyllis Lizacich, Bookkeeper Randi Rhodes, Payroll Administrator
All 2023 festival photos by Michael Grondin (except where noted)
ARTISTIC, PROGRAMMING & INDUSTRY Brian Owens, Artistic Director Brenda Lieberman, Lead Programmer & Jury Coordinator Adam Keresztes, Programming Administrator & Shorts Programmer Guy Lavallee, Features Programmer Eman Safadi, Shorts Programmer Contra, Barcode XR Programmer Celina Vides, Industry Specialist Jocelyn Illing, Industry Relations Coordinator Emma Duke, Intern Darian Macdonald, Intern Jordan Thomas Cameron, Intern OPERATIONS & TECHNICAL Katherine Penhale, Operations Director & Chief of Staff Corrie-Ann Cardiff, Operations Manager Nik Reed, Technical Manager Rony Yoc, Volunteer Coordinator Barry Johnston, Bingo Coordinator PRODUCTION Kenton Drebrowski, Venue Industry Tech Ron Lastwika, Logistics Coordinator Bradley Sulatycky, Technical Coordinator Murray Boyer, Film Tester Colin Lowe, Film Tester Alan Toth, Film Tester Cole Binder, Binder Productions
VENUE Sabrina Buzzalino, Venue Coordinator Olivia Goemans, Venue Coordinator Sienna Holden, Venue Coordinator Mitchell Kirby, Venue Coordinator Stefanie Poon, Venue Coordinator Thomas Geddes, Special Experiences Jeff Storey, Lounge Coordinator Keo Bunny, Barcode XR Coordinator Miguel Oblea, Barcode XR Coordinator PROJECTION Kai Hall, Projection Coordinator Riley Kelly, Projection Coordinator Murray Boyer, Projectionist Fred Favoreto, Projectionist Dylan Lindsey, Projectionist Kayla Erdos, Projectionist Heather Thompson, Projectionist Dean Villaruz, Projectionist BOX OFFICE Selene O’Rourke, Box Office Coordinator Jason Do, Box Office Coordinator AJ Camingue, Cashier Holly DeSimone, Cashier Winnie Hermans-Schouten, Cashier Jaime Hernandez Delgado, Cashier Tony Manache, Cashier Alexa McGinn, Cashier Daniel Ryan, Cashier Shania Shot Both Sides, Cashier
MARKETING & ENGAGEMENT Lucia Juliao, Engagement Manager Rebecca Zahn, Partnerships Associate Amy Ansell, Donor Stewardship Associate Ruth Grenville, Marketing Manager Aldona Barutowicz, Publicist Gabriela Aguilar, Marketing & Engagement Coordinator Matt McKinney, Content Associate Hayley Dechaine, PR Assistant Michael Grondin, Lead Photographer Heather Saitz, Graphic Designer Brian Cairns, Web Developer
IDEA GUIDES Guides work with CIFF to challenge and support us on our journey towards reconciliation, and greater inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA). We are grateful to this new and growing circle: Jordan Baylon Cheryl Foggo Kevin Littlelight Shivani Saini Sable Sweetgrass
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SEE YOU NEXT YEAR FOR CIFF’S TH 25 ANNIVERSARY! SEPTEMBER 19 – 29, 2024