This past Wednesday, fondue, gherkins, and Wurst champagne delivered by towering, square-coiffed babes, marked the launch of this year’s Calgary International Film Festival running September 23rd to October 2nd. Not surprising that the CIFF group chose the chic German bier haus from which to host the event; ten of this year’s film selections hail from the eclectic, film purveying Deutchland.
From the comedic, yet seriously themed Almanya: Welcome to Germany, which follows an immigrant family in their journey back to Turkey after 45 years in the guest worker’s program at Hamburg; to The Exrternal World, one of the eccentric global shorts that comprise the Weird and Wonderful mélange, a night of film slated to "lodge in your memory forever", German selections promise to entertain.
In addition to intense international films this year boasts a variety of Canadian premieres, including An Ordinary Family, proudly sponsored by GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine and presented by Fast Forward Weekly as part of the American Indie series. Director, co-producer and co-writer Mike Akel takes viewers on the Biederman family’s annual vacation, where estranged brother Seth shocks the Christian family by bringing with him his boyfriend. Equally as shocked is the poor beau, who was unaware that Seth has given no previous indication to his family that he is gay.
An Ordinary Family has enjoyed a strong opening this year, having been chosen as the Official Selection at the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival, the New Orleans Film Festival, the Woodstock Film Festival and the BENDFILM: a celebration of independent cinema. It crosses the border in order to screen two evenings at the Plaza with producers in attendance.
GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine is also proud to be sponsor of Cloudburst, directed by Thom Fitzgerald, and part of the Canadian Series presented by Landmark Cinemas and CJSW. Shot in Nova Scotia, the film follows a long-term lesbian couple (Brenda Fricker and Olympia Dukkakis) on their adventurous escape from a nursing home in the US, where they were relegated by one of their daughters, up to Canada to tie the knot. Vision troubles and a picked up hitchhiker (Ryan Doucette) complicate their mission, but the plot line remains fixed on family, as unconventional as they can be.
Fitzgerald, the US born but primarily Canadian film maker, was the director of 3 Needles (2005), star studded by Chloe Sevigny, Stockard Channing and Lucy Liu, in which the world AIDS crisis was examined in three different story lines.
Cloudburst was Fitzgerald’s first full-length play. It debuted at the Plutonium Playhouse in Halifax, winning the 2010 Merritt Award for Best New Play, and claimed the best thing that had hit the Halifax theatre scene in years. The Nova Scotia resident adapted his play to screen for release this year. Cloudburst plays two evenings at the Globe upstairs.
Making its world premiere and headlining the festival is the electric thriller Donovan’s Echo, the first film directed and co-written by Canada’s Jim Cliffe, starring Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon) and Quebecker Bruce Greenwood (noble Captain Pike in Startrek 2009).
Glover plays a recovering alcoholic mathematician who returns, after a strange 30-year absence, to the hometown where his wife and daughter were accidentally killed, only to find the same story may be replaying and a local girl’s life is in danger.
How does Donovan communicate this premonition and confront his past without proving insane? Find out at the Opening Gala, which will screen this film in the up and down theatres of the Globe on September 22nd, with an exciting after-party to follow.
"I’m happy to announce that Mr. Glover and Mr. Greenwood have been invited to attend this premiere screening event," said CIFF Executive Director Jacqueline Dupuis at the launch of the Lifestyle Lounge in Chinook Centre, the festival’s new stomping ground this year.
"...we look forward to sharing our red carpets with the cast and crew... and giving them a hearty helping of our western hospitality."
This year’s Closing Gala will feature Canada’s sweetheart Sarah Polley’s second film go, Take This Waltz. An Alberta premiere, the film, written and directed by Polley, follows a modern, twisted love story, played out by current big screen dazzlers Michelle Williams and Seth Rogen, as well as Luke Kirby, the Hamilton, Ontario-born crush du jour who starred in comedies Mambo Italiano and Luck.
His role in Take This Waltz is slated to be "break out", as he tempts contentedly married Margot (Williams) with the zeal of new love. Sarah Silverman also makes a comedic, supportive appearance in this film that will take down the festival on Saturday, October 1st at Eau Claire, with an after-party to follow.
"Take This Waltz is... at once, endearing, erotic, funny and heart wrenching," says Dupuis.
For more information on the films, show times and ticket sales, visit the CIFF website, or enter for your chance to win two general admission tickets to any regular or headliner screening.
Additionally you may stop by the Lifestyle Lounge set up in the central court of Chinook Centre to "get up close and personal with the festival".
"The lifestyle lounge is a one-stop festival shop for tickets and passes but also for filmmaker interviews, schedule information, newsy developments and conversations, of course, around all things CIFF," Dupuis says. "We look forward to sharing with you some of the best of world cinema again this year."
AN ORDINARY FAMILY - Official Film Trailer! from Matt Patterson on Vimeo.