By Guillermo Barraza
On April 19, 2017, cinephiles across the country will celebrate National Canadian Film Day – and Calgarians have a big reason to join in the festivities. Calgary has proved its zeal with the opening of the Calgary Film Centre, but the city has long been a hub for several large-scale productions. Whether you’re an aspiring filmmaker or just want to check out the best of independent film, here’s your guide to the movies in Calgary. [Photo credit: Robert Thivierge]
The hit TV series Fargo, now entering its fourth season, has been shooting in Calgary since 2014. Scouts chose Inglewood as their location of choice, seeking to capture the feel of a small town. Inglewood is Calgary’s oldest neighbourhood, and mainstays such as the Ironwood Stage and Grill and Inglewood Pizza appear on screen in the FX series.
Historically, Calgary has also doubled for the fantasy city of Metropolis in Superman III, as Denver, Colorado in Resurrecting the Champ and as itself in Passchendaele and local film Waydowntown.
Calgary boasts a wealth of independent and underground international film screenings. Since 2003, the Calgary Underground Film Festival has dedicated its seven-day April festival (running from April 17 to 23 this year) to unconventional documentaries, animation and short films. Hosted at the Globe Cinema, tickets are $10 and $8 for students.
The Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF), set to run from Sept. 20 to Oct. 1 this year, serves up the best of international film on an annual basis. The reels keep running throughout winter, when CIFF partners with Hot Docs to screen international documentaries in a series called Doc Soup. Doc Soup screenings are held on the first Wednesday of every month at the Eau Claire Cineplex.
Community-run groups, such as The Fifth Reel and Night Terrors, screen cult hits and nostalgic favourites on a regular basis. The University of Calgary Film Society's Movies That Matter monthly series showcases documentaries that explore sensitive issues in society.
With so much recent development in Calgary's film scene, there's been no better time for aspiring filmmakers to get involved. But when money is tight, spending more than $5,000 on a camera can break the bank. Fortunately, the city has suppliers to rent equipment at a more affordable rate.
The Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers (CSIF) offers rental equipment from cameras to audio recording equipment and offers workshops to help with screenwriting, cinematography and audio mixing. CSIF also works with celluloid film for those interested in the niche practice. Membership runs between $40 to $60, with specifics available online. Emmedia also offers rentals and workshops, working primarily with digital video.
The Canadian film scene is growing more exciting each year, and Calgary is becoming a big part of that community. Celebrate with other film-lovers at National Canadian Film Day (April 19), when more than 1,700 screenings and events from coast-to-coast will celebrate Canadian cinema. In Calgary, several free screenings of Canadian films such as Men with Brooms and Strange Brew are scheduled at venues around the city. CSIF will also hold a free screening of an all-Canadian film entitled Walk All Over Me. Space is limited.
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Discover more of Calgary with our guides:
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Whether you are an aspiring filmmaker or just a lover of Canadian cinema, Calgary has established itself as among Canada's film capitals. Pick up a camera or just a bag of popcorn and discover the best of Calgary's exciting film community.
