By Jonathan Lawrence
It is, without doubt, the best time of the year in Calgary (and not because of Pumpkin Spice Lattes) – it's time for the Calgary International Film Festival! Now in its 18th year, the festival is bigger than ever. With up to 200 films and documentaries to see, representing more than 40 countries, it’s not an event to miss (and there may even be an incentive to see as many as possible, so keep reading). [Photo credit: Calgary International Film Festival]
The Calgary International Film Festival always throws extravagant parties to kick off their Opening Gala ceremony, but this year promises to be one of the biggest.
Canadian culture and talent is one of the defining qualities of this year’s film festival, but more specifically, Aboriginal culture and talent. That said, the opening film this year is When They Awake, a celebration of Indigenous musicians in Canada – some of which will be performing at the Gala.
General admission tickets are $35 and VIP tickets are $75, but will grant access to the pre-reception. Tickets can be purchased here. The event will be held at the Jack Singer Concert Hall in the Arts Commons building.
For the perfect date night, make sure to check out the Dinner and a Movie event, where for just $55 you receive two tickets to one of the selected films, and two main courses and dessert at Paper St (across from the Globe Cinema). More details on this event can be found here.
What’s better than the timeless combination of food and television? And this one you don’t need a date for. On Sept. 28 at 12 p.m. at the Palace Theatre, you can grab a buffet meal and view a selection of short films (60 minutes in total) that, together, will excite and amaze you (and fill you up) – all in the course of a regular lunch break.
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More fun things to do in Calgary this fall:
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If you like watching films, you’re probably interested in how they’re made. Fortunately, there are several awesome (and free) public events to learn about just that, often from the filmmakers themselves. A full list of events can be found here.
It wouldn’t be a good festival without a good awards ceremony, and this year has more award opportunities than ever, including the following:
Calgary Film has teamed up with Paper St to make sure that film buffs, bloggers and casual filmgoers alike have a place to meet up after the show to hang out or discuss their favorite scenes. The cozy, street food-oriented bar on 8th Avenue will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. each day of the festival and will offer 10 per cent discounts and happy hour specials.
Calgary Film has partnered with several conveniently-located hotels in the city that also offer special rates to festivalgoers, so make sure to visit their website or call their front desk to find out more.
That should be enough to get you started at the 2017 Calgary International Film Festival! The festival runs from Sept. 20 to Oct. 1. Check out the list of films here and the schedule here. Tickets run individually for $15 for adults and $13 for students or seniors. Get a 10-pack of tickets for $125 or $240 for a 20-pack. Tickets can be purchased here.
