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The Calgary International Film Festival wraps up in four days, but that still leaves plenty of time to catch some encore screenings of films that were shot in Alberta or feature talent from the area. Lucky Star, Calgary filmmaker Gillian McKercher’s followup to her 2018 feature debut Circle of Steel, will close the 25th edition of the festival, a testament to how supportive the annual event is for local talent. Here are some titles you can still catch.
7 Beats Per Minute
Filmmaker Yuqi Kang was born in inner Mongolia and grew up in Beijing, but spent years in Calgary and Canmore. Her newest documentary, 7 Beats Per Minute looks at the story of Chinese freediving champion Jessea Lu, including her near-death experience in 2018 when she blacked our for four minutes while competing.
When, where: Friday, Sept. 27 at 5 p.m. at Scotiabank Theatre Chinook.
Dark Match
This shot-in-Edmonton horror flick is about a struggling wrestler named Miss Behave (played by Ayshia Issa) who joins fellow grapplers in a series of non-televised bouts in a rural area that they soon discover is full of cult-y Satanists. Wrestling star Chris Jericho and Calgary expat and Walking Dead star Steven Ogg co-star. On Thursday, Sept. 26 Jericho, director Lowell Dean and Issa will walk the red carpet at 8:30 p.m. at the Globe Cinema.
When, Where: There is an encore screening Sunday, Sept. 29, at Scotiabank Theatre Chinook at 11 a.m.
Soul’s Road
Another shot-in-Edmonton feature, Joel Stewart’s Soul’s Road features Canadian country star (and occasional vocalist for rockers Default) Dallas Smith as a former rock star who ruins his career and returns to his hometown to make amends to those he abandoned a decade earlier.
When and where: Friday, Sept. 27 at 6:45 p.m. at Scotiabank Theatre Chinook.
Sunburnt Unicorn
The animated 3D feature was created by Nick Johnson, a former student and current faculty member of Alberta University of the Arts. In his debut film, a surreal fantasy that unfolds after a car accident in the desert.
When, where: Saturday, Sept. 28 at 12:15 p.m. at Scotiabank Theatre Chinook