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Calgary International Film Festival 2015 - KO Preview: CIFF's Steve Schroeder's TOP 5 Things
Posted on Friday, September 11, 2015 at 08:00 AM
KO Preview: CIFF's Steve Schroeder TOP 5 Things
Preview by katrinaolson.ca X CalgaryMovies.com
It’s that time of year in Calgary where the buzz starts building for the full schedule announcement of the 16th Annual Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF). The opening gala film, I Saw the Light about infamous country music legend Hank Williams, screens Wednesday September 23, 2015 at the Jack Singer Concert Hall. Just over 10 days away, I was able to catch up with Steve Schroeder, CIFF’s executive director to discuss 5 things different about this years festival that make it better then ever!
The FIRST and most exciting thing about this year’s CIFF is that it is presented by ATB Financial. Having a presenting sponsor commit to the festival for three years is a big deal and it allows the festival to propel to greater heights having the security of being back by a great local financial institution. “We’re excited to partner with ATB given their belief in the power of strong communities and the role that the arts play in creating them,” said Steve Schroeder. “We believe that shared cinematic experiences reflect, enrich and broaden our world. With ATB’s support we’ll be able to continue that work.”
SECONDLY, this year's festival seems a little more light hearted than previous years with films like Funnily Enough-Shorts Series, My Internship in Canada, and Hip Hop-eration. Is it a sign of the times…maybe? But for those people who crave drama there are plenty of heavier more dramatic films to chose from, like Freeheld, Room and Brooklyn.
The THIRD thing differentiating this year’s CIFF from previous years is there are a lot more music films, 6 to be exact. Born to be Blue, The Glamour and the Squalor, Keep in Touch, Made in Japan, Mavis! and They Will Have to Kill Us First.
The FOURTH fun CIFF 2015 fun fact is that there is more Alberta content in this year's festival than there was in any previous year. This year’s CIFF has 6 Albertan films!!!
FIFTH, and last but certainly not least, is there has been a great evolution with filmmakers who submitted shorts in past year’s CIFF, now showing feature length films like director Trevor Smith whose film will be closing out the festival this year with The Smalls: Forever is a Long Time. There has been enormous growth in the film community in Calgary and with all the new genres of film festivals popping out throughout the year, it is growing audience sizes at CIFF to make for cozier screenings we can all enjoy together.
CIFF runs September 23-October 4, 2015 visit www.calgaryfilm.com for schedule and to purchase you pass/tickets.
Calgary Local Scene Event Listing: Calgary International Film Festival 2015 >
CalgaryMovies.com Preview: The Full Lineup + Highlights >
NOTE: The showtimes listed on CalgaryMovies.com come directly from the theatres' announced schedules, which are distributed to us on a weekly basis. All showtimes are subject to change without notice or recourse to CalgaryMovies.com.
