Editor

This year’s festival includes three world premieres and 22 feature films  

The Calgary Underground Film Festival has announced its lineup for the 17th edition of the festival. Originally scheduled to take place in April, like many other festivals around the world, CUFF has shifted to an online model for the 2020 edition. From June 22-28 CUFF fans will have the opportunity to get their eyes on the newest genre-defying independent films not streaming anywhere else, and ensure that these films find an audience while film festivals are paused and cinemas remain closed. 

"This festival will look different than most, but, our whole team is really looking forward to this new festival format. Not only do we get to provide our regular audience with some amazing new films, but we also have the unique opportunity this year to have new audiences experience what we have to offer,” said Festival Director and Lead Programmer Brenda Lieberman. 

This year’s lineup includes 22 feature films showing for the first time in Alberta, 3 shorts packages, and other special events including four nights of drive-ins at Big Rock Brewery. 

CUFF will open with the Sundance hit DINNER IN AMERICA (Dir. Adam Carter Rehmeier) about a punk rocker and a young woman obsessed with his band. Similar to the in-person festival, audiences only have one chance to watch this film at a June 22 live online event. 

“I loved this film from the minute I started watching it at Sundance. I think I was 5 minutes in, and I had the feeling like I had found our opening film. We’ll be doing opening night as a live event, as close to our in-cinema experience our audience knows and loves, including a live introduction, followed by the screening, and ending with a live Q&A,” said Lieberman.  

Following the opening night live event, starting on June 23 at midnight, the lineup of films will be available on-demand until June 28 at 11:59pm. With a few exceptions, all films will be available to watch for the duration of the festival and are available to anyone in Alberta. 

June 23 will mark the return of the Found Footage Festival: Quarantine Qlassics, a staple of CUFF. In the brand-new virtual show, Joe Pickett (The Onion) and Nick Prueher (Late Show with David Letterman) will present a wide-range of VHS delights to get focused on the theme of quarantine. 

Other CUFF 2020 highlights include: 

• A live presentation for the World Premiere of FIVE BUCKS AT THE DOOR: THE STORY OF CROCKS N ROLLS about a bar in Thunder Bay that put Canadian music on the map. Director Kirsten Kosloski, who resided in Calgary for 13 years and was involved with FFWD as a music writer, film critic and editor, will participate in a live Q&A.
• A co-presentation with Sled Island for the world premiere of THIS FILM SHOULD NOT EXIST, a documentary about the 1990s garage rock band Country Teasers.
• The world premiere of SLEEZE LAKE: VANLIFE AT ITS LOWEST & BEST from CUFF alumni Andrew J. Morgan and Nicholas Nummerdor.  
• Four drive-in events at Big Rock Brewery of the films RANDOM ACTS OF VIOLENCE (plays two nights) SYNCHRONIC and UNCLE PECKERHEAD (also available online) from June 24-27. Note: strict social distancing will be enforced and no alcohol will be served. Tickets go on sale June 15. Advance ticket sales only – no sales at the door.
• The Canadian premiere of the Alberta documentary BIG FUR about world champion taxidermist Ken Walker, who is determined to prove that Bigfoot is real.
• A special version of the new Wakaliwood Ugandan film CRAZY WORLD created especially for CUFF.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LIST OF FEATURE FILMS PLAYING CUFF.

Attendees will still have the opportunity to vote on films playing the festival for CUFF’s annual audience awards. Jury awards will be presented on Friday, June 26. 

Tickets and passes to CUFF Online are on sale now. The cost is $10 per stream ($8 for CUFF members, students and seniors), $35 for a 5-film multi-pack and $119 for an all-access online pass (excludes drive-ins). Tickets to the drive-ins go on sale June 15.