The Calgary International Film Festival announced its 2008 film schedule and film series line-up at the official launch in Calgary yesterday. More than 220 films will be screened over the 10-day festival, happening from Friday, September 19 through Sunday, September 28, 2008. This year’s venues include: the Plaza Theatre, the Uptown Stage & Screen, the Globe Cinema, Eau Claire Market Cineplex Odeon, and a new addition of Westhills Cineplex Odeon.

The launch was held at the Marriott Hotel, the official delegate home-base of the 2008 festival, where media, festival programmers and staff, and members of the public gathered to hear the breaking news of the festival’s slate of films. Festival executive director Jacqueline Dupuis started the afternoon off with a bang, announcing Fernando Meirelles and Don McKellar’s Blindness (based on the novel by Nobel Laureate José Saramago) as the Opening Gala of the 2008 festival. This was followed by confirmation of director Brian Hecker’s Bart got a Room (starring William H. Macy) as the closing film of the festival.

Another notable announcement was the introduction of the inaugural Life in Focus: Fashion in Film section of the festival program, featuring films following fashion and lifestyle trends, including: the critically acclaimed Eleven Minutes (following the trials and tribulations of Project Runway winner Jay McCarroll); and a remastered, new print of the classic iconic fashion film Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

This year, the festival is reaching out to the community and Calgary filmgoers, introducing Festival Central on Stephen Avenue Mall (between 1st and 2nd Street SW) – the spot will be the hub of festival activity over the 10 day event, featuring festival information, interactive experiences, prize giveaways, and filmmaker interviews by celebrity film reviewer Louis B. Hobson. The afternoon wrapped up with presentations from all of the festival programmers introducing the highlights of each film section – from Contemporary World Cinema, to Documentaries, Shorts, Canadian, and American Independent – as well as the announcement of this year’s world focus Spotlight on Iceland

CIFF Sections & Series

Galas
CIFF’s American Express Opening Gala and the Volkswagen Closing Gala bring together marquee films and gala parties to celebrate the accomplishments of the best the industry has to offer. Gala films showcase well-known, household name talent, giving audiences a preview of potential Oscar and other prestigious award nominees and winners. Attending a gala party is an opportunity to mingle with industry insiders, festival delegates and those in the know. The gala red carpets are where the stars come to shine.

American Express Opening Gala and Red Carpet Fashion Show
Blindness
September 18, 2008

Volkswagen Closing Gala
Bart got a Room
September 27, 2008

Aboriginal Voices
This spotlight will showcase emerging Canadian Aboriginal filmmakers who are using their talents to create relevant, contemporary and innovative work. Audiences will have an opportunity to see both short and feature films by the newest voices in Canadian Aboriginal cinema. As well, audiences will get an up-close and personal look at the creative process of the featured filmmakers through question and answer sessions with visiting talent.

American Independent
Welcome to American Independent, home of the DIY outsiders who have maxed-out their credit cards, sold their blood, participated in medical experiments and done whatever they can to scrape together the sums needed to share their visions. These are the films outside of the Hollywood system.

Canadian Perspectives
Our national cinema is made to define our culture and our place in the world for our own understanding, as well as to clarify our values, visions and goals to the rest of the world. CIFF places high premium on celebrating and bringing to Calgary the best Canadian films each year, sending a clear message: Canadian cinema is worth seeing now.

Contemporary World Cinema
The Contemporary World Cinema series showcases new foreign films produced outside of North America, celebrating cultures and movie-making styles from over 30 countries. Every country has its own unique and compelling way of telling its stories, and each film shown here presents new and exciting landscapes for the audience to discover.

Documentary Showcase
Documentary Showcase is dedicated to finding the best and most inspiring films of the festival season, giving its audiences a chance to rub shoulders with complex truths and realities. With a mix of both local and international perspectives, this program includes a diverse and challenging range of cinematic experiences.

Hump Night
Bringing sexy to the festival in a big way, Hump Night seeks to entertain with a series of films to titillate, stimulate, and woo. The series is one of our most popular and well-established program sections. The films within it raise the bar year-after-year in quality, content and sheer entertainment value.

Spotlight on Iceland
See the hottest films from this secret haven of filmmaking. Featuring a diverse range of films this special series is sure to educate audiences with the stories from Iceland.

Films 4 Families
The Films 4 Families series presents feature films, documentaries and short films selected for quality and originality, with the ultimate goal of bringing outstanding, often award-winning, children’s films to Calgary audiences. Many of the films seen here would never be screened at the local Cineplex or found at Blockbuster.

Late Shows
Late Shows presents films unlike any others. Here you will find a variety of feature films that stretch cinematic boundaries and the limits of your imagination, in subject, theme, genre and content. These are simply the scariest, goriest and most over-the-top-films of the festival season.

Life in Focus: Fashion in Film
This year, CIFF introduces the Life in Focus: Fashion in Film series - a section of our program designed to explore the fashion industry and expose Calgarians to this element of culture through the filmic art form. See you on the runway.

Music on Film
Music on Film explores the diversity of the industry and the art of music – the business, the creative process, the celebrity, and the soul. Whether you are musician, an ardent fan or a casual listener, the Music on Film series will engage and entertain.

Shorts
From live action to narrative animation, documentaries to experimental art films, drama to comedy, the range of short films is endless. Running from one minute to 40 minutes long, shorts appear in different guises, cross genres and take on a myriad of subjects. Whether it is an artistic representation of emotion, a quirky storyline, a caricature, a glimpse into an alternate reality or artist’s mind, anything goes when it comes to short films.

Special Presentations
In addition to galas, CIFF is committed to highlighting work that emerges in each year’s programming cycle as deserving of distinguished attention and art-house accolades. Special Presentations is the section of the program where the audience will find not-to-be-missed offerings that invite recognition and are obvious highlights of the festival.

Youth by Youth Cinema (YYC)
An open competition for young Alberta filmmakers from grades four through 12. The YYC Competition takes the film-watching experience one step further through its celebration of local talent.

Full festival schedule can be found online at www.calgaryfilm.com.

FESTIVAL PASSES AND TICKET INFORMATION

BOX OFFICE
Fido Box Office – Eau Claire Market opens September 5, 2008

IN PERSON: FIDO BOX OFFICE
Eau Claire Market
200 Barclay Parade
(corner of 2nd Street & 2nd Avenue SW)
Open September 5 through 30, 2008
Monday to Wednesday, 10 AM – 6 PM
Thursdays and Fridays, 10 AM – 8 PM
Saturdays, 10 PM – 6 PM
Sundays, 11 AM – 5 PM

NEW THIS YEAR!
MOBILE FIDO BOX OFFICE
Fido Store – Chinook Centre
6455 Macleod Trail SW
(corner of Glenmore Trail & Macleod Trail SW)
Open September 13, 14, 20, and 21, 2008
Saturdays, 10 AM – 6 PM
Sundays 11 AM – 6 PM
*Bring your festival ticket to Cellular Baby in Market Mall to get an exclusive Fido Offer.

AMERICAN EXPRESS® TICKET WICKET
Festival Central
Stephen Avenue Mall
(corner of 8th Avenue & 2nd Street SW)
September 19, 23 to 26, 2008
Monday to Friday 11 AM – 2 PM
*American Express, debit, and cash only!
ONL INE: CIFF WEBSITE
www.calgaryfilm.com
Open 24-hours a day!

TICKETS

ADULT GENERAL ADMISSION $12
SENIORS/STUDENTS/CIFF MEMBERS $10
CHILDREN UNDER 12 $6
PARTIES: ICELAND, BLACK CARPET, FASHION $25
*Includes film, party entrance and one specialty drink

AMERICAN EXPRESS® OPENING GALA & VW CLOSING GALA $75 (EACH)

AMERICAN EXPRESS FRONT OF THE LINE® ENTERTAINMENT ACCESS
AMERICAN EXPRESS® OPENING GALA $75
Purchase your Opening Gala ticket with your American Express Card and as a bonus receive access to the American Express VIP Lounge, Pass for the American Express Opening Gala After Party, plus a complimentary ticket to use at a regular screening of your choice.
*Limited quantities available, available to American Express® Cardmembers only.

VW CLOSING GALA $75
Purchase your Closing Gala ticket with your American Express® Card and as a bonus receive a complimentary ticket to use at a regular screening of your choice.
*Limited quantities available, available to American Express® Cardmembers only.

PASSES
MOVIE LOVER 10-PACK $100 (20% DISCOUNT)
Contains 10 Adult General Admission Tickets
*Limited quantities available.

FILM BUFF 20-PACK $180 (25% DISCOUNT)
Contains 20 Adult General Admission Tickets
*Limited quantities available.

DOC SOUP SUBSCRIPTION $99
Contains 6 Adult General Admission Tickets to the new Doc Soup Film
Series (November ’08 – April ’09) plus 6 Adult General Admission Tickets
to the 2008 or 2009 festival.
*Limited quantities available

AMERICAN EXPRESS® VIP PASS $390 ($490 VALUE)
Admits Passholder to: All Films, All Galas, All Parties and Post Screening
Events, Access to Industry Events
*Limited quantities available, available to American Express® Cardmembers only.

Full schedule of events can be found at www.calgaryfilm.com

Media Contacts:
PRIMARY
Tracy Stewart, Publicist
tracy@calgaryfilm.com
1320 15th Avenue S.W.
Calgary, AB, Canada
T3C 0X7
P: 403-397-8940
F: 403-457-3784

SECONDARY
Jill Nunns, Manager of Marketing
jill@calgaryfilm.com
1320 15th Avenue S.W.
Calgary, AB, Canada
T3C 0X7
P: 403-209-4955
F: 403-457-3784


CIFF Website: www.calgaryfilm.com