The polls are in, and the audiences at the 2023 Calgary International Film Festival have picked their favourites.
Audience Choice Award Winners were chosen by attendees that cast their ballots after viewing the films, with the collected scores in each category determining the winning film.
“CIFF audiences cast over 23,000 ballots and awarded an incredibly diverse selection of films, with Jen Markowitz’s Summer Qamp leading the way with a remarkable 4.82 out of 5,” said Brian Owens, CIFF’s Artistic Director.
“We welcomed over 28,000 audience members for the 24th annual edition of CIFF, and we are so thankful for Calgary’s support as we look forward to the evolution of the festival and our 25th anniversary next year.”
The festival’s opening film Geoff McFetridge: Drawing a Life, directed by Dan Covert, took home an audience award for International Documentary Feature.
Summer Qamp, directed by Jen Markowitz, took home the Canadian Documentary Feature audience award category, and the top award for overall high score in the festival.
The Alberta Feature award went to Trevor Solway and Colin Ahnahktsipiitaa Van Loon’s horror-comedy anthology series Tales From the Rez, while the Canadian Narrative Feature award went to fellow horror-comedy Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person, by director Ariane Louis-Seize.
Late Shift, Generation Next, and Special Presentations went to The Puppetman, Aitamaako’Tamisskapi Natosi: Before The Sun, and The Old Oak.
Shorts awards for Alberta Short, Narrative Short, Animated Short, and Documentary Short went to Monstr, Dead Cat, Ninety-Five Senses, and Jack and Sam.
The audience award for Music on Screen went to Immediate Family.
