From Hollywood stars to local directors and actors, the red carpets at the 2024 Calgary International Film Festival are a celebration of the silver screen and the best of Canadian and international film.
Starting on Sept. 18, the 25th anniversary of CIFF is rolling out the glitz and glamour of the movie industry, and Calgarians are invited to meet the creators of a number of the festival’s films up close and personal.
This year, CIFF organizers scheduled 15 different red carpet events, taking place at The Globe Cinema, The Plaza Theatre, Contemporary Calgary, and at Cineplex Chinook Centre.
Brenda Lieberman, Lead Programmer for CIFF, said that the red carpets have been a way for the festival to highlight filmmakers, and to let the public meet and see them in a way they might not otherwise get to.
“I think it’s just a nice added touch, and it makes them feel special. It helps to generate just a bit more awareness within our public and our audience,” she said.
“Then too, you get celebrities who are coming—and each to his own on what they consider a celebrity, we all kind of geek out over a different type of person involved with a film. I was just saying to somebody else that for me, often it’s even the producers of certain titles that I’ve been dying to meet.”
Beyond stars like Leslie Grace, who headlined the gala evening for CIFF at the Jack Singer Concert Hall, and Andrew Phung who is set to walk the final red carpet of the festival, documentary producers like Mike Downey and Alfonso Maiorana have also walked the red carpet for fans.
For many of the red carpets planned, it also means Albertans getting to strut the walk and promote locally made films.
“It’s special and meaningful for everyone who’s on it. And even though we have a lot of them throughout the festival, it is highlighting Alberta, Albertans, and it makes them feel really important and special. And they are: it’s a huge accomplishment to get the films made and then to showcase in a festival and have people coming out to see it,” Lieberman said.
CIFF 2024 red carpets
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CIFF 2024 Red Carpet: The Tragically Hip Documentary Series, at Globe Cinema
September 18, 2024 at 5:15 pm
Catch guests Mike Downie (Director), Bryn Hughes (Producer), and Jake Gold (Executive Producer & Band Manager) at the red carpet premiere of the new Tragically Hip documentary series. Q&A to follow screening of Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal.
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Calgary International Film Festival 2024 Opening Gala, at Jack Singer Concert Hall
September 19, 2024 at 8:00 pm
Catch the excitement of a Hollywood red carpet opening at the Jack Singer Concert Hall, as stars of CIFF2025’s opening film The Thicket as Leslie Grace walks the red carpet. Filmed in and around Calgary and adapted from the novel of the same name by Joe Lansdale, THE THICKET makes its Canadian Premiere as the […]
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CIFF 2024 Red Carpet: Goddess of Slide, the Forgotten Story of Ellen McIlwaine, at The Plaza Theatre
September 20, 2024 at 5:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Director Alfonso Maiorana and blues artist Suzie Vinnick will be walking the red carpet for the world premiere of Goddess of Slide, the Forgotten Story of Ellen McIlwaine. Read more about the documentary, and about the life of Calgarian Ellen McIlwaine in LWC’s coverage here.
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CIFF 2024 Red Carpet: Youth by Youth Shorts, at Contemporary Calgary
September 21, 2024 at 12:45 pm - 1:45 pm
A selection of the best short films made by high school students across Canada, will be accompanied by a CIFF 2025 red carpet featuring Declan Cameron (Power), Amy Kim Dryer (Wistful Thinking), MJ Hansen (The Raven), Edie Sawyer (Life Co.), and Aidan Taylor Groves (The Ghost Hunter).
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CIFF 2024 Red Carpet: Pride vs. Prejudice – The Delwin Vriend Story, at Contemporary Calgary
September 21, 2024 at 2:45 pm - 3:45 pm
PRIDE VS. PREJUDICE delves into the riveting narrative of the Vriend v. Alberta case, where Delwin Vriend courageously battled against discrimination from a government determined to deny his human rights. Follow Vriend as he challenges societal biases in the turbulent journey that led to the ground-breaking 1998 Canadian Supreme Court ruling, setting a transformative precedent […]
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CIFF 2024 Red Carpet: Singing Back the Buffalo, at The Plaza Theatre
September 21, 2024 at 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Director Tasha Hubbard will be walking the red carpet for her film, SINGING BACK THE BUFFALO, at the Plaza Theatre. Together with Blackfoot Elder Leroy Little Bear, award-winning Cree filmmaker Tasha Hubbard (nîpawistamâsowin: WE WILL STAND UP, CIFF 2019) weaves an intimate story of humanity’s connections to the buffalo and meticulously reveals how their return […]
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CIFF 2024 Red Carpet: Curl Power, at Contemporary Calgary
September 22, 2024 at 3:15 pm - 3:45 pm
Join guests Josephine Anderson (Director), Mike Johnston (Producer), Claire Sanford (Director of Photography). Georgina Wheatcroft (coach), Amy Wheatcroft (curler),Sav Miley (curler), Brook Aleksic (curler) at Contemporary Calgary. Filled with intimate photography, director Josephine Anderson delivers an emotionally captivating portrait about coming of age, friendship and overcoming adversity – both in life and in a game […]
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CIFF 2024 Red Carpet: Alberta Spirit Shorts, at Cineplex Chinook
September 23, 2024 at 6:45 pm - 7:45 pm
Catch Alberta filmakers C.H. Baradoy, Barry Bilinsky, Morgan Ermter, Ally Ferris; Gbohunmi Gbohunmi, Sarah Houle, Michelle Ku, Mitch Malyk, Sacha Michaud, Brock Davis Mitchell, Noriko Ohsada, Scott Portingale, Nick Styles, Celestine Twigg, and Wendy Walker on the red carpet at Cineplex Chinook. Alberta Spirit Shorts is 12 Alberta-made short films that showcase talent from all […]
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CIFF 2024 Red Carpet: Sunburnt Unicon, at Cineplex Chinook
September 24, 2024 at 6:15 pm - 6:45 pm
Nick Johnson (Director) and Patrick Wilding (Producer) will be walking the red carpet for the animated film, SUNBURNT UNICORN. Following an incredibly successful World Premiere at the Annecy International Film Festival, SUNBURNT UNICORN is a powerful, 3D-animated fantasy film that’s great for all ages. Having worked as a comic book artist for over 20 years, […]
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CIFF 2024 Red Carpet: Adult Best Friends, at Globe Cinema
September 26, 2024 at 5:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Delaney Buffett (Director) walks the red carpet for ADULT BEST FRIENDS. Katie and Delaney, inseparable since childhood, find their paths diverging in their 30s. While Katie is happily committed and living with her boyfriend, Delaney is still single and living with a roommate. Despite the differences in their lives, their friendship is still a top […]
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CIFF 2024 Red Carpet: Dark Match, at Globe Cinema
September 26, 2024 at 8:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Catch Lowell Dean (Director), Michael Feehan (Producer), and Michael Peterson (Producer) on the red carpet for DARK MATCH. Shot and produced in Alberta, Lowell Dean’s (SUPERGRID, CIFF2018) much-anticipated horror film is fresh off its World Premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival. Wrestler ‘Miss Behave’ (Ayshia Issa) is an ill-tempered beast in the ring and […]
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CIFF 2024 Red Carpet: Paying For it, at Globe Cinema
September 27, 2024 at 5:45 pm - 6:45 pm
Sook-Yin Lee (Director) and Chester Brown walk the red carpet for the live-action adaptation of Chester Brown’s best-selling graphic novel. In the late 90s, Chester and Sonny are a long-term, committed, romantic couple. When Sonny wants to redefine their relationship, Chester, an introverted cartoonist, starts sleeping with sex workers and discovers a new kind of […]
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CIFF 2024 Red Carpet: Soul’s Road, at Cineplex Chinook
September 27, 2024 at 5:45 pm - 6:45 pm
Joel Stewart (Director) and Michael Feehan (Producer) will be walking the red carpet at Chinook Cineplex. Shot in Alberta and starring Canadian country star Dallas Smith, Joel Stewart’s SOUL’S ROAD is a riveting tale of self-discovery and redemption, promising audiences great music and heartwarming performances. After ruining his solo career and taking an extended break […]
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CIFF 2024 Closing Night Red Carpets, at Cineplex Chinook
September 28, 2024 at 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Join Nicholas Colia, Everett Blunck, Don Hardy, for the red carpet starting at 6 p.m. to celebrate films Griffin in Summer and Linda Perry: Let It Die here. Gillian McKercher (Director), Andrew Phung (Cast), Conni Miu (Cast), Terry Chen (Cast), and Nicola Waugh (Producer), will be walking the red carpet at 6:30 p.m. for CIFF’s […]
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