The Calgary International Film Festival may be over for the year, but there are still plenty of local film festivals going on this fall where you can catch a great movie. Whether you’re interested in animation, social justice or motorcycles, don’t miss these upcoming festivals.
Freshtival Ski Film Fest
When: October 17 to 19, 2024
Freshtival has been bringing the gnarliest ski films to Calgarians since 2003. The festival merges the skiing and art worlds, with several films showing at Globe Cinema over three days. Check out films like Farming Turns, which looks at the journey of professional skier-turned-farmer Chris Rubens, or Calm Beneath Castles, which follows incredible skiers on their mountain adventures.
Globe Cinema, 617 8 Ave S.W., freshtival.ca
Motorcycle Film Fest
When: October 24, 2024
This travelling film festival is making a stop at Calgary’s Plaza Theatre and features a variety of motorcycle-centric short and feature length films. Presented by Ill-Fated Kustoms, these films capture the motorcycling experience through films about enduro riders, a world-wide journey on a 10-foot-long chopper, motorsport pioneer Mary McGee and more. Tickets are available for the whole festival ($30) or for a package of films ($18).
Plaza Theatre, 1133 Kensington Rd. N.W., motorcyclefilmfest.com
Calgary European Film Festival
When: November 1 to 10, 2024
Now in its 13th year, the Calgary European Film Festival lineup showcases some of the best European filmmakers through films representing 22 countries at Globe Cinema. This year’s festival also includes a closing gala right across from the theatre on November 10th.
Globe Cinema, 617 8 Ave S.W., calgaryeuropeanfilmfestival.ca
Calgary Jewish Film Festival
When: November 2 to 17, 2024
For the 24th annual Calgary Jewish Film Festival, more than 15 films are on the docket, including a special opening night presentation of Bliss (Hemda) featuring writer and director Shemi Zarhin. Tickets are available for the full festival ($80 for early-bird passes) or you can get single session tickets for $20 per person.
Beth Tzedec Congregation, 1325 Glenmore Tr. S.W., 403-255-8688, bethtzedec.ca
Giant Incandescent Resonating Animation Festival (GIRAF)
When: In-person from November 14 to 17, 2024; Online from November 18 to 24, 2024
Presented by Calgary’s Quickdraw Animation Society, GIRAF showcases independent animation of all kinds. This year’s festival features a mix of in-person screenings and online streaming packages. Both festival passes and single tickets will be available.
Globe Cinema, 617 8 Ave. S.W., giraffest.ca
CUFF.Docs Documentary Film Festival
When: November 20 to 24, 2024
Calgary Underground Film Festival’s sister festival is your chance to see a varied mix of full-length and short non-fiction films. The CUFF.Docs lineup for 2024 hasn’t been announced yet, but expect more than 15 screenings this year.
Globe Cinema, 617 8 Ave. S.W., calgaryundergroundfilm.org
Calgary Justice Film Festival
When: November 21 to 23, 2024
The Calgary Justice Film Festival (CJFF) showcases a mix of social justice and environmental films. The best part is that CJFF is free to attend, so it’s easy to catch one of these flicks. The festival also features a Peace Market with non-profit organizations on November 22.
The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland, 750 9 Ave. S.E., justicefilmfestival.ca
[This story was updated for 2024 on October 18, 2024.]