For the Calgary International Film Festival’s Artistic Director Brian Owens, there is little hyperbole in calling this year’s festival the biggest yet for filmgoers.
With dozens of world, North American, and Canadian premieres for films, and with studios that have never been at CIFF before, this year’s lineup really is one that is bringing the best of international films to festival goers long before they would get a chance to see them during regular screening runs or on streaming services.
That includes awards shows like the Oscars.
But beyond a hotly anticipated lineup of films for the Sept. 24 festival launch, the productions themselves are star-studded with names that transcend the world of indie film and right into Hollywood itself.
“I think this is like the biggest lineup that we’ve had in years, if not ever. The fact that we have Pedro Almodóvar, Mike Leigh, Martin McDonagh, the stars—this festival is going to be filled with familiar faces.” Owens told On Cue Calgary.
“I mean that on two fronts. There’s Julianne Moore, Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Ayo Edebiri, but we also have some great Alberta-made films, so people might see their neighbour or their teacher.”
One of the interesting outcomes from CIFF’s selections this year is that a number of those films have been produced by internationally recognized directors and studios, but have been filmed right here in Calgary.
Adam Keresztes, Lead Shorts Programmer for CIFF, said that while the festival does have a mandate to program Canadian and Alberta content, the overriding goal is to always program the best films possible.
And this year that meant picking films that just so happened to be produced locally, but made by internationally known filmakers.
“We’re looking for like the best of the world to bring around, bring to the festival for our audience,” he said.
“We want to have Canadian cinema be be put in a in a spotlight. Last year was such a huge year for Canadian films. Nirvana the Band and Blue Heron were some some really great films that actually pushed internationally, and I think by elevating and bringing more Canadian talent it brings the quality up and brings up the calibre films.”
Another part of the excitement for the festival was the level of involvement of not just local crews working on Alberta locations, but also the producers for films, said Owens.
One of the films he highlighted to On Cue Calgary as something the festival was looking forward to showing was the Canadian premiere of crime drama Paper Tiger, which stars Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Miles Teller.
That film was produced by Calgary-based production company Orogen Entertainment, which is bringing three films to CIFF for 2026.
Blair Ward, CEO of Orogen Entertainment told On Cue that premiering that film at Cannes was a real highlight for the company, but bringing it to Calgary was itself special.
“To bring it here is is great to showcase it to the city, showcase it to Canada, it’s wonderful,” he said.
“In the past we’ve had The Apprentice, another high-profile one we brought here and went on to have Sebastian Stan got nominated for acting awards and Jeremy Strong as well too for best actor and best supporting actor. So we love bringing it to Calgary.”
Another film that was shot south of Calgary and opened at CIFF for the 25th anniversary of the festival was The Thicket.
“It was so awesome to be the opening night shot in Calgary with Calgarians financing it and producing it. That was incredible. We always want to bring movies to Calgary first, Alberta, and also Canada, so it’s always on our mind,” said Ward.
“CIFF has now attracted the highest quality films that festivals want to showcase. CIFF has all of them… these are movies that are going to be shown around the world, and it’s a way to get a sneak peek into what everyone else can’t see quite yet.”
What to see at CIFF 2026
Owens listed a number of films that audiences would likely want to see—and given some of the limited showings, encouraged people to get tickets early.
Among those were the Spotlight opening film of Calgary filmed A Long Winter, the documentary Ba’s Book which tells the story of filmmaker Ashley Duong’s father’s journey from Vietnam to Tehran to Calgary, and the documentary Relax, Open Your Eyes about the Calgary-based futurist club looking to help people live past death through cryogenics.
Another must-see said Owens is the Cody Lightning film Smudge the Blades, which promises audiences the fun of and comedy of a hockey film that is reminiscent of The Mighty Ducks, but with an Indigenous twist.
“We had Hey, Viktor! as our closing film three years ago so it’s great to have him back. It’s a really enjoyable, great way to close out the festival,” he said.
Owens said that some of the titles able to be scheduled for the festival were real coups, and highlighted the growing importance of CIFF as a place that filmmakers and film production companies want to do showings.
“One of my most exciting was when we secured the Canadian premiere of Fatherland from Paweł Pawlikowski because I count Ida and Cold War as two of my favourite films of this decade so far, this century so far, and so to get the Canadian premiere of that with Sandra Hüller is just mind blowing. Definitely, I think you’re going to see a few nominations for that at the Oscars,” he said.
“We’re not TIFF. We’re never going to be TIFF. But a lot of people do look to us as another option for their Canadian premiere.”
Along with that increased prominence, said Owens, is also the chance to see international filmmakers and stars on the CIFF red carpet and at post-film Q&As.
The details, however, were still being worked out on who would be travelling to Calgary due to the complexity of scheduling appearances in an increasingly tight festival circuit.
“Part of the game of the film festival world is a lot of times you can’t get people fully booked until the very tail end. Where right now we’re working with MUBI Films and local producer Chad Oakes on A Long Winter. Its scheduled date in New York Film Festival is what we’re waiting on to see how available everyone will be, but we do know at least producer Chad Oakes will be here,” said Owens.
“Usually mid-September is when those start to get submitted, but as far as for sure guests, Chris Carter will be here. That’s locked in. We’re even talking to Christine Sinclair, who was here last year, but this year she’s the subject of a short documentary at the festival.”
The best way to get a heads-up on those red carpets, and first chances to get tickets, is by signing up to the CIFF newsletter, said Owens.
“We’re working with new studios that we haven’t worked with either in a while or just for the first time, but sometimes we’re restricted onto the number of shows that we can do. So, for instance, if you’re interested in Martin McDonagh’s film, for those not familiar, that’s The Banshees of Inisherin, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and In Bruges. We do have his latest film, but we’re restricted to a single screening,” he said.
“So, if that’s what you want to see do not wait because we know those tickets are going to go at the snap of a finger. I would actually start by looking at what are the ones where we were only allowed a single show. Secure those first, and then move through the rest of the lineup.”
The Calgary International Film Festival runs September 24 to October 4, 2026. Film showing dates and venues are available at ciffcalgary.ca.
Feature Films
Special Presentations
- A Long Winter, directed by Andrew Haigh (🇨🇦 Canada, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom, 🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
- All of a Sudden (Soudain), directed by Ryûsuke Hamaguchi (🇫🇷 France, 🇯🇵 Japan, 🇩🇪 Germany, 🇧🇪 Belgium) — Alberta Premiere
- Atonement, directed by Reed Van Dyk (🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
- Back in Black, directed by Ron Murphy (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- Bitter Christmas (Amarga Navidad), directed by Pedro Almodóvar (🇪🇸 Spain) — Alberta Premiere
- Club Kid, directed by Jordan Firstman (🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
- Fatherland, directed by Pawel Pawlikowski (🇵🇱 Poland, 🇩🇪 Germany, 🇮🇹 Italy, 🇫🇷 France) — Canadian Premiere
- Fjord, directed by Cristian Mungiu (🇷🇴 Romania, 🇫🇷 France, 🇳🇴 Norway, 🇩🇰 Denmark, 🇫🇮 Finland, 🇸🇪 Sweden) — Alberta Premiere
- Frampton, directed by Rob Arthur (🇺🇸 United States) — Canadian Premiere
- Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!, directed by Josef Kubota Wladyka (🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
- I Play Rocky, directed by Peter Farrelly (🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
- Josephine, directed by Beth de Araújo (🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
- Look Back, directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda (🇯🇵 Japan) — Alberta Premiere
- Man in Motion: The Rick Hansen Story, directed by Adrian Buitenhuis (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- Paper Tiger, directed by James Gray (🇺🇸 United States) — Canadian Premiere
- Queens for a Day, directed by Chris Carter (🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
- Run Terry Run, directed by Sean Menard (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- The Debut, directed by Jesse Eisenberg (🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
- The Stunt Driver, directed by Michael Dowse (🇨🇦 Canada, 🇮🇪 Ireland) — Alberta Premiere
- Wild Horse Nine, directed by Martin McDonagh (🇬🇧 United Kingdom, 🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
- You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution, Spread Love & Overalls, and Created a Community That Changed the World (in a Canadian Kind of Way), directed by Nick Davis (🇨🇦 Canada, 🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
- Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, directed by Bassam Tariq (🇬🇧 United Kingdom, 🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
Canadian Narrative Features
- How We Stand, directed by Marie Clements (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- I Come Home, directed by Glen Wood (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- In Alaska, directed by Jaap van Heusden & Vinnie Karetak (🇨🇦 Canada, 🇳🇱 Netherlands) — Alberta Premiere
- In the Heart of the South, directed by Nyla Innuksuk (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- Julián, directed by Louise Bagnall (🇨🇦 Canada, 🇮🇪 Ireland, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom, 🇩🇰 Denmark, 🇱🇺 Luxembourg) — Alberta Premiere
- Lumi, directed by Jen Walden (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- Nina Roza, directed by Geneviève Dulude-De Celles (🇨🇦 Canada, 🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇮🇹 Italy, 🇧🇬 Bulgaria) — Alberta Premiere
- Paradise, directed by Jérémy Comte (🇨🇦 Canada, 🇫🇷 France, 🇬🇭 Ghana) — Alberta Premiere
- Phreaker, directed by Adam Yorke (🇨🇦 Canada) — Canadian Premiere
- Pocket Mirror, directed by Adrian Murray (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- Purgatory, directed by Lindsay Lanzillotta (🇨🇦 Canada, 🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
- So Long Pluto, directed by Marianne Cormier (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- Strong Son, directed by Ian Singh Bawa (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- The Snake, directed by Jenna MacMillan (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
Canadian Documentary Competition
- Ba’s Book, directed by Ashley Duong (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- Ceremony, directed by Banchi Hanuse (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- Gimme Truth, directed by Simon Ennis & Brad Abrahams (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- Louf, directed by Aziz Zoromba (🇨🇦 Canada) — World Premiere
- Nitassinan, directed by Kim O’Bomsawin (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- Nuisance Bear, directed by Jack Weisman & Gabriela Osio Vanden (🇨🇦 Canada, 🇺🇸 United States, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom) — Alberta Premiere
- Relax, Open Your Eyes, directed by David Ehrenreich (🇨🇦 Canada) — World Premiere
- The Final Act, directed by Sophie Deraspe (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony, directed by Habiba Nosheen (🇨🇦 Canada, 🇺🇸 United States, 🇵🇰 Pakistan) — Alberta Premiere
- The Wind’s Thirst (La Sed del Viento), directed by Alejandro Valbuena (🇨🇦 Canada, 🇨🇴 Colombia) — North American Premiere
Contemporary World Cinema
- Adult Supervision, directed by Alex Schulman (🇸🇪 Sweden) — Canadian Premiere
- Clarissa, directed by Arie Esiri & Chuko Esiri (🇺🇸 United States, 🇳🇬 Nigeria) — Alberta Premiere
- Coward, directed by Lukas Dhont (🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇫🇷 France) — Alberta Premiere
- Diary of a Mad Old Man, directed by Wayne Wang (🇯🇵 Japan, 🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
- Filipiñana, directed by Rafael Manuel (🇸🇬 Singapore, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom, 🇫🇷 France) — Alberta Premiere
- Iron Boy, directed by Louis Clichy (🇫🇷 France, 🇧🇪 Belgium) — Alberta Premiere
- Minotaur, directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev (🇫🇷 France, 🇱🇻 Latvia) — Alberta Premiere
- Objet A, directed by Ann Oren (🇩🇪 Germany, 🇱🇺 Luxembourg, 🇬🇷 Greece) — Canadian Premiere
- Possible Love, directed by Lee Chang-dong (🇰🇷 Korea) — Alberta Premiere
- Tender Loving Care, directed by Mike Leigh (🇬🇧 United Kingdom) — Alberta Premiere
- The Frog and the Water, directed by Thomas Stuber (🇩🇪 Germany, 🇨🇭 Switzerland) — Canadian Premiere
- The Garden We Dreamed, directed by Joaquin del Paso (🇲🇽 Mexico) — Canadian Premiere
- The Incomer, directed by Louis Paxton (🇬🇧 United Kingdom, 🇮🇪 Ireland) — Canadian Premiere
- The Red Hangar, directed by Juan Pablo Sallato (🇦🇷 Argentina, 🇨🇱 Chile, 🇮🇹 Italy) — Canadian Premiere
New American Cinema
- Act One, directed by Sophia Takal (🇺🇸 United States) — Canadian Premiere
- Anchors Aweigh, directed by Matt Barats (🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
- Downbeat, directed by Danny Madden (🇺🇸 United States) — Canadian Premiere
- Edie Arnold Is a Loser, directed by Megan Rico & Kate Atwood (🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
- Love – Love, directed by Thomas Leisten Schneider (🇺🇸 United States) — Canadian Premiere
- Out of the Woods, directed by Sal Bardo (🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
- Test, directed by Sam McConnell (🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
- The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, directed by Noah Segan (🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
International Narrative Feature Competition
- Big Girls Don’t Cry, directed by Paloma Schneideman (🇳🇿 New Zealand) — Alberta Premiere
- Crystal Cross, directed by Richie James Follin (🇺🇸 United States) — Canadian Premiere
- Funk, directed by Aly Muritiba (🇺🇸 United States) — Canadian Premiere
- Marie Madeleine, directed by Gessica Généus (🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇨🇦 Canada, 🇫🇷 France, 🇭🇹 Haiti, 🇱🇺 Luxembourg) — Alberta Premiere
- Nosotros, directed by Joaquín Ruano (🇬🇹 Guatemala, 🇲🇽 Mexico) — Alberta Premiere
- Runner, directed by Laura García Alonso (🇪🇸 Spain) — International Premiere
- Sender, directed by Russell Goldman (🇺🇸 United States) — International Premiere
- The Arab, directed by Malek Bensmaïl (🇩🇿 Algeria, 🇫🇷 France, 🇨🇭 Switzerland, 🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia) — Canadian Premiere
- Their Town, directed by Katie Aselton (🇺🇸 United States) — Canadian Premiere
- Union County, directed by Adam Meeks (🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
- Where the River Begins, directed by Juan Andrés Arango Garcia (🇨🇦 Canada, 🇨🇴 Colombia, 🇳🇴 Norway) — Alberta Premiere
- Yesterday the Eye Didn’t Sleep, directed by Rakan Mayasi (🇱🇧 Lebanon, 🇧🇪 Belgium) — Canadian Premiere
International Documentary Competition
- All About the Money, directed by Sinéad O’Shea (🇮🇪 Ireland, 🇩🇰 Denmark) — Canadian Premiere
- All Rivers Spill Their Stories to the Sea, directed by Jeanie Finlay (🇬🇧 United Kingdom) — Canadian Premiere
- Birds of War, directed by Janay Boulos & Abd Alkader Habak (🇬🇧 United Kingdom, 🇱🇧 Lebanon, 🇸🇾 Syrian Arab Republic) — Alberta Premiere
- Derek vs. Derek, directed by James Dawson (🇬🇧 United Kingdom) — Alberta Premiere
- Kikuyu Land, directed by Andrew H. Brown & Bea Wangondu (🇰🇪 Kenya) — Alberta Premiere
- Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie, directed by Alex Gibney (🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
- Once Upon a Time in Harlem, directed by David Greaves & William Greaves (🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
- Rehearsals for a Revolution, directed by Pegah Ahangarani (🇮🇷 Iran, 🇪🇸 Spain, 🇨🇿 Czechia) — Alberta Premiere
- School for Defectors, directed by Jeremy Workman (🇺🇸 United States, 🇰🇷 Korea) — Canadian Premiere
- Theydream, directed by William Caballero (🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
- To Hold a Mountain, directed by Biljana Tutorov & Petar Glomazić (🇲🇪 Montenegro, 🇷🇸 Serbia, 🇭🇷 Croatia, 🇫🇷 France, 🇸🇮 Slovenia) — Alberta Premiere
Alberta Spotlight Features
- Gail, directed by Michael Maxxis (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- Invisible Imagination, directed by Anna Cooley & Sarah Taylor (🇨🇦 Canada) — World Premiere
- WWW: The Women’s Group, directed by Wendy Hill-Tout (🇨🇦 Canada) — World Premiere
- X-Communicado, directed by Brian King (🇨🇦 Canada) — North American Premiere
After Dark Features
- American Dollhouse, directed by John Valley (🇺🇸 United States) — Canadian Premiere
- Attack on Paradise, directed by Bob Colaers (🇧🇪 Belgium) — Alberta Premiere
- Jim Queen, directed by Nicolas Athane & Marco Nguyen (🇫🇷 France) — Alberta Premiere
- Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant, directed by Thunderlips (🇳🇿 New Zealand) — Alberta Premiere
- Never After Dark, directed by Dave Boyle (🇯🇵 Japan) — Alberta Premiere
- Sicko, directed by Aitore Zholdaskali (🇰🇿 Kazakhstan) — Alberta Premiere
Music on Screen
- California Schemin’, directed by James McAvoy (🇬🇧 United Kingdom, 🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
- Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been, directed by Barry Avrich (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- Los Lobos: Native Sons, directed by Douglas Blush & Piero F. Giunti (🇺🇸 United States) — Canadian Premiere
- Summer 2000: The X-Cetera Story, directed by Ayden Mayeri (🇺🇸 United States) — Canadian Premiere
- The Best Summer, directed by Tamra Davis (🇹🇭 Thailand, 🇺🇸 United States, 🇮🇩 Indonesia, 🇦🇺 Australia) — Canadian Premiere
- We Are the Shaggs, directed by Ken William Kwapis (🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
Closing Night Film
- Smudge the Blades, directed by Cody Lightning (🇨🇦 Canada) — Calgary Premiere
Short Films
Shorts: 9 to 5
- The Call Center, directed by Juan Crespo Lejbruder (🇦🇷 Argentina) — Canadian Premiere
- Betty St. Clair, directed by Syra McCarthy & Kyle Casey Chu (🇺🇸 United States) — Canadian Premiere
- Sole, directed by Haneol Lee (🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
- The Life Cycle of a Grey Ant, directed by CARAZ (🇨🇦 Canada, 🇫🇷 France) — Canadian Premiere
- Found & Lost, directed by Reza Rasouli (🇦🇹 Austria) — Alberta Premiere
- Dear Mae, directed by Josiah Mendoza, Mona Patterson & Zoey Franklin (🇺🇸 United States) — Canadian Premiere
- Daddy’s Little Meatball, directed by Yael Grunseit (🇦🇺 Australia, 🇺🇸 United States) — Canadian Premiere
- Finger Guns, directed by David Feehan (🇨🇦 Canada)
Shorts: Alberta Spirit Shorts (Night One)
- Everything Must Go, directed by Kaito Nyunoya (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- The Eldest Daughter, directed by Rhia Aden (🇨🇦 Canada) — World Premiere
- Renderfamily, directed by Tyler Longmire (🇨🇦 Canada) — World Premiere
- Gates, directed by gbohunmi (🇨🇦 Canada) — World Premiere
- Quay Queens: Cultivating a Community, directed by Anna Andrews (🇨🇦 Canada)
- Grrrl Style YYC, directed by Cass Gayowski (🇨🇦 Canada) — World Premiere
- Porridge with Love, directed by Mary Yohannes (🇨🇦 Canada)
- Itseetamapi, directed by Adam Solway (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- The Legacy of a Butterfly, directed by Monique Barrie (🇨🇦 Canada)
- Kaadiki – Pool Party, directed by Jordan Harvey (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- People Watching, directed by Alexis Grace Alvendia (🇨🇦 Canada) — World Premiere
- Going Nowhere Fast, directed by Dylan Paffe (🇨🇦 Canada) — Canadian Premiere
Shorts: Alberta Spirit Shorts (Night Two)
- Lube City, directed by Guillaume Carlier (🇨🇦 Canada)
- This Is My Body, directed by Rino Mioc (🇨🇦 Canada) — World Premiere
- Boob Jobs Save Lives Part 2, directed by Mykah Obrigewitch (🇨🇦 Canada) — Calgary Premiere
- Yolkless Press, directed by Vicki Van Chau (🇨🇦 Canada)
- The Predutchian, directed by Dallas Soonias (🇨🇦 Canada) — World Premiere
- The Gift, directed by Alexandra Gavillet (🇨🇦 Canada) — Canadian Premiere
- Decades: In the SAIT Darkroom with George Webber, directed by Xavier La Prairie (🇨🇦 Canada)
- As the Bannock Burns, directed by Nathaniel Arcand (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- Middle of Nowhere, directed by Alex Eskandarkhah & Warin Era (🇨🇦 Canada) — World Premiere
Shorts: Celebrate the Dreamer
- How to Make Paper, directed by Jeff Wielki (🇨🇦 Canada)
- Fireflies, directed by Noah Shin (🇺🇸 United States) — World Premiere
- Fine Black Frame, directed by Leah Doz (🇨🇦 Canada) — Canadian Premiere
- Volklore, directed by Viktorie Štěpánová (🇨🇿 Czechia) — International Premiere
- Sensual, directed by Tanja Nuijten (🇩🇪 Germany) — Alberta Premiere
- Insecticide, directed by Paula Gallego (🇪🇸 Spain) — Alberta Premiere
- With Coffee (Tales with the Letter C), directed by María Manero Muro (🇪🇸 Spain) — Canadian Premiere
- Bari, directed by Jiyeon Woo (🇩🇪 Germany) — World Premiere
- Dream Synth™, directed by Ryley O’Byrne (🇨🇦 Canada) — Canadian Premiere
- Black Seas, directed by Erin Weisgerber (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
Shorts: Coat of Many Colours
- Cartoon Physics, directed by Ru Kuwahata & Max Porter (🇫🇷 France, 🇳🇱 The Netherlands, 🇨🇭 Switzerland) — Canadian Premiere
- Apart, directed by Pola Maneli (🇺🇸 United States, 🇿🇦 South Africa) — International Premiere
- Saba, directed by Liron Topaz (🇺🇸 United States, 🇫🇷 France) — Canadian Premiere
- Ultra Strong, directed by Catherine Lepage (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- Because Today Is Saturday, directed by Alice Eça Guimarães (🇵🇹 Portugal) — Alberta Premiere
- Living with a Visionary, directed by Stephen P. Neary (🇺🇸 United States) — Canadian Premiere
- Paper Trail, directed by Don Hertzfeldt (🇺🇸 United States) — Calgary Premiere
- The End, directed by Niki Lindroth von Bahr (🇸🇪 Sweden, 🇫🇷 France, 🇩🇰 Denmark) — Alberta Premiere
Shorts: The Dark at the End of the Street
- Dough Man, directed by Brittney Gavin & Amy Mielke (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- Before the Sun, directed by Douglas Cook (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- The Pigs Underneath, directed by Charlie Dennis (🇬🇧 United Kingdom) — Alberta Premiere
- Ball Face, directed by Laurence Thérien (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- Cosmonauts, directed by Leo Černic (🇸🇮 Slovenia, 🇮🇹 Italy) — Calgary Premiere
- Bisou Sauvage, directed by Bahij Jaroudi (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- Matches, directed by Jake Delaney (🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
- God Is Shy, directed by Jocelyn Charles (🇫🇷 France) — Alberta Premiere
- Scissors, directed by Hannah Alline (🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
- Man Eating Pussy, directed by Emily Lawson (🇨🇦 Canada, 🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
Shorts: Each Season Changes You
- The Waddles, directed by Max Jenkins (🇺🇸 United States) — International Premiere
- Plumped, directed by Nora DeLigter & Faye Tsakas (🇺🇸 United States) — Canadian Premiere
- Faux Bijoux, directed by Jessy Moussallem (🇫🇷 France, 🇱🇧 Lebanon) — Canadian Premiere
- Fatherfucker, directed by Grégory Camoli (🇧🇪 Belgium) — Canadian Premiere
- She’s Nonbinary, directed by Jess McLeod (🇨🇦 Canada) — Calgary Premiere
- Method Cowboy, directed by Carlos Valdivia (🇺🇸 United States) — Canadian Premiere
- We Were Here, directed by Pranav Bhasin (🇮🇳 India)
- BID16, directed by Mick Robertson & Margaret Rose (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
Shorts: A Fool Like Me
- Thirteen Cats, directed by David Gaspar (🇪🇸 Spain) — Canadian Premiere
- The Dream Is a Snail, directed by Thien An Nguyen (🇻🇳 Vietnam, 🇰🇷 South Korea) — Alberta Premiere
- Sundown, directed by Lucien Lepoutre (🇧🇪 Belgium) — Canadian Premiere
- The Last Wish, directed by Kimberley Ann Surin (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- Sister’s Swim, directed by Lola Degove (🇫🇷 France, 🇧🇪 Belgium) — Calgary Premiere
- Jazz Infernal, directed by Will Niava (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- Coffin Therapy, directed by Zéré Turlykhanova (🇰🇿 Kazakhstan) — Canadian Premiere
Shorts: Life’s Like Poetry
- The Baddest Speechwriter of All, directed by Ben Proudfoot & Stephen Curry (🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
- Air Horse One, directed by Lasse Linder (🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇨🇭 Switzerland) — Canadian Premiere
- For the Opponents, directed by Federico Luis (🇨🇱 Chile, 🇲🇽 Mexico, 🇫🇷 France) — Canadian Premiere
- Mon Taxi, directed by Meriem Sakrouhi (🇺🇸 United States, 🇲🇦 Morocco) — Calgary Premiere
- Panther Pat, directed by Ashley Brandon (🇺🇸 United States) — Canadian Premiere
- Puolanka Pussy Rally, directed by Inka Achté & Einari Paakkanen (🇫🇮 Finland) — Canadian Premiere
- A Wolf in the Suburbs, directed by Amélie Hardy (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
Shorts: Save the Last Dance for Me
- The Most Beautiful Girl in the World, directed by Vassili Schneider (🇫🇷 France) — Canadian Premiere
- Crisis Actor, directed by Lily Platt (🇺🇸 United States) — Canadian Premiere
- Blue, directed by Ethan Romaine (🇺🇸 United States) — Canadian Premiere
- Fantasies of a Rescue Dummy, directed by Adrian Maganza (🇬🇧 United Kingdom)
- Bowl Cut, directed by Tamara Vittoz (🇫🇷 France) — Canadian Premiere
- I Don’t Love You Anymore, directed by Diane Obomsawin (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- The Portrait, directed by Julia Hogg (🇨🇦 Canada) — Canadian Premiere
- Please, directed by Anna Mantzaris (🇫🇮 Finland, 🇫🇷 France, 🇳🇴 Norway, 🇸🇪 Sweden, 🇨🇿 Czechia) — Alberta Premiere
- The Curse of Danny Rizzo, directed by Ievy Stamatov (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- Send Nudes, directed by David Sick (🇩🇪 Germany) — Canadian Premiere
- How’s Archie?, directed by Jessie Posthumus (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- Kiloran Bay, directed by Michael Bruce (🇬🇧 United Kingdom, 🇺🇸 United States) — Calgary Premiere
Shorts: Where Do the Children Play?
- Sunspark, directed by Danny Bourque (🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
- ChikaBOOM!, directed by c. Craig Patterson (🇺🇸 United States) — International Premiere
- Christine Sinclair: Kind of a Big Deal, directed by Eoin Duffy (🇨🇦 Canada)
- Dodgeball, directed by Jesse Van Norman (🇺🇸 United States) — Canadian Premiere
- Gatorville, directed by Freddie Gluck (🇺🇸 United States) — International Premiere
- Whale 52 – Suite for Man, Boy, and Whale, directed by Daniel Neiden (🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
- Rocketship Mai, directed by Arlyn Nertomb, Katie Winchester, Crystal Woo, Michelle Lorimer, Airin Budiman, Nattasha Shrestha, Bec Cranswick & Anastasia Walker (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- Pitchin’ Stones, directed by Bex Jones (🇨🇦 Canada)
- Beast of the Seine, directed by Jon Portman (🇺🇸 United States) — Alberta Premiere
Shorts: Youth by Youth Cinema
- The Art of Being in Debt, directed by Gage Pili (🇨🇦 Canada)
- Checkims, directed by Jack Zhu (🇨🇦 Canada) — International Premiere
- Attack of the Mutated Melons, directed by Zlata Kovalenko (🇨🇿 Czechia) — International Premiere
- Born to Darkness, directed by Winslow Burnett (🇺🇸 United States) — World Premiere
- Hide&Seek, directed by Mackenna Fletcher (🇨🇦 Canada) — Calgary Premiere
- The Bunny, directed by Isaiah Supadi & Oscar Smith (🇦🇺 Australia) — Calgary Premiere
- Instant, directed by Hudson Hillin (🇺🇸 United States) — International Premiere
- Grow Up, directed by Dari Justin (🇦🇺 Australia) — Canadian Premiere
- Forgotten, directed by Artin Hadipour (🇨🇦 Canada) — World Premiere
- Dear Ella, directed by Laura Vanessa Schultz (🇩🇪 Germany) — International Premiere
- Gem Stickers, directed by Thea Kasinos (🇨🇦 Canada)
- Take a Breath, directed by Aime Novoa Samaniego (🇨🇦 Canada) — World Premiere
Short Films Before Features
- The Flames of Me, directed by Daniel Léger (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
- (Haboolm Ksinaalgat) Soul Catcher, directed by Amanda Strong & Pamela Post (🇨🇦 Canada) — Alberta Premiere
Source: Calgary International Film Festival, August 26, 2026 lineup announcements.