Top 5 Picks for the Calgary Underground Film Festival

This is a guest post from culture addict/underground film junkie Karla Carcamo. If you’d like to become a contributor to GetDown, learn how here.

The Calgary Underground Film Festival is a great facet to Calgary culture not only because it brings in top notch films but it caters to an audience that enjoys the weird and uncanny. This year is not exception! While it was a bit of a labor of love to pick five sole flicks from this year’s festival, I think I’ve managed to pick my top must see. 

1. Upstream Color - I am trying to keep my knowledge of this film to a minimum but it has been getting so much attention that it is proving to be quite difficult. None-the-less I’ve managed to keep plot leaks to a water drop and have only skimmed the surface of this sci-fi flick. All I can and want to say: Pigs are not merely pigs in Upstream Color, apparently.
2. Frances Ha - As a writer, Noah Baumbach has created some of my most cherished flicks with his contribution to screenplays (Fantastic Mr. Fox and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou) but as a writer/director I sometimes have violent reactions to his characters (Margot at the Wedding, GREENBERG). So I was a little bit torn between seeing his new feature Frances Ha or not. Then I watched the trailer and fell in love with the images presented to me. Something about it screamed WOODY ALLEN (perhaps its romantic depiction on New York City?) that solidified my need to watch it. Is Noah Baumbach creating an ode to the prolific director with this film? Only a viewing will tell.
3. A Band Called Death - I am not going to lie: Punk documentaries about a disbanded band always grabs my attention. Plus it was featured on culture blog Dangerous Minds. Don’t know what that is? Well, now you have a new favourite blog.
4. I Am Divine - This is a no brainer. This film was brought to CUFF as part of its devotion to the weird and uncanny. This documentary will celebrate everything a CUFF audience member stands for: the right to be yourself even if it means going against the grain. Divine was and continues to be an idol among many, including the great John Waters, who presented at last year’s festival. It is no surprise that this doc is being screened at CUFF this year.
5. I Declare War - This film has Lord of the Flies themes splashed all over it. I am terrified and excited to watch this Canadian made flick.

Tagged as: calgary underground film festival, Cuff, downtown, globe, globe cinema