Nov 3, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Unique Festival Begins in Calgary.

The Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers (CSIF) is thrilled to present a three-day festival of Surrealism on Film.  Inspired by the 80th anniversary of Un Chien Andalou by Salvador Dalí and Luis Buñeul, the festival includes a special screening of this work, along with contemporary surrealist films by local, national and international filmmakers.  The festival is the only one of its kind in the world.

The program will run on Thursday, November 27 and Friday, November 28 at the CSIF Sofa Cinema.  It will conclude with a grand finale at the Plaza Theatre on Saturday, November 29, which will feature Un Chien Andalou, along with contemporary surrealist short films.  In addition to the films, the three-day festival will also present other surrealist happenings, including a co-presentation with CJSW on Paula Fayerman’s Noise program on Thursday evening beginning at 9:30 pm, as well as other performances by writers and artists throughout the festival.

The purpose of the festival is to highlight the classic work by Dalí and Buñeul and to present contemporary film works that push the boundaries of art, narrative and consciousness.  The three days of programming will exhibit works that range from traditional surrealism to modern interpretations of the movement.  It will astonish, amaze and probably bewilder audiences, drawing them from their daily routines into the strange and fantastic world of dreams.

Over the course of the festival, the CSIF will present a series of diverse short film by local, national and international filmmakers.  Local works include Dali Ants by animator Don Best and Citadel by Tinu Sinha (Executive Director of NUTV and co-producer of What You’re Ready For with Corey Lee).  The program also features a strong selection of Canadian films, most notably the superbly surreal Deco Dawson and renowned queer filmmaker Wrik Mead.  Experimental filmmaker Rick Raxlen will screen his film Seahorses and Flying Fish, with a surreal dada soundtrack provided by experimental poet Christian Bök (a writing professor at the University of Calgary).  Other celebrated Canadian filmmakers include Solomon Nagler, Amy Lockhart, Roberto Arignello, and Gerald Saul.   The international portion of the program exhibits works from the USA, Spain, the Netherlands, and Austria and includes the Oscar nominated short Copy Shop by Virgil Widrich.    

Join the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers and other surreal folk for a screening of Surrealism on Film from Nov 27-29 (beginning at 7 pm each night) in the CSIF Sofa Cinema (Building J2, 2711 Battleford Ave. SW) and the Plaza Theatre (1133 Kensington Rd. NW).  Admission is $8 for CSIF members, students& seniors, and $10 for the general public.  


Link to the Surrealism BLOG
Download Program Guide here.