Posted on August 28, 2018

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WILD WESTERN OPENS FILM FESTIVAL

CALGARY, AB – Today the Calgary International Film Festival announced the selection for the Opening Gala, the western Canadian premiere for a tale of the Wild West.

 

THE SISTERS BROTHERS, directed by Jacques Audiard, with an all-star cast of John C. Reilly, Joaquin Phoenix, Riz Ahmed and Jake Gyllenhaal, will screen at the Jack Singer Concert Hall onWednesday, September 19 at 7:30 pm. The Gala party will be held afterward at Bottlescrew Bills, open to ticket holders but subject to capacity.

Set during the Gold Rush of 1851, a pair of notorious, deadly assassins hunt an idealistic prospector who has discovered a chemical formula that reveals hidden gold. The Sisters Brothers bicker, fight and drink their way through a series of peculiar and perilous misadventures, while wrestling with their violent calling and dark past.

“Based on the bestselling, award-winning novel by Canadian author Patrick deWitt, and directed by the winner of the Cannes Palme d'Or for 2015's DHEEPAN, THE SISTERS BROTHERS is an instant Western classic,” said Stephen Schroeder, Executive Director of the Calgary International Film Festival. “It’s a darkly comic odyssey through the absurdity, grit and melancholy of the American frontier, rich with dreamlike visions, human tenderness and inevitable bursts of violence.”

The 19th Annual Calgary International Film Festival has 178 films in its full lineup, including all shorts, features, and collaboration screenings. This year the festival enjoyed a record-breaking 1912 paid submissions, compared with 1598 last year. 32 films have a first-time feature director. Approximately 30% of all booked features are Canadian (32 out of 103 total features). 56 films at the festival have a female director.

Here are some of the films (not yet previously announced) in today’s full announcement:

OF FATHERS AND SONS directed by Tala Derki

I’LL TAKE YOUR DEAD directed by Chad Archibald

LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT directed by Bi Gan

WE, THE DEAD (AQÉRAT) directed by Edmund Yeo

THE WOMAN WHO LOVES GIRAFFES directed by Alison Reid

Please see calgaryfilm.com for the rest of our full lineup. Ticket sales begin today!

 

NEXT WEEK

There are still more exciting announcements to come. We have an incredible Behind The Screen lineup in store for you. Watch for our release next week.

 

STAY TUNED FOR OUR FULL LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT

Single tickets to all films are now on sale online at calgaryfilm.com. The Eau Claire Box Office will open on September 14. This year’s festival runs from September 19 – September 30.

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For more information or to book interviews contact:
Nadine bibi, Marketing Director, The Calgary International Film Festival
nadine.bibi@calgaryfilm.com
403.452.4845

About the Calgary International Film Festival

The Calgary International Film Festival (Calgary Film) is a 12-day showcase of up to 200 multi-genre feature and short films from Canada and over 40 other countries. The festival hosts gala events, screenings, special presentations, and a Behind the Screen series that emphasizes unique and exciting ways for filmmakers and fans to interact.

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