The Calgary International Film Festival is Alberta’s largest film festival, an 11-day event each fall with more than 200 films from Canada and around the world.
About
WhenLate September to early October, 11 days; 2026 ran September 24 to October 4
WhereMultiple venues across Calgary, including Cineplex Chinook, the Globe Cinema, Contemporary Calgary, The Grand and the Plaza Theatre
First held2000
AdmissionSingle tickets $19 plus fees; ticket bundles from $85; All-Access Pass $475
Screenings run at venues across Calgary alongside red carpet galas, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, and short-film programs, several carrying Academy Award qualifying status. There is also a free outdoor screening night at Eau Claire Plaza.
The first festival ran in 2000 for six days and drew 8,000 people. It has grown into an 11-day festival with attendance around 30,000, and it shows up regularly on MovieMaker Magazine’s ’50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee’ list.