Since starting in 2000, CIFF (Calgary International Film Festival) has continued to bring star-power to Calgary along with dozens of intriguing films and interesting Q and A panels.
Prior to kicking off CIFF 2025, I got the opportunity to view some screenings and chat with some people who made these projects a reality.
These are a few films that caught my attention, and I really enjoyed.
Kid Koala’s Space Cadet: A silent story that speaks volumes
Eric San, better known as Kid Koala, has taken a deeply personal memory and turned it into a feature-length animated film.
“I remember watching Charlie Chaplin films with my grandmother when she visited us from Asia,” San recalls. “She didn’t speak any English, I remember hearing her, or hear her sniffles and catch her tear up during the emotional moments.
“Even as a kid, I thought, someday I want to stir up that kind of feeling.”
That idea eventually became Space Cadet, a graphic novel San published in 2011, which has now been transformed into a dialogue-free animated feature. The film tells the story of a guardian robot who raises a young girl to become a space explorer. The space explorer in this movie, named Celeste, goes on a solo mission while the robot is left behind with what San calls “empty nest syndrome.”
The movie, he says, is about generational cycles, connection across time and space, and the small, meaningful interactions that shape us.
“People have told me they were reminded of family members they miss, and some came out of screenings with running mascara. It’s been resonant, and that’s all you can really hope for,” he says.
Creating an 80-minute story with no dialogue was no easy task, but San leaned on his background as a DJ and composer to let the music drive the emotion. He credits screenwriter Mylène Chollet with expanding the universe of the original book and centering chapters around timeless songs that evoke nostalgia. Much of the score also comes from lullabies San originally composed for his daughter.
Visually, the film is minimalistic but powerful. San says he wanted the animation to remain spacious and focused, leaving room for subtle emotional cues.
“Even though the robot doesn’t have eyebrows or lips, the animators brought this incredible emotional depth,” he says. “I credit the animators for that.”
The journey towards this going on the screen took more than a decade. Producer Ginette Petit optioned the book in 2011, and it wasn’t until nearly 10 years later that the project was officially greenlit — right in the middle of the pandemic. Working remotely ended up shaping the film’s tone.
“Celeste is alone in her spacecraft, and the robot is alone back on Earth. So, there are parallels that I think benefitted in that process,” San reflects.
The reception so far has been overwhelmingly emotional. San emphasizes that the story isn’t just for kids.
“It’s more of a multi-generational movie,” he says. “No matter what age you are or where you’re at in your journey, you might find something relatable in these characters.”
Space Cadet premieres at CIFF on September 19, with San in attendance for a Q&A.
Pavan Moondi’s Middle Life: An Indie film that punches above its weight
Pavan Moondi is the writer and director of Middle Life, a dramady in which two people cross-paths and find their lives entangled after a car crash.
The movie blends humor, heart, and high-energy storytelling.
“We committed to shooting it in December before I even had a script ready,” Moondi explains. “It was all in service of maintaining a sense of urgency that really defined the project.”
Moondi drew lessons from his previous films such as Sundowners, focusing on maximizing production value while staying efficient.
“I was really intent on not confining it to a couple locations. It was like, let’s have 30 locations and figure out ways to do it,” he claims the film’s goal was to feel larger than its budget.
“It’s a fun movie, and it’s not too serious. We wanted it to feel like these are real people with relatable problems,” he adds.
The production faced unique challenges, from coordinating shoots across two cities to executing complex sequences like a car crash, with minimal resources.
During the LA shoot, wildfires disrupted their prep time, forcing the team to adapt on the fly.
“We had to build the prep into the actual shoot days,” Moondi says, noting that long days and a skilled crew helped them navigate these obstacles without compromising the film.
“It turned into long days of figuring out the scenes as we were shooting them.”
Despite the hurdles, Moondi describes the experience as exhilarating. The film moved from concept to completion in just 13 months, relying on a tight-knit team where many members wore multiple hats.
“There are maybe 20 people that worked on the movie in total, and probably five of us wore like 10 hats each,” he says.
Middle Life is set to premiere on Sept. 20 in Calgary, with cast members and crew attending the world premiere.
Moondi hopes the film resonates with its audience, emphasizing a communal and fun viewing experience.
“If you take a chance on it and show up and are down to have a good time, I think you’ll walk away pretty satisfied,” he says.
Elyse Bouvier’s vulnerable memoir on family, faith, and conversation: Unfolding Faith
Elyse Bouvier’s new film is a deeply personal, memoir-style documentary that explores family, faith, and the challenging conversations that shape our relationships.
Bouvier describes it as a very vulnerable film, highlighting the emotional depth of the project.
The film captures candid moments, such as a road trip with her father and an intimate discussion with her mother, which Bouvier says were particularly special.
“I totally forgot the cameras were there for a minute, I was so in on that conversation with her,” she says.
The project aims to foster discussion among families, and Bouvier hopes that audiences, regardless of their religious background, will take away a new perspective on where we’re all coming from.
“Being able to have those conversations, I think kind of helped us to have a new perspective and respect for each other and for each other’s beliefs,” she added. “Maybe they won’t have the conversations with their family, but they’ll think about it.”
Unfolding Faith plays as part of the Real and True shorts package at Contemporary Calgary on Sunday, Sept. 21.
The film will also be streaming on the National Film Board site in mid-October.
Alan Zweig on Love, Harold: Breaking the silence around suicide
A warning, this next review involves talks of suicide, if you or someone you know is struggling, the 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline is available across Canada.
Filmmaker Alan Zweig is preparing to debut his latest documentary Love, Harold at the Calgary International Film Festival.
It’s a project he hopes will spark meaningful conversations around one of society’s most taboo subjects: suicide.
While the subject matter is undeniably heavy, Zweig insists the film is not meant to be overwhelming, or difficult to watch, instead he believes it goes a long way in creating discussions that need to happen.
“We tried to make the gentlest version of a difficult subject that we can make… mostly we’re trying to make a film that people can watch.”
Instead of difficulty, Zweig says he felt gratitude. “I felt privileged that they were sharing these stories with me… it felt like, you tell me your story and I will tell that story to others.”
In Love, Harold, legendary Canadian documentarian Zweig seeks out others grappling with the suicide of a loved one, telling their stories, and how they have tackled their grief.
Much of the film’s power, Zweig believes, comes from confronting stigma. He notes how rarely suicide is spoken about openly, often cloaked in euphemisms like “died suddenly.”
He hopes by giving people a platform, it will help shift that culture.
“They have absolutely no reason to feel shame,” he said. “People have seen the film and said it’s more about love than it is about death.”
Love, Harold fits naturally within Zweig’s body of work, which often centers on untold stories.
From documentaries on ex-convicts to former police officers, he has frequently found that silence surrounds trauma.
“I don’t think it’s that I have a particular attraction to trauma,” he explains. “I think it’s more that I have an attraction to untold stories, and often those untold stories are untold for a reason.”
The Calgary premiere holds personal meaning; one of the participants featured in the film is from the city and will be attending.
Zweig says he is eager to experience the documentary with a audience for the first time.
“I think the film is also kind of beautiful and emotional,” he says. “I would love it if our film went a little bit towards breaking the taboo.”
Love, Harold premiers on Sept. 21 at Contemporary Calgary.