CUFF Returns With a Fully Loaded Lineup

by Paula Martinez

From April 16 to 26, the Calgary Underground Film Festival (CUFF) returns to the Globe Cinema for its 23rd year. With a mix of films from across the globe spanning all genres, all movie lovers will find something to love.

CUFF is Western Canada’s largest genre film festival, and audiences love it for this diversity.

Festival director Brenda Lieberman says that it’s because of the CUFF audience and how cinephiles show up that the festival can present a wide range of content.

“It elevates the festival to be a world-class festival,” she says.

Last year, the festival saw an attendance record of over 12,500 attendees, with numbers expected to surpass that this year.

Tried and true

The 11-day film festival starts on Thursday, April 16, with the film Hokum. From Damien McCarthy, Hokum is a bone-chilling and absolutely terrifying film that follows a novelist who is haunted at a remote inn during a trip to scatter his parents’ ashes. Nothing kicks off CUFF like a great party — attendees are invited to head to The Derrick across the street after the film and join the 2026 opening night After Party, featuring a live DJ set from CJSW Station manager Adam Kamis.

Every year, CUFF brings back beloved special events. Expect the return of classic events such as the Saturday Morning All-You-Can-Eat Cereal Cartoon Party, the 48-Hour Movie Making Challenge and the Indie Game Bash, where attendees compete in a video game on the big screen.

Between the festival’s screenings and events, over 100 filmmakers, actors, creators and industry professionals will talk about their films in post-screening Q&As and panels. On Sunday, April 26, the festival caps off with its closing night film, I Love Boosters, a comedy from director Boots Riley, that boasts an all-star cast, including Keke Palmer, LaKeith Stanfield and Demi Moore.

2026 highlights

CUFF 2026 will highlight two retrospective Canadian filmmakers. On National Canadian Film Day, which is April 15 (the day before CUFF officially starts), the festival will screen Hard Core Logo. This year is the film’s 30th anniversary, and to mark the celebration, iconic director Bruce McDonald will be in attendance. McDonald fans can see another McDonald film — Claire’s Hat: The Unmaking of a Film — on April 19.

To mark the 45th anniversary of Canadian-made My Bloody Valentine, the festival will screen the classic film on April 19, with director George Mihalka in attendance.

Local spotlight

In addition to global films and Canadian classic anniversaries, CUFF also shines the spotlight on several Alberta filmmakers. Lieberman explains that a significant focus of the festival is curating a lineup that excites and resonates with the Calgary audience, and that often means showcasing the extraordinary work being crafted in our backyard. “It’s exciting for us to be able to find content locally that we can elevate through the festival experience,” says Lieberman.

Some of the local films to look forward to include Buffet Infinity, a cosmic horror feature about Alberta businesses upping one another with absurd commercials, directed by Edmonton-based Simon Glassman. Calgary director Rino Mioc’s feature film, Earth to Colby, will premiere at CUFF, showcasing a story about an aspiring vlogger who discovers a notebook detailing hidden portals in her hometown. Local movie buffs can also watch Camp, a film that looks at modern witchcraft and duels in a redemption story, directed by Vancouver filmmaker Avalon Fast and was shot in Alberta with a local cast and crew. The coming-of-age story about a girl with a beard titled The Bearded Girl, by Jody Wilson (originally from Jasper and now based in Vancouver), is another one to watch out for.

Single tickets cost $12 for the general public and $10 for members, students and seniors. Or, check out special ticket bundles, including a $50 five-film pack and $149 festival passes.