The films, music and experiences to expect at this year's Calgary International Film Festival

The Calgary International Film Festival has officially kicked off its 23rd year with more than 175 films screening between Sept. 22 and Oct. 2. 

Organizers are hoping attendance numbers will increase after operating under two years of pandemic constraints. 

The artistic director of the festival, Brian Owens, says he's already feeling the energy pick back up at Eau Claire Market, where the event is based.

"The last two years … we were able to do in-person, but we had to do it at such a restricted capacity that we were literally looking at only a few thousand people being able to attend," he said.

"We are not wholly expecting it to go all the way back to 2019 attendance levels. But you know what? It's actually gauging pretty darn close, and that's really exciting."

Several films included in this year's lineup were shot in the province or were Alberta-led, including Before I Change My Mind, a coming-of-age LGBT film, The Maiden, which looks at the emotional crises experienced by two Alberta teens, and Insanity — a documentary examining how society deals with mental illness.

Along with curating both Canadian and international films, Owens says the festival has been working hard to deliver an exciting visitor experience.

CIFF has built a public art installation made up of balloons, it's featuring live music — at the screenings for High School, which focuses on Calgary pop duo Tegan and Sara, and Nosferatu — and it's created a free, interactive media hub featuring video games and virtual reality experiences. 

One of the pieces, called This Is Not a Ceremony, was created by Lethbridge filmmaker Colin Van Loon.

"It really challenges us as settlers to help take on the burden of what happened in the residential schools," Owens said. "It's an incredible use of virtual reality to really just inundate you with the message. It's beautiful."

In the lead up to the festival, CBC Calgary spoke to a few of the filmmakers with pieces screening at CIFF. 

Laura O'Grady is the Calgarian behind Francheska: Prairie Queen. The film follows the life of Filipino care worker Francis (Kiko) Yutrago, who lives in a town just south of Lethbridge, Alta., and is trying to find superstardom through his drag persona, Francheska Dynamites.

"I first saw Kiko as Francheska at a small town Pride event, and the weather wasn't great … so there was very few people there," O'Grady said in an interview on The Homestretch. "But Francheska took the stage, and she just lit it up."

Throughout the film, O'Grady explores the Filipino pageant circuit where Francheska Dynamites performs. She also looks at Yutrago's dedication to his family, working five jobs to send money back to the Philippines for medical and educational costs.