September 7 and 8, 2024 | Admission by Donation

Oki and welcome! The Galt Museum & Archives | Akaisamitohkanao’pa presents the second annual Lethbridge Independent Film Festival! Immerse yourself in a vibrant celebration of cinematic artistry.

This year, we proudly selected 41 groundbreaking films, including 30 premieres from every corner of the globe—Indonesia, Portugal, Brazil, the UK, Netherlands, Malawi, Switzerland, Egypt, the USA, and of course a wide selection of captivating works from local and Canadian filmmakers. LIFF bridges local roots with global creativity, offering a rich tapestry of genres and styles with something for every audience member, regardless of age or taste. We spotlight films created by and about BIPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+, feminist, neurodivergent, differently abled and other underrepresented communities.

There will be exclusive premieres with cast and crew in attendance, and special events featuring director and actor Q&As, as well as live performances. Let the festival’s diverse and inclusive stories inspire, challenge and move you.

Our team would like to acknowledge and honour that we gather on Treaty 7 territory - the traditional and ancestral territory of Niitsitapii, the Blackfoot Confederacy, including Kainai, Piikani and Siksika First Nations. As well as most recently the TsuuT'ina Nation, Stoney Nakoda First Nation and the Metis Nation of Alberta, Region 3.

Parental guidance for children is advised. Please review the content warnings in our programs to decide what is suitable for children and adult personal preference.

OPENING FILM
Alberta Premiere
A Banquet
Dir Ruth Paxton

CLOSING FILM
Canada Premiere
Bring Them Home
Dir Ivy MacDonald, Ivan MacDonald and Daniel Glick

Venues

LIFF is at two locations on three screens. For details, see the festival lineup.

Saturday, September 7
The Movie Mill
1710 Mayor Magrath Dr S
11AM-11PM

Come and enjoy the exciting screenings at Movie Mill, Lethbridge’s iconic cinema, with delicious amenities like buttery popcorn, gourmet sodas, froyo, and more. Support local businesses and filmmakers while soaking in the classic cinematic vibe.

Sunday, September 8
Galt Museum & Archives | Akaisamitohkanao’pa
502 1 St S
11AM-11PM

Step into the Galt Museum & Archives | Akaisamitohkanao’pa for a festival experience like no other! Enjoy films in the museum’s stunning Viewing Gallery. Or for a touch of magic, come outside to the nook on the south end of the building, where the outdoor screen lights up against the sky. If the weather decides to be unpredictable, no worries—the outdoor events will shift inside to the Viewing Gallery to keep the films rolling.

Festival Line Up

Saturday, September 7

The Movie Mill
1710 Mayor Magrath Dr S

Kids Short Film Fun!
11AM The Movie Mill

*Please note on Sunday, Sept 8 at 12PM there will be an encore screening of Kids Short Film Fun! at the Galt Museum and Archives Akaisamitohkanao’pa outdoor screen.

We'll kick off the festival with a special treat for the little ones! Enjoy exciting Canadian kids' short films from the treasured archives of the National Film Board of Canada and be among the first to walk the red carpet!

The Girl Who Hated Books
This animated short about literacy introduces us to Meena, a young girl who hates books even though her parents love to read.

Director: Jo Meuris | Canada | 2006 | 7 min | English

Distant Islands
This short animation uses appliqué and embroidered tapestries to recall a young girl's happy summers spent sailing with her family off the coast of British Columbia.

Director: Bettina Maylone | Canada | 1981 | 6 min | English

Waseteg
The story of a young Mi'kmaq girl whose name means “the light from the dawn.” A film about dreams, courage, identity, creation and embracing our Elders, Waseteg showcases Phyllis Grant's signature style of bold lines, bright colours and simple movements. The film is beautifully narrated by legendary filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin.

Director: Phyllis Grant | Canada | 2010 | 6 min | Mi'kmaq and English

An Artist
In this short animation, a girl is so carried away by her love of music that she forgets about her household chores. Her father tells her to finish the dishes. Instead of washing them, she turns them into musical instruments, and he finally recognizes her talent.

Director: Michèle Cournoyer | Canada | 1994 | 5 min

The Dingles
This animated short features Doris Dingle and her family of three cats. Sure to appeal to children of all ages, The Dingles shows what happens when an unexpected violent wind disrupts the family's idyllic life.

Director: Les Drew | Canada | 1988 | 7 min

Narrative Shorts Screening 
12PM The Movie Mill

This block of narrative shorts is filled with tales of self-discovery, mystery, and bravery in the deep inner worlds of humans.

To open the Lethbridge Independent Film Festival, we are honoured to have Elder Travis Plaited Hair join us before the screening for a Blackfoot greeting and prayer.

I Thought the World of You
Alberta Premiere
The speculative tale of Canadian outsider musician Lewis and the belated discovery of his 1983 album “L’Amour”. A love story composed in myth and song.

Director: Kurt Walker | Canada | 2022 |17 min | English

Nia
Canada Premiere
Nia, a young black woman, is raised in the countryside by her white Grandmother. When she suddenly passes away, Nia struggles with her identity and desperately embarks on a journey to find her birth mother.

Director: Chantelle Ampomah Aboraah | UK | 2023 |15 min | English | Content Warning: Death and dying

Portrait
Canada Premiere
When teenager Siah decides to take a nude selfie, she feels both exhilarated and mature. But when she receives news that her photo has been shared, Siah’s sexual agency all but evaporates before her. Siah then embarks on a mission to reclaim her image.

Director: Grace Louey | UK | 2023 |12 min | English | Content Warning: Mild sexuality, sexism and misogyny

The Jay Treaty - Dusty and Otaaáhs Big Adventure
World Premiere
Local Spotlight!
Naaáh (grandma in Blackfoot) makes hilarious and risky decisions while trying to cross the the US border and help her Grandson Dusty live in the USA under the Jay Treaty.

Director: Lese Skidmore | Canada | 2024 |10 min | Blackfoot and English

The Tuner of Silences
Canada Premiere
Mwanito’s been living in a big-game park for eight years. The only people he knows are his father, his brother, an uncle, and a servant. He’s been told that the rest of the world is dead, that all roads are sad, and that they wait for an apology from God.

Director: Mário Patricínio | Portugal, Brazil | 2023 | 21 min | Portuguese with English subtitles | Content Warning: Mental illness

Own Home?
Canada Premiere
In a dystopian future Em and Ly seek a night of escapism in a friend's vacant home. When confined they are forced to confront the heartless extremities of their new world: their future, friendship and identities are called into question.

Director: Bec Evans | UK | 2024 | 10 min | English | Content Warning: Dystopian future

Experimental Shorts Screening
2:15PM The Movie Mill 

In this collection of experimental shorts, you'll encounter playful imagination and dark underworlds as you venture behind the veil.

The Ugly Cry Club Variety Show
World Premiere
Local Spotlight!
Amanda Bigford of UglyCryClub brings you a compilation of her often hilarious and surreal  vignettes, some referencing cult icons and pop culture of past and present. When you feel like questioning every fibre of your reality, this is where you need to be.

Director: Amanda Bigford | Canada | 2024 | 20 min | English | Content Warning: Drug references, some mild disturbing themes 

Analog Graveyard
World Premiere
A film which explores the resemblances of the death and life of analogue film and human bodies. Work in progress. Shot on celluloid film and hand processed by the director.

Director: Jean-Pierre Marchant | Canada | 2024 | 6 min | English | Content Warning: Mild themes of death and dying

Osmosia
Canada Premiere
Osmosia is an experimental documentary film that investigates and re-narrates the lost works of Balinese artist Gde Dharna from an ecological perspective using an Opera creation methodology approach and experimental Balinese traditional vocal techniques.

Director: Fioretti Vera | Producer: B.M. Anggana | Indonesia | 2024 | 25 min | Balinese with English subtitles

Payhoi
Alberta Premiere
An experimental short film which blends seemingly opposing perspectives; a view of Northwestern Ontario landscape after a rain and a dynamic aerial performer. Through the juxtaposition of slow-motion reels, we suggest the illusion of colliding worlds moving through space. The colours of the medicine wheel remind us of the cycles of life.  The use of heritage languages (Celtic, Michif) as both a visual and text, anchors the piece with our ancestors

Director: Nadine Arpin | Canada | 2021 | 4min | Celtic, Michif and English

Fire Ravages Satan House
Local Spotlight!
In the 1980’s and 90’s a panic swept the land via the media. Based on the public reporting and the experiences of a kid who witnessed adults chase a phantom. The documentary talk of the satanic panic in southern Alberta.

Director: Shanell Papp | Canada | 2019 | 16min | English | Content warning: dark themes, suicide and youth at risk

Nature Nurture
World Premiere
Local Spotlight!
They say humans are social animals. A collection of vignettes about love and lust, biology and art. Stop-motion animation using hand-cut collage.

Director: Corinne Thiessen | Canada | 2019 | 4min | English | Content warning: sexual themes and substance abuse

Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying
Alberta Premiere
This hand-drawn animated documentary was created through a collaboration between mother, elder and narrator Edith Almadi and filmmakers Natalie Baird and Toby Gillies. Edith’s imagination transcends grief, revealing a vibrant world of art where love endures.

Director: Natalie Baird and Toby Gillies | Canada | 2024 | 7min | English | Content warning: mild themes on death and loss

Lethbridge Pride Fest Series: Part 1
4:15PM The Movie Mill 

For this screening, the festival has partnered with Pride Fest to celebrate joy and self-love through our feature presentation, Summer Qamp, and the short intro Autistic Joy.

Summer Qamp
Feature Presentation
Buried within the woods of Alberta, Canada sits camp fYrefly, a haven for LGBTQIA2S+ teens, far away from the fierce political battle currently being waged against queer expression and gender identity. SUMMER QAMP invites audiences into the innocence and joy of a summer away with friends, while never losing sight of the bravery of these young protagonists whose very existence is challenged in their normal lives.

Director: Jen Markowitz | Canada | 2023 | 80 min | English

Director Q&A
We’re excited to have Summer Qamp’s director, Jen Markowitz, join us for a special Q&A after the screening. Jen, a multi-award-winning director, writer, and producer, has earned three Canadian Screen Awards for Canada's Drag Raceand accolades for Shine True. Their documentary Summer Qamp debuted at TIFF 2023, earning a shortlist mention for the People’s Choice Documentary Award and several festival honours. The Q&A will be hosted by Gillian Goerz, author-illustrator of the acclaimed Shirley & Jamila kids graphic novel series and cofounder of Drunk Feminist Films (DFF), Toronto's popular shout-along screening series.

Autistic Joy
Short Intro
Canada Premiere
Autistic Joy is a micro short poetry film exploring the side of autism that often goes unspoken and under-explored: the joyful. From happy stimming to sensory delight, Autistic Joy delivers an insight into the positives within our autistic experience.

Director: Maddi Crease and Aaron Shrimpton | UK | 2024 | 4 min | English

Music Videos
6:45 The Movie Mill

Join us for a curated selection of exciting music videos from bands local and beyond!

A.Trozzo: Mailbox
World Public Premiere
Local Spotlight!
The idea emerged when they woke up from a nap, with the sun shining through a crystal ball into their eyes. Captivated by the beauty, they decided to capture it on video. Later, they experimented with pairing the footage with some music they had planned to release. It’s a testament to how art can be created from almost anything.

Director: Aaron Trozzo | Canada | 2024 | 4 min | English

Shaela Miller: Mourning Tonight
World Public Premiere
Local Spotlight!
Artist Shannel Papps larger-than-life crocheted skeleton, the vibrant ghosts, and the whimsical yet ritualistic procession of the bone carriers create a striking juxtaposition that aligns perfectly with the intended reception of the song and the interpretation of its lyrics. Addressing grief, a universal experience, reflects how it can overwhelm one’s world if not managed properly. The importance of integrating it into one's life is evident. Musician Shaela Miller channels their own process of dealing with grief through dance, vibration, and song.

Directors: Shall Miller, Shanell Papp, Mia Van Leeuwen | Canada | 2024 | 4 min | English | Content warning: death and dying.

Jared St. James: Space Cowboy
World Public Premiere
In a world of sad cowboys trapped in an age of technology without true connection! Pining for romance through interstellar transmission! Jared St. James seamlessly blends classic elements of country music while remaining true to the synth-pop genre. He croons and cries, staring into the blue light, calling out over and over “Can you hear me now, Space Cowboy?”

Directors: Adam Capriolo | Canada | 2024 | 4 min | English

Donny Sage & Alchemy the Linguist: Say You Love Me
World Public Premiere
Local Spotlight!
The song is about holding your loved ones close because death is everywhere and can take anyone. It's about showing love to the ones that we have lost and didn't get to say goodbye to because of the opioid epidemic but also accepting that everyone has vices and it's our "faults" that make us human.

Directors: Alchemy the Linguist & Donny Sage | Canada | 2023 | 4 min | English | Content warning: addiction, suicide, death and dying

Birch Barks: I Am A Habit
World Public Premiere
Local Spotlight!
The director explores consciousness through their art, with a current focus on examining the connections between consciousness and ecology. This video presents a journey through the virtual grain of pollen.

Directors: Evan Peacock | Canada and Japan | 2021 | 4 min | English

Skinny Dyck: Can’t Change The Colour Of Your Eyes
World Public Premiere
Local Spotlight!
Shot on super 8 by the director in Edmonton, AB. A grocery store colour palette as a metaphor for the diversity one sees through the same, everlasting eyes.

Directors: Laura La France | Canada | 2024 | 4 min | English

Jenny Moore feat. F*Choir: CEASEFIRE (You Cannot Stop The Sun)
World Premiere
Candice Purwin, working under the pseudonym Goblinan illustrator, animator, and graphic novelist, created the music video panels inspired by the escalating violence in Gaza that began in October 2023. Her comics are a way to remain engaged without being overwhelmed by the crisis. The song featured in the video originated from London street protests in support of Palestinian liberation, which also intensified in October 2023. It developed through various voices, actions, and communal singing sessions. While Purwin captures the gravity of the situation visually, Jenny Moore and the F*Choir wrote this protest music, using song to fuel the movement for justice and an end to apartheid.

Directors: Jenny Moore and Candice Purwin | UK | 2024 | 4 min | English | Content warning: war, death and dying, loss and grief

OPENING FILM with Short Intro
7:45 The Movie Mill

These films tackle the deep and sometimes dark challenges teens face, offering a raw look at issues like identity, mental health, and home life. Amidst the darkness, the screening will also reveal moments of hope, resilience, and the life-saving bond of friendship during those pivotal years.

A Banquet
Opening Film
Alberta Premiere
Widowed mother Holly (Sienna Guillory) is radically tested when her teenage daughter Betsey (Jessica Alexander) experiences a profound enlightenment and insists that her body is no longer her own, but in service to a higher power. Bound to her newfound faith, Betsey refuses to eat but loses no weight. In an agonizing dilemma, torn between love and fear, Holly is forced to confront the boundaries of her own beliefs.

Director: Ruth Paxton | UK | 2022 | 97 min | English | Content warning: eating disorders, mental health, jump scares and horror.

Short Intro: Arcadia Lasts
Canada Premiere
A teenager, Katy, gets cajoled into skipping school by a friend, Bobbi, both escaping for very different reasons. Katy eventually finds out Bobbi has used her to meet a boy, creating a problem they both have to confront.

Director: Aaron Shrimpton | UK | 2022 | 16 min | English | Content warning: mental health

Director Q&A
We are thrilled to have UK director Aaron Shrimpton of Arcadia Lasts join us for a special Q&A after the screening. Aaron is a BAFTA-winning filmmaker and a 1st Hons graduate in Fine Art Photography. With over 15 years of industry experience, he has worked on a variety of projects for clients such as Ai Weiwei, Channel 4, The Guardian, Chanel, Fatboy Slim, and Children In Need. He is an expert self-shoot editor and director of premium advertising, documentary, social arts, and community-focused work.

Sunday, September 8

Galt Museum & Archives | Akaisamitohkanao’pa
502 1 St S

Outdoor Screen
Please note if the weather decides to be unpredictable, no worries—the outdoor events will shift inside to the Viewing Gallery to keep the films rolling.

NFB Archive Kids Shorts Encore Screening
Enjoy an encore screening of exciting Canadian kids' short films from the treasured archives of the National Film Board of Canada, but this time, all set against the backdrop of the sky! Check the top of the program for details. 

11AM Galt Museum & Archives | Akaisamitohkanao’pa Outdoor Screen

NFB Archive: The Girl Who Hated Books

Documentary Shorts Outdoor Mini Fest!

Immerse yourself in a curated selection of engaging documentary shorts. This special screening highlights compelling stories of perseverance, diverse perspectives, and playful Canadian icons. All set in a relaxed, open-air setting, adding a unique touch to your festival experience. The program loops, so you can enjoy the films throughout the afternoon.

12PM - 4PM Galt Museum & Archives | Akaisamitohkanao’pa Outdoor Screen

Daughters of Malawi
Canada Premiere
Four young Malawian women share their journeys; from wanting to play football, being a lead guitarist, living with a disability, and supporting victims of sexual abuse. Each living their lives in the hope of inspiring other women to feel empowered.

Directors: Camille Nock, James Dartnall | UK | 2023 | 18 min | Chichewa, English, English Subtitles | Content warning: gender inequality

Die Laughing
Centred in Cairo, DIE LAUGHING follows ‘Saturday Night Live Arabia’, which dared to deliver the kind of cultural humour the American version is known for, ‘Red Tomato’, a troupe of European and Egyptian street clowns, and ‘The Street Children’, who post satirical sketches to social media. 

Directors: JL Pomeroy, Tom Broecker | Egypt, USA | 2023 | 19 min | Arabic, English | Content warning: police state oppression

Wes “Maestro” Williams: Wes to the East - Forward Movin'
Alberta Premiere
“Don’t make records, make history.” A true trailblazer, Wes “Maestro” Williams was the first Canadian rapper to break into the mainstream. In this snapshot portrait, Wes to the East- Forward Movin’, Williams takes us through his career as a recording artist, actor, author and motivational speaker, a career that has always tirelessly looked ahead to shatter barriers for the next generation.

Directors: Gilles Doiron | Canada | 2024 | 3 min | English

The Ground Under Our Feet
Canada Premiere
In a country facing the devastating effects of climate change, the Solomon Islands Futsal Team battle against the odds to reach the FIFA Futsal World Cup, with the goal of securing a future for their sport and their nation.

Directors: Jim Williams | Switzerland, UK | 2023 | 40 min | Pidgin, English

Living Without Menace
For over 70 years, Alberta has been the only inhabited part of the planet without rats, but with the emergence of several ambitious, ecologically-focused rat eradication efforts in other parts of the world, what does the future hold for Alberta's iconic “Rat Patrol”?

Directors: Ted Stenson | Canada | 2022 | 44 min | English

Andrea Martin: Nine Lives... and Counting!
Alberta Premiere
A bona fide icon, the indefatigable Andrea Martin is behind some of the most recognizable comedic performances to ever hit screens or stages. From the legendary show Godspell to the characters that made SCTV a household name, and recent roles where she continues to buck stereotypes with hilarious effect, Nine Lives… and Counting! pays tribute to an incandescent career of reinvention.

Directors: Michelle Mama | Canada | 2024 | 4 min | English

Lethbridge Pride Fest Series Part 2
2:30PM Galt Museum & Archives | Akaisamitohkanao’pa Viewing Gallery

For this screening, the festival has partnered with Pride Fest to bring you stories of love, creativity, and strength that are both life-affirming and hopeful.

Francheska: Prairie Queen
Local Spotlight!
It's hard to be a superstar when you have a midnight frontline shift to show up for. Francheska: Prairie Queen follows the journey of small town Filipino care worker Francis (Kiko) Yutrago, as he tries to achieve drag star superstardom while still financially supporting his family back in the Philippines.

Director: Laura O'Grady | Canada | 2022 | 65 min | English, Tagalog, English subtitles

Performance and Q&A
Don’t miss the ultimate Francheska Dynamites experience! Watch Francheska perform live before her screening, followed by an exclusive Q&A session hosted by Kels Valendela, the founder and host of the iconic Queer in Alberta. Join us for a fabulous evening of entertainment and insight as we delve deeper into Francheska’s journey to becoming Southern Alberta's Prairie Queen. Come kiki with us and celebrate this extraordinary artist!

Short Intro: Seahorse Parents
Canada Premiere
In the short documentary Seahorse Parents, four transgender parents share their personal experiences of carrying future children as transgender men. Through this multimedia project, director Miriam sheds light on society’s perspectives on pregnancy. From trans father Liam, viewers will understand that trans and non-binary people, like everyone else, share the same desire to grow and love their families.

Director: Miriam Guttmann | The Netherlands | 2023 | 10 min | English

Feature Presentation plus Short Intro
5PM Galt Museum & Archives | Akaisamitohkanao’pa Viewing Gallery

In this vibrant session of film, we invite you to immerse yourself in these compelling stories of protection while exploring the diverse realities of individual perspectives.

Monster
This Cannes award-winning family drama is a gripping tale of mystery and suspense. Quiet and reserved Minato loses his father as a young child and lives with his widowed mother, Saori. When he starts behaving strangely, Saori calls a meeting with the school, suspecting that his teacher is the source of the boy’s issues. As she attempts to get closer to the root of the problem, the truth becomes more and more elusive.

Director: Hirokazu Kore-Eda | Japan | 2023 | 126 min | Japanese, English subtitles | Content warning: children in distress

Short film intro: A Love Letter to an Unborn Child
A showcase of pride through urban Indigenous, Metis, and Inuk community members living in Mohkintsis, Blackfoot Territory, and Treaty 7 Land. Narration throughout the film is an open letter addressed to an unborn child speaking about what life and reality is like for Indigenous people today, while acknowledging our past, and looking towards the future.

Director: Suitaakii Motoyi  | Canada | 2017 | 8 min | English

CLOSING FILM
7:40 Galt Museum & Archives | Akaisamitohkanao’pa Viewing Gallery

Honouring the Buffalo Treaty, we close the festival with a film screening dedicated to iinii (the Buffalo). This centerpiece of the festival celebrates the profound connection between iinii, the land, and its people, highlighting the vital importance of our shared efforts to revitalize this sacred relationship and bring iinii home.

Bring Them Home
Closing Film
Canada Premiere
Bring Them Home/Aiskótáhkapiyaaya chronicles a decades-long initiative by members of the Blackfoot Confederacy to bring wild buffalo (Blackfeet: iinnii) back to the Blackfeet Reservation. A Documentary that explores a thriving wild buffalo population would not only reconnect Blackfeet with a central part of their heritage, spirituality and identity, but would provide economic opportunities and healing for the community.

Directors: Daniel Glick, Ivan MacDonald and Ivy MacDonald | USA | 2024 | 85 min | Blackfoot, English

Director Q&A

Join us for a special director Q&A with Ivan and Ivy MacDonald, both esteemed members of the Blackfeet tribe in the USA. Ivan MacDonald, an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, is known for his recent project Murder in Bighorn, which premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and aired nationally on Showtime, earning an Independent Spirit Award nomination. He is currently working on two feature-length documentaries.

Ivy MacDonald, a trailblazing director and University of Montana graduate, has produced work for ESPN and the ACLU and is currently involved with the Firelight Media Documentary Lab. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from these influential voices in filmmaking.

Short Intro: BuffaloMech
World Premiere
BuffaloMech is a group of undergraduate Indigenous student artists from the University of Lethbridge. BuffaloMech artists use interdisciplinary methods and materials to answer the question, “What is Indigenous technology?” The students, all based in Treaty 7 Territory, draw from their lived Blackfoot, Cree, and mixed experiences to create work that is uniquely meaningful to their home communities. In this special edit for LIFF, this piece brings together traditional and contemporary technologies. BuffaloMech’s creative works are rooted in political and cultural themes of surveillance, displacement, land relation, and Indigenous futurism.

Directors: Zoe Buckskin, Walker English, Darby Herman, Madeson Singh, Lilly Wells | UK | 2022 | 16 min | English | Content warning: mental health