A compilation of the 2023 jury award-winning films. Award-winning films for Best Alberta Short, Best Student Short, Best Live Action Short, Best Animated Short, Best Documentary Short, Best Youth by Youth Short, and Best Overall Short. JURY AWARDS ANNOUNCED MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25. <a href="https://www.connectfirstcu.com/en" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 242);"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/648c64693fce8b05653a53c0884db391.jpg" width="347" style="max-width: 100%;"></a><a href="http://www.jwadesign.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 242);">﻿<img src="https://www.ciffcalgary.ca/assets/Sponsors/Banners/e65a702925/Jerilyn-Wright-_-Associates_TileAd.jpg" width="350" style="max-width: 100%;"></a>

Los Angeles is the largest (and one of the last) American cities to provide free and freely repaired musical instruments to its public schoolchildren, a continuous service since 1959. Witness the profound life stories of four staff master craftspeople and the students whose lives have been transformed by their instruments. For the students, music has been the continuous thread that has mended their hearts and brought them to where they are now. The film blends the unexpectedly intimate personal histories of the repair people with emotional, firsthand accounts from the student musicians for whom their instruments made all the difference.&nbsp; Academy Award® winner Ben Proudfoot (THE QUEEN OF BASKETBALL, CIFF 2021 &amp; MINK!, CIFF 2022) reunites with Kris Bowers (together, they were nominated for Best Documentary Short at the 93rd Academy Awards® for A CONCERTO IS A CONVERSATION) to further dive deep into the world of sharing real-life stories about music. A beautiful and touching film that comes fresh off its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival mere weeks ago. THE LAST REPAIR SHOP will be screened as a part of the SHORTS: BREAKWATER STUDIOS package.

THE LAST REPAIR SHOP

In the heart of Los Angeles, a dwindling handful of devoted craftspeople maintain over 80,000 student musical instruments - the largest remaining workshop in America of its kind.

It comes down to karma: as a little girl in Vietnam, Thao’s mother would rescue ants from bowls of sugar water. The tiny creatures would later return the favour, leading her desperate family through darkness, and pointing the way to safety. <a href="https://ciff2023.eventive.org/schedule/64dac101e910f60099ee667d" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BOAT PEOPLE will be screened as a part of the SHORTS: RADIANT JEWELS package.</a>

BOAT PEOPLE

As a child in Vietnam, Thao’s mother often rescued ants from bowls of sugar water. Years later, they would return the favour.

One hectic morning, a young mother attempts to navigate the New York City subway to get her baby to daycare on time. <a href="https://ciff2023.eventive.org/schedule/64dac0f5142fa2002ca60e84" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SIMONE will be screened as a part of the SHORTS: CASH RULES EVERYTHING AROUND ME package.</a>

SIMONE

A young mother navigates the New York City subway system in order to get her baby to daycare on time.

After an accident resulting in the death of their friend Carl, Cameron and Charlie have to put their minds together to hide the-not-quite dead body. Director Sandra Hurd will be in attendance at the September 30 screening. <a href="https://ciff2023.eventive.org/schedule/64dac10b8704ea0078ace882" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">﻿OPERATION CARL will be screened as a part of the SHORTS: YOUTH BY YOUTH CINEMA package.</a>

OPERATION CARL

Carl is dead. Cameron and Charlie are responsible. Stephen has become involved. The solution is obvious: get rid of the body and don't get caught. What could possibly go wrong?

Timmy Lee (Bobby Lee, MADTV) is a depressed ramen chef. After botching his suicide, he is visited by Death (Matt Jones, BREAKING BAD). Upon realizing that Timmy is still alive, Death struggles to make sense of this once-in-a-millennium fiasco. Insistent that he "can't die on an empty stomach", Timmy convinces Death to go to his ramen shop for one final meal. After getting drunk and eating ramen, Death starts to empathize with Timmy and follows him through the night as he tries to make peace with his own life. Through witnessing Timmy's humanity, Death learns a little about being human himself. Content Warning-themes of suicide <a href="https://ciff2023.eventive.org/schedule/64dac0f18311c200a9e308f1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">﻿DEATH &amp; RAMEN will be screened as a part of the SHORTS: BIOCHEMICAL EQUATION package.</a> Director Tiger Ji will be in attendance at the September 22 screening.

DEATH & RAMEN

A ramen chef spends his final night alive hanging out with the Grim Reaper. Through a bowl of ramen, they discover what it means to be human.

How do you go on living when everything is taken from you in the blink of an eye? A true story of a young artist who confronts his inner demons while apprenticing with a northwest totem carver after the death of his beloved. MONSTR will be screened before the feature film TALES FROM THE REZ. Producer Xstine Cook will be in attendance at the September 24 screening.

MONSTR

How do you go on living when everything is taken from you in the blink of an eye?

A southern gothic drama about a young Black Caribbean Immigrant who attempts to assimilate into an all-white church in 1970s Raleigh, North Carolina. Inspired by true events. Director Wesley Goodrich will be in attendance at the September 21 screening. <a href="https://ciff2023.eventive.org/schedule/64e3e32bc9d3160066419bd5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PALM SUNDAY will be screened as a part of the SHORTS: A BETTER TOMORROW package.</a>

PALM SUNDAY

A southern gothic drama about a young Black Caribbean immigrant who attempts to assimilate into an all-white church in 1970s Raleigh, North Carolina.

Canada

SHORTS: BEST OF SHORTS & THE LAST REPAIR SHOP

General Admission

INDUSTRY-Standard

INDUSTRY-Standard + 20 Ticket Bundle

INDUSTRY-Student

INDUSTRY-Student + 20 Ticket Bundle

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The 24th Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF) takes place September 21 - October 1 in the city of Calgary, Canada.

Here's what's coming up soon. Can't make it? No sweat. Many live streams will be available for on-demand viewing as well.