Calgary film festivals come in two main flavours. The Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF) is the big autumn gathering, billed as the largest film festival in Alberta, and the Calgary Underground Film Festival (CUFF) is the spring one, known for genre films that defy convention. In 2026 CIFF ran September 24 to October 4, and the next CUFF is set for April 15 to 25, 2027.
CIFF, the big one
The first CIFF happened in 2000. It ran six days and drew 8,000 people. These days it stretches across 11 days and draws about 30,000, which is nearly four times the crowd. We told that story in From 8,000 Fans to Nearly 30,000, CIFF Is Calgary’s Film Moment.
CIFF is an Academy Awards Oscar-qualifying festival and a Canadian Screen Award qualifying festival. MovieMaker Magazine has named it one of its “50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” in 2009, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
Alberta filmmakers get a spotlight of their own. The Alberta Spirit program celebrates the province’s best short films of the year, and Alberta Spotlight, a feature section, was relaunched in 2020. A program called Generation Next brings Calgary high school students to the festival too. Local films do land there, as in a Calgary short film that landed two CIFF slots.
CUFF, the one with teeth
CUFF was founded in 2003 and is a not-for-profit organization. By its own description it is Western Canada’s “premiere genre festival”, showing horror, sci-fi and fantasy next to comedies, thrillers and music films, plus documentaries, animation and shorts. It likes titles that are rarely seen in North American theatres and it brings the local and international filmmakers along.
The recognition is real. MovieMaker Magazine named CUFF one of 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee for 2026, and Dread Central named it one of its Best Horror Festivals for 2022.
CUFF now runs two festivals. The 24th Calgary Underground Film Festival takes place April 15 to 25, 2027, and the 14th CUFF.Docs Documentary Film Festival takes place November 18 to 22, 2026. A year-round Off the CUFF series fills the gaps, and we covered one of its biggest nights in Calgary Gets a Full Halloween Horror Season From CUFF.
Pick your season. Check the screening schedule at CIFF for autumn and at CUFF for the spring and the November documentary weekend, then book a seat for something you’ve never heard of.
Keep going with Legacy of a Butterfly wins two awards at CIFF and Calgary’s Art Underground Has Its Own Map.
We think The Edmonton Short Film Festival Started With 18 Films is a good next read.
Quick answers
The Calgary International Film Festival is known as the largest film festival in Alberta. It is Oscar-qualifying and Canadian Screen Award qualifying, started in 2000, and now draws about 30,000 people over 11 days with programs for Alberta filmmakers and students.
The Calgary Underground Film Festival, founded in 2003, is known for genre cinema including horror, sci-fi and fantasy. It describes itself as Western Canada’s premiere genre festival and also runs the CUFF.Docs documentary festival each November.
CIFF runs each autumn, and this year it was September 24 to October 4. The 24th Calgary Underground Film Festival is April 15 to 25, 2027, and CUFF.Docs is November 18 to 22, 2026.
Sources: Calgary International Film Festival, About Us; Calgary Underground Film Festival, About CUFF.
