Thirteen minutes of film, two festivals in one fall. That’s an efficient little movie.
According to the film page on the Calgary International Film Festival site, Legacy of a Butterfly by Calgary director Monique Barrie is part of the festival, which was set for September 24 to October 4, 2026.
Where to catch it
The CIFF page says the short sits in two screening packages, “Shorts: Best Of…” and “Shorts: Alberta Spirit Night 1.” The page didn’t list a date or time for either. It lists the film as Canadian, English-language and made in 2026.
It’s the same film RIFFA lists as a Documentary Shorts entry in Regina in August. That puts it in both Saskatchewan and Alberta inside about two months. Not bad for a short.
What it’s about
CIFF describes the story of Dr. Diana Monea, “one of Alberta’s longest-practicing female optometrists,” following her from a Saskatchewan farm to a place of prominence in Alberta.
The festival says it’s built in three acts, “caterpillar to cocoon to butterfly,” and looks at optometry and eyewear as “a form of self-expression” while documenting her experiences with “loss, setbacks, and scams.”
A title that explains itself is a gift. That’s the festival’s description, so we can’t say how closely the finished film follows it, and we haven’t seen it. Still, a clear idea is a great start, and short films with one tend to be easy to talk about afterwards.
The filmmaker
CIFF credits Barrie as director, producer, executive producer and co-writer, with Griffin Cork as producer, Ana Malick as co-writer, Josef Wright behind the camera and Morgan Ermter editing. Diana Monea, Paul Hardy and Holly Allen make up the cast.
In April 2025, according to a Calgary Arts Development announcement, Barrie received the RBC Emerging Artist Award, which came with a $5,000 cash prize and was announced at the Celebration for the Arts at the Jack Singer Concert Hall.
The announcement doesn’t say which of her films it was connected to, so we won’t tie the award to this one. It does show that Calgary’s arts funders had Barrie on their radar before this short reached a festival lineup. Fun to watch that happen.
The Alberta Spirit Night package looks like the natural fit for a local audience. The festival has wrapped now, so search Barrie’s name and watch for where this short turns up next.
Keep reading: A Calgary optometrist film made the Regina lineup, ACTRA Alberta Backs Performers With Grants, Tips and Stunt Trophies and Fay Wray, the Cardston kid who screamed for King Kong.
Our guide to where each LHI Productions film has played puts the whole festival trail in one place.
Quick answers
The CIFF page places the short in two packages, “Shorts: Best Of…” and “Shorts: Alberta Spirit Night 1.” The page didn’t list a date or time for either. The festival has wrapped, so watch for the next announced screening.
The Calgary International Film Festival was set for September 24 to October 4, 2026. Legacy of a Butterfly, a Canadian, English-language short made in 2026, was part of the lineup, running 13 minutes according to the festival’s film page.
Calgary director Monique Barrie. CIFF credits her as director, producer, executive producer and co-writer, with Griffin Cork as producer and Ana Malick as co-writer. Josef Wright is behind the camera, and Diana Monea, Paul Hardy and Holly Allen make up the cast.
In April 2025, Calgary Arts Development announced Barrie as an RBC Emerging Artist Award recipient, with a $5,000 cash prize, at the Celebration for the Arts at the Jack Singer Concert Hall. The announcement doesn’t say which of her films it was connected to.
More from the archive: Legacy of a Butterfly heads to Regina for its premiere and Legacy of a Butterfly wins two awards at CIFF.
