Vitamin Daily

We already have Pedro Almodóvar’s Broken Embraces (pictured) and Jane Campion’s Bright Star on our must-see list, but as the Calgary International Film Festival opens this Friday, the fest’s Executive Director Jacqueline Dupuis gives us her insider flick picks.

White Night Wedding
“The film felt a bit like coming home for me,” says Dupuis referring to the movie’s Icelandic landscapes that felt familiar and distantly Canadian. The comedic melodrama centres on a dysfunctional family and one man’s desperate attempt to find true love in his small and remote Icelandic community.

Gigantic
A quirky love story starring indie darlings Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine), Zooey Deschanel (500 Days of Summer), and John Goodman who, as he so often does, steals the show. A perfect date night flick about what happens when two people come together and have to deal with each other’s equally crazy families.

Passenger Side
High on banter and entertaining on every level, this Canadian independent film is about two brothers, who, though distant in lifestyles, share a strong bond and on this particular day, quite the adventure.

My Suicide
Far from the typical teen-angst movie and somewhat tenuous at first blush, it’s a rollercoaster ride of experimental and stylistic filmmaking juxtaposed with a dark and meaty story which leaves you inspired to question everything.

I Killed My Mother
Written, directed, produced and starring 16-year-old Quebecois filmmaker Xavier Dolan, it’s a raw and intimate portrayal of homosexuality, coming of age and the intense relationship he shares with his mother.

The film festival runs September 25 to October 4, 2009. Order tickets and see schedules at calgaryfilm.com