Christian Zyp interviews Julia Neill and Jacob Z. Smith (directors) about their film DANCING ON THE ELEPHANT. See it as part of the Edmonton International FIlm Festival (EIFF) Friday September 26th @ 6:00 PM & Monday September 29th @ 2:00 PM at Landmark Cinemas 9 City Centre. Following each screening, co-director Jacob Smith will be in attendance for a Q&A.
DANCING ON THE ELEPHANT... When Nora’s (Sheila McCarthy) son drops her off at Shady Rest Retirement Home, she’s pretty sure there's not much left to hope for. That is, until unfiltered firecracker Edna (Mary Walsh) wheels into her life and reminds her it ain’t over till it’s over. The pair kindle a friendship around a love of Fat Archies cookies, disdain for “Chair-xercise,” and Edna’s quest to escape the “fox farm.” Edna’s failing memory eventually lands her in the secure memory care wing, leaving Nora to plot one last grand adventure in hopes of reminding her friend there are still elephants left to dance on.
EIFF Website: edmontonfilmfest.com/films/
WEBSITE: www.dancingontheelephant.com/
INSTAGRAM: @dancingonthelephant
@jacobzsmithofgolden
Lucas Anders interviews Adam Scorgie (producer) about the doc BIF NAKED. You can see it as part of the Edmonton International Film Festival (EIFF) Friday September 26th @ 6:30 PM at Metro Cinema at Garneau Theatre. There will be a Q&A and special performance with director Pollyanna Hardwicke-Brown, and stars Peter Karroll and Bif Naked. This interview & film contains discussions of sexual assault and rape.
BIF NAKED... more than just a rock star documentary—it's about a survivor, a poet, and a trailblazer who shattered expectations at every turn. Born in India, adopted by American missionaries, and raised in Canada, Bif’s unconventional upbringing set the stage for a life that would be anything but ordinary. Bursting onto the music scene in the early ‘90s, she carved out a space in the male-dominated punk and alternative rock world with her unmistakable voice, raw lyrics, and fearless attitude. But behind the tattoos, the powerhouse performances, and the rebellious persona, was a woman fighting battles far beyond the stage. From surviving cancer to overcoming addiction, heartbreak, and industry hurdles, Bif has never backed down.
EIFF Website: edmontonfilmfest.com/films/
INSTAGRAM: @bifnakedofficial
@scoreg
Lucas Anders interviews Jessie Anthony (director), Kat McDermott (producer), Bracken Burns (producer), Willow Auguer (junior producer) & Katrinka Scott (producer) about the documentary WHAT WE CARRY. See it as part of the Edmonton International Film Festival (EIFF) on Tuesday September 30th @ 3:30 PM at Landmark Cinemas 9 City Centre on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. There will be a Q&A following this screening with producers/subjects Bracken Burns, Kat McDermott, and Willow Auguer, and writer & subject Katrinka Scott. This film contains discussions of abuse and trauma sustained by residential school survivors.
WHAT WE CARRY... In 1963, a restless Jennifer Notley spots an ad in a teacher’s magazine for a position in Northern Alberta. She leaves her life in England and arrives by bush plane to Wabasca-Desmarais—an isolated place with bad roads, no electricity, limited services, and a residential school. Jennifer taught 5 years at Desmarais Indian Residential School as it transitioned from a residential school to a day school. In 2022, her daughter Katrinka and granddaughter Bracken return to this beautiful northern lakeside community in the heart of Treaty 8 territory (one of the largest Treaty Nations in Canada) with questions, carrying a trunk full of history. Kat McDermott and Willow Auger, both members of the Bigstone Cree nation, introduce Bracken and Katrinka to the community. Together, they open the trunk and open the doors to discovery.
EIFF Website: edmontonfilmfest.com/films/
INSTAGRAM: @whatwecarrydoc
Christian Zyp interviews Omar Mouallem (director) about his short film NADER'S GIRL. See the Premiere of the film as part of Studio A at the Edmonton International Film Festival (EIFF) on Sat Sep 27th @ 6:30 PM at Landmark Cinemas 9 City Centre (Theatre 8). Omar and guests will be in attendance for a post screening Q&A.
NADER’S GIRL is adapted from Saeed Teebi’s short story "Cynthia". It's a darkly funny and sometimes disturbing exploration of masculinity, assimilation and performative allyship. The film follows a lonely Palestinian international student, Nader (Anas Hasan), desperate to fit in with his Western roommates — two misogynistic bros who exploit him for rent money and social currency during a wave of pro-Palestinian campus protests. Hoping to earn their respect, Nader invents a girlfriend named "Cynthia" (Megan Tracz). At first a fantasy of self-validation, Cynthia gradually devolves into a warped projection of Nader’s insecurities as a foreigner. But as reality blurs, he must decide whether to end the illusion or keep clinging to the only 'person' who values him.
TICKETS: edmontonfilmfest.com/films/
WEBSITE: omarmouallem.com/
INSTAGRAM: @omar_aok
Christian Zyp interviews Akash Sherman (director) and Shane Fennessy (producer) about the documentary SINGHS IN THE RING. It's the Opening Night film for the Edmonton International Film Festival (EIFF). See it Thursday September 25th, 2025 @ 6:30 PM at Landmark CInemas 9 CIty Centre. Following the film Akash Sherman, Shane Fennessey, the legendary Gama Singh and Raj Singh from SINGHS IN THE RING will be in attendance for a Q&A.
SINGHS IN THE RING is an exuberant, heart-forward dive into the legacy and impact of Gama Singh, the Canadian Stampede Wrestling icon who turned prejudice into power, and the trials of his son, Raj, in carrying on the family name. Featuring WWE superstars Bret Hart, Chelsea Green, and Jinder Mahal, this doc is an action-packed, joyous homage to the wild, high-flying bygone era—while wrestling with the hard truths of identity, culture, and the challenging echoes of the past that still linger today.
EIFF TICKETS: edmontonfilmfest.com/films/
Website: www.singhsinthering.com/
Instagram: @singhsinthering
X: @singhsinthering
Christian Zyp interviews Maura Smith (director) about the documentary STEVE SCHAPIRO: BEING EVERYWHERE. See it as part of the Edmonton International Film Festival (EIFF) Sunday September 28, 2025 @ 3:00 PM at the Landmark City Centre Cinemas downtown. Maura Smith will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A.
STEVE SCHAPIRO: BEING EVERYWHERE focuses on the fascinating story of a photographer and photojournalists' entire career in his own gentle and humble words. Steve Schapiro is famous for documenting the Civil Rights Movement and providing America with iconic images to magnify the voices of James Baldwin, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and John Lewis among others. Schapiro also took some of the most classic photographs of Andy Warhol, Muhammad Ali, David Bowie, Ray Charles, Barbra Streisand, The Godfather, Taxi Driver, Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderley, and countless more.
EIFF Website: edmontonfilmfest.com/schedule/
INSTAGRAM: @steveschapirobeingeverywhere
STEVE SHAPIRO WEBSITE: www.steveschapiro.com/index
Christian Zyp interviews Danny Chamberlin (director/producer) and Brad Bartko about the doc PATH UNPAVED. See it as part of the Edmonton International Film Festival (EIFF) Sunday September 28th @ 1:30 PM at the Landmark City Centre 9 CInemas.
PATH UNPAVED is a doc produced with the help of Telus StoryHive. It centers around Brad Bartko, an accessibility consultant in Edmonton. At birth, Brad was born prematurely. He had one fully developed lung, bleeding in his brain, and was given only 24 hours to live. But 24 hours soon turned into 24 days and countless more, and as the days went by, Brad had beaten the odds. Due to his disability, Brad endured twenty childhood operations, many of which included Botox injections to relax his muscles. Thirty years later, he's using his story to help change the lives of others in the disabled community.
EIFF Website: https://edmontonfilmfest.com/films/
disAbility: Accessible by Design Website: https://disabilityabd.com/
Instagram @bbartkoinspires
Facebook: DIsability Accessibility by Design
Christian Zyp interviews the legendary composer Claudio Simonetti (Tenebre, Dawn of the Dead 1978, Phenomena) about his performances in Calgary at the Globe Cinema on Wednesday October 8th & 9th, 2025 presented by the Calgary Underground FIlm Festival. Claudio Simonetti's Goblin will also perform in Edmonton at the Metro Cinema on Saturday October 11th, 2025 presented by Northwest Fear Fest.
Simonetti’s Goblin celebrates Dario Argento’s 1977 classic, SUSPIRIA by performing Goblin’s iconic score to a special screening of the film. 48 years after its release, SUSPIRIA and Goblin’s masterpiece of a score are both the stuff of legend and laid the framework for a myriad of horror scores to come. Following the screening there will be a short intermission and then a 45 minute “Best of” live set.
Tix for Edmonton: https://metrocinema.org/production/suspiria-live-score-by-claudio-simonettis-goblin/
Tix for Calgary: https://www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org/year-round/claudio-simonettis-goblin-performs-suspiria-film-live-score/
Claudio Simonetti's Goblin Website: https://goblinsimonetti.com/
Instagram: @caludiosimonettisgoblin
Christian Zyp interviews Sinakson Trevor Solway (director) about his documentary SIKSIKAKOWAN: THE BLACKFOOT MAN. It screens at the Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF) on September 24th & 28th. It will also be at the Edmonton International Film Festival (EIFF) September 27th & 30th at Landmark City Center CInemas.
in SIKSIKAKOWAN: THE BLACKFOOT MAN, Siksika filmmaker Sinakson Trevor Solway intimately portrays the lives of Blackfoot men as they navigate identity, kinship and the complex expectations of manhood. Amidst a sweeping Prairies backdrop, this luminous exploration of strength and vulnerability spans generations of Siksika men and boys as they learn to embrace the intricacies of self-discovery, identity and love in a world that often misunderstands and stigmatizes them.
EIFF Website: edmontonfilmfest.com/schedule/
CIFF Website: www.ciffcalgary.ca/films/2025/siks…-blackfoot-man/
NFB Website: collection.nfb.ca/film/siksikakowa…he-blackfoot-man
Instagram: @trevorthecreator
Christian Zyp interviews Madhan Selvaraj (Executive DIrector) about the INDIA FILM FESTIVAL OF ALBERTA (IFFA). It takes place from Fri Sept 5th - Sun Sept 7th, 2025. There will be over a dozen screenings at various locations (Windspear Centre, Zeidler Hall at the Citadel Theatre and more). See VILLAGE ROCKSTAR 2 at the Opening Night Gala with guest, director Rima Das. There will also be a rendez-vous with Dr. Kamal Haasan and a screening of DASAVATHAARAM. The Closing Night Gala will be a screening of AMARAN with several guests from the film.
The India Film Festival of Alberta Foundation (IFFA) was established in 2015 to showcase films made by independent filmmakers from India and Canada, as well as those from smaller film industries within India.
Website: 2025.indiafilmfestival.ca/
Instagram: @indiafilmfestivalofalberta
Facebook: IFFA
Tickets: 2025.indiafilmfestival.ca/schedule/
Christian Zyp interviews Neil Grahn (director/producer) and Jay Peeaychew (rider for Poitras Relay) about Season 2 of HORSE WARRIORS on APTN. The 13-part docuseries premieres Thursday September 4, 2025 and will broadcast nationally on Thursdays at 10:00 p.m. ET / 8:00 p.m. MT. It will also be available on the APTN Lumin streaming app. The Blackfoot
version will premiere September 1, 2025 on APTN Languages and will air on Mondays at 8:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. MT.
The new season follows three teams: River Cree from Enoch Nation, Alberta (also featured
in Season 1), Poitras Relay from Saulteaux Nation in Saskatchewan, and Two Medicine from
Browning, Montana. During the summer of 2024, documentary cameras followed the three
teams as they competed in the biggest and most prestigious relay races, including the
Calgary Stampede and Enoch Gold Cup.
Website: www.aptn.ca/media-centre/shows/horse-warriors/
Instagram: @horsewarriors.tv
@jaypeeaychew
Streaming: aptnlumi.ca/home
Christian Zyp Interviews Edmonton Underground Film Festival (EUFF) filmmakers Cassandra Paige, Tommy Aashildrød, Ahmed Al Noor, John Osborne & Malcom Parker about their work. See all their films Saturday October 18th at Freemasons Hall (10318 - 100 Ave NW) from 12 pm till late.
EUFF.02 is a celebration of creative, low-budget filmmaking. EUFF encourages filmmakers to explore their unique process while challenging the conventions of typical film production. EUFF is committed to screening experimental, fringe, subversive short films that exude creative freedom, energy and experimentation.
TIX: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/edmonton-underground-film-festival-tickets-1331417859659?aff=ebdsoporgprofile
FILM FREEWAY: https://filmfreeway.com/EdmontonUndergroundFilmFestival
INSTAGRAM: @euff.02
@cassandrapaigej
@tommydobbela
@malcomjparker
Christian Zyp interviews Christine Miller (Founder/Creative Director) about the Edmonton Underground Film Festival (EUFF). It takes place Saturday October 18th from 12 pm - 11:30 pm at the Freemasons Hall (10318-100 Ave NW).
EUFF.02 is a celebration of creative, low-budget filmmaking. EUFF encourages filmmakers to explore their unique process while challenging the conventions of typical film production. EUFF is committed to screening experimental, fringe, subversive short films that exude creative freedom, energy and experimentation.
TIX: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/edmonton-underground-film-festival-tickets-1331417859659?aff=ebdsoporgprofile
FILM FREEWAY: https://filmfreeway.com/EdmontonUndergroundFilmFestival
INSTAGRAM: @euff.02
Christian Zyp interviews Dale Kristensen about the docuseries he stars in, UNDERDOG INC. It airs Fridays on AMI-TV or you can stream episodes anytime, for free, on AMI+.
UNDERDOG INC. is an adrenaline-fueled 8 episode docuseries following Dale Kristensen—heavy-machinery operator, truck driver and mechanic—who stands just four-foot-two but takes on jobs built for giants. Navigating the brutal terrain and unforgiving weather of the Western Canadian mountains, Dale battles blizzards, breakdowns and backbreaking labour to prove that skill and determination matter more than size.
Born with dwarfism, Dale has never let his disability define him. This resilience and dogged determination are qualities he is passing onto his seven-year-old son, Cooper, who is also a Little Person. Living in a world that is not designed for them, Dale is forced to adapt in every aspect of life. From grocery shopping and cooking to farm work and driving enormous machines, he must be creative to get the job done.
Stream UNDERDOG INC. www.amiplus.ca/Underdog
Instagram @accisablemediainc
@dale_kristensen
@underdog.inc.tv
Christian Zyp interviews Becca Kozak (writer/director) about her film SUGAR ROT. It has screened as part of the Calgary Underground Film Festival (CUFF) and Shock Stock. SUGAR ROT will make it's Eastern Canadian Premiere on Fri Aug 1st, 2025 at Fantasia Festival in Montreal.
SUGAR ROT may be candy-coloured, but its embrace of pink avoids anything cute or twee. This isn’t a bubblegum pink film; it’s Pepto-Bismol pink, genital pink, earthworm pink. Set in an ice-cream shop, Becca Kozak’s film is a relentless sensory onslaught—depraved, delicious, and unafraid to plunge into the darkest, dankest corners of the imagination.
Website: beccakozakfilmmaker.wordpress.com/
Instagram: @sugar_rot_productions
Fantasia Info: fantasiafestival.com/en/film/sugar-rot
Christian Zyp interviews Bruce Pittman (director) in this episode of MOVING RADIO REWIND from 2017. Bruce discusses the legendary horror sequel that was filmed right here in Edmonton... HELLO MARY LOU: PROM NIGHT II. They discuss filming locations, local tallent hired for the film and schnitzel.
HELLO MARY LOU: PROM NIGHT (1987) is a Canadian supernatural slasher film directed by Bruce Pittman, written by Ron Oliver, and starring Michael Ironside, Wendy Lyon, Louis Ferreira, and Lisa Schrage. It follows Vicki Carpenter, a high school student who becomes possessed by Mary Lou Maloney, a student who died at her high school prom in 1957. It was a sequel to the slasher film PROM NIGHT (1980) originally intended to be a standalone film titled "The Haunting of Hamilton High", but was retitled in order to capitalize on the success of the original "Prom Night". The only story connection between the two films is that they are set at the same high school.
Christian Zyp interviewed Tanya Lapointe in 2020 about the documentary THE PAPER MAN (Lafortune en Papier). The film examines the creativity and career of Claude Lafortune, who needed nothing more than glue, paper and scissors to create his famous characters, from Van Gogh to Louis XIV. Claude was a visual artist who made a lasting impression on countless children as the host of the television shows "Parcelles de Soleil" and "L’Évangile en Papier". This touching documentary does justice to a man with a big heart who believed in inclusiveness and was very popular with Quebec audiences, but who struggled to earn his peers’ recognition.
Tanya Lapointe is a Canadian filmmaker and former journalist. Her debut as a documentary filmmaker, 50/50, was broadcast by Radio-Canada in 2018, and examined the gender gap between men and women in society. She began working with Denis Villeneuve on ARRIVAL and BLADE RUNNER 2049. That lead to becoming a an Oscar nominated producer on DUNE: PART ONE and DUNE: PART TWO. Her next project will be as a producer on the next installment of Amazon's James Bond franchine.
Christian Zyp interview Tim Folkmann about an event designed to look back at the creative history of one of Edmonton's most creative space. It's called AN AFFECTIONATE SALUTE TO THE ORTONA ARMOURY ARTS BUILDING. It begins at 5:30 pm on Thursday June 26th, 2025. Tickets are by donation at the door.
ORTONA DIASPORA celebrates a dispersed arts community. The Ortona Artists’ Reach Society (OARS) is proud to present artists of the Ortona Armoury—a unique arts community in flux—from past and present.
An Affectionate Salute to the Mighty Ortona Armoury Arts Bldg. starts the evening with the Ortona Diaspora Group exhibit reception in the theatre lobby followed by Reel Ortona, a retrospective of short films from local filmmakers sprung from the Ortona and a music performance by the Trincan Steel Orchestra. The evening wraps up with “Edmonton Tonight”; join host Tom Bernier for laughs, music and tips for living in a late night talk show format featuring a who’s who of Edmonton’s art & cultural scene with musical guest Danielle George of Trincan.
Filmmakers include: aAron Munson, Adolfo Ruiz, Alex Vizmeg, Conor McNally, Dave Morgan, Eva Colmers, Helen Folkmann, John Osborne, Ken Berry, Kyle Armstrong, Patrick Higgins, Lindsay McIntyre, Matthew Rankin, Mike McLaughlin, Tim Folkmann, Tom Bernier, and Trevor Anderson.
https://metrocinema.org/production/an-affectionate-salute-to-the-mighty-ortona-armoury-arts-bldg/
Christian Zyp interviews Simon Ennis (director) and Elizabeth Hargrave (Tabletop Game Creator) about the documentary THE HOBBY: TALES FROM THE TABLETOP. It screens Friday June 20th at 6:45 at Metro CInema. Simon and Elizabeth will be in attendance at the screening for a Q&A following the film.
From the World Series of Board Games on the Vegas Strip and dating back to ancient Mesopotamia, THE HOBBY: TALES FROM THE tABLETOP is an affectionate, character-driven portrait of the massive and diverse subculture of board games. With a fascinating cast of charming subjects, including the “Roger Ebert of board games,” a rock-climbing board game philosopher, and a birdwatcher who created an unlikely smash hit, players share personal stories of competition, compulsion, creativity, and connection throughout the film. More than just a movie about board games, THE HOBBY explores the value of leisure time and uncovers the deep meaning found in “meaningless” pursuits.
THE HOBBY: TALES FROM THE TABLETOP Website: https://www.sepiafilms.com/films/the-hobby
@sepia_films
ELIZABETH HARGRAVE Website: https://www.elizhargrave.com/
METRO CINEMA Tickets: https://ticketing.uswest.veezi.com/purchase/9334?siteToken=bfsmvs00k2v5xfayv313wkqpkw
Christian Zyp interviews Melanie Kinnaman and Tiffany Helm about the 40th Anniversary screening of FRIDAY THE 13th Pt V: A NEW BEGINNING. It's presented by CUFF (Calgary Underground FIlm Festival) on Fri June 13th at the Globe Cinema at 7pm. Special guests at the screening include: Melanie Kinnaman, Dick Wieand, Ron Sloan, Tom Morga & Tiffany Helm for a Q&A following the screening! This film is presented in partnership with the Calgary Horror-Con.
Tickets: www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org/year-roun…iversary/
Melanie Kinnaman Instagram @screensiren5
