The first of Canada’s large underground film festivals, the Calgary Underground Film Festival (the others being Montreal and Antimatter) kicks off the 2007 season on April 11-15 with an interesting mix of horror films, animation, documentaries and a few films that already have limited release dates here in the states. They’re showing mostly features with a few shorts programs thrown in:

April 11:
6:30 p.m.:
Matthew Barney: No Restrait, dir. Alison Chernick. A documentary about avant garde filmmaker Matthew Barney (the Cremaster series) as he prepares for and shoots his latest epic, Drawing Restraint 9, starring his wife, the singer Bjork. The film was in limited release in the states from Dec. through March., but this marks the film’s Alberta premiere. Preceded by Motodrom, dir. Joerg Wagner.

8:45 p.m.: “Short Scares”
Zombie Movie, dir. Michael Asquith, Ben Stenbeck
The Listening Dead, dir. Phil Mucci
The Eyes of Edward James, dir. Rodrigo Gudino
Uncanny, dir. Mario De Giglio-Bellemare
Abby: 01-96, dir. Jon Garcia
Quiet, dir. Marshall McAuley
4U, dir. Ehren Koepf
Happy Birthday 2 You, dir. David Alcalde
Head Shot, dir. Dennis Heaton

April 12:
6:30 p.m.:
Darkon, dirs. Andrew Neel, Luke Meyer. A documentary about the role-playing game “Darkon,” but rather than a computer or a table top game like “Dungeons & Dragons” Darkonian warriors dress up and battle each other in a Baltimore park every other Sunday. Preceded by Who’s on First: The Movie, dirs. Steve Barr, Danny Grossman.

8:45 p.m.:
Princess, dir. Anders Morganthaler. In this animated film just for adults, the daughter of a porn star is taken in by her uncle, a priest. Preceded by Infinite Justice, dir. Karl Tebbe. To be released sometime in 2007 by Tartan Films.

April 13:
6:30 p.m.:
8 Bit, dir. Marcin Ramocki, Justin Strawhand. A documentary about how video games have shaped our culture and how some modern artists incorporate game graphics into their work. Featuring an interview with Ed Halter, former director of the New York Underground Film Festival. And paired with: Darkbeat: An Electro World Voyage, dir. Iris Cegarra. A documentary on the world of underground electronic music. Winner Best Documentary at this year’s Miami Underground Film Festival.

9:15 p.m.:
Neighborhood Watch, dir. Graeme Whifler. A couple move into a new quiet and safe suburban neighborhood and become creeped out by the sadistic guy next door. Winner of the Most Effectively Offensive award at the 2006 Boston Underground Film Festival. Preceded by Goodbye Mr. Snuggles, dir. Jonathan Hopkins.

11:30 p.m.:
The Glamorous Life of Sachiko Hanai, dir. Mitsuru Meike. A prostitute transforms into an intellectual turned on by the mere mention of Noam Chomsky after getting shot in the forehead by gangsters. To be released by Palm Pictures on April 13. Preceded by Filthy Food, dir. T. Arthur Cottam.

April 14:
1:00 p.m.: “Pioneers of the Underground” (3 feature docs on legendary underground filmmakers)
Derek Jarman: Life As Art, dir. Andy Klimpton-Nye. A profile of the esoteric British filmmaker.
Anger Me, dir. Elio Gelmini. Kenneth Anger talks about his pioneering avant-garde short films, such as Fireworks and Scorpio Rising.
Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis, dir. Mary Jordan. Jack Smith only directed a couple of films back in the ’60s, but his Flaming Creatures pretty much launched the entire underground film movement. To be released in select theaters on April 11. (Read the Underground Film Journal documentary review)

1:00 p.m.: “Mixed Shorts”
A Bit on the Side, dir. Steve Sullivan
Latent Sorrow, dir. Shon Kim
Super-Anon, dir. Stephen H. Plitt
Decensortized, dir. Rick Trembles
Night Becomes Day, dir. Jacob Hinmon
One Rat Short, dir. Alex Weil
G&G: Soup, dir. Jeff Burke
Strangers, dir. Ondrej Rudavsky
Hairlady, dir. David Birdsell
Svarmoder, dir. Francisco Arasanz
Lump, dir. Faye Jackson
Mr. Consumption, dir. Max Margulies, Naoko Masuda
Moosecock, dirs. Will Hartman, Jonathan Grossman

3:30 p.m.:
Dante’s Inferno, dir. Sean Meredith. An animated — with paper puppets — modern adaptation of the classic tale. An alcoholic wakes up from a bender and gets a tour of Hell. Featuring the voices of Dermot Mulroney and James Cromwell. Winner of the Underground Spirit Award at the 2007 Boston Underground Film Festival. Preceded by The Bird, the Mouse and the Sausage, dirs. Max Marguiles and Naoko Masuda; and Food Fight, dir. Stefan Nadelman.

6:30 p.m.:
S&Man, dir. J.T. Petty. A documentary on the world of underground horror movies and the men who make them, including directors Bill Zebub, Fred Vogel and Eric Rost. (Read the Underground Film Journal movie review) (Watch this underground movie streaming online)
Preceded by Morbid Curiosity, dir. Cindy Baer.

8:45 p.m.:
Wristcutters: A Love Story, dir. Goran Dukic. A guy kills himself after his girlfriend dumps him and finds himself in purgatory, where he sets off to find his former lover after he discovers she’s killed herself, too. An adaptation of the graphic novel Pizzeria Kamakaze by Etgar Keret and Asaf Hanuka. To be released by After Dark Films on Aug. 31. Preceded by Ujbaz Izbeneki Has Lost His Soul, dir. Neil Jack.

April 15:
1:00 p.m.:
Off the Grid: Life on the Mesa, dir. Jeremy and Randy Stulberg. A documentary about a unique commune of hippies and war veterans. Preceded by Thornob; The Caveman Inventor, dir. Lee Chambers; and Man vs. Woman, dir. Juan Carlos Vargas.

3:30 p.m.: “48-Hour Horror Movie-Making Challenge Finalists: Shorts Package 1”
Bloody Chocolates by Goremaster Splatterbots
Texas Hold ‘Em by Semi-Horror Film Society
Killing! by Classy Sassy Lassy
Double Trouble by Sheffield/Rodas
Cherry Pie by Lafonda’s Babies
Artistic License by Short Sword Films
Fast Food Abomination by The Special Skills Monkey
It’s in the Smell by Cathode Ray Mission
Last Night by The Party Bot Crue
Empathy by Team Basement

5:30 p.m.: “48-Hour Horror Movie-Making Challenge Finalists: Shorts Package 2”
The Location by Obscene But Not Heard
A Taste of Things to Come by Dutch Lobster
A Horrible Weekend by Stuff Productions
D O G by LIVE-Spelled Backwards
The Heist by Team Nightmarzatron
Curse of the Explonuts by Kingsland Massive
Flipside by Phinchic Productions
To Be With You by Red Root
An Evening of Murder by Four In The Corner
The Habit by Something Simple

For more info, including screening locations, ticket and pass prices, please visit the CUFF official site.