SLO PITCH - J Stevens Interview

Christian Zyp interviews Matthew Rankin (director/editor/screenplay/research) about his film LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, BRIAN MULRONEY. See it as the Opening Night film at CUFF.Docs Wednesday November 18th, 2026 at 6:30 PM at the Globe Cinema in Calgary. Also check out AN AFTERNOON WITH MATTHEW RANKIN - DOC SHORTS RETROSPECTIVE AND ARTIST TALK on Wednesday November 19th, 2026 at 4 PM as part of CUFF.Docs as well. Matthew Rankin will be in attendance for each screening.  LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, BRIAN MULRONEY... Haunted by visions of the future. Vilified by the political establishment. Charming beyond belief. Behold the dazzling ascent of Brian Mulroney, the “Boy from Baie-Comeau” who built a brand-new Canada.In 1976, Brian Mulroney launched a charm offensive the likes of which Canada had never seen, dismantling the political establishment one dad joke at a time. In this psychedelic doomscroll through the mind of a master politician, filmmaker Matthew Rankin (THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE) charts the flamboyant rise of Canada’s 18th prime minister. From the backwoods of Baie-Comeau to the backrooms of power, Mulroney plots his ascent, trouncing his enemies with a smile and preparing Canada for the unlimited prosperity and permanent unity we live in today. In a genre-bending collage of VHS-ravaged Canadiana, Rankin remixes and reimagines 80,000 pieces of archive, chronicling our 18th prime minister’s crash course with destiny as he clobbers Joe Clark and ushers in a new kind of conservatism for the 1980s. What emerges is a fever dream of politics, propaganda and pop culture as hypnotic as its subject.TIX & INFO: https://www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org/cuff-docs/2026/ladies-and-gentlemen-brian-mulroney/WEBSITE: https://www.nfb.ca/distribution/film/ladies-and-gentlemen-brian-mulroney-assemblageINSTAGRAM: @rankinscope

Christian Zyp interviews Nick Taylor (director) about the documentary RUBBERHEAD: THE LIFE & MONSTERS OF STEVE JOHNSON. It screens as part of CUFF.Docs Thursday November 19th, 2026 at 9:15 PM at the Globe Cinema. Nick Taylor will also be in attendance for a post screening Q&A. RUBBERHEAD: THE LIFE & MONSTERS OF STEVE JOHNSON... A humorous, heartfelt portrait of the life and times of Steve Johnson, one of Hollywood’s most prolific monster makers, who created iconic creatures and effects for some of the most beloved horror and sci-fi movies in cinema history.Known for his intense work ethic, perfectionism, and obsession with breaking new ground, Steve has created iconic creatures and effects through his collaborations with James Cameron, Tim Burton, Steven Spielberg, Joel Schumacher, Guillermo del Toro, and many more. Featuring never before seen footage from Steve’s personal behind-the-scenes archives, RUBBERHEAD tells a deeply personal memoir while providing a fascinating and educational portrait of the golden age of special effects makeup in the 80s and 90s, a time when effects artists were considered the rock stars of Hollywood. Steve shares his endless amounts of riotously hilarious and outrageous anecdotes about his freewheeling, drug-fueled adventures in Hollywood, while also telling the inspirational but tragic story of his own meteoric rise and subsequent fall from grace. Fascinating, funny, inspirational and completely insane.TIX & INFO: https://www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org/cuff-docs/2026/rubberhead-the-life-monsters-of-steve-johnson/INSTAGRAM: @imnicktaylor@nicktaylorhorrorshow

Lucas Anders interviews Mike Feehan and Jamie Miller (co-directors) about their film CAPTAIN NEWFOUNDLAND. See the Alberta Premiere on Thursday November 19th, 2026 at 6:30 PM at the Globe Cinema as part of CUFF.Docs. Directors Mike Feehan & Jamie Miller in attendance for a post screening Q&A. CAPTAIN NEWFOUNDLAND... When oddball tycoon Geoff Stirling became the first in the world to take his local TV station 24 hours, he turned the night time into his personal playground, altering the consciousness of Newfoundlanders forever. Bizarre visions of meditation, super heroes, and all things mystical were beamed into every household as Stirling filled the late night hours when other stations went off the air with his own fantastical creations – visions of crop circles, pyramids, and his own comic book superhero, Captain Newfoundland. Mixing documentary-style interviews with dramatic and animated re-enactments of Stirling’s life and the mythical tales surrounding Captain Newfoundland, this documentary features insights from everyday citizens and famous Newfoundlanders alike, incorporating a mixed-media visual style reminiscent of NTV’s original broadcasting ethos.TIX & INFO: https://www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org/cuff-docs/2026/captain-newfoundland/WEBSITE: https://seachangefilms.ca/work/captainnlINSTAGRAM: @captainnewfoundland

Lucas Anders interviews Alexandra Lazarowich (director/executive producer) and Wiidaase (artist) about the documentary feature TURTLE ISLAND RAP. See it as part of CUFF.Docs on Saturday November 21st, 2026 at the Globe Cinema. Director Alexandra Lazarowich, producer Jessica Ford and artist Wiidaase in attendance for a post-screening Q&A.TURTLE ISLAND RAP...A celebratory portrait of Indigenous youth culture, following the creative journeys of three rappers on the rise. Hip-hop is a tool of self-expression and community connection for A$h Da Hunter, Travis Thompson, and Wiidaaseh, the artists featured in TURTLE ISLAND RAP. Blending performance, intimate personal moments, and a view from inside the creative process, this documentary is a portrait of three artists shaping contemporary Indigenous culture.TIX & INFO: https://www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org/cuff-docs/2026/turtle-island-rap/INSATGRAM: @turtleislandrap@wiidaaseh@alexalexlaza

Christian Zyp interviews Mike Mendez (director/producer) about the documentary film DERNSIE: THE AMAZING LIFE OF BRUCE DERN. It will be making its Alberta Premiere on Friday November 20th at 6:30 PM as part of CUFF.Docs at the Globe Cinema in Calgary. Mike Mendez will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A. DERNSIE: THE AMAZING LIFE OF BRUCE DERN... An intimate portrait of Bruce Dern, reflecting in his own words on a life and career spanning generations of Hollywood, tracing endurance, reinvention, and the legacy he passes to his daughter, Laura Dern. Tireless, uncompromising, and one of the last living legends of his generation, Bruce Dern is an actor whose fearlessness and radical lack of vanity took him places other actors simply wouldn't go. A devoted long-distance runner, Dern has always understood something most people learn too late: endurance is a discipline. He ran through the golden age – directed by Alfred Hitchcock and Hal Ashby, holding his own opposite John Wayne, Bette Davis, and Jack Nicholson. He ran through the lean years. And he kept running until the work caught up with him again – outlasting the very industry that defined him.From director Mike Mendez (BIG ASS SPIDER CUFF 2013, SATANIC HISPANICS CUFF 2023), DERNSIE is drawn from over 50 hours of conversations across four years, never-before-seen photographs, and deeply personal video letters from those closest to him, including his daughter Laura Dern. Featuring candid interviews with Quentin Tarantino, Alexander Payne, Billy Bob Thornton, Walton Goggins, Patty Jenkins, and more, the film is both a homecoming and a celebration – a reflection on a vanishing Hollywood, and a testament to anyone who has ever been counted out, passed over, or told the race was already run, and kept going anyway.TIX & INFO: https://www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org/cuff-docs/2026/dernsie-the-amazing-life-of-bruce-dern/INSTAGRAM: @madmanmendez

Christian Zyp interviews Christine Miller (Founder/Creative Director) about the Edmonton Underground Film Festival (EUFF). The 3rd edition of the festival takes place Saturday November 14th from 12 pm - late at the Freemasons Hall (10318-100 Ave NW). EUFF.03 offers a mesmerizing & dynamic curation of 75 short films which exude creative freedom, energy & experimentation. EUFF is 100% grassroots & independent ensuring a diverse & unbridled curation of the most current experimental and underground short films in current circulation. WEBSITE &  INFO: https://edmontonundergroundfilmfestival.com/TIX: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/edmonton-underground-film-festival-tickets-1989763681735INSTAGRAM: @euff.03

Christian Zyp interviews several filmmakers who will have their work screen as part of the Edmonton Underground Film Festival. Featured in this episode are: Michael B. MacDonald, Erica Schreiner, Mickey Neal, Ethan White, Dave Baeumler and Rue ThreatEUFF .03 offers a mesmerizing & dynamic curation of 75 short films which exude creative freedom, energy & experimentation. EUFF is 100% grassroots & independent ensuring a diverse & unbridled curation of the most current experimental and underground short films in current circulation. Attend EUFF .03 on Saturday November 14th at the Freemason’s Hall of Edmonton (10318 100 Ave NW) from noon til late. EUFF WEBSITE: https://edmontonundergroundfilmfestival.com/EUFF TIX: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/edmonton-underground-film-festival-tickets-1989763681735ETHAN WHITE: https://www.youtube.com/@chocolatemilkac- on Instagram @ethanuelle & @edub_artsDAVID BAEUMLER: https://davebfilm.com/- on Instagram @dave_baeumlerERICA SCHREINER: https://ericaschreiner.com/about.html- on Instagram @erica.schreinerMICHAEL B. MACDONALD: https://www.michaelbmacdonaldfilms.ca/https://www.cineworlding.org/- on Instagram @pappa_rotziMICKEY NEAL: https://www.youtube.com/@Pest_Productions- on Instagram @wheresmickey.ca and @pest_productionsRUE THREAT: on Instagram @rueberry.muffin

Damian Lachacz interviews Valerie Buhagiar (director/actor) about two short films she has featured as part of the Broad View International Film Festival in Edmonton. Lampedusa and This is Not a Ghost Story are featured a part of the BVIFF Film Series: One's Place. Both films make their  Edmonton premiere on Friday, November 13th, 2026 at 6:45 pm at Metro Cinema. Valerie will be in attendance for a post screening Q&A.Lampedusa reveals the challenges and desperation that asylum-seekers face in hopes for a better life outcome. A large percentage of them live in poverty and conflict and are desperate for stability, job security and an overall better life for themselves and their families. Because of these desperate times, they put their lives at risk by journeying across the treacherous open sea waters hoping for a better life. Featuring the song, Lampedusa, composed, arranged and sung by Shameema Soni and Maryem Tollar, and performed by their band, LuA. This is Not a Ghost Story is a cinematic “bio-fairytale” that explores haunting events from life, interwoven with ghost sightings.  As a Maltese immigrant, director Valerie Buhagiar recount lingering struggles and experiences that span from her childhood to the present day. In this lyrical piece, Buhagiar shares moments that shocked, froze, and pulled her backward in time.INFO & TIX: https://broadviewfilmfest.com/festival/INSTAGRAM: @buhagiarvalerie@broaviewfilmfest

Damian Lachacz interviews Beth Wishart MacKenzie (Vice President) about the Broad View International Film Festival programming from  November 12 to 14, 2026. All screenings will be at Metro Cinema. Guests include: Valerie Buhagiar (debuting the short films Lampedusa and This Is Not a Ghost Story) as well as Sarah Taylor & Anna Cooley (Invisible Imagination)The Broad View International Film Festival was established in 2021. The purpose of Broad View is to support and promote the advancement of women film directors through festival screenings, professional development and leadership training. They will be featuring a wide array of local, Canadian and global cinema. BVIFF INFO: https://broadviewfilmfest.com/festival/INSTAGRAM: @broadviewfilmfest

Christian Zyp interviews Eden Munro (writer/editor/director) about his new doc MORE MILES THAN MONEY: THE STORY OF JR. GONE WILD. See it Sunday November 1st at 7 PM at the Metro Cinema. Eden Munro and other guests will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A. The film will also be screening in Calgary as part of CUFF.Docs on  Saturday November 21st at 7:15 PM at the Globe Cinema. Jr. Gone Wild burst onto Canada’s mid-’80s DIY music scene with songs, guitars and no roadmap for the future. A 15-year journey making a life as a band was shaped by record deals, lineup changes, bad luck and hard choices, forging a sound rooted in country and rock while holding fast to an ethos born of punk. Presented as part of the CJSR Air Tight FunDrive Festival.INFO & TIX: https://metrocinema.org/event/more-miles-than-money-the-story-of-jr-gone-wild/https://www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org/cuffdocs/WEBSITE: https://www.nttfilms.com/INSTAGRAM: @jrgonewildfilm@[email protected]