Calgary International Film Festival attendance jumps 20% to 35,000

The 16th annual Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF) has wrapped and organizers say, by all accounts, it was a resounding success.

This year's12-day festival saw more than 200 films screened for 35,000people

That marks a20-per-cent increasefrom last yearand setsan all-timeattendance record.

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CIFFexecutive director Steve Schroedersaidthe event has grown because it's"first and foremost an audience festival."

"The reason we exist is not to provide celeb sightings, it's not to do anything else," he said. "It's to engage the widest range of people possible in the most diverse range of all types of film possible."

After each screening, audience memberswere also asked to rate the films, with their votes helping to determine award winners in certain categories.

More than 27,000 votes were cast, in total, markinga 15-per-cent increase over 2014 audience ratings and, again,a new record for the festival.

The CIFF Discovery Awards recognize the best first feature films from emerging filmmakers, while the Audience Awards are based on audience reaction. The 2015 award winners are:

• Discovery Award Best Documentary: Made in Japan(Dir. Josh Bishop)
• Discovery Award Best Narrative: Keep In Touch(Dir. Sam Kretchmar)
• Audience Award Best Narrative *TIE* Remember(Dir. Atom Egoyan) & Room (Dir.Lenny Abrahamson)
• Audience Award Best Documentary: Guantanamo's Child (Dir. Patrick Reed &Michelle Shephard)
• Audience Award Best Animation Short: Bear Story(Dir. Gabriel Osorio)
• Audience Award Best Live Action or Documentary: The House Is Innocent(Dir. Nicholas Coles)