CALGARY — Fashion and cultural trends will be front and center at this year’s Calgary International Film Festival, which returns Sept. 19 with Fashion in Film, a program that will focus on lifestyle and sartorial themes.

To set the tone, the 10-day fest will screen a newly and digitally remastered fashion classic, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, along with other entries such as Eleven Minutes, a feature documentary chronicling Project Runway winner Jay McCarroll’s year-long preparation for his first independent runway show.

‘We’re all about meeting the interests of the audience this year,’ says festival executive director Jacqueline Dupuis. ‘We’ve really made the festival more interactive for consumers of culture.’ The fest will include fashion shows, prize giveaways and the chance for audiences to interact with celebrities at its main location in the Stephen Avenue Mall.

The majority of the screenings emphasize Canadian content and talent. ‘It’s always a hard line for us,’ says Dupuis. ‘Oftentimes the marketing efforts [for Canadian film] aren’t there… We’re always trying to redress that.’ The festival will open with Rhombus Media’s Blindness, fresh from TIFF and the Atlantic Film Festival.

The focus of the World Cinema program this year is on Iceland — instigated by President Olafur Grimsson’s visit to Calgary this month — and will feature seven films including the Canadian premieres of the twin features Children and Parents, directed by Ragnar Bragason, who will be in attendance.

Between 220 and 250 delegates are scheduled to attend the festival, including Vancouver director Carl Bessai for the Alberta premiere of Mothers & Daughters, and Tom Green, who stars in the world premiere of Freezer Burn, directed by Grant Harvey, also expected in attendance.

CIFF will close with Brian Hecker’s Bart Got a Room, starring William H. Macy.