BUMP Invites Audiences to See Fan Favourite Films in a New Way with Movies WiTh A View Series
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Movies With a View. High Park. Photo by Daman Singh
BUMP’s summer programming has begun with Movies With a View in High Park running until September! The park full of fans for the first film of the summer, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World in June and BUMP has curated a fantastic line up for the rest of the summer. REVERIE chatted with Morgan Whalan, High Park Ambassador about curating this year's lineup.
REVERIE: What inspired the idea of using High Park as an outdoor cinema when Movies with a View started? What has the response from audiences been like now that the screening series is in its fourth year?
Morgan: When Movies with a View first started, the idea was really simple: we wanted to create a free event where people could come together and enjoy a movie outside. Especially now, when everything feels like it's getting more expensive, it's nice to be able to offer something that's completely free and still feels like a really special night out.
Now that we're in our fourth year with our inflatable screen at High Park, it's been so cool to watch it grow. Every year we see more familiar faces, more people bringing their friends or families, and even people who just happen to be walking by It's starting to feel like a summer tradition, and that's really rewarding.
REVERIE: What inspired the curation of this year's film lineup?
Morgan: This year I really wanted to focus on collaboration. Instead of us trying to curate everything on our own, I wanted to work with organizations around Calgary that are already doing such amazing work in film, animation, and the arts.
The fun part is that even though every partner brought something different, the lineup all kind of ended up fitting together naturally. Almost every film is about finding community, navigating identity, or protecting the people and places that matter to you. They're all stories about people who don't quite fit in finding connection in different ways. That wasn't necessarily intentional from the beginning, but once everything came together, I realized there was this really nice thread running through the whole season.
Scott Pilgrim was honestly just a personal favourite of mine. It's one of those movies I've always wanted to watch with a big crowd, and it felt like the perfect way to kick off the summer.
Tekkonkinkreet was first mentioned from Ryan at BUMP, and when I asked Ryan at Quickdraw he immediately said, "That's one of my favourite movies!". At that point it just felt meant to be. I also love that it's this beautifully animated film set in a dense urban city, and we'll be watching it surrounded by Calgary's skyline.
The National Film Board helped us select Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Man. It's a beautiful film that showcases the Blackfoot landscape and we're incredibly lucky that film’s director, Trevor Soloway, will actually be joining us for the screening.
We worked with My Friend Dave last year and it was such a great experience that when they reached out about returning, it was an easy yes. This year they're bringing their art show as well, so it'll be more than just a film screening.
Zombieland just felt like the perfect movie for September. It's funny and it's a cult favourite. The perfect way to ease everyone into spooky season while still keeping things light and fun.
Finally, we'll wrap up with the Quickdraw Animation Society’s stop-motion showcase. If you've ever been to GIRAF, you know they always find the coolest, weirdest, and most creative films, so I'm really excited to see what they bring to High Park this year. This screening is part of their annual Stopmotion Showcase, but what is special about this year is that the infamous curation and streaming service ETERNAL FAMILY have selected a pack of films this year.
For me, Movies with a View isn't just about showing movies people already know, it's about creating experiences, celebrating Calgary's creative community, and bringing people together through stories.
REVERIE: What do you hope audiences experience by watching these films outdoors instead of at home or in a theatre?
Morgan: There's something special about experiencing a film with hundreds of other people. You run into friends, meet new people, and share reactions together in a way you simply can't at home.
High Park also creates an atmosphere you don't find in a traditional theatre. You're surrounded by Calgary's skyline, with the Calgary Tower lit up in the background, the downtown lights all around you, and the stars overhead. The city almost becomes part of the experience.
For me, that's what makes Movies with a View unique. It's not just about the film, it's about the place, the people, and the shared experience of spending a summer evening together. I hope people come out for a film they already love, discover something completely new, and leave feeling a little more connected to both the city and the people around them.
REVERIE: Are there any films in this year's lineup that you're especially excited for audiences to see?
Morgan: Definitely Tekkonkinkreet. It's one of those movies that not everyone has seen, but the people who love it really love it. Both Ryan from BUMP and Ryan from Quickdraw were so excited about bringing it to the lineup, and their excitement definitely rubbed off on me.
I also think it's going to be really fun because the film takes place in this incredible urban cityscape, and we'll be watching it right in the middle of Calgary's downtown. I love when the setting kind of becomes part of the experience.
REVERIE: Are there any partnerships, like with Quickdraw or the NFB, that have been particularly exciting to put together?
Morgan: Working with Quickdraw has been especially exciting. I currently have a residency there, so we've already built a strong relationship, and this year everything aligned perfectly for us to collaborate.
More broadly, I think one of the most rewarding parts of this season has been seeing so many organizations come together. Whether it's Quickdraw, BUMP Festival, the National Film Board, or My Friend Dave, each partner has brought their own perspective and helped shape the lineup. That collaborative approach has made this season stronger than it would have been if we had curated it alone.
REVERIE: What inspired the collaboration with Quickdraw, and how did the shorts pairings come about?
Working with Quickdraw has honestly been one of the most natural and fun collaborations in the series. I already have a residency there, so there’s a really strong existing connection and shared love for animation. It just felt like a very easy “of course we should do this together” kind of partnership.
A lot of it also comes down to trust and taste. Quickdraw, especially through their GIRAF festival, are always curating some of the most interesting, weird, and beautiful animated work you’ll ever see. So when we talked about including their annual stop-motion screening it wasn’t really about us building something from scratch, it was more about giving them space to do what they already do so well, but in a different setting. It was less about fitting things into a strict theme and more about creating a really fun, surprising experience for people, something where you don’t quite know what you’re going to see next, but you’re glad you stayed for all of it.
That’s what I love about Quickdraw’s programming in general; it always feels a bit unexpected, really creative, and very handmade in the best way. They also do a really good job of mixing local artists with the greater international community. Throughout this summer programming, keep an eye out for local animators' work such as COWMAN by Jiwoo Kim, Stranger Danger by Jhemarie David, and then the live score performance on September 12th. I think the energy QAS cultivates is going to translate really well outside under the stars at High Park, and who knows, maybe it will inspire someone in the audience to learn how to animate themselves.
REVERIE: Can you give audiences a teaser of what they can expect to see with the shorts packages on August 20th and in September?
Morgan: On September 12 the Quickdraw Animation Society (QAS) is presenting their annual Stop Motion Showcase with support from the Alberta Culture Days. This event has been happening since 2023 where they had a pre-show of live latin music and flamenco dancing ahead of animated films, and then in the following years QAS partnered with BUG INCISION (an avant garde music collective) to do live scores to some iconic stop motion animated films from throughout history. The Cameraman’s Revenge and The Dinosaur and the Missing Link: A Prehistoric Tragedy were both 100+ year old films reimagined through the sound stylings of players Jonathon Wilcke, Keith Rogers, and Chris Dadge.
What is special about this 2026 edition is that QAS has partnered with Eternal Family to curate the stop motion animated films this year. What people might not know is that the offbeat streaming platform known for presenting hidden gems from the past was actually founded in Alberta from animator Cole Kush who himself has worked with Adult Swim, A$AP Rocky, Nike, ESPN, etc. The Eternal Family curated pack of stop motion films doesn’t disappoint, with a special highlight on Estonian animation the films represent early exploration in the medium, fables of freedom, fate, and the strange power of imagination. We will also be welcoming BUG INSICION to perform a live score to a film titled KNOT, a story told just by animated string.