Heading for Daylight

With its mix of features, cartoons and documentaries, the Calgary Underground Film Festival proves that there is a lot going on outside the Hollywood spotlight.

Ex Machina

The festival opens with this stylish sci- fi flick written and directed by Alex Garland ( 28 Days Later and Sunshine). Caleb, an IT drone, is summoned to the lair/ hideaway of his mysterious CEO. There he is introduced to a robot who has both artificial intelligence and feelings. Real emotions ensue. Monday, April 13, 7 p. m.

Theory of Obscurity

The Residents are seemingly both ahead of their time and hopelessly mired in outdated notions. As evidence of the former, consider that the performance collective pioneered home- recording, music videos and podcasting. As for the latter: in our celebrity- obsessed times the members maintain their anonymity. Tuesday, April 14, 9: 45 p. m.

Salt of the Earth

Wim Wenders’ documentary profile of Sebastiao Salgado exposes fans to the work of two men who are adept with cameras. Salgado’s most recent project was an attempt to chronicle natural beauty. He’s no stranger to ambition, which is also true of Wenders, who always seems to have something interesting on the go. Thursday, April 16, 7 p. m.

The Duke of Burgundy

This tale of lust and sexual experimentation makes 50 Shades of Grey look like 50 Shades of Grey. In short, this one gets weird. The tale centres on a wealthy butterfly collector ( warning: metaphors ahead) who introduces her housekeeper to sadomasochistic ritual. Like butterflies, people are changeable. Saturday, April 18, 7: 15 p. m.

The Peanut Butter Solution

A classic bit of Canadiana hits the big screen for one show only. It’s a rare chance to bridge the generation gap for those who saw it when it was originally released 30 years ago and who now have kids of their own. The tale of horrors, sudden hair loss and rapid hair growth has real staying power. Sunday, April 19, 10: 30 a. m.