Saddle up for an unbridled odyssey into the frontiers and fringes of one of cinema’s oldest genres with Cattlepunk Crash Course! From four-colour comic-book pulp to gunfighters in space, this series is a cinematic ride through the mythologized landscape of the American West as it crashes into grunge, science fiction, horror, and high strangeness.

This curated series is meant to showcase films that define—and then push past—the boundaries of the Western genre and spin its dusty tropes into thrilling new stories. Expect cult classics that buck categorization, alongside sleeper gems that redefine the look and feel of established filmic language. This series is a must-see for cinephiles, genre enthusiasts, and anyone wanting to explore the intersection between populist, crowd-pleasing film and the bleeding edge of alt subcultures. These aren’t your dad’s Westerns—but he might just love them anyway!

About the Programmer: Aldynne “Ollie” H. Belmont is an American-Canadian writer and student of cowboy storytelling. With a BA in English and Film from the University of Alberta, her published work includes essays, journalism, and theatre. Most recently, her stage play Ride Lyke Hell—described as a “lesbian friends-to-lovers romantic-comedy road-trip post-western”—debuted as a stand-out at Theatre Network’s Nextfest 2024. An obligate nerdy grunge girl with VHS static in her blood, she’s excited to share her pet subgenre obsession with a new audience.