Tegan and Sara bring 'love letter to the '90s' to Calgary with High School première
Calgary's own Tegan and Sara call their upcoming Amazon series a "love letter to the '90s."
Both the Quin sisters were in town Thursday for the Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF) première of High School at the Eau Claire theatre.
Debuting the show in the city they grew up in made sense, Tegan said.
Tegan pointed out the show was shot here and is about the time of their lives when they resided here.
Sara said the show is about Calgary as much as it's about them.
"We actually shot at our high school, Crescent Heights. We're very proud of Crescent Heights. It's a super beautiful school and we had a great time going there," Sara said.
"You'll see a North Hill Mall shout-out. Sears," Tegan said.
"Oh my god, Sears," Sara said.
"It's a real love letter to the '90s. I think Calgarians will love the show. I think Albertans will love it ... Canadians and anyone who loved the '90s will love the show," Tegan said.
High School is based on the memoir of the same name the Quin sisters penned a few years back.
Tegan said it was important for the young musicians to tell their story "about coming out, the origin story not only of our band but of us figuring out who we are."
And Tegan said creating the show was equally important.
"I don't know that there are very many shows that give a very unvarnished look at what it's like just to be a teenager and be queer and be figuring out who you are," Tegan said.
"We're very proud of the end result."
High School will be released through Amazon in October and stars Railey Gilliland and Seazynn Gilliland, who came into the roles without much in the way of experience.
Sara said they were exactly the pair that needed to be cast.
"We found them on TikTok," Sara said.
"They were working at a pizza joint in Fresno, Calif., and Tegan and I felt they were compelling, watchable, charismatic and super cool, and we fought to have them play us even though they are not actors and they are not musicians.
"I think they absolutely kill it."
For the CIFF audience on Thursday, the first three episodes of High School were shown.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.