It may seem like everyone is in a cranky mood these days. It may be politics or the economy, mask-wearing or social restrictions. It might snow soon, and some think Halloween might be cancelled. Dr. Peter Silverstone has been a visitor on Daybreak this past summer to discuss issues around mental health. He is in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Alberta.

The Calgary International Film Festival continues for 2020 with a full lineup of movies for film fans to enjoy from home. One of the movies playing is a production from the National Film Board of Canada called "John Ware Reclaimed." It tells the story of the black cowboy and rancher in southern Alberta in the late 1800s and it also takes a long look at how the history of blacks in the west has been forgotten. Cheryl Foggo has been working on telling the story of John Ware for over a decade and this film is the realization of bringing John Ware's story to the film. The Alberta writer and film-maker, Cheryl Foggo spoke with Russell on Daybreak.

Good morning Cheryl, how are you?

It's festival season for movies and film-lovers are being encouraged to watch from home for the Calgary and Edmonton International Film Festivals. Full lineups and viewing details are online at ciffcalgary.com and edmontonfilmfest.com. Russell spoke with Helen Shaver, an icon of Canadian film who has her latest film screening at the festivals. She has starred in classic films like "In Praise of Older Women" and "The Colour of Money" with Paul Newman, plus TV shows like "Hill Street Blues." Over the last 2 decades, most of her work has been behind the camera on a wide variety of TV projects like "Westworld," "Vikings" and "Orphan Black." Her first theatrical movie as a director is "Happy Place" based on a play by Pamela Sinha about a group of women recovering from a suicide attempt and Russell spoke with the screen legend, Helen Shaver on Daybreak.

Given the pandemic, the summer of 2020 certainly has been like one we have never had before. What, if anything, did travel look like for you during what was usually a popular time to leave home for vacation? For many of us, it meant venturing no further than the backyard and spending time in the garden. Others doubled down on their neighbourhoods and cities by exploring the local parks, bike pathways and even rivers. And then there were those who made the summer of 2020 all about regional travel and that includes Daybreak's regular travel columnist, Kim Gray, from the digital publishing house ToqueAndCanoe.com. She spoke with Russell about her Alberta travels this year and what the road ahead could look like for the travel industry.

Instead of flocking to dark cinemas, film fans will be watching films for the Calgary and Edmonton film festivals from home. Starting September 24 for Calgary and October 1 for Edmonton and full lineups and viewing details can be found at ciffcalgary.com and edmontonfilmfest.com. The opening night for the Edmonton Film Fest will be an Alberta movie called "Jasmine Road" (also playing during the Calgary festival) and it portrays a relationship that develops between a widowed rancher and a Syrian family who come to settle in southern Alberta. Warren Sulatycky ("Johnny Mnemonic," "Due South") wrote and directed "Jasmine Road." Warren has been acting in major films and directing film and reality TV for 30 years and I'm pleased he's visiting with me on Daybreak.

A dozen bands from southern Alberta are getting ready for a massive drive-in music festival on September 25, 26, and 27. The RISE UP Weekend will bring together a number of music organizations to hold concerts to help fundraise and keep their groups going through the pandemic such as the Calgary Folk Festival, ReggaeFest, the International Blues Festival and the Stampede. Tickets for the drive-in style concerts are available online from showpass.com. Acts like Jade Eagleson, the Groove Crew are just a couple of the groups playing, along with Blake Reid. The country artist has been keeping busy since in award music documentary came out in 2017. He's got new single coming soon, and Russell spoke with Blake to get a preview.

It's film festival season for the Calgary and Edmonton International Film Festivals. Full lineups and viewing details are online at ciffcalgary.com and edmontonfilmfest.com. One of the movies in Calgary will be a flick that whisks people back to the Cowtown of the late 90s, "Events Transpiring Before and After a High School Basketball Game." The film stars Andrew Phung ("Kim's Convenience") plays a coach named Brent who's determined to make a group of hapless players into a winning team. The Calgary native is a man who loves his basketball and Russell Bowers spoke with the star of this new movie.

September is usually a month when baseball fans start thinking about the Fall classic and in 2020, the playoffs and the World Series will have a different look for sure. However, if some Edmonton baseball fans have their way, the game will have a new look in the city starting next summer. The Edmonton Riverhawks were introduced on September 15 at ReMax Field, with the team unveiled by Dr. Randy Gregg. He's a sports legend, having won five Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers. To chat about his lifelong affair with baseball, and what to expect from the baseball facility, Russell spoke with Dr. Gregg on Daybreak.

Angie Abdou review new Alberta books for Daybreak and she has a new book of her own coming soon. Look for "This One Wild Life: A Mother-Daughter Wilderness Memoir" in the Spring of 2021. For October, she is peering inside the kid-friendly pages of Explore Canada" by Jacey Asnong. ("Nuptse and Lhotse in the Land of the Midnight Sun," "Rocky Mountain ABCs")

Shortly after the birth of Krystin Buffam’s son 4 years ago, she knew things weren’t right. She had stopped eating, was struggling with breast feeding, feeling she was a shell of her former self. Krystin voluntarily admitting herself to the psychiatric unit at the Women’s Mental Health Clinic at Foothills Hospital where she began a journey to recovery. Feeling stronger today, Krystin is trying to give back by drawing attention to the 8th annual (and first-ever virtual) Run for Women on September 27. The registration fees and local funds raised will be donated to charities supporting women’s mental health in Calgary and Edmonton.