Genre: Horror
Violation
A woman on the brink of divorce is suddenly betrayed by her sister and brother-in-law, setting her on the warpath towards a violent revenge.
Directors
Madeleine Sims-Fewer, Dusty Mancinelli
Writers
Madeleine Sims-Fewer, Dusty Mancinelli
Cast
Jesse LaVercombe, Anna Maguire, Madeleine Sims-Fewer
Producers
Madeleine Sims-Fewer, Dusty Mancinelli
Genre
Horror
Interests
Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
DM Films
Happy Birthday to Me
Director
J. Lee Thompson
Writers
Timothy Bond, Peter Jobin, John C.W. Saxton
Cast
Lawrence Dane, Glenn Ford, Melissa Sue Anderson
Genres
Horror, Thriller
Interest
Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Columbia Pictures of Canada
Hobo with a Shotgun
This cult favourite started as a fake movie trailer in Quentin Tarantino & Robert Rodriguez’s Grindhouse. It includes several Canadiana Easter eggs and a memorable performance from Rutger Hauer, who at one point delivers a dramatic monologue to an audience of newborn babies.
A gleeful, gory sendup of 70s exploitation films, Hobo with a Shotgun delivers plenty of shocks, mayhem and vigilante justice, “one shell at a time.”
Director
Jason Eisener
Writer
John Davies
Cast
Rutger Hauer, Gregory Smith, Molly Dunsworth
Producers
Paul Gross, Rob Cotterill, Niv Fichman
Genres
Action/Adventure, Comedy, Horror, Thriller
Interest
Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
eOne
Les affamés (Ravenous)
In the bleak aftermath of an outbreak of zombies in rural Quebec, Bonin (Marc-André Grondin) struggles to survive along with the rapidly dwindling remaining population. When he encounters a group hiding in a house that is in the path of an invading horde of the undead, he must decide whether or not to save them, as doing so would put him and his companions in danger.
Les affamés is a brilliant and fresh take on the zombie genre, maintaining a tense atmosphere with exceptional moments of horror. It won the Best Canadian Feature prize at TIFF in 2017 and swept the Jutra Awards (now the Prix Iris) with ten wins, including Best Film and Best Direction.
“Robin Aubert's idiosyncratic and nuanced drama breathes fresh life into the zombie apocalypse subgenre.” - John Leydon, VarietyDirector
Robin Aubert
Aubert is a filmmaker, actor, and screenwriter. He has starred in many critical and box office hits, such as De père en flic, Guibord s’en va-t-en guerre, Jeune Juliette, Mon cirque à moi, and Une colonie, for which he won a Prix Iris for Best Supporting Actor. He has also directed numerous films, including Saints-Martyrs-des Damnés, À l'origine d'un cri, and Les Affamés, which won Best Canadian Feature Film at TIFF and ten Prix Iris.
Writer
Robin Aubert
Cast
Charlotte St-Martin, Marc-André Grondin, Monia Chokri, Micheline Lanctôt
Producers
C.S. Roy, Stéphanie Morissette
Genres
Action/Adventure, Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Thriller
Original Language
French
Language Version
EN Subtitles
Canadian Distributors
Les Films Seville, Maison 4:3
Crimes of the Future
A loose remake of one of his earliest films, Crimes of the Future is classic Cronenberg, with all of the body horror you’d expect from the master director.
Director
David Cronenberg
A Companion of the Order of Canada, Cronenberg is a legendary filmmaker and pioneer of the body horror genre. His directing credits include iconic films such as Scanners, Dead Ringers, Videodrome, and Crash, for which he won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. He also directed eXistenZ, Crimes of the Future, The Shrouds, and others. He has won over 80 awards, including the Golden Coach at Cannes, and lifetime achievement awards from TIFF and the DGC.
Writer
David Cronenberg
Cast
Kristen Stewart, Scott Speedman, Lea Seydoux, Lihi Kornowski, Viggo Mortensen
Producers
Panos Papahadzis, Steve Solomos, Robert Lantos
Genres
Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interests
Cult & Offbeat Cinema, Environment
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
MK2 Mile End
Top of the Food Chain
The residents of a secluded Canadian town are being mysteriously and gruesomely devoured. Starring Campbell Scott.
Director
John Paizs
Since filming the widely-praised Crime Wave in his native Winnipeg, Paizs has directed Top of the Food Chain and Marker, and has worked on such TV series as Kids in the Hall, The Adventures of Shirley Holmes and John Woo’s Once a Thief. He is currently writing and illustrating a graphic novel and working as the director in residence at the Canadian Film Centre.
Writers
Philip Bedard, Larry Lalonde
Cast
Lorry Ayers, Robert Bockstael, Campbell Scott
Producers
Suzanne Berger, Jana Edelbaum
Genre
Horror
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Equinox Entertainment
Random Acts of Violence
A comic book writer and his publisher visit a small town where a series of violent murders seems to be tied to their popular comic series. Starring Jesse Williams, Jay Baruchel and Jordana Brewster.
Director
Jay Baruchel
Writers
Jesse Chabot, Jay Baruchel
Cast
Jordana Brewster, Jay Baruchel, Jesse Williams
Producers
Noah Segal, Randy Manis, Jay Baruchel
Genre
Horror
Interest
Cult & Offbeat Cinema
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Elevation Pictures
The Wild Hunt
A medieval re-enactment game turns into a Shakespearean tragedy when a non-player crashes the event in order to win back his girlfriend.
Director
Alexandre Franchi
Writers
Alexandre Franchi, Mark Antony Krupa
Cast
Kaniehtiio Horn (Mohawk)
Producers
Alexandre Franchi, Karen Murphy
Genre
Horror
Interest
Cult & Offbeat Cinema
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
TVA Films
The Editor
A modern classic from the Winnipeg filmmaking collective Astron-6, The Editor is a terrific send-up of genre clichés that is sure to please any horror fan.
“a knowing pastiche of the giallo genre, so incoherent and ridiculous it could almost pass for the genuine article” – Anton Bidel, Sight & Sound
Directors
Adam Brooks
Brooks is a filmmaker, writer, actor and visual artist, and a member of Winnipeg’s Astron-6 filmmaking collective. He wrote and co-directed the features Father’s Day, The Editor, and episodes of the series Divorced Dad, all of which he also starred in. He also directed the documentary Cliff: A Portrait of an Artist. As an actor, he has numerous credits, including the short Bio-Cop and Forgotten Lake, and features such as Manborg, Psycho Goreman, and Frankie Freako.
Writers
Adam Brooks, Matthew Kennedy, Conor Sweeney
Cast
Paz de la Huerta, Adam Brooks, Matthew Kennedy, Conor Sweeney
Producers
Adam Brooks, Matthew Kennedy
Genre
Horror
Interest
Arts and Culture
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Kennedy / Brooks
My Bloody Valentine
After a deadly Valentine’s Day accident, a mining town vows never to celebrate the holiday again. Twenty years later, some teens throw a Valentine’s party — with killer results.
Director
George Mihalka
Writers
John Beaird, Stephen A. Miller
Cast
Lori Hallier, Neil Affleck, Paul Kelman
Producers
André Link, John Dunning
Genre
Horror
Interest
Cult & Offbeat Cinema
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Paramount Pictures
La peau blanche (White Skin)
This brilliant and terrifying horror drama from Daniel Roby won the Best First Feature award at TIFF and the Claude Jutra award at the Genies.
Director
Daniel Roby
Roby’s feature film debut, La peau blanche, premiered at TIFF and went on to win the Canadian Screen Award for Best First Feature. His other films include Funkytown, Dans la brume, Target Number One, Chien & chat, and Louis Cyr, which swept the awards season with nine Jutras and two Canadian Screen Awards. He has also directed episodes of Versailles and La Faille.
Writers
Daniel Roby, Joël Champetier
Cast
Marc Paquet, Marianne Farley
Producer
Daniel Roby
Genre
Horror
Interest
Family Relationships
Original Language
French
Canadian Distributor
Les Films Seville
Possessor
An assassin working for a futuristic agency uses a brain implant to embody other people and carry out a series of hits that begin to take a toll on her sanity.
Director
Brandon Cronenberg
Writer
Brandon Cronenberg
Cast
Andrea Riseborough, Matthew Garlick, Gabrielle Graham, Hanneke Talbot
Producers
Fraser Ash, Niv Fichman, Kevin Krikst, Andrew Starkey
Genres
Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Elevation Pictures
The Changeling
After the tragic deaths of his wife and daughter, a move from New York to Seattle was meant to be a fresh start for composer John Russell (played by Academy Award-winner George C. Scott). However, when mysterious occurrences begin to escalate in the mansion he’s renting, he starts to believe that his new home is haunted, and that the spirits are looking to do him harm.
A cult classic and the winner of eight Genie awards including Best Picture, this spine-tingling horror is a must-see for fans of the genre.
Director
Peter Medak
Writers
Diana Maddox, William Gray
Cast
Jean Marsh, George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere, Melvyn Douglas
Producers
Joel B. Michaels, Garth H. Drabinsky
Genre
Horror
Interest
Cult & Offbeat Cinema
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Pan-Canadian Film Distributors
Antiviral
In a blackly satirical near future, a thriving industry sells celebrity illnesses to their obsessed fans. Employee Syd March's attempts to exploit the system backfire when they involve him in a potentially deadly mystery.
Director
Brandon Cronenberg
Writer
Brandon Cronenberg
Cast
Sarah Gadon, Lisa Berry, Caleb Landry Jones, Douglas Smith
Producer
Niv Fichman
Genres
Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interest
Cult & Offbeat Cinema
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
eOne
Afflicted
Afflicted is a rare Canadian entry in the found-footage thriller genre that was called “ambitious in scope and practically flawless in execution,” by the Toronto Star’s Bruce DeMara.
Directors
Clif Prowse, Derek Lee
Writers
Clif Prowse, Derek Lee
Cast
Clif Prowse, Derek Lee, Michael Gill, Baya Rehaz
Producers
Chris Ferguson, Zach Lipovsky
Genres
Action/Adventure, Horror
Interest
Cult & Offbeat Cinema
Original Language
English
Scanners
Scanners are social outcasts, the by-product of a failed experimental drug given to their mothers during pregnancy, and possess the unusual ability to read and control minds.
Security firm ConSec wants to harness these telekinetics and turn them into a powerful new weapon; however, Revok (Ironside) is hellbent on destroying ConSec and taking over the world. The only man who may be able to stop him is the stoic but equally powerful Vale (Lack).
Chaos reigns as the duo face off in a series of dramatic duels featuring some of cinema’s most jaw-dropping practical effects.
Busting heads and box-office numbers when it opened in 1981, Scanners demonstrates Cronenberg’s talent for accessible, fun and truly awesome science fiction.
Director
David Cronenberg
A Companion of the Order of Canada, Cronenberg is a legendary filmmaker and pioneer of the body horror genre. His directing credits include iconic films such as Scanners, Dead Ringers, Videodrome, and Crash, for which he won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. He also directed eXistenZ, Crimes of the Future, The Shrouds, and others. He has won over 80 awards, including the Golden Coach at Cannes, and lifetime achievement awards from TIFF and the DGC.
Writer
David Cronenberg
Cast
Patrick McGoohan, Michael Ironside, Stephen Lack, Jennifer O'Neill
Producers
Victor Solnicki, Claude Héroux, Pierre David
Genres
Action/Adventure, Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interests
Classics, Cult & Offbeat Cinema
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
Canadian Distributor
Groupe Laurem inc.
Videodrome
Videodrome is one of David Cronenberg’s most original and provocative works, and is widely acclaimed as one of the most influential and mind-bending sci-fi/horror films of the 1980s. “Long live the new flesh” goes this movie’s most famous quote — and long live crazy Canadian body horror!
Director
David Cronenberg
A Companion of the Order of Canada, Cronenberg is a legendary filmmaker and pioneer of the body horror genre. His directing credits include iconic films such as Scanners, Dead Ringers, Videodrome, and Crash, for which he won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. He also directed eXistenZ, Crimes of the Future, The Shrouds, and others. He has won over 80 awards, including the Golden Coach at Cannes, and lifetime achievement awards from TIFF and the DGC.
Writer
David Cronenberg
Cast
Peter Dvorsky, Les Carlson, Sonja Smits, Debbie Harry, James Woods
Producer
Claude Héroux
Genres
Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interest
Cult & Offbeat Cinema
Original Language
English
Language Versions
EN CC, FR Dub, FR Subtitles
Canadian Distributor
Universal
Black Christmas
If Black Christmas doesn’t make your skin crawl, it’s on too tight!
At the start of winter break, a group of sorority sisters begin to receive threatening anonymous phone calls. The calls are initially creepy, but soon turn murderous as girls start disappearing from the sorority house and the sisters begin to suspect a killer is in their midst. But no one realizes just how close the mad murderer may be!
Inspired by the terrible true crimes of the Westmount murders in Montreal, Black Christmas is surely not your traditional holiday fare, but when the film is this historically significant — Bob Clark’s film is often cited as one of the first slasher films in horror — naughty or nice, it’s time to check it off your list!
Director
Bob Clark
Clark was a filmmaker who directed the cult classic Black Christmas, which is often credited as one of the earliest slasher films. His other directing credits include Breaking Point, Murder By Decree, Porky’s, and the iconic A Christmas Story, for which he won Genie Awards for best direction and screenplay. His other credits include the features Loose Cannons, My Summer Story, Baby Geniuses, and TV movies such as Fudge, Catch a Falling Star, and others.
Writer
Roy Moore
Cast
Olivia Hussey, Keir Dullea, Margot Kidder, John Saxon
Producer
Bob Clark
Genres
Horror, Thriller
Interest
Cult & Offbeat Cinema
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Warner Bros
Backcountry
Director
Adam MacDonald
Cast
Nicholas Campbell, Missy Peregrym, Jeff Roop
Producer
Thomas Michael
Genre
Horror
Interest
Cult & Offbeat Cinema
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributors
D Films, Vortex Media
- Own Voice
L’Inhumain (The Inhuman)
Mathieu (Samian) may be a brilliant and successful neurosurgeon, but his life is far from perfect. When his long-term prescription drug habit is exposed, and his wife discovers he’s been having an affair, Mathieu faces professional and personal consequences. His father’s sudden death prompts Mathieu’s return to the northern Anishinaabe community of his youth and the remote forest cabin where he goes to scatter his father’s ashes. But what begins as a respite from his chaotic life to a place he thought he’d left far behind becomes a battle with something far darker. Haunted by painful memories and hunted by the legendary Wendigo, Mathieu faces demons both figurative and literal.
A rare French-language Indigenous genre film, L’inhumain is the directorial debut of Anishinaabe producer and writer Jason Brennan. It’s a thrilling and evocative parable about the dangers of feeding the monster inside.
Director
Jason Brennan (Anishinaabe)
Brennan is a director, producer, and writer who wrote, directed and produced episodes of Hit the Ice, Skindigenous, Pulse, and A Good Game, as well as writing and directing a Heritage Minute for Historica Canada. He also wrote and directed the feature film L’Inhumain, which earned him the Best Director award at the American Indian Film Festival. He has many producing credits in film and television, including the feature Rustic Oracle.
Writer
Jason Brennan (Anishinaabe)
Cast
Sonia Vigneault, Jeanne Roux-Cote, Véronique Beaudet, Samian (Algonquin)
Producer
Jason Brennan (Anishinaabe)
Genres
Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Thriller
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Cult & Offbeat Cinema, Indigenous Filmmaker
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
7th Screen