Genre: Romance
Amour apocalypse (Peak Everything)
Director
Anne Émond
Émond's debut feature, Nuit #1, won the Claude Jutra Award for Best Feature by a first time filmmaker at the 2012 Genie Awards. Her other credits include the shorts La vie commence, Sophie Lavoie and Plus rien ne vouloir, and the features Nelly and Les êtres chers, which received seven Jutra Award nominations and won for Best Direction. Her most recent film is Manuel de la vie sauvage.
Writer
Anne Émond
Cast
Gilles Renaud, Eric K. Boulianne, Patrick Hivon, Piper Perabo
Producer
Sylvain Corbeil
Genres
Comedy, Romance
Interests
Environment, Female Filmmaker
Original Language
French
Language Version
EN Subtitles
The End of Sex
Featuring outrageous performances by a terrific cast, this witty look at long term relationships is a fun and fresh entry into the romantic comedy genre.
“Heartfelt and funny in all the right places.” — Rachel Ho, Exclaim!
Director
Sean Garrity
Writer
Jonas Chernick
Cast
Jonas Chernick, Emily Hampshire
Producer
Justin Rebelo
Genres
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Interest
Family Relationships
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
Youngblood
Drawing inspiration from the 80s cult classic of the same name, Director Hubert Davis expertly captures the drama both on and off the ice, with incredible performances and exhilarating hockey sequences.
“In an age when sports movies often feel either overly sentimental or clumsily macho, ‘Youngblood’ finds a refreshing sweet spot that’s emotionally intelligent, grounded, and deeply human.” — Louisa Moore, Screen Zealots
Director
Hubert Davis
Davis’s first film, Hardwood, was nominated for an Oscar for Best Short Documentary. He went on to receive the Don Haig award at Hot Docs for Invisible City, and direct numerous award winning commercials, as well as the short films Aruba and Rivolta, which won a Cannes Film Lion, and the feature documentaries Giants of Africa and Black Ice, which premiered at TIFF in 2022 where it won the People’s Choice Documentary Award.
Writers
Seneca Aaron, Josh Epstein, Peter Markle
Cast
Shawn Doyle, Ashton James, Blair Underwood
Producers
Anthony Leo, Andrew Rosen
Genres
Drama, Romance
Interest
Sports
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
Matt and Mara
Director
Kazik Radwanski
Writers
Samantha Chater, Kazik Radwanski
Cast
Michael Michael Kolberg, Matt Johnson, Deragh Campbell
Producer
Candice Napoleone
Genres
Drama, Romance
Interest
Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
Canadian Distributor
The Cinema Guild
- Own Voice
Sweet Summer Pow Wow
Director
Darrell Dennis (Secwepemc)
Writers
Darrell Dennis (Secwepemc), Katya Gardner
Cast
Joshua Odjick (Algonquin/Anishinaabe), Tatyana Rose Baptiste (Syilx Okanagan), Graham Greene (Oneida)
Producers
Leslie D. Bland, Harold Joe
Genres
Comedy, Romance
Interests
Arts and Culture, BIPOC Stories, Indigenous Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Orca Cove Media
Young Werther
While on a simple errand to Toronto, a carefree and charming young writer named Werther (Douglas Booth) meets Charlotte (Alison Pill), who he believes love of his life. There's only one thing standing in the way - her engagement to another man. Despite the urgings of his hypochondriac best friend, Werther turns his world upside down in a desperate, misguided and hilarious quest to win her heart.
Director
José Lourenço
Writers
Johann Goethe, José Lourenço
Cast
Alison Pill, Patrick J. Adams, Iris Apatow
Producer
Douglas Booth
Genres
Comedy, Romance
Interest
Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
Language Versions
EN CC, FR Dub, FR Subtitles
Canadian Distributor
Wildling Pictures
Entre la mer et l’eau douce (Between Sweet and Salt Water)
Director
Michel Brault
Writers
Marcel Dubé, Michel Brault, Denys Arcand
Cast
Geneviève Bujold, Claude Gauthier
Producer
Pierre Patry
Genres
Drama, Romance
Interest
Arts and Culture
Original Language
French
Language Version
EN Subtitles
Canadian Distributor
Cooperative
Die Alone
A brilliant blend of romance and horror, Die Alone is a refreshing take on the zombie genre with a heartfelt message at its core.
“This isn’t just a zombie film; it’s a haunting exploration of love, loss, and what it means to hold on when everything else falls apart.” – Thom Ernst, Original Cin
Director
Lowell Dean
Dean began his career as a director with short films such as Juice Pigs, which he co-wrote, and episodes of Canadian TV series such as Dust Up, and Blood, Lies and Alibis. He has gone on to direct six feature films which include comedy-horror Wolfcop, its well-deserved sequel Another Wolfcop, and the action-packed Supergrid. In 2024, he released two films, Dark Match and Die Alone, which premiered at Sitges Film Festival and took home the Midnight X-treme audience choice award.
Writer
Lowell Dean
Cast
Carrie-Anne Moss, Douglas Smith, Frank Grillo
Producers
Kevin DeWalt, Danielle Masters, Benjamin DeWalt
Genres
Horror, Romance, Thriller
Interest
Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
Canadian Distributor
Quiver Distribution
Stand!
Released to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Winnipeg General Strike that forever changed the labour movement in Canada, Stand! shows that while we’re now living in a different time, the power of joining together to fight for your rights hasn’t changed.
“A film that is actually about something, made by people who are expert storytellers.” – Neil Weisensel, The Globe and Mail
Director
Robert Adetuyi
Adetuyi is a screenwriter and director known for dance and action films. His writing credits include Stomp the Yard, Code Name: The Cleaner, Honey: Rise Up and Dance, and Trouble Sleeping. He wrote and directed Turn It Up, You Got Served: Beat the World, and directed Bring It On: Worldwide #Cheersmack, Trouble Sleeping and Stand!, which won two ACTRA awards.
Writers
Rick Chafe, Danny Schur
Cast
Laura Wiggins, Gregg Henry, Hayley Sales
Genres
Drama, Romance
Interests
History, Newcomer Stories, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Vortex Media
Vous n’êtes pas seuls (You Are Not Alone)
Léo, a lonely young pizza delivery man finds little purpose in his life, but that all changes when he falls head over heels for local musician Rita. As their romance begins to blossom, the couple is blissfully unaware of the threat of an alien who has targeted Léo for a mysterious and dangerous purpose.
A heartfelt drama with a sci-fi twist, You Are Not Alone takes you on a mysterious and beautiful journey that is completely captivating.
“Vous n’êtes pas seuls prouve, si nous en doutions encore, que notre cinéma est capable de continuer d’innover et de se renouveler.” – Isabelle Hontebeyrie, Le journal de Montréal
Directors
Philippe Lupien
Lupien is a director whose short film credits include L'Halloween de Monsieur Simard and Le diable en personne. Together with his partner Marie-Hélène Viens, he has co-directed the short films Bernard Le Grand, Amen and Nous sommes Le Freak Show, and the feature film Vous n'êtes pas seul, which won the Best Canadian Discovery Award at TIFF 2024.
Marie-Hélène Viens
Viens is a director and screenwriter who has worked in collaboration with Philippe Lupien for many years. Their short films Bernard Le Grand, Amen and Nous sommes Le Freak Show played at numerous festivals and won over 15 awards. Vous n'êtes pas seul was the duo’s first feature film, and won the Best Canadian Discovery Award at TIFF 2024.
Writers
Marie-Hélène Viens, Philippe Lupien
Cast
Marianne Fortier, Pier-Luc Funk, Sandrine Bisson
Producer
Fanny-Laure Malo
Genres
Comedy, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interests
Cult & Offbeat Cinema, Female Filmmaker
Original Language
French
Language Version
EN Subtitles
Canadian Distributor
Maison 4:3
Simple comme Sylvain (The Nature of Love)
Cleverly unpacking the conventions of relationships, The Nature of Love premiered at Cannes to critical acclaim, earning 14 Prix Iris nominations (with Chokri winning for best director), and won the César award for Best Foreign Film.
“A delightful modern love triangle about our paradoxical desires for passion and comfort.” — Christian Zilco, IndieWire
Director
Monia Chokri
Writer
Monia Chokri
Cast
Pierre-Yves Cardinal, Monia Chokri, Magalie Lépine Blondeau, Francis-William Rhéaume
Producers
Nathanaël Karmitz, Sylvain Corbeil, Nancy Grant, Elisha Karmitz
Genres
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Interests
Female Filmmaker, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
French
Canadian Distributor
Immina Films
Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person
Young vampire Sasha is going to die if she doesn’t kill. Being entirely opposed to taking a human life to feed on, she has long relied on her family’s murderous habits to get her blood, until they suddenly cut her off. Enter Paul, a lonely teen who is considering ending his own life, and is more than willing to do so to help Sasha survive. As they each prepare for the next step in their budding doomed relationship, a true bond forms between them – one that is as sweet as it is inconvenient.
This truly unique coming-of-age story is a heartwarming and clever spin on the vampire genre, and has captured awards at festivals around the world.
“Ariane Louis-Seize makes her feature-length directorial debut with this daring and daffy horror-comedy that plays like Romeo and Juliet meets Beetlejuice and Amelie [sic].” – Kristy Puchko, Mashable
Director
Ariane Louis-Seize
Writers
Ariane Louis-Seize, Christine Doyon
Cast
Félix-Antoine Bénard, Sara Montpetit
Genres
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Interests
Cult & Offbeat Cinema, Female Filmmaker, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
French
- Own Voice
My Animal
Living with a curse that turns her into a wolf if she’s out of the house after midnight, Heather (Menuez) is kept on a tight leash by her overbearing parents. But everything changes when she falls for the new girl in town, Jonny (Stenberg). The two form an instant connection, but as their relationship develops, it causes Heather to rebel, increasing the risk that her secret could be exposed – with disastrous consequences.
A stylish and tense horror-romance, this exciting first feature from director Jacqueline Castel features amazing performances from its two emerging leads, brought together with a cast of Canadian icons.
“My Animal marks an impressive, confident feature debut for several key talents.” – Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter
Director
Jacqueline Castel
Writer
Jae Matthews
Cast
Amandla Stenberg, Bobbi Salvör Menuez
Producers
Andrew Bronfman, Michael Solomon
Genres
Drama, Horror, Romance
Interests
Cult & Offbeat Cinema, Female Filmmaker, LGBTQ2S+
Original Language
English
- Own Voice
The Queen of My Dreams
Sumptuously capturing the feel of a Bollywood film while telling a relatable cross-continental story, Fawzia Mirza’s impressive debut feature is an instant classic.
“Mirza has created a film bursting with creative energy and distinctive aesthetic sensibilities.” – Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter
Director
Fawzia Mirza
Mirza is a writer, producer, actor and director whose work focuses on the Queer and Muslim experience in Canada, particularly on the intersection between the two. Her short films include The First Session, I Know Her, The Syed Family Xmas Eve Game Night and The Queen of My Dreams, which she adapted into her critically acclaimed debut feature of the same name.
Writer
Fawzia Mirza
Cast
Amrit Kaur, Nimra Bucha, Hamza Haq
Producers
Marc Tetreault, Jason Levangie, Andria Wilson
Genres
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Interests
Asian Filmmaker, BIPOC Stories, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Global Experiences, LGBTQ2S+, Newcomer Stories, Strong Female Leads
Original Languages
English, Other Language
Canadian Distributor
Cineplex
- Own Voice
Short Film Programme
If you’d like to show several short films together as a programme, please feel free to get in touch for advice and tips on selecting the perfect combination for your needs.
Director
Shorts Programme
Genres
Action/Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Documentary, Drama, Experimental, Family, Horror, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Thriller
Interests
Arts and Culture, Biography, BIPOC Stories, Bullying, Classics, Cult & Offbeat Cinema, Discrimination, Environment, ESL, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Global Experiences, History, Indigenous Filmmaker, LGBTQ2S+, Literary Adaptation, Newcomer Stories, Social Justice & Politics, Sports, Strong Female Leads
Original Languages
English, French
- Own Voice
Indigenous-made Short Films
Director
Various
Genres
Action/Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Documentary, Drama, Experimental, Family, Horror, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Thriller
Interests
Arts and Culture, BIPOC Stories, Female Filmmaker, Indigenous Filmmaker
Original Languages
English, French, Other Language
- Own Voice
Aviliaq (Entwined)
Director
Alethea Arnaquq-Baril (Inuk)
Arnaquq-Baril is an award-winning Inuk filmmaker whose work has screened on CBC, APTN, and at festivals like Hot Docs, imagineNATIVE, TIFF and many others. Her credits include the award-winning doc Angry Inuk, Aviliaq, Inuit High Kick, Tunniit: Retracing the Lines of Inuit Tattoos and The Embargo Project. She also produced the award winning film The Grizzlies, the 2022 film Slash/Back, and co-founded the Inuit production company Red Marrow Media. She is currently producing the documentary Twice Colonized.
Writer
Dallas Varcoe
Cast
Miali Buscemi, Malaya Qaunirq Chapman
Producers
Alethea Arnaquq-Baril (Inuk), Miriam Levin-Gold, Anne-Marie Stuart
Genres
Drama, Romance
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Female Filmmaker, Indigenous Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
Inuktitut
Language Version
EN Subtitles
- Own Voice
Imran and Alykhan
Director
Shakil Jessa
Genre
Romance
Interests
BIPOC Stories, LGBTQ2S+
Original Language
English
Nadine
Director
Patrick Péris
Writers
Sylvain Charbonneau, Patrick Péris
Cast
Émilien Néron, Jade Charbonneau
Producer
Marc Bertrand
Genres
Animation, Romance
Original Language
French
Vive la rose
Based on the last recording by one of Newfoundland's foremost traditional music performers, Emile Benoit's tender delivery of the 18th century French song is the heart of Vive la rose. The story of unrequited love and tentative obsession throughout the beloved's life, sickness and early death is the narrative focus, accompanied by an emotional interpretation of Benoit's strong Newfoundland French accent and wavering old man's voice. Vive la rose is animation on location, rooting the film in a location that evokes the past, and combines ink drawings with a variety of romantic and associative elements and objects.
Director
Bruce Alcock
Producers
Tina Ouellette, Annette Clarke, Michael Fukushima
Genres
Animation, Romance
Interests
Arts and Culture, History
Original Language
French
Language Versions
EN Subtitles, FR CC
Canadian Distributor
National Film Board (NFB)