Genre: Thriller
Dead Lover
A foul-smelling gravedigger's romance ends in tragedy, spurring her to attempt a resurrection through a madcap series of science experiments. Grace Glowicki and Ben Petrie’s film is a zany DIY horror that zaps fresh life into Mary Shelley's classic.
Director
Grace Glowicki
Producers
Yona Strauss, Grace Glowicki, Ben Petrie
Genres
Comedy, Horror, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Thriller
Original Language
English
The Things You Kill
Director
Alireza Khatami
Cast
Ekin Koç, Hazar Ergüçlü
Producer
Naomi Despres
Genres
Drama, Thriller
Interest
Family Relationships
Original Languages
English, Other Language
Language Version
EN Subtitles
Sweetness
Director
Emma Higgins
Cast
Amanda Brugel
Producer
Amos Adetuyi
Genres
Drama, Thriller
Original Language
English
Sharp Corner
Director
Jason Buxton
Buxton directed and produced the short films A Fresh Start, The Drawing, The Garden, and Solo: A Portrait of Angela Hewitt. He also wrote, directed, and produced the feature films Blackbird (which won Best Canadian First Feature Film at TIFF and received the Claude Jutra Award at the CSAs) and Sharp Corner (which won the WGC award for best feature). Both films won Best Atlantic Feature and Best Atlantic Director at the Atlantic International Film Festival.
Genres
Drama, Thriller
Original Language
English
Normal
Director
Ben Wheatley
Writers
Bob Odenkirk, Derek Kolstad
Cast
Bob Odenkirk, Ryan Allen, Billy MacLellan
Producers
Bob Odenkirk, Derek Kolstad
Genres
Action/Adventure, Thriller
Original Language
English
Clearcut
When a lawyer loses an appeal to stop a logging company from clear-cutting a forest, Arthur, an Indigenous militant activist, drags him and the kidnapped logging mill manager into the forest. The lawyer's empty talk about how the company's greed should be punished is put into brutal action by Arthur, who tortures the manager in allegorical ways mimicking what loggers do to the forest.
The restoration of this film has been made available for National Canadian Film Day courtesy of Severin Films, who is donating the proceeds to Indigenous and environmental charities.
Director
Ryszard Bugajski
Genres
Drama, Thriller
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Cinepix / Famous Players Distribution (C/FP)
undertone
Director
Ian Tuason
Cast
Nina Kiri, Michèle Duquet
Producer
Chad Archibald
Genres
Horror, Thriller
Interests
Cult & Offbeat Cinema, Family Relationships
Original Language
English
Best Boy
Director
Jesse Noah Klein
Cast
Aaron Abrams, Marc Bendavid
Producer
Laurent Allaire
Genre
Thriller
Interest
Family Relationships
Original Language
English
Language Version
FR Subtitles
This Is Not a Test
Director
Adam MacDonald
Writers
Adam MacDonald, Courtney Summers
Cast
Olivia Holt, Missy Peregrym, Luke Macfarlane
Producers
Adam MacDonald, Cybill Lui
Genres
Action/Adventure, Horror, Thriller
Interests
Literary Adaptation, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Blue Fox
- Own Voice
40 Acres
Anchored by an incredible performance from Danielle Deadwyler, 40 Acres is a pulse-pounding action thriller that was met with critical acclaim when it premiered at TIFF, and was named to their annual Canada’s Top Ten list.
“A riveting and fiercely political thriller as poignant as a T.S. Eliot poem and as gory as a George A. Romero flick.” — Barry Hertz, The Globe and Mail
Director
R.T. Thorne
Writers
Lora Campbell, Glenn Taylor, R.T. Thorne
Cast
Kataem O'Connor, Michael Greyeyes (Plains Cree), Danielle Deadwyler
Producer
Jennifer Holness
Genres
Action/Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Thriller
Interest
Black Filmmaker
Original Languages
Cree, English
Language Versions
EN CC, FR Dub
Eastern Promises
Featuring incredible performances, including an Oscar-nominated turn from Mortensen, this masterpiece from David Cronenberg received widespread acclaim, winning seven Genie Awards and the TIFF People’s Choice Award.
“A film that takes us beyond crime and London and the Russian mafia and into the mystifying realms of human nature.” — Roger Ebert, The Chicago Sun Times
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
Steven Knight
Cast
Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, Vincent Cassel
Producers
Paul Webster, Robert Lantos
Genres
Drama, Thriller
Interest
Strong Female Leads
Original Languages
English, Other Language
Language Version
EN CC
Les chambres rouges (Red Rooms)
Director
Pascal Plante
Montreal-based Plante is a screenwriter and director whose short film credits include Drum de marde!, Blue-Eyed Blonde, and Nonna, among others. His features include Les faux tatouages, which premiered at the Berlinale, Nadia, Butterfly, which was selected for the Cannes Film Festival, and Les chambres rouges, which has garnered 15 awards and 34 nominations internationally.
Writer
Pascal Plante
Cast
Laurie Babin, Sasha Samar, Juliette Gariépy
Producer
Dominique Dussault
Genres
Horror, Thriller
Interest
Strong Female Leads
Original Language
French
Language Versions
EN Subtitles, FR CC
Canadian Distributor
Entract Films
- Own Voice
Seeds
In this tense thriller, a Mohawk internet personality receives her first sponsorship, promoting the seed and fertilizer company Nature's Oath. But when she returns to her reserve, she discovers a dark side to the company that threatens both her and her people.
Director
Kaniehtiio Horn (Mohawk)
Writer
Kaniehtiio Horn (Mohawk)
Cast
Graham Greene (Oneida), Cherish Violet Blood (Kainai), Meegwun Fairbrother (Ojibway), Kaniehtiio Horn (Mohawk)
Producers
Jennifer Jonas, Leonard Farlinger
Genres
Horror, Thriller
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Environment, Female Filmmaker, Indigenous Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
levelFILM
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 is an award-winning writer and filmmaker whose directing credits include the shorts Doomed! and Juice Pigs, the series Dust Up; Blood, Lies and Alibis; and Lamb of Love, among others, the miniseries Keeping Canada Alive, and a segment in the genre film anthology I Heart Regina. He has also directed several features, including Wolfcop, Another Wolfcop, Supergrid, Dark Match, and Die Alone, which won the Midnight X-Treme Audience Award at the Sitges Film Festival.
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
The King Tide
After the mayor of an idyllic island village discovers a child with mysterious powers awash on their shores, the once peaceful community devolves into civil war, torn over the belief that the child is the next saviour.
Director
Christian Sparkes
Christian Sparkes is an acclaimed writer and director from Newfoundland whose films often evoke the darkness and beauty of Atlantic Canada. His debut feature film, Cast No Shadow, won Best Atlantic Feature as well as Best Director, Screenplay, Actress, Actor and Cinematography at the Atlantic Film Festival in 2014. Since then he has gone on to direct other notable films, releasing both The King Tide and Sweetland in 2024.
Writers
William Woods, Albert Shin, Ryan Grassby, Kevin Coughlin
Cast
Aden Young, Alix West Lefler, Clayne Crawford, Frances Fisher
Producers
Allison White, William Woods
Genres
Drama, Thriller
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
VVS
- 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
Kajutaijuq: The Spirit That Comes
Director
Scott Brachmayer
Writer
Scott Brachmayer
Cast
Johnny Issaluk
Producer
Nyla Innuksuk (Inuk)
Genres
Drama, Thriller
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Environment, Family Relationships, Indigenous Filmmaker
Original Language
Inuktitut
Language Version
EN Subtitles
Canadian Distributor
North Creative Films Inc.
Elevated
Director
Vincenzo Natali
Writers
Vincenzo Natali, Karen Walton
Cast
David Hewlett, Vicki Papavs, Bruce McFee
Producers
Steven Hoban, Vanessa C. Laufer
Genres
Drama, Thriller
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Canadian Film Centre
ARQ
Director
Tony Elliott
Writer
Tony Elliott
Cast
Rachael Taylor, Robbie Amell, Shaun Benson
Producers
Mason Novick, John Finemore, Kyle Franke
Genres
Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Thriller
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Netflix