Butterfly Tale

Director Sophie Roy
Year 2023
Run Time 88min
Genre Animation, Family
Patrick (Mena Massoud) is a butterfly with a dream: to take the journey of a lifetime and be a part of the great Monarch butterfly migration from Canada to Mexico! Unfortunately, he was born with a faulty, underdeveloped wing, so he can’t fly. Which means he can’t go…

Determined not to let his disability stop him, Patrick and his best friend, a goofy caterpillar named Marty (Lucinda Davis), stow away in a milkweed trailer to be part of the adventure. Facing challenges and trials along the way, Patrick faces his fear, embraces his uniqueness and overcomes adversity to become an unlikely hero!

Butterfly Tale is an inspiring animated adventure full of humour that reminds us that differences are less important than the bonds we share.

Director

Sophie Roy

Writers

Heidi Foss, Lienne Sawatsky, Michael Solomon

Cast

Tatiana Maslany, Mena Massoud

Genres

Animation, Family

Interests

Bullying, Female Filmmaker

Original Languages

English, French

Canadian Distributor

Vortex Media

  • Own Voice

Roses Sing on New Snow

Director Yuan Zhang
Year 2003
Run Time 7min
Genre Animation
Maylin, a fantastic chef, is kept in the shadows by her father who gives her brothers credit for her cooking. When a local dignitary visits, Maylin gets a chance to step into the spotlight.

Director

Yuan Zhang

Genre

Animation

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Global Experiences

Original Languages

English, French

Language Versions

EN CC, FR CC

The Tender Tale of Cinderella Penguin

Director Janet Perlman
Year 1981
Run Time 10min
Genre Animation, Comedy

The classic Cinderella fairytale is given an endearing twist, presented by a cast of penguins!

Director

Janet Perlman

Genres

Animation, Comedy

Interests

Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker

Original Language

No Dialogue

  • Own Voice

Short Film Programme

Director Various
Year 2022
Genre Action/Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Documentary, Drama, Experimental, Family, Horror, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Thriller
In addition to the feature films in this catalogue, we also offer a wealth of Canadian short films suitable for various grade levels. They cover a variety of themes and topics, and encompass fiction and documentary, live action and animation. For the full list, check out our Short Film Programme page, and use the filters at the top to find something that meets your needs. 

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

Various

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
Genre Action/Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Documentary, Drama, Experimental, Family, Horror, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Thriller
In addition to the feature films in this catalogue, we also offer a wealth of Indigenous-made short films suitable for various grade levels. They cover a variety of themes and topics, and encompass fiction and documentary, live action and animation. For the full list, check out our Short Film Programme and filter by Indigenous filmmaker. 

 

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

Dancers of the Grass

Director Melanie Jackson (Métis/Saulteaux)
Year 2009
Run Time 2min
Genre Animation, Family
Spectacular stop-motion animation breathes life into a traditional dance.

Director

Melanie Jackson (Métis/Saulteaux)

Writer

Melanie Jackson (Métis/Saulteaux)

Producers

Dennis Jackson (Cree), Melanie Jackson (Métis/Saulteaux), Anand Ramayya

Genres

Animation, Family

Interests

Arts and Culture, BIPOC Stories, Female Filmmaker, Indigenous Filmmaker

Original Language

English

Canadian Distributor

National Film Board (NFB)

  • Own Voice

Aboriginality

Directors Dominique Keller, Tom Jackson (Cree)
Year 2007
Run Time 5min
Genre Action/Adventure, Animation
A young boy is transported through his television set to the scene of a traditional Indigenous hoop dance, encountering his family's cultural heritage in a new way. Includes spoken word rap in English and in Cree.

Directors

Dominique Keller, Tom Jackson (Cree)

Writer

Dominique Keller

Cast

Dallas Arcand (Kipohtakaw)

Producers

Dominique Keller, Bonnie Thompson

Genres

Action/Adventure, Animation

Interests

Arts and Culture, BIPOC Stories, Indigenous Filmmaker

Original Language

English

Canadian Distributor

National Film Board (NFB)

A Sea Turtle Story

Director Kathy Schultz
Year 2012
Run Time 9min
Genre Animation, Family

This animated short chronicles the life cycle of the critically endangered sea turtle. The film is ideal for all ages, teaching young and old alike about these fascinating creatures.

Director

Kathy Schultz

Writer

Kathy Schultz

Producer

Silva Basmajian

Genres

Animation, Family

Interests

Environment, Female Filmmaker

Original Language

English

Canadian Distributor

National Film Board (NFB)

  • Own Voice

Joe

Director Jill Haras
Year 2002
Run Time 8min
Genre Animation
An animated tribute to real-life African Canadian hero Joe Fortes, who overcame discrimination and prejudice to become a beloved member of the Vancouver community.

Director

Jill Haras

Genre

Animation

Interests

Biography, BIPOC Stories, Discrimination, Female Filmmaker, Global Experiences, History, Social Justice & Politics

Original Language

English

  • Own Voice

Christopher Changes His Name

Director Cilia Sawadogo
Year 2000
Run Time 6min
Genre Animation
Tired of having such a common name, Christopher decides to start using a unique name from his family’s homeland of Trinidad, a decision that has unexpected consequences.

Director

Cilia Sawadogo

Genre

Animation

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Discrimination, Female Filmmaker

Original Language

English

  • Own Voice

From Far Away

Directors Shira Avni Serene, El-haj Daoud
Year 2000
Run Time 6min
Genre Animation
A young girl adjusting to life in Canada is scared by her new school’s Halloween event, but soon recovers when she gains acceptance from her peers.

Directors

Shira Avni Serene, El-haj Daoud

Genre

Animation

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Female Filmmaker, Global Experiences

Original Languages

English, French

Bully Dance

Director Janet Perlman
Year 2000
Run Time 10min
Genre Animation

A vibrant musical parable that demonstrates the consequences of peer pressure and bullying.

Director

Janet Perlman

Genre

Animation

Interests

Arts and Culture, Bullying

Original Language

No Dialogue

  • Own Voice

Don’t Tell Santa You’re Jewish!

Director Jody Kramer
Year 2010
Run Time 4min
Genre Animation
A young Jewish girl is worried that Santa will treat her differently from the other kids.

Director

Jody Kramer

Writer

Jody Kramer

Producer

Jody Kramer

Genre

Animation

Interests

Arts and Culture, Female Filmmaker

Original Language

English

And That’s Remarkable

Director Linnea Ritland
Year 2013
Run Time 1min
Genre Animation, Drama
“It’s remarkable how easily a human spirit can be broken,” this punchy short about bullying laments. But, as the animation assures us, it’s just as remarkable how it can be fixed.

Director

Linnea Ritland

Genres

Animation, Drama

Interests

Bullying, Female Filmmaker

Original Language

English

Language Version

EN CC

Cosmic Zoom

Director Robert Verrall
Year 1968
Run Time 8min
Genre Animation, Documentary
A visually stunning exploration of the infinity of space and the ultimate minuteness of matter. 

Director

Robert Verrall

Producers

Robert Verrall, Joseph Koenig

Genres

Animation, Documentary

Interest

Classics

Original Language

No Dialogue

Canadian Distributor

National Film Board (NFB)

  • Own Voice

Âme Noire (Black Soul)

Director Martine Chartrand
Year 2000
Run Time 10min
Genre Animation, Documentary, Drama

An exhilarating voyage through the def ining moments of black history.

Director

Martine Chartrand

Writer

Martine Chartrand

Producers

Yves Leduc, Pierre Hébert, Marcel Jean

Genres

Animation, Documentary, Drama

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Female Filmmaker, Global Experiences

Original Languages

English, French

Canadian Distributor

National Film Board (NFB)

  • Own Voice

Grandfather on the Prairies

Director Andrew Genaille (Sto:lo & Ojibway)
Year 2018
Run Time 3min
Genre Animation, Experimental, Family

Jason meets his great-great-greatgrandfather and soon finds himself in a hilarious debate about what it means to be a hunter.

Director

Andrew Genaille (Sto:lo & Ojibway)

Writer

Andrew Genaille (Sto:lo & Ojibway)

Cast

Andrew Genaille (Sto:lo & Ojibway)

Producers

Andrew Genaille (Sto:lo & Ojibway), Lisa Genaille (Sto:lo & Ojibway), Robert Genaille (Sto:lo & Ojibway)

Genres

Animation, Experimental, Family

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Family Relationships, History, Indigenous Filmmaker

Original Language

English

Language Version

None

Dinner for Two

Director Janet Perlman
Year 1996
Run Time 7min
Genre Comedy
When it comes to conflict, even chameleons won't change! Peace in the rain forest is disrupted when two chameleons literally get stuck in a conflict, with catastrophic results. Relationships are severed, opportunities are lost, innocent bystanders are harmed and violence seems imminent. Luckily for the lizards, a frog turns into exactly what they need - no, not a prince - a mediator. This animation tackles conflict in a lively, humorous and provocative way and was part of a series on conflict resolution that received support from UNICEF and Justice Canada.

Director

Janet Perlman

Writer

Janet Perlman

Producer

Barrie McLean

Genre

Comedy

Interest

Female Filmmaker

Original Language

English

Canadian Distributor

National Film Board (NFB)

  • Own Voice

Jaime Lo, Small and Shy

Director Lillian Chan
Year 2006
Run Time 8min
Genre Animation
Jaime, a young Chinese-Canadian girl, finds a unique way to cope with the absence of her father as he travels overseas for work.

Director

Lillian Chan

Writer

Lillian Chan

Genre

Animation

Interests

Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker

Original Language

English

The Sand Castle

Director Co Hoedeman
Year 1977
Run Time 13min
Genre Animation

A man made of sand makes other sand creatures in this inventive, Oscar-winning stop-motion film.

Director

Co Hoedeman

Producer

Gaston Sarault

Genre

Animation

Interest

Classics

Original Language

No Dialogue

Canadian Distributor

National Film Board (NFB)