Welcome to Canada

Director John N. Smith
Year 1989
Run Time 86min
Genre Drama

In this feature drama based on an actual incident, Newfoundlanders share their food, culture and homes with a group of Tamil refugees found off the coast. Starring Brendan Foley and Noreen Power.

Director

John N. Smith

Smith’s credits include award-winning TV docudramas such as The Boys of St. Vincent, Dieppe and Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story, as well as numerous feature films, including Dangerous Minds, A Cool Dry Place, Geraldine’s Fortune and Love & Savagery among others. Sitting in Limbo won the Best Canadian Feature Film award at TIFF 1986.

Writers

John N. Smith, Sam Grana

Cast

Noreen Power, Brendan Foley

Producer

Sam Grana

Genre

Drama

Interests

Classics, Newcomer Stories

Original Language

English

Canadian Distributor

National Film Board (NFB)

Pippi Longstocking

Directors Michael Schaack, Clive A. Smith
Year 1997
Run Time 75min
Genre Animation, Comedy, Family

Nobody sees the world quite like Pippi Longstocking, an irrepressible and irresistible nine-year-old who also happens to be the strongest girl in the world. After travelling for years with her pirate father, Pippi settles down in a small town with her horse and her monkey, only to be rudely bothered by a meddling socialite and a couple of bumbling thieves out to get her father’s treasure. Throughout everything, Pippi’s boundless energy and wit make this a perfect story for all ages, complete with catchy musical numbers and memorable shenanigans.

Based on Astrid Lindgren’s classic novel series, Pippi Longstocking continues to charm audiences and remains a positive role model for her indomitable spirit.

Directors

Michael Schaack, Clive A. Smith

Writers

Astrid Lindgren, Catharina Stackelberg

Cast

Melissa Altro, Catherine O'Hara, Carole Pope

Producers

Waldemar Bergendahl, Michael Hirsh

Genres

Animation, Comedy, Family

Interests

Classics, Family Relationships, Literary Adaptation, Strong Female Leads

Original Language

English

Canadian Distributor

Nelvana

À tout prendre (Take It All)

Director Claude Jutra
Year 1964
Run Time 99min
Genre Drama
A young man (Claude Jutra) in 1960s Montreal has a bright future, but begins to question the choices he’s made and the possibilities in his life. Winner of the Canadian Film Award for Best Feature Film. 

Director

Claude Jutra

A prolific filmmaker, Jutra directed more than 30 productions, including Kamouraska, Surfacing (based on Margaret Atwood’s novel by the same name) and By Design. Mon oncle Antoine currently ranks second on the Toronto International Film Festival’s list of the top ten Canadian films of all time.

Writer

Claude Jutra

Cast

Claude Jutra, Johanne Harelle

Producers

Claude Jutra, Robert Hershorne

Genre

Drama

Interests

Classics, LGBTQ2S+

Original Language

French

Canadian Distributor

Les Films Cassiopée

A Christmas Story

Director Bob Clark
Year 1983
Run Time 94min
Genre Comedy, Family
In this Christmas classic, all Ralphie wants for Christmas is the brand new Red Rider B.B. Gun, and he’ll stop at nothing to convince his quirky parents to get it for him.

Director

Bob Clark

Writers

Bob Clark, Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown

Cast

Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin

Producers

Bob Clark, René Dupont

Genres

Comedy, Family

Interests

Classics, Family Relationships

Original Language

English

Canadian Distributor

Warner Home Video

The Grey Fox

Director Phillip Borsos
Year 1982
Run Time 92min
Genre Action/Adventure, Drama

After going in and out of prison for over 30 years after a career of stagecoach robbing, Bill Miner is released in 1901 to a completely new reality. Lost about what to do next, Miner finds his inspiration for his next great adventure from the film The Great Train Robbery. His plan to commit the first ever train robbery leads to a thrilling heist and an intriguing tale full of twists and turns. 

Based on the true story of William Miner (nicknamed the Gentleman Bandit), The Grey Fox won 4 Genie Awards including Best Picture and has been included on TIFF’s top 10 list of the Best Canadian Films of All Time.

Director

Phillip Borsos

Borsos was a four-time Canadian Film Award, Genie Award winner, and an Oscar nominee. He released his debut feature, The Grey Fox, to much acclaim in 1982, at age 27. He also directed The Mean Season, One Magic Christmas, Bethune: The Making of a Hero and Far From Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog, before his tragic death from leukemia at age 41.

Writer

Jonathon M.B. Hunter

Cast

Richard Farnsworth, Jackie Burroughs, Ken Pogue

Producers

David Brady, Peter O'Brian

Genres

Action/Adventure, Drama

Interests

Biography, Classics, History

Original Language

English

Canadian Distributor

Films We Like

Wedding in White

Director William Fruet
Year 1972
Run Time 103min
Genre Drama

A harsh and note-perfect portrayal of small-town Ontario during World War II. Naive and withdrawn, teenage Jeannie (Kane) is utterly inexperienced with men until she meets Billy (McGrath), a soldier friend of her brother’s, when they come home on furlough. The sexual assault that ensues – and its tragic consequences – throw the family into turmoil as they navigate the mores of the times and their community.


Driven by incredible performances and direction, this acclaimed Canadian classic claimed three Canadian Film Awards including Best Feature Film.


“One of the most merciless, strangely touching portraits of character I’ve ever seen in a movie.” – Roger Ebert, The Chicago Sun-Times

Director

William Fruet

Writer

William Fruet

Cast

Donald Pleasence, Carol Kane

Genre

Drama

Interests

Classics, History, Literary Adaptation

Original Language

English

Canadian Distributor

Cinepix / Famous Players Distribution (C/FP)

Back to God’s Country

Director David Hartford
Year 1919
Run Time 73min
Genre Action/Adventure

The first (and earliest surviving) feature film made in Canada by Canadians, Back to God’s Country tells the story of Delores LeBeau, who goes on a treacherous journey to the Arctic with her husband on a vessel captained secretly by the man who murdered her father. In a tense and action-packed sequence, Delores must save her husband from the malicious Rydal and survive in the unfamiliar Arctic conditions.


Written and starring female filmmaking pioneer and creative powerhouse of the silent era, Nell Shipman, this is also the most successful silent film in Canadian history and is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2019.

Director

David Hartford

Writers

Nell Shipman, James Oliver Curwood

Cast

Nell Shipman, Charles Arling, Wheeler Oakman, Wellington A. Playter

Producers

James Oliver Curwood, Ernest Shipman

Genre

Action/Adventure

Interests

Classics, History, Literary Adaptation

Original Languages

English, French

Canadian Distributor

Canadian Photoplays Ltd.

La vie heureuse de Léopold Z (The Merry Life of Léopold Z)

Director Gilles Carle
Year 1965
Run Time 68min
Genre Comedy

On Christmas Eve, a snow plow operator (Guy L’Ecuyer) in Montreal is suddenly called upon to work in an unexpected snowstorm which becomes a problem as he has not finished his Christmas shopping. Determined to get all his gifts while continuing to clear the roads, Léopold has a series of comedic misadventures that become increasingly ridiculous as his time begins to run short.

Originally commissioned as an NFB documentary about snow clearing, director Gilles Carle creatively reframed it as a narrative film to create a unique blend of documentary and direct cinema that also cheekily comments on contemporary social and political issues. It won the Best Feature prize at the 1965 Montreal International Film Festival.

Director

Gilles Carle

Writer

Gilles Carle

Cast

Guy L'Écuyer, Paul Hébert, Suzanne Valéry

Producer

Jacques Bobet

Genre

Comedy

Interest

Classics

Original Language

French

Canadian Distributor

Columbia Pictures of Canada

  • Own Voice

Winter Kept Us Warm

Director David Secter
Year 1965
Run Time 81min
Genre Drama, Romance

Doug (John Labow) is a well liked senior and Peter (Henry Tarvainen) is a shy freshman at the University of Toronto. The two young men become fast friends and start spending a lot of time together. But when their friendship” starts to move toward romance,  they face the tough challenge of how to deal with their newfound emotions (and their girlfriends). The first example of an LGBTQ-themed story by Canadian filmmakers, it remains a universally relatable story about young romance and the struggles of youth.

One of the first Canadian feature films to receive international critical attention, Winter Kept Us Warm was the first English-language film to premiere at Cannes and received a Special Jury Prize at the Montreal International Film Festival.

Director

David Secter

Writers

David Secter, John Clute, Ian Porter

Cast

John Labow, Joy Fielding, Henry Tarvainen, Janet Amos, Iain Ewing

Producer

David Secter

Genres

Drama, Romance

Interest

Classics

Original Language

English

Canadian Distributor

Filmmakers Distribution Center

The Wars

Director Robin Phillips
Year 1983
Run Time 118min
Genre Drama

Follows the tense relationship between a young gay man and his family before and after he enlists in the First World War.

Director

Robin Phillips

Writer

Timothy Findley

Cast

Jean Leclerc, Brent Carver, Martha Henry, Ann-Marie MacDonald

Producer

Richard Nielsen

Genre

Drama

Interests

Classics, Family Relationships, Global Experiences, LGBTQ2S+

Original Language

English

Canadian Distributor

Toronto Star

Lies My Father Told Me

Director Jan Kadar
Year 1975
Run Time 103min
Genre Drama
Ted Allan adapted his own story about a young Jewish boy who comes of age in 1920s Montreal with modern parents and a whimsical old-world grandfather.

Director

Jan Kadar

Writer

Ted Allan

Cast

Jeffrey Lynas, Yossi Yadin, Marilyn Lightstone, Len Birman

Producers

Anthony Bedrich, Harry Gulkin

Genre

Drama

Interests

Classics, Family Relationships, Social Justice & Politics

Original Language

English

Canadian Distributor

Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC)

  • Own Voice

A Winter Tan

Directors Aerlyn Weissman, Jackie Burroughs, John Walker, Louise Clark, John Frizzell
Year 1987
Run Time 91min
Genre Drama

After being dismissed from her university, prominent feminist writer Maryse Holder (Burroughs) undertakes a sexual pilgrimage to Mexico in the mid-70s. Her hedonistic quest leads her to accumulate an ever-growing list of encounters, which she chronicles as a study of sexual power in relationships. As the undertaking becomes self-destructive and begins to span years, the emotions fuelling her mission start to boil over, alienating her from everyone, including herself.

 

Based on Holder’s own letters, this unique collaboration between five directors is an astonishing work that stands as Jackie Burroughs’s masterpiece, with an all-time great performance.

Directors

Aerlyn Weissman, Jackie Burroughs, John Walker, Louise Clark, John Frizzell

Writer

Jackie Burroughs

Cast

Jackie Burroughs, Hernando Gonzales, Anita Olanick, Diane D'Aquila

Producer

G. Phillip Jackson

Genre

Drama

Interests

Biography, Classics, Female Filmmaker, Literary Adaptation, Strong Female Leads

Original Language

English

Canadian Distributor

Cineplex Odeon Films

Tales from the Gimli Hospital

Director Guy Maddin
Year 1988
Run Time 72min
Genre Drama, Experimental
In his first feature film, Guy Maddin spins a faux-Icelandic saga set during the smallpox epidemic in “a Gimli we no longer know.” Shot in black & white and structured as an extended flashback told by an ailing woman in a Gimli, Manitoba hospital, the film recounts the tale of Einar the Lonely and his hospital roommate Gunnar. As the two compete for the affection of the nurses, what begins as a friendly rivalry soon spirals into jealousy and madness. 

Nominated for a genie award for Best Screenplay, Gimli Hospital is a cult classic bearing many of the surreal hallmarks that would make Maddin one of Canada’s most singular filmmaking voices.     

Director

Guy Maddin

Writer

Guy Maddin

Cast

Kyle McCulloch, Angela Heck, Michael Gottli

Producers

Guy Maddin, Stephen Snyder, Greg Klymkiw

Genres

Drama, Experimental

Interests

Classics, Cult & Offbeat Cinema

Original Language

English

The Rubber Gun

Director Allan Moyle
Year 1977
Run Time 86min
Genre Drama

A funky street community in Montreal is threatened both from within and without — by drugs, cops and the disillusioned group’s eventual disintegration. With Stephen Lack.

Director

Allan Moyle

Director, screenwriter and actor Moyle wrote the seminal Canadian films Montreal Main and The Rubber Gun, and directed the latter. His film credits also include Times Square, Pump Up the Volume, Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story and Weirdsville. He most recently directed the documentary How Sweet It Is.

Writers

Stephen Lack, Allan Moyle, John Laing

Producers

Stephen Lack, Allan Moyle, Paul Haynes

Genre

Drama

Interest

Classics

Original Language

English

Canadian Distributor

St. Lawrence Film Productions

The Rowdyman

Director Peter Carter
Year 1972
Run Time 95min
Genre Drama
Will (Gordon Pinsent) is in his thirties, lives in small-town Newfoundland and refuses to take life seriously — until his antics bring pain to those around him.

Director

Peter Carter

Writer

Gordon Pinsent

Cast

Will Geer, Frank Converse

Genre

Drama

Interest

Classics

Original Language

English

Canadian Distributor

Crawley Films

Notes for a Film about Donna and Gail

Director Don Owen
Year 1966
Run Time 49min
Genre Drama

Two young women move to the city, work in a dress factory and share a room, eventually having to cope with the fact that sharing everything is driving them apart. Starring Jackie Burroughs and Michèle Chicoine.

Director

Don Owen

Writers

Don Owen, Gerald Taaffe

Cast

Jackie Burroughs, Michèle Chicoine

Producer

Julian Biggs

Genre

Drama

Interests

Classics, Strong Female Leads

Original Language

English

Canadian Distributor

National Film Board (NFB)

Fighting Back

Director John Kastner
Year 1980
Run Time 85min
Genre Documentary

A story of the resilience and determination of a group of children in London, Ont., battling leukemia at a time when no child had survived the disease. 

Director

John Kastner

Writer

John Kastner

Genre

Documentary

Interests

Classics, Social Justice & Politics

Original Language

English

Canadian Distributor

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)

  • Own Voice

Outrageous!

Director Richard Benner
Year 1977
Run Time 100min
Genre Comedy
Robin Turner (Russell) has long yearned to perform in the local drag shows that he does the hair and makeup for, and after a push from his roommate Liza (McLaren), he finally gets a chance to perform on the stage and wow the crowds. Tackling subjects like homophobia and mental illness at a time when both were rarely featured on film, Outrageous! is considered a landmark film for Canadian Queer cinema.

This cult classic was nominated for five Genie awards including Best Picture and Best Actor for Russell, who also won a Silver Bear at the Berlin festival for his performance.

Director

Richard Benner

Writers

Richard Benner, Margaret Gibson

Cast

Craig Russell, Hollis McLaren

Producers

William Marshall, Hend.rik van der Kolk

Genre

Comedy

Interests

Classics, LGBTQ2S+

Original Language

English

Canadian Distributor

eOne

Requiem pour un beau sans-coeur (Requiem for a Handsome Bastard)

Director Robert Morin
Year 1992
Run Time 93min
Genre Drama

The last three days in the life of a notorious convicted murderer, as seen through the eyes of eight different people. Winner of the Best Canadian Feature Award at TIFF 1992.

Director

Robert Morin

Writer

Robert Morin

Cast

Gildor Roy, Jean-Guy Bouchard

Producers

Lorraine Dufour, Nicole Robert

Genre

Drama

Interest

Classics

Original Language

French

Canadian Distributor

Coop Vidéo de Montréal

Au clair de la lune

Director André Forcier
Year 1983
Run Time 90min
Genre Comedy, Drama
A friendship between a good man with bowling as his only passion and a queer albino.

Director

André Forcier

Writers

André Forcier, Jacques Marcotte, Michel Pratt, Guy L'Écuyer

Cast

Guy L'Écuyer, Michel Côté, Pierre Giard, Marcel Fournier

Producers

Bernard Lalonde, Louis Laverdière

Genres

Comedy, Drama

Interests

Classics, Cult & Offbeat Cinema, Family Relationships

Original Language

French

Canadian Distributor

National Film Board (NFB)