Interest: Literary Adaptation
Night of the Zoopocalypse
After a mysterious meteor crashes at Colepepper Zoo, unlikely friends Dan, a short-tempered mountain lion, and Gracie, a fierce teenage wolf, team up to stop the unleashed virus that is transforming their friends into “zoombies”.
Chock-full of both scares and laughs, this gorgeously animated family-friendly horror-comedy is fun for kids and adults alike.
“In a world dominated by Pixar and Dreamworks, Night of the Zoopocalypse is a fun reminder that other studios produce good work, and there’s never been a better time to go to the movies and support a Canadian production.” – Matthew Simpson, That Shelf
Directors
Ricardo Curtis, Rodrigo Perez-Castro
Writers
James Kee, Steven Hoban
Cast
Pierre Simpson, Gabbi Kosmidis, David Harbour
Producers
Wes Lui, Joe Iacono, Yohann Comte, Steven Hoban, Mark Smith
Genres
Action/Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Horror
Interest
Literary Adaptation
Original Language
English
Language Versions
EN CC, FR Subtitles
Canadian Distributors
Apollo Films, Elevation Pictures
The Magic of Anansi
Director
Jamie Mason
Genre
Animation
Interest
Literary Adaptation
Original Languages
English, French
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
Mille secrets, mille dangers (Lovely Day)
Director
Philippe Falardeau
Québécois director and screenwriter Falardeau has won more than 32 international awards for his films, which include Monsieur Lazhar, La moitié gauche du frigo, C’est pas moi, je le jure!, The Good Lie, Guibord s’en va-t-en guerre, and My Salinger Year. He also directed the TV shows Le temps des framboises, and Lac-Mégantic - ceci n’est pas un accident.
Writers
Philippe Falardeau, Alain Farah
Cast
Rose-Marie Perreault, Clodine Desrochers, Georges Khabbaz
Producers
Luc Déry, Kim McCraw
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Interests
Family Relationships, Literary Adaptation
Original Language
French
Language Versions
EN CC, EN Dub, Other Dub
Maria Chapdelaine
Director
Sébastien Pilote
Writers
Louis Hémon, Sébastien Pilote
Cast
Sebastien Ricard, Sara Montpetit, Hélène Florent
Producers
Sylvain Proulx, Pierre Even
Genre
Drama
Interests
History, Literary Adaptation, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
French
Language Versions
EN Subtitles, FR CC
Canadian Distributor
Sphere-Films
La petite et le vieux (Blue Sky Jo)
Based on the award-winning novel of the same name, La petite et le vieux is a touching coming-of-age story that wears its heart on its sleeve.
"A bright and rich film, filled with colourful and endearing characters" - Maxime Demers, Le Journal de Montreal
Director
Patrice Sauvé
Writers
Sébastien Girard, Marie-Renée Lavoie
Cast
Juliette Bharucha, Gabrielle B. Thuot, Gildor Roy
Producers
Sonia Despars, Marc Biron
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Interests
Family Relationships, Literary Adaptation
Original Language
French
Language Versions
EN Subtitles, FR CC
Canadian Distributor
TVA Films
Ru
Brilliantly adapted from Kim Thúy’s Governor General Award-winning novel of the same name, this compassionate story of resilience in the face of adversity is uplifting and deeply moving.
“An exceptional and beautiful film.” – Isobel Grieve, Montréal Guardian
Director
Charles-Olivier Michaud
Charles-Olivier Michaud is a director, writer, and producer from Saint-Romuald, Quebec. His directing credits include 4 Minute Mile, On the Beat, and Snow & Ashes, which have won awards from the Slamdance Film Festival and the Washington DC Independent Film Festival. Ru had its world premiere at TIFF 2023 and was nominated for nine Canadian Screen Awards.
Writers
Kim Thúy, Charles-Olivier Michaud, Jacques Davidts
Cast
Chloé Djandji, Jean Bui, Chantal Thuy
Producers
André Dupuy, Marie-Alexandra Forget
Genre
Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Family Relationships, Global Experiences, Literary Adaptation, Newcomer Stories
Original Languages
French, Other Language
Language Versions
EN Subtitles, FR CC
Canadian Distributor
Immina Films
- 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
Bam
Director
Howie Shia
Writer
Howie Shia
Producers
Maral Mohammadian, Michael Fukushima
Genres
Animation, Drama
Interests
Literary Adaptation, Sports
Original Language
English
Alias Grace
Adapted from Margaret Atwood’s Giller prize-winning novel of the same name, this miniseries has received universal acclaim, earning 5 Canadian Screen Awards including best limited series.
Director
Mary Harron
Harron is an award-winning Canadian filmmaker and screenwriter, and former entertainment critic. She gained recognition for her role in writing and directing several independent films, including writing I Shot Andy Warhol, and co-writing as well as directing American Psycho. Her most recent film, Daliland starring Sir Ben Kingsley, premiered at TIFF 2022.
Writer
Sarah Polley
Cast
Edward Holcroft, Rebeccah Liddiard, Sarah Gadon
Producers
Sarah Polley, D.J. Carson
Genre
Drama
Interests
Biography, Female Filmmaker, History, Literary Adaptation
Original Language
English
Blind Vaysha
In this metaphoric tale of timeless wisdom and beauty based on the eponymous short story by Georgi Gospodinov, filmmaker Theodore Ushev reminds us of the importance of keeping our sights on the present moment.
Director
Theodore Ushev
Writers
Georgi Gospodinov, Theodore Ushev
Cast
Caroline Dhavernas
Producers
Marc Bertrand, Julie Roy
Genres
Animation, Drama
Interests
Arts and Culture, Global Experiences, Literary Adaptation
Original Languages
English, French
The Street
An award-winning adaptation of a story by Canadian author Mordecai Richler about how families deal with older relatives, and the emotions surrounding a grandmother’s death.
Director
Caroline Leaf
Writer
Mordecai Richler
Producer
Guy Glover
Genres
Animation, Drama
Interests
Classics, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Literary Adaptation
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
National Film Board (NFB)
- Own Voice
Trickster
Based on the critically-acclaimed novel Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson (Haisla/Heiltsuk) and steeped in Haisla mythology, Trickster was named by Playback as the top scripted series of 2020 and received 11 CSA nominations, winning three.
Director
Michelle Latimer
A filmmaker and actor, Latimer’s first short, Choke, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Her credits include several documentaries and dramatic shorts, such as The Underground and Nuuca. She has directed the television series Rise, Burden of Truth and Trickster.
Cast
Crystle Lightning (Cree), Joel Oulette (Cree/Métis), Kalani Queypo (Blackfoot), Anna Lambe (Inuk)
Genres
Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Discrimination, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Indigenous Filmmaker, Literary Adaptation, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
The Dingles
Director
Les Drew
Cast
Emma Levine, Christine Olivier
Producer
William Pettigrew
Genre
Family
Interests
Family Relationships, Literary Adaptation
Original Languages
English, French
Language Versions
EN CC, FR CC
Canadian Distributor
National Film Board (NFB)
The Closer You Get To Canada
Director
John Bolton
Writers
John Bolton, Thomas King
Cast
Alex Diakun, Gordon Tootoosis (Cree)
Producer
Les Lukacs
Genre
Comedy
Interest
Literary Adaptation
Original Language
English
Tropical Rumours
Directors
Veronica Tennant, Michael Ondaatje
Cast
Margie Gillis, Paola Styron
Genre
Experimental
Interests
Arts and Culture, Female Filmmaker, Literary Adaptation
Original Language
No Dialogue
The Cinnamon Peeler
Director
Veronica Tennant
Writer
Michael Ondaatje
Cast
Gail Skrela, Sean Ling, Michael Ondaatje
Producers
Peter Gentile, Veronica Tennant
Genre
Experimental
Interests
Arts and Culture, Female Filmmaker, Literary Adaptation
Original Language
English
The Secret Path
Gord Downie began The Secret Path as ten poems inspired by the story of Chanie Wenjack, a twelve-year-old Anishinaabe boy who died on October 22, 1966, while fleeing from the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School near Kenora, Ontario. Chanie was attempting to walk home to his family over 600 km away. Gord learned about the story of Chanie (misnamed “Charlie” by his teachers) through his brother Mike, who introduced him to Ian Adams’ Maclean’s story from February 6, 1967, “The Lonely Death of Charlie Wenjack.”
First released in 2016, The Secret Path marks its 10th anniversary this year. The project includes an album, a graphic novel illustrated by Jeff Lemire, and an animated film. Together, the Secret Path project has become a powerful tool for education, reflection and conversation about the ongoing impacts of residential schools in Canada.
Lesson plans for The Secret Path have been generously provided in partnership with the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund. Join the Legacy Schools program to receive a free Legacy Schools toolkit and gain access to resources throughout the school year.
Director
Gord Downie
Downie was a legendary musician, writer, poet, and activist, best known as the frontman of the iconic band, The Tragically Hip. He won six Junos and two Canadian Screen Awards for his music, and is remembered as a brilliant lyricist and inspiring figure in Canadian music. The Secret Path was his directorial debut.
Writers
Gord Downie, Mike Downie
Producers
Gord Downie, Jeff Lemire, Justin Stephenson
Genres
Animation, Drama
Interests
Biography, BIPOC Stories, Discrimination, History, Literary Adaptation, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
Language Version
FR Subtitles
Canadian Distributor
CBC
- Own Voice
The Book of Negroes
This CBC mini-series is based on the internationally celebrated novel by Canadian author Lawrence Hill. A compelling tale of loss, courage, love and the triumph of the human spirit, it follows the extraordinary journey of Aminata Diallo (Ellis), an indomitable African woman.
In 1750, 11-year-old Aminata is kidnapped from her village in West Africa and begins a rich journey that takes her through the harrowing ordeal of slavery, to the turmoil of the American Revolution and ultimately to freedom in the British colony of Nova Scotia. Brilliant and determined, Aminata is a remarkable heroine whose unshakeable connection to her own African heritage guides her over unimaginable obstacles in her quest for freedom and ultimately allows her to assume the mantle of leadership for which she is destined.
Deeply moving and inspiring, The Book of Negroes explores painful historical realities through the unblinking eyes of a strong female protagonist whose story will stay with you long after the telling.
Director
Clement Virgo
Virgo rose to prominence with his first feature, Rude, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and garnered two Genie nominations. He has also directed the films Poor Boy’s Game and Lie With Me, and hit TV shows such as The Wire, Regenesis and The Listener. He recently produced the show Greenleaf and directed episodes of Empire and Billions. His film, Brother, premiered at TIFF 2022 and won 12 CSAs, including Best Motion Picture, Best Direction, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Writers
Lawrence Hill, Clement Virgo
Cast
Aunjanue Ellis, Lyriq Bent, Cuba Gooding, Jr, Ben Chaplin, Allan Hawco
Producers
Damon D'Oliveira, Clement Virgo
Genre
Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, History, Literary Adaptation, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
The Saver
Director
Wiebke Von Carolsfeld
Writer
Wiebke Von Carolsfeld
Cast
Pascale Bussières, Brandon Oakes (Mohawk), Imajyn Cardinal
Producers
Aisling Chin-Yee, John Christou
Genre
Drama
Interests
Female Filmmaker, Literary Adaptation
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Prospector Films