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Aki

Director Darlene Naponse (Anishinaabe)
Year 2025
Run Time 83min
Genre Documentary
A visually stunning documentary following a Northern Ontario Anishinaabe community over the course of a year. With almost no spoken dialogue, and a strong focus on the natural beauty of the land, this poetic portrait is truly unique.
 

Director

Darlene Naponse (Anishinaabe)

Writer

Darlene Naponse (Anishinaabe)

Producers

Darlene Naponse (Anishinaabe), Jamie Manning

Genre

Documentary

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Environment, Female Filmmaker, Indigenous Filmmaker

Original Language

Other Language

Language Version

EN Subtitles

Sedna, Empress of the Sea

Director Jerry Thevenet
Year 2022
Run Time 83min
Genre Animation, Family
In this brilliant animated reimagining of an Inuit legend, a young girl named Sedna is kidnapped by an evil raven and held captive on a remote island. Her escape takes her on an unforgettable journey full of action, songs and laughs.

 

Director

Jerry Thevenet

Writer

Jerry Thevenet

Cast

Shawn Youngchief, Paula Davis

Producer

Jerry Thevenet

Genres

Animation, Family

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Indigenous Filmmaker, Strong Female Leads

Original Languages

English, French, Other Language

Language Versions

EN CC, EN Subtitles

Eastern Promises

Director David Cronenberg
Year 2007
Run Time 100min
Genre Drama, Thriller
Anna (Naomi Watts), a London-based midwife, sets out on a mission to find the family of a baby whose teenage mother dies in childbirth at her hospital. As her investigation leads her into a dark network of human traffickers, she soon becomes dangerously entangled with the Russian crime family running it, and their violent henchman, Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen).

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

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Sk+te’kmujue’katik (At the Place of Ghosts)

Director Bretten Hannam (L'nu)
Year 2025
Run Time 81min
Genre Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Faced with a dark presence haunting both of their lives, two estranged brothers, Mise’l (Goodluck) and Antle (Miranda), head into Sk+te’kmujue’katik, a forest known as “The Place of Ghosts” in order to come to terms with their past and confront the trauma that continues to haunt them.

A deeply affecting thriller that brilliantly combines the personal with the supernatural, Sk+te’kmujue’katik premiered at TIFF and was named to their annual Canada’s Top Ten list. 

“Compelling performances, atmospheric direction, and an evocative use of imagery help the film to stand out as a spirited exercise in genre-bending.” - Nadia Dalimonte, Next Best Picture

Director

Bretten Hannam (L'nu)

Writer

Bretten Hannam (L'nu)

Cast

Forrest Goodluck (Diné/Mandan/Hidatsa/Tsimshian), Blake Alec Miranda (Native American), Glen Gould (Mi’qmaw)

Producers

Martin Katz, Mitchel Fleming, Diana Elbaum, Marc Tetreault, Jason Levangie

Genres

Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Family Relationships, Indigenous Filmmaker, LGBTQ2S+

Original Languages

English, Other Language

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There Are No Words

Director Min Sook Lee
Year 2025
Run Time 98min
Genre Documentary
Still grappling with the grief stemming from her mother’s suicide decades ago, filmmaker Min Sook Lee re-examines her childhood and her family’s history with a new lens. In her incredibly candid interviews, she doesn’t shy away from the tough questions, leading to the surfacing of uncomfortable truths.

In this poignant documentary that brilliantly weaves together her family’s story with Korea’s political climate, Lee finds a bridge from the personal to the universal, tracing the complicated journey from grief to healing.

Director

Min Sook Lee

Writer

Min Sook Lee

Cast

Min Sook Lee

Producers

Sherien Barsoum, Chanda Chevannes

Genre

Documentary

Interests

Asian Filmmaker, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker

Original Languages

English, Other Language

Canadian Distributor

National Film Board (NFB)

SKEET

Director Nik Sexton
Year 2024
Run Time 104min
Genre Drama

Fresh out of prison, Billy Skinner returns to his transformed low-income neighbourhood, now populated by Syrian refugees. Struggling to overcome his dark past, Billy forges an unexpected bond with Mo, a compassionate Syrian immigrant determined to build a better life for his family.

Director

Nik Sexton

Writer

Nik Sexton

Cast

Sean Dalton, Lawrence Barry, Jay Abdo

Producer

Mary Sexton

Genre

Drama

Interest

Newcomer Stories

Original Languages

English, Other Language

Canadian Distributor

Rink Rat Productions Inc

Doors of War

Directors Taras Lesiuk, Annick Sheedy McLellan
Year 2025
Run Time 66min
Genre Documentary

Directors

Taras Lesiuk, Annick Sheedy McLellan

Writers

Annick Sheedy McLellan, Taras Lesiuk

Producers

Annick Sheedy McLellan, Taras Lesiuk

Genre

Documentary

Interests

Arts and Culture, Female Filmmaker, Global Experiences, History, Social Justice & Politics

Original Languages

English, Other Language

Language Version

Other Subtitles

Universal Language (آواز بوقلمون)

Director Matthew Rankin
Year 2024
Run Time 89min
Genre Comedy, Drama
Set in an alternate universe where Canada’s official languages are French and Persian, this charming and surreal fable follows a triptych of seemingly unrelated stories of people navigating through a bleak Winnipeg winter. Behind layers of eclectic bizarreness lives a poignant message about the depth and importance of human connection and understanding. It’s also just genuinely hilarious.

A pitch-perfect follow up to his acclaimed debut feature The Twentieth Century, this similarly absurdist comedy won the Director’s Fortnight Audience Award at Cannes, and was Canada’s 2024 selection for Academy Award consideration.
 

Director

Matthew Rankin

Matthew Rankin is an experimental film director of 30 short films, which have been screened at festivals around the world, including Berlinale, Sundance, Cannes, and many others. His feature debut, the irreverent and surreal comedy, The Twentieth Century, received critical acclaim and three Canadian Screen Awards. His second feature, Universal Language, has won 16 awards, including the FIPRESCI prize in Venice, TIFF’s Best Canadian Discovery Award and the Cannes Directors' Fortnight Audience Award. 

Writers

Matthew Rankin, Pirouz Nemati

Cast

Saba Vahedyousefi, Pirouz Nemati, Matthew Rankin, Rojina Esmaeili

Genres

Comedy, Drama

Interest

Cult & Offbeat Cinema

Original Language

Other Language

Language Version

EN Subtitles

Canadian Distributor

Maison 4:3

Ru

Director Charles-Olivier Michaud
Year 2023
Run Time 120min
Genre Drama
A family of Vietnamese refugees settles in Montreal in the hopes of starting a new life, charting successes and setbacks as they adapt to their new country. The film weaves together their experiences in Canada with a series of flashbacks to their comfortable life in Vietnam, the political upheaval that forced them to flee, and their perilous journey across the Pacific.

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

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The Queen of My Dreams

Director Fawzia Mirza
Year 2023
Run Time 96min
Genre Comedy, Drama, Romance
Azra (Kaur), a young Queer Pakistani-Canadian woman, has long felt disconnected from her mother, Mariam (Bucha). Reuniting in Pakistan for her father’s funeral in 1999, flashbacks to 30 years earlier show a young Mariam (played in a Canadian Screen Award-winning dual role by Kaur) falling in love with Azra’s father, Hassan (Haq). Jumping back and forth between these two coming-of-age stories, the connections between mother and daughter become more and more clear – but will they realise this in time to save their relationship? 

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

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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

Awaskinawason (Children of Earth)

Director Antony Dubé (Atikamekw)
Year 2015
Run Time 3min
Genre Animation, Drama
Awaskinawason is made up of the Atikamekw words awacic (child), aski (earth) and takonawason (having the responsibility for). A plea to respect the great circle of life.

Director

Antony Dubé (Atikamekw)

Writer

Antony Dubé (Atikamekw)

Genres

Animation, Drama

Interests

Arts and Culture, BIPOC Stories, Environment, Indigenous Filmmaker

Original Language

Other Language

Language Versions

EN Subtitles, FR Subtitles

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Al Ghorba

Director Alia Hijaab
Year 2019
Run Time 6min
Genre Animation, Drama
Through a conversation with her family back home, a Syrian immigrant in Canada expresses her loneliness, and faces her mounting fears about the future.

Director

Alia Hijaab

Writer

Alia Hijaab

Producer

Alia Hijaab

Genres

Animation, Drama

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Global Experiences, Newcomer Stories, Social Justice & Politics

Original Languages

English, Other Language

  • Own Voice

Cry Rock

Director Banchi Hanuse (Nuxalk)
Year 2016
Run Time 29min
Genre Documentary
Fewer than 15 Nuxalk-language speakers and storytellers are left in Bella Coola, B.C. This thoughtful film explores what is lost from a culture when a language threatens to go extinct.

Director

Banchi Hanuse (Nuxalk)

Writer

Banchi Hanuse (Nuxalk)

Producer

Banchi Hanuse (Nuxalk)

Genre

Documentary

Interests

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

Original Languages

English, Other Language

  • Own Voice

Baba (Drama)

Director Jay Kamal
Year 2021
Run Time 14min
Genre Drama
Twelve-year-old Samir struggles to come to terms with his father’s death while participating in the funeral ceremonies that reflect both his family’s Muslim and Christian beliefs.

Director

Jay Kamal

Genre

Drama

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Global Experiences

Original Languages

English, Other Language

  • Own Voice

Apaja’simk (The Return)

Director Trevor Gould (Mi’kmaw)
Year 2018
Run Time 10min
Genre Comedy, Drama
Glooscap, the creator of the Mi’kmaq people, sends a messenger to present day Mi’kma’ki to see how his people are faring and report back.

Director

Trevor Gould (Mi’kmaw)

Writer

Trevor Gould (Mi’kmaw)

Cast

Tapit Gould, Miranda Gould, Noel Julien

Genres

Comedy, Drama

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Indigenous Filmmaker

Original Language

Other Language

Baba (Dance)

Director Jonathan Lawley
Year 2006
Run Time 3min
Genre Experimental
Different people, cultures and styles of dance come together in one expression of love and life. Choreographed by Tré Armstrong.

Director

Jonathan Lawley

Writer

Jonathan Lawley

Cast

Stacey Armstrong, Cassidy DeFreitas, Alana Elmer

Producer

Wayne Lawley

Genre

Experimental

Interests

Arts and Culture, BIPOC Stories

Original Language

Other Language

Begone Dull Care

Directors Norman McLaren, Evelyn Lambart
Year 1949
Run Time 8min
Genre Animation, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
In this extraordinary short animation, Evelyn Lambart and Norman McLaren painted colours, shapes, and transformations directly on to their filmstrip. The result is a vivid interpretation, in fluid lines and colour, of jazz music played by the Oscar Peterson Trio.

Directors

Norman McLaren, Evelyn Lambart

Producer

Norman McLaren

Genres

Animation, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Interest

Arts and Culture

Original Languages

English, French, Other Language

Canadian Distributor

National Film Board (NFB)

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Four Faces of the Moon

Director Amanda Strong (Michif)
Year 2016
Run Time 13min
Genre Action/Adventure, Animation, Documentary, Family
This intricate stop-motion animation interlaces Canada’s colonial past with writer-director Amanda Strong’s personal family history — and illuminates Cree, Métis, and Anishinaabe reclamation of culture, language, and Nationhood.

Director

Amanda Strong (Michif)

Writers

Amanda Strong (Michif), Bracken Hanuse Corlett (Wuikinuxv-Klahoose)

Cast

Gail Maurice (Cree/Métis)

Producer

Bracken Hanuse Corlett (Wuikinuxv-Klahoose)

Genres

Action/Adventure, Animation, Documentary, Family

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Discrimination, Family Relationships, Indigenous Filmmaker

Original Language

Other Language

Language Version

EN Subtitles

Taxi Libre

Director Kaveh Nabation
Year 2010
Run Time 13min
Genre Drama

Jose Garcia was a doctor in his home country. Now, as a taxi driver in Canada, he must cope with a playfully taunting prospective employer who takes a seat in his cab.

Director

Kaveh Nabation

Writer

Kaveh Nabation

Cast

Omar Alexis Ramos Torres, Alain Cadieux, Marco Ledezma

Producers

Alexandra Yanofsky, Kat Baulu

Genre

Drama

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Newcomer Stories

Original Languages

French, Other Language

Language Versions

EN Subtitles, FR Subtitles

Canadian Distributor

National Film Board (NFB)