For his French-class assignment, a high school student weaves his family history in a news story involving terrorism, and goes on to invite an Internet audience in on the resulting controversy.

Jason Jones and Samatha Bee (who won the Canadian Comedy Award for her role) lead a powerhouse cast in this outrageously funny found footage comedy. When Gord Cooper (Jones) buys a state of the art VHS camera from a neighbour (Foley), the stage is set for a Christmas film like no other!

Set in 1985, Cooper’s Camera captures the candid hilarity of the Coopers’ holidays as everything descends into total chaos. Gord and his wife Bev (Bee) attempt to keep it together while their son Teddy films everything with the new camera and a cast of wild relatives descend on their home, including moustache and mullet-wearing brother-in-law Nick (Beaver, in a show-stealing performance), Gord’s estranged brother Tim (Keleghan) and the chain-smoking and bitter Aunt Gert (Eastwood).

Get to know one of Canada’s strangest and funniest cinematic families in a film The Globe and Mail said was “destined to become a holiday classic” after its 2008 premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Sheila Hood (Kathleen Munroe) is an ex-cop whose marriage is on the rocks. Rather than confronting her husband about an affair, she hides surveillance cameras in her home and watches his transgressions, becoming a voyeur of her own life.

 

Her husband, Tom Kale (David Alpay), is an ornithologist who begins an affair with an ex-girlfriend, Merle James (Melanie Scrofano). Ray Starling (Joris Jarsky), the charismatic owner of a boutique hotel, is Merle’s lover, and has dealings with her father, Mr James (Stephen McHattie), a powerful oil baron who operates in the shadows but whose influence touches the whole city. Merle’s younger sister, Hazel (Cara Gee), is also drawn to Tom, but trapped in Starling’s web of power.

 

Calvin (Benjamin Ayres) is a cop whose loyalty to his ex partner, Hood, is tested when mounting evidence from her own surveillance tapes connects her and Tom to Starling’s murder, and perhaps even Merle’s mysterious death.

Trailer available here: https://vimeo.com/210263245

In August 1911, the luxury steam yacht Gunilda sank in the deep waters of Lake Superior. A half century later, raising the salvage-rich vessel becomes a holy grail of sorts for gutsy Canadian business mogul Fred Broennle, who risks life, limb, fortune and family in a quest to realize his obsessive dream. Director Tim Southam's documentary chronicles his adventures as they devolve into a real-life allegory pitting man's hubris against the indomitable powers of the sea.

A dark satire about viral marketing, click-bait and gutter-porn.  In the trenches of a struggling advertising agency three desperate execs become consumed by their secret online lives.  A twisted agency producer takes radical steps to sell his client’s wholesome products, re-branding children's toys as sex toys and adult diapers as kink-wear.  His covert viral videos inspire an underground cult following and spark a violent confrontation with his arch agency rival.  Meanwhile, a heart-broken account-girl frantically tries to uncover her wife's infidelity but becomes victim of an e-stalking extortion racket.  A lonely, middle-aged accountant searches the dark-web for companionship, but learns the true cost of free-love online.  Spiraling into madness, each story becomes linked by the mysterious character of Mr. Viral, digital pimp.

A feature length documentary that explores the phenomenon of Elvis and how impersonating Elvis affects the culture of music in Canada and the world. Starting in the Canadian small town of Collingwood, that hosts one of the largest Elvis Festivals in the world, filmmaker Tracey Johnston delves deep into the world of fake hair, spray tan and sparkling jumpsuits. Her pursuit finds millions of tax dollars being invested into the culture of Elvis. Soon she discovers the commercial sector of Elvis festivals and road trips to Memphis, the heart of Elvis. Interviews with top Elvis Tribute artists including Canadian champions and the Ultimate Champion, reveals more about why thousands of artists dedicate their lives to Elvis. King for a Day explores greed, corruption and cultural abduction and asks the question of what would Elvis have to say about all of this?

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.

In this honest look at the mythmaking of heroes and what later becomes of them, acclaimed documentary filmmaker Alan Zweig profiles Steve Fonyo, a man who ran across Canada at the age of 19 after losing a leg to cancer, following in the footsteps of Terry Fox, and raising millions of dollars for cancer research while doing so.

Although his charity marathon in 1984 was a glorious success, his subsequent exploits — precarious jobs and petty crimes —find him in a state of financial ruin in one of Canada’s toughest neighbourhoods. The unbelievable run that became his life’s greatest achievement is now a crushing burden.

Zweig’s rare and sensitive portrait of a complex one-time hero won the inaugural Platform prize at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.

Shot in just three weeks in Toronto, Don Owen’s film — which was originally intended to be a short documentary — quickly evolved into a fictional coming-of-age story that has enraptured audiences for decades with its honesty and emotional integrity.

Peter (Kastner) is an 18-year-old growing up in 1960s suburban Toronto who is totally fed up with his parents’ middle-class lifestyle. He’s on the verge of finishing high school but the thought of a conventional life climbing the corporate ladder is unbearable.

Peter yearns to strike out on his own with his girlfriend Julie, but a life of petty crime and poor decisions looms. Told in stark black and white, this tale of teenage rebellion is timeless and relatable.

One of the National Film Board’s first narrative features, Nobody Waved Good-bye is a cinematic treasure and a true Canadian classic.

Bret Sergeant Hart — known in the professional wrestling world as Bret “The Hitman” Hart — was one of the greatest pro wrestlers in the sport’s history.

In 1997, at the Summer Series in Montreal, Hart put his WWF (now WWE) title on the line against Shawn Michaels, where the two privately agreed to end the fight with a no contest conclusion.

Referred to in the wrestling community as the “Montreal Screwjob,” the agreement was believed to be a secret betrayal of Hart, who was one of the WWF’s most popular performers. In the end, Michaels won the match, and Hart lost his title.

Jay’s award-winning documentary is an honest and engaging look at a world-famous career of highs and lows.

Ben Tyler (Jackson) is a young guy with a comfortable life, a good job as an English teacher and a sensible fiancée, Samantha (Balaban). When his doctor unexpectedly tells him he has cancer and “maybe two years, maybe one week” to live, Ben’s only chance is to start treatment immediately. Instead, he decides to buy a motorcycle and head out west.

A classic road trip movie featuring lots of Canadian icons (like Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip), One Week follows Ben’s journey from Toronto to Tofino. Along the way, Ben makes new friends and re-evaluates his life, his job and his upcoming marriage. As his fiancée and family back home struggle to understand his decision, Ben rediscovers himself, reawakens his old passion for writing and ultimately learns to appreciate life.

Grant Mazzy (McHattie) is a big-city shock radio DJ who has lost his job and moves to the small Ontario town of Pontypool, where he frustrates his new station manager, Sydney (Houle).

Nothing ever happens in Pontypool, so when Mazzy arrives at the station to start his show one wintry morning, he and his team are surprised by strange reports from town.

The station’s tiny crew find themselves holed up in their church basement studio, trying to piece together what’s happening outside as disturbing details pour in. Callers are making very little sense, and it seems like the English language itself is infected with a strange virus.

“McDonald knows it’s the things you don’t see, but only imagine, that best chill the blood.”
— Peter Howell, Toronto Star

“If you’re not back by midnight, you won’t be coming home!” So says the terrifying poster for Prom Night, Paul Lynch’s Canadian horror classic. The premise is deadly simple: An unknown killer seeks revenge on four teens for the accidental death of a classmate six years earlier — and with a knife this sharp, prom night just may be their last night.

This memorable slasher film was remade in 2008, but we’ll stick to the original, thanks! This gruesome and wildly fun cult hit was a drive-in-theatre hit all over the country, and garnered Jamie Lee Curtis a Genie nomination for her performance.

Troubled teen Sean (Jessup) is misunderstood, alienated and bullied at school. When he establishes an unlikely friendship with preppy Deanna (Fast), her angry and threatened boyfriend forces a confrontation. In an attempt to protect himself, Sean makes a fateful online mistake, and is soon falsely accused of planning a Columbine-style school shooting. Thrust into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, Sean must now overcome stereotypes, prejudices and the mistrust of his community and prove his innocence to the town, and especially to Deanna.

Tense, challenging and told with a great deal of emotional honesty, Blackbird is a powerful film with a breakout lead performance by Jessup.

Barney’s Version tells the story of Barney Panofsky, played by Paul Giamatti in a Golden Globe–winning performance. As he progresses from young adulthood to old age, Barney ricochets from one romantic entanglement to another, trying to keep his outrageous father (Hoffman) under control while being pursued by a cop who suspects him of murdering his best friend, Boogie (Speedman).

Based on Mordecai Richler’s Giller Prize–winning bestseller of the same name, this rich and hilarious film won seven Genie Awards and was nominated for an Oscar.

“The impeccably cast confessional, with a pitch-perfect Paul Giamatti leading the way, nimbly traverses the four decades in its lead character’s eventual life with considerable exuberance, visual flair and, ultimately, grace." — Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter

Based on the award-winning novel by Canadian author Rohinton Mistry, Such a Long Journey is the story of Gustad Noble (Seth), whose life is thrown into turmoil when he is asked by an old friend to deposit a large sum of money at the bank where he works. Set in Bombay on the eve of the war between India and Pakistan, Gustad’s troubles become an allegory for the chaos and upheaval occurring around him.

His son would rather become an artist than attend engineering school, his daughter has malaria and his wife (Razdan) spends an increasing amount of time with a neighbour that he fears is a witch. On top of all this, the local government threatens to tear down the wall surrounding his housing complex. Ingeniously, Gustad asks an artist (Chowdhry) to paint a multi-faith mural on the wall so believers of all religions will be compelled to save it. A rich and thoughtful portrayal of the power of spirituality and how to overcome even the most daunting of circumstances.

Writer-director Clement Virgo’s groundbreaking debut feature is a vivid drama about three people wrestling with personal demons in Toronto’s inner city. General (Witt) is a drug dealer turned artist arriving home from prison to his estranged family. Jordan (Chevolleau) is a promising boxer who reluctantly participates in gay-bashing, even as he struggles with his own identity. Meanwhile, Maxine (Crawford) faces the end of her relationship after she chooses to end a pregnancy. Their tales are woven together by Rude (Lewis), the smoky-voiced pirate radio DJ whose words penetrate the community with wit and insight.

Alan Zweig’s cult favourite documentary mines the comedy and tragedy of obsessive record collecting, assembling an all-star lineup of audiophiles, store clerks, DJs, Elvis fanatics and hot jazz enthusiasts. A hard-core collector himself, Zweig uses mirror confessionals to excoriate his anti-social compulsion, while approaching his interview subjects with open-hearted compassion.

With this film, Zweig established his voice as a documentarian who is not content to be merely a fly on the wall in the lives of his subjects. Instead, he deploys the camera as a tool for engagement, rooting around in the margins of contemporary society to explore themes of beauty, addiction, love and longing in a profound and unique way.

A decade-long feud between neighbouring pizza shops heats up when the children of the rival owners, Nikki (Emma Roberts) and Leo (Hayden Christensen) enter into an unexpected romance. With their love soaring higher than a spinning pizza pie, the feud between their parents also reaches new hilarious heights and they are forced to choose sides and compete against each other in the neighbourhood’s legendary pizza bake-off.

Set in Toronto’s Little Italy neighbourhood, and as tempting and saucy as a margherita pizza, this fun-filled romantic comedy with a lot of heart is sure to leave audiences feeling satisfied.

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.