Region: ON
The Silent Partner
Director
Daryl Duke
Writer
Curtis Hanson
Cast
Elliott Gould, Christopher Plummer, Susannah York
Producers
Garth H. Drabinsky, Stephen Young, Joel B. Michaels
Genres
Drama, Thriller
Interests
Classics, Literary Adaptation
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Pan-Canadian Film Distributors
Sleeping Giant
A shocking revelation sets in motion a series of events that tests the bonds of friendship and changes the boys forever. With gorgeous location photography and unerring authenticity, Sleeping Giant highlights that critical moment in adolescence when everything seems possible and every dare is an opportunity to test one’s limitations, regardless of the consequences.
Nick Serino won a Canadian Screen Award for his supporting role.
Director
Andrew Cividino
Writers
Andrew Cividino, Blain Watters, Aaron Yeger
Cast
Jackson Martin, Reece Moffett, Nick Serino
Producers
Andrew Cividino, Karen Harnisch, Marc Swenker, James Vandewater, Aaron Yeger
Genres
Action/Adventure, Drama
Interest
LGBTQ2S+
Original Language
English
Language Version
FR Subtitles
Canadian Distributors
D Films, Vortex Media
Stories We Tell
As Polley interrogates each of her subjects in turn, contradictory accounts emerge, and longstanding efforts to hide some painful truths eventually become futile.
The “stories we tell” — that all families tell in one way or another — turn out to obscure as much as they reveal, and the whole idea of the purpose of narrative is called into question in a way that is both fascinating and poignant.
Director
Sarah Polley
Polley won a screenwriting Oscar nomination for Away From Her, and directed Take This Waltz and Stories We Tell. She wrote and produced Alias Grace, a miniseries based on Margaret Atwood’s novel, which premiered at TIFF 2017. In 2022 she published the essay collection Run Toward the Danger. Her most recent feature, an adaptation of Miriam Toews’ Women Talking, premiered at TIFF 2022.
Writer
Sarah Polley
Producers
Silvia Basmajian, Anita Lee
Genre
Documentary
Interests
Biography, Female Filmmaker, History
Original Language
English
Language Version
FR Subtitles
Canadian Distributor
Mongrel Media
Still Mine
Craig (Cromwell) shares an idyllic life in rural St. Martins with the love of his life, Irene (Bujold). When Irene’s health begins to fail, Craig is forced into a conflict with a pesky government inspector who refuses to let him build a new home that will be more suitable for her. Stubborn and used to fierce independence, Craig decides to put his carpentry skills to good use in spite of the inspector’s efforts to shut him down.
As a showdown between the two becomes imminent, Craig also struggles to cope with the unmistakable deterioration of his beloved wife’s memory, and her diminishing ability to manage on her own. Based on true events, Still Mine is an affecting love story and a funny tale about the battle between old and new ways of doing things.
Director
Michael McGowan
McGowan made his film debut as a writer, director and producer with My Dog Vincent, and directed Saint Ralph, One Week, Score: A Hockey Musical and Still Mine, which was named by TIFF as one of Canada’s Top 10 films in 2012. He recently directed TV shows Reign and Between and wrote the film The Etruscan Smile. His most recent film, All My Puny Sorrows, premiered at TIFF 2021.
Writer
Michael McGowan
Cast
Geneviève Bujold, Campbell Scott, James Cromwell, Rick Roberts
Producers
Jody Colero, Tamara Deverell, Avi Federgreen, Michael McGowan
Genre
Drama
Interests
ESL, Family Relationships, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
Canadian Distributor
Mongrel Media
Strange Brew
When her father dies suddenly, Pam (Griffin) is orphaned, and control of her family’s brewery threatens to fall into the hands of the conniving Brewmeister Smith (von Sydow). In stumble Bob and Doug, who land jobs as beer inspectors when their scheme involving a mouse in a bottle impresses the brewery brass.
Hilarity ensues as the boys attempt to foil the Brewmeister’s sinister plot to take over the world. Though the film appears at first glance to be a bonehead comedy, it is a deceptively clever farce based on William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Long before Wayne and Garth or Beavis and Butt-Head, there was Bob and Doug. Canada is proud to call them our own.
Directors
Rick Moranis
Moranis and Dave Thomas’s work on the Emmy Award–winning SCTV series earned them a place among the greatest comedians this country has ever produced. The duo came together again in 2018 for the live SCTV reunion, which was directed by Martin Scorcese and was released as a Netflix special.
Dave Thomas
Rick Moranis and Thomas’s work on the Emmy Award–winning SCTV series earned them a place among the greatest comedians this country has ever produced. The duo came together again in 2018 for the live SCTV reunion, which was directed by Martin Scorcese and was released as a Netflix special.
Writers
Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, Steve De Jarnatt
Cast
Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, Max von Sydow, Lynne Griffin
Producer
Louis M. Silverstein
Genre
Comedy
Interests
Classics, ESL
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
Canadian Distributor
Warner Brothers
Such a Long Journey
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.
Director
Sturla Gunnarsson
Born in Iceland and raised in Vancouver, Gunnarsson earned an Oscar nomination for his debut feature doc, After the Axe. His films include Beowulf and Grendel, Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie and Monsoon, and he has directed hit TV shows such as Motive, Degrassi: The Next Generation, The Art of More, and most recently Schitt’s Creek and Ransom.
Writer
Sooni Taraporevala
Cast
Roshan Seth, Soni Razdan, Ranjit Chowdhry, Om Puri, Kurush Deboo
Producers
Paul Stephens, Simon MacCorkindale
Genre
Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Global Experiences, History, Literary Adaptation, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Optimum Releasing
The Sweet Hereafter
As momentum for the case builds, he finds himself squaring off against the lone survivor of the accident (Polley), battling against the power of long-held family secrets. Based on the bestselling novel by Russell Banks, this shattering film won eight Genie Awards and garnered two Oscar nominations for Egoyan.
“Cuts to the bone and stays there long after its end credits have finished rolling.” — Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
Director
Atom Egoyan
Egoyan received the Governor General’s award in 2015 for Lifetime Artistic Achievement. He was the first-ever Canadian director to earn two Oscar nominations (for The Sweet Hereafter). His award-winning films include Exotica, Ararat and The Captive. His most recent film, Guest of Honour, premiered at TIFF 2019.
Writer
Atom Egoyan
Cast
Ian Holm, Sarah Polley, Bruce Greenwood, Arsinée Khanjian, Tom McCamus
Producers
Atom Egoyan, Camelia Frieberg, Robert Lantos, Andras Hamori
Genre
Drama
Interests
Classics, Family Relationships, Literary Adaptation, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
Canadian Distributor
eOne
Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould
Colm Feore is brilliant as Gould, humanizing the difficult genius whose studio recordings, imaginative radio documentaries and insightful writings are still influential in contemporary classical circles.
“Instead of a laborious bio-pic, we get a sly, quick-witted meditation on a character always likely to elude our grasp.” — Anthony Lane, The New Yorker
Director
François Girard
Girard won a Grammy for Secret World Live, a Peter Gabriel concert film. Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould won four Genie Awards, including Best Picture. The Red Violin won eight Genies and an Oscar for Best Original Score. His recent films include Boychoir, starring Dustin Hoffman, and Hochelaga terre des âmes, which was nominated for eight CSAs, winning four. His latest, The Song of Names, premiered at TIFF 2019.
Writers
François Girard, Don McKellar
Cast
Colm Feore, Gerry Quigley, Gale Garnett, Don McKellar
Producer
Niv Fichman
Genre
Drama
Interests
Arts and Culture, Biography, Classics, History
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
Canadian Distributor
Rhombus Media
- Own Voice
Trick or Treaty?
One of the masters of Canadian documentary cinema, Alanis Obomsawin has spent decades chronicling the injustices visited on First Nations communities, creating a remarkable body of work. In her latest film, she digs into the difficult history of Treaty 9, the infamous 1905 agreement in which First Nations communities allegedly relinquished their sovereignty over their traditional lands.
Setting the film against the recent resurgence of First Nations activism (Chief Theresa Spence’s hunger strike and the Idle No More movement), Obomsawin interviews legal, historical and cultural experts — as well as people whose ancestors were present when the treaty was signed — to explore some fundamental questions about Canada’s relationship with our First Nations.
“Obomsawin’s documentaries inform, inspire and shock us. Trick or Treaty? is no different.” — Nadya Domingo, Toronto Film Scene
Director
Alanis Obomsawin (Abenaki)
Legendary Abenaki filmmaker Obomsawin has made over 50 documentaries on issues affecting Indigenous peoples in Canada, including Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance, Trick or Treaty?, Is the Crown at War with Us?, Our People Will Be Healed and Jordan River Anderson, The Messenger. Her most recent film is the short documentary Honour to Senator Murray Sinclair. Next, she is set to appear in an episode of Marie Clements' Bones of Crows: The Series.
Writer
Alanis Obomsawin (Abenaki)
Producers
Annette Clarke, Alanis Obomsawin (Abenaki)
Genre
Documentary
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Environment, Female Filmmaker, Indigenous Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
Language Versions
EN CC, FR Subtitles
Canadian Distributor
National Film Board (NFB)
Vinyl
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.
Director
Alan Zweig
Writer
Alan Zweig
Cast
Alan Zweig, Harvey Pekar, Alan Williams, Don McKellar
Producers
Alan Zweig, Greg Klymkiw, Bruce McDonald, David McCallum
Genre
Documentary
Interests
Arts and Culture, Cult & Offbeat Cinema
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
The Asylum
Warrendale
Originally produced for the CBC (but not aired on TV due to profanity), Warrendale is one of Allan King’s most searing and revealing pieces of work. King places us inside Warrendale (a facility for troubled youth in Toronto’s Rexdale community) like a fly on the wall, and we witness the full spectrum of emotions displayed by 12 fascinating children and the caregivers trying to nurture and guide them.
The stunning Warrendale won the Prix d’art et d’essai at the Cannes film festival and a special documentary award from the National Society of Film Critics.
Director
Allan King
Writer
Allan King
Producer
Allan King
Genre
Documentary
Interest
Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
Canadian Distributor
Allan King Films
- Own Voice
Water
Fortunately, she finds friends in the beautiful Kilyani (Ray) and in the forward-thinking Narayan (Abraham). With their help, Chuyia attempts to escape the confines of her existence. Boasting lush visuals, Water could easily be a bleak story of deprivation and loss, but in Mehta’s gentle hands, it becomes one charged with hope and optimism.
Water was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Director
Deepa Mehta
Mehta gained acclaim for her trilogy, Fire, Earth and the Oscar-nominated Water. Her adaptation of Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children was nominated for eight CSAs. She has also directed Bollywood/Hollywood, Beeba Boys, Anatomy of Violence, and many others. Her most recent film Funny Boy has also won multiple awards, including the CSA for best direction. Most recently, she directed an episode of the series Yellowjackets. She has numerous projects in development as a writer, director and producer.
Writer
Deepa Mehta
Cast
Sarala Kariyawasam, Lisa Ray, John Abraham, Seema Biswas
Producers
David Hamilton, Mark Burton, Ajay Virmani, Doug Mankoff
Genre
Drama
Interests
Asian Filmmaker, BIPOC Stories, Discrimination, Female Filmmaker, Global Experiences, History, Social Justice & Politics, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
Other Language
Language Versions
EN Subtitles, FR Dub
Canadian Distributor
Mongrel Media
- Own Voice
The World Before Her
Ruhi Singh is on her way to Bombay to participate in an intense beauty boot camp as a contestant in the Miss India pageant, a surefire launching pad to fame in a country of 1.2 billion people.
Meanwhile, just a few hours away, Prachi Trivedi works at a very different kind of camp – one run by a militant Hindu nationalist group, where young girls are trained to combat western influences.
Moving between the two camps, this lively and provocative documentary paints a portrait of a nation in transformation. A study in contrasts on the one hand, the film also reveals disturbing similarities in the obstacles that each woman faces as she tries to have an impact on her society.
The World Before Her won Best Canadian Feature at the Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival.
Director
Nisha Pahuja
Writer
Nisha Pahuja
Cast
Ruhi Singh, Pooja Chopra
Producers
Nisha Pahuja, Cornelia Principe, Ed Barreveld
Genre
Documentary
Interests
Asian Filmmaker, BIPOC Stories, Female Filmmaker, Global Experiences, Social Justice & Politics
Original Languages
English, Other Language
Language Version
EN CC
Canadian Distributor
levelFILM
Videodrome
Videodrome is one of David Cronenberg’s most original and provocative works, and is widely acclaimed as one of the most influential and mind-bending sci-fi/horror films of the 1980s. “Long live the new flesh” goes this movie’s most famous quote — and long live crazy Canadian body horror!
Director
David Cronenberg
Writer
David Cronenberg
Cast
James Woods, Debbie Harry, Sonja Smits, Les Carlson, Peter Dvorsky
Producer
Claude Héroux
Genres
Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interest
Cult & Offbeat Cinema
Original Language
English
Language Versions
EN CC, FR Dub, FR Subtitles
Canadian Distributor
Universal
- Own Voice
Rude
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 most recent film, Brother, premiered at TIFF 2022.
Writer
Clement Virgo
Cast
Sharon Lewis, Rachael Crawford, Richard Chevolleau, Maurice Dean Wint, Clark Johnson
Producers
Karen King, Damon D'Oliveira
Genre
Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Black Filmmaker
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
eOne
- Own Voice
Fire Song
Just weeks before Shane (Martin) is scheduled to leave his small Northern Ontario town to start university in Toronto, his younger sister commits suicide, leaving him struggling to take care of his family in the aftermath. Shane finds solace in the love he shares with his boyfriend David (Legarde-Beacham), but they are forced to keep their relationship a secret from their families and friends.
Torn between his responsibilities at home and the promise of freedom calling to him from the big city, Shane is forced to make a difficult choice after circumstances take a turn for the worse. Fire Song won the Audience Choice award at the 2015 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival.
Director
Adam Garnet Jones (Cree/Métis)
Writer
Adam Garnet Jones (Cree/Métis)
Cast
Jennifer Podemski (Anishinaabe, Leni Lenape, Métis), Andrew Martin (Mohawk), Harley Legarde-Beacham (Ojibway)
Producers
Adam Garnet Jones (Cree/Métis), Pj Thornton
Genre
Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Indigenous Filmmaker, LGBTQ2S+
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
Canadian Distributors
Big Soul Productions, Vtape
Little Italy
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.
Director
Donald Petrie
Petrie has directed many iconic box office hits, including How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Miss Congeniality and Mystic Pizza. His television credits include episodes of Chicago P.D., The Kominsky Method, Chicago Justice, and many others. He is currently developing several feature films, including Your Perfect Angel, Million Dollar Mustang and Jack vs. Future Jack.
Writers
Steve Galluccio, Vinay Virmani
Cast
Hayden Christensen, Emma Roberts, Danny Aiello, Andrea Martin
Producers
Vinay Virmani, Pauline Dhillon, Ajay Virmani
Genre
Comedy
Interests
ESL, Family Relationships
Original Language
English
Language Versions
EN CC, FR Dub, FR Subtitles
Canadian Distributor
eOne
- Own Voice
Angelique’s Isle
In the midst of the 1845 mining boom on the shores of Lake Superior, newlywed Anishinaabe woman Angelique (Julia Jones) agrees to accompany her voyageur husband on a copper expedition. Left by the rest of the crew to guard a large discovery on a remote island, the couple must survive for weeks dealing with the harsh winter conditions and a quickly dwindling food supply.
As hunger sets in, Angelique – a devout Christian – struggles with her faith and must rely on the teachings she received from her grandmother in order to survive. A testament to the strength and resilience of Indigenous women, Angelique’s Isle also stars Tantoo Cardinal and Aden Young.
Based on the novel Angelique Abandoned by James R. Stevens and the true story of 17-year-old Angelique Mott, Angelique’s Isle is a beautiful and harrowing true tale of perseverance and survival.
Directors
Marie-Hélène Cousineau, Michelle Derosier (Anishinaabe)
Writers
Michelle Derosier (Anishinaabe), James R. Stevens
Cast
Julia Jones (Choctaw/Chickasaw), Tantoo Cardinal (Cree/Métis), Aden Young, Charlie Carrick
Producers
Michelle Derosier (Anishinaabe), Amos Adetuyi, Dave Clement, Floyd Kane
Genre
Drama
Interests
Biography, BIPOC Stories, Female Filmmaker, History, Indigenous Filmmaker, Literary Adaptation
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
Canadian Distributor
levelFILM
Anne of Green Gables
So begins Anne of Green Gables, one of the most beloved stories in Canadian literature for readers of all ages. This mini-series adaptation of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s series of novels — one of the highest-rated broadcasts in Canadian television history — features Megan Follows in the title role, who has since gone on to become one of Canada’s most critically acclaimed actors.
This trophy-sweeping Genie Award-winner is a charming, family-friendly affair that is sure to delight.
Director
Kevin Sullivan
Writers
Joe Wiesenfeld, Kevin Sullivan
Cast
Megan Follows, Colleen Dewhurst, Richard Farnsworth, Jonathan Crombie
Producers
Ian McDougall, Kevin Sullivan, Trudy Grant
Genres
Drama, Family
Interests
Classics, Family Relationships, Literary Adaptation, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Sullivan Entertainment inc
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
As his business ventures backfire in different ways, Duddy must come to terms with the fact that he’s attaining his goals at the expense of something more important — friendship and love. Both funny and touching, The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz is a true Canadian classic.
The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, and won Film of the Year at the Canadian Film Awards.
Director
Ted Kotcheff
Toronto-born Kotcheff has produced and directed films in Australia, the UK, the US and Canada, including Fun with Dick and Jane, Joshua Then and Now, First Blood, and Weekend at Bernie’s. The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. He has won Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Directors Guild of Canada and the CSAs.
Writers
Lionel Chetwynd, Mordecai Richler
Cast
Richard Dreyfuss, Micheline Lanctôt, Jack Warden, Randy Quaid
Producer
John Kemeny
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Interests
Classics, ESL, Family Relationships, Literary Adaptation
Original Language
English
Language Versions
EN CC, FR Dub
Canadian Distributor
eOne