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You Are Here: A Come From Away Story

Director Moze Mossanen
Year 2018
Run Time 83min
Genre Documentary

What would you do if 6,600 people unexpectedly landed in your small town with no place to stay? For the 11,000 people of Gander, Newfoundland, this incredible event happened in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, when nearly 40 planes are rerouted and grounded there.

This documentary shows how this town in Newfoundland came together to feed, shelter and support all of the stranded airline passengers for 6 days.

With interviews from a selection of airline passengers and residents of the town, this emotional and inspirational documentary tells the incredible true story that inspired the smash-hit musical Come From Away.

Director

Moze Mossanen

Moze Mossanen is a director, writer and producer who has created a body of popular and critically acclaimed work that have included a unique blend of drama, documentary, music and performance. These films include Dance for Modern Times, Year of the Lion, Roxana, and Nureyev. His 2013 doc, Unsung, won the Canadian Screen Award in 2015. His most recent feature doc, You Are Here: A Come From Away Story, was released on HBO Canada in September 2018 and won two CSA Awards including Best Documentary in March 2019. The film was also released in over 800 theatres across the United States in September 2019.  

Writer

Moze Mossanen

Producer

Peter Gentile

Genre

Documentary

Interests

ESL, History

Original Language

English

Canadian Distributor

Bell Media

Window Horses

Director Ann Marie Fleming
Year 2016
Run Time 88min
Genre Action/Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family
This extraordinary animated feature tells the tale of Rosie, a young Canadian poet of Chinese and Persian descent. Rosie lives in Vancouver with her Chinese grandparents and dreams of travelling and seeing the world. 

When she receives an invitation to a poetry festival in Shiraz, Iran, Rosie embarks on a journey that unravels a personal mystery and brings her closer to her Persian roots. 

Voiced by an all-star cast including Sandra Oh, Ellen Page and Don McKellar, Window Horses is a beautiful and poignant story about family, imagination, culture and finding your own voice. 

"This is not just a visual treat, it's a rewarding and unexpectedly engrossing piece of female-led storytelling." - Wendy Ide, Screen International 

Director

Ann Marie Fleming

Fleming is a visual artist, filmmaker and writer who has animated over 20 films, including the shorts Stories Sarah Tells, Big Trees and Heart. Her features include New Shoes, The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam and The French Guy. Fleming has won nearly 20 awards for her films, including 10 for Window Horses. Most recently, she directed the shorts A Short Film About Tegan & Sara, Question Period, and Old Dog.

Writer

Ann Marie Fleming

Cast

Elliot Page, Don McKellar, Nancy Kwan, Sandra Oh, Shohreh Aghdashloo

Producers

Sandra Oh, Ann Marie Fleming, Shirley Vercruysse, Michael Fukushima

Genres

Action/Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family

Interests

Arts and Culture, BIPOC Stories, ESL, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Global Experiences, Literary Adaptation, Strong Female Leads

Original Language

English

Canadian Distributor

Mongrel Media

Maudie

Director Aisling Walsh
Year 2016
Run Time 115min
Genre Drama, Romance
Maudie is based on the true story of Nova Scotia painter Maud Lewis, who overcame the physical challenge of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis to become one of Canada's best known and most loved folk artists.

The fragile but determined Maudie (Sally Hawkins) yearns for independence from her over-protective family and dreams of creating art. When she answers an ad for a housekeeper placed by a reclusive fish seller (Ethan Hawke), she gains more than just the freedom she wanted, as the unlikely pair develops a relationship that is intensely intimate and just as challenging.

A touching and inspiring story about following one's dreams in spite of life's obstacles, Maudie is an absolute charmer.

"Maudie breaks your heart with its infectious positivity." - Tomris Laffly, Time Out

Director

Aisling Walsh

Walsh’s previous projects include feature films The Daisy Chain and Song for a Raggy Boy, as well as directing over a dozen TV movies and shows, including Room at the Top, which won a BAFTA for Best Miniseries, and the TV movies A Poet in New York and An Inspector Calls. She most recently made the TV movie Elizabeth Is Missing. Next she will be directing Ethel’s Orchestra and producing The Ballroom.

Writer

Sherry White

Cast

Sally Hawkins, Ethan Hawke

Producers

Mary Young Leckie, Sally Hawkins, Ethan Hawke

Genres

Drama, Romance

Interests

Arts and Culture, Biography, ESL, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, History, Strong Female Leads

Original Language

English

Language Versions

EN CC, FR Dub, FR Subtitles

Canadian Distributor

Mongrel Media/Criterion

  • Own Voice

Nurse.Fighter.Boy

Director Charles Officer
Year 2008
Run Time 93min
Genre Drama
Jude (LeBlanc) is a nurse and single mom struggling with health issues while trying to raise her son, Ciel (Gordon). Ciel is a dreamy 12-year-old boy who loves music, magic and, of course, his mother. Silence (Johnson) is a middle-aged boxer who lands in Jude’s hospital after an illegal fight. Down on his luck but trying to turn his life around, Silence is lost until he meets Jude.

As Jude’s illness becomes more serious, Ciel learns to trust Silence, a new source of strength in their small, tight-knit family. Beautifully acted, shot in vibrant colour, and featuring an unforgettable soundtrack, Nurse.Fighter.Boy is sure to cast its spell on you.

Nurse.Fighter.Boy is a … gem of a movie.” — Liz Braun, Sun Media

Director

Charles Officer

Actor, writer and filmmaker Officer’s first feature, Nurse.Fighter.Boy, was nominated for 10 Genies, winning one. Officer also directed the docs Mighty Jerome, The Skin We're In, Unarmed Verses, and Invisible Essence: The Little Prince, as well as the feature Akilla's Escape, which won five CSAs. He has recently directed episodes of Coroner, and executive produced and co-directed The Porter. He’s also the executive producer of the upcoming docs The Art of Dance and Emmanuel.

Writers

Charles Officer, Ingrid Veninger

Cast

Clark Johnson, Karen LeBlanc, Daniel J. Gordon

Producers

Ingrid Veninger, Justine Whyte

Genre

Drama

Interests

BIPOC Stories, ESL, Family Relationships, Sports, Strong Female Leads

Original Language

English

Language Version

FR Dub

Canadian Distributor

Mongrel Media/Criterion

  • Own Voice

Bollywood/Hollywood

Director Deepa Mehta
Year 2002
Run Time 105min
Genre Comedy, Drama, Romance
Set in Toronto and its wealthier suburbs, Bollywood/Hollywood joyfully subverts the romantic conventions of both cultures. Rahul (Khanna), a rich South Asian-Canadian dot-com entrepreneur, is pressured by his mother (Chatterjee) and grandmother to find a nice Hindu girl to accompany him to his sister’s (Malik’s) elaborate wedding ceremony.

As a joking way of accommodating them, he hires Sue (Ray), a beautiful escort girl, to pretend to be his fiancée. Naturally, the two fall in love, and just as naturally, complications ensue. Incorporating the wild stylistic excesses of Bollywood — the melodrama, the choreography and the music — Mehta allows Indian culture and societal attitudes to play out in Toronto.

“Much hilarity, joyful song and dance numbers and a surprisingly touching love story.” — Kevin Laforest, Montreal Film Journal

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

Rahul Khanna, Lisa Ray, Jessica Paré, Moushumi Chatterjee

Producers

Camelia Frieberg, David Hamilton, Ajay Virmani

Genres

Comedy, Drama, Romance

Interests

Arts and Culture, BIPOC Stories, ESL, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Newcomer Stories, Strong Female Leads

Original Language

English

Language Versions

EN CC, FR Dub

Canadian Distributor

Mongrel Media

Breakaway

Director Robert Lieberman
Year 2011
Run Time 101min
Genre Comedy, Drama, Romance
Rajveer Singh (Virmani) is struggling to balance the wishes of his traditional Sikh family and his own true passion for hockey. Raj and his friends play only for fun, held back by the prejudice and mockery of other teams as their turban-clad crew steps onto the ice. Enter Coach Dan Winters (Lowe) and soon the Speedy Singhs are competing in a real tournament, while Raj is falling in love with the coach’s beautiful sister, Melissa (Belle).

A cross-cultural story of self-discovery, Breakaway is a heartwarming, action-filled comedy, bringing a dash of Bollywood to Canada’s favourite sport. With a hilarious supporting cast including comedian Russell Peters, and a special appearance from Drake, Breakaway will have you cheering for its unlikely heroes.

Director

Robert Lieberman

Lieberman’s directing credits include the feature films D3: The Mighty Ducks, Fire in the Sky and Table for Five. He has won 29 Clio Awards for his work in advertising and has directed such hit TV shows as Lost Girl, Republic of Doyle, Houdini & Doyle, Haven, The Expanse, Rogue, and Criminal Minds. Most recently, he directed the features Christmas in Tahoe, Love Stories in Sunflower Valley and Love on the Road.

Writers

Noel S. Baker, Jeffrey Alan Schechter, Matt Simmons, Vinay Virmani

Cast

Vinay Virmani, Russell Peters, Rob Lowe, Camilla Belle

Producers

Ajay Virmani, Don Carmody, Frank Siracusa

Genres

Comedy, Drama, Romance

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Bullying, Discrimination, ESL, Family Relationships, Newcomer Stories, Sports

Original Language

English

Language Versions

EN CC, FR Dub, FR Subtitles

Canadian Distributor

eOne

Corner Gas: The Movie

Director David Storey
Year 2014
Run Time 95min
Genre Comedy, Family
Times get tough in Dog River, Saskatchewan when Mayor Fitzy (Cunningham) blows the town’s budget on a risky investment. With no electricity, no water and local businesses dropping like flies, the town’s residents have no choice but to pull together to keep their beloved hometown from going under.

Suddenly, the normally apathetic Brent (Butt) is spurred into action, buying the shuttered town pub and entering Dog River into the “Quaintest Town in Canada” competition. With a chance to win $75,000, the townsfolk make one last rally to best their arch-rival town of Wullerton, head off big corporate investors and “quaintify” the town. Will their efforts be enough?

Based on the Canadian Comedy Award–winning TV series — with all of your favourite characters returning for this big-screen reunion — the latest tale of Dog River is sure to charm, amuse and delight.

Director

David Storey

Storey began his career as a musician, then moved into directing music videos and eventually television. He served as an executive producer, director and writer on the Corner Gas television series, which garnered him four Gemini Awards and two Canadian Comedy Awards. He is currently producing and directing the Corner Gas animated series.

Writers

Andrew Carr, Andrew Wreggitt, Brent Butt

Cast

Brent Butt, Gabrielle Miller, Fred Ewanuick, Eric Peterson, Janet Wright

Producers

Brent Butt, David Storey, Virginia Thompson

Genres

Comedy, Family

Interests

ESL, Social Justice & Politics

Original Language

English

Language Version

EN CC

Canadian Distributor

VSC

The Grand Seduction

Director Don McKellar
Year 2013
Run Time 113min
Genre Comedy, Drama
A funny and fresh English-language adaptation of the 2003 Quebecois comedy La grande séduction, this film tells the tale of a small fishing village in Newfoundland that must secure a new doctor in order to keep the community alive.

When city doctor Paul Lewis (Kitsch) arrives for a court-ordered trial residence, the townsfolk rally to charm and hoodwink him into staying. Under the guidance of an unemployed fisherman (Gleeson), they go to hilarious lengths to fabricate all the amenities of the big city and make it seem as though their sleepy town has everything Dr. Lewis could possibly want. Will the good doc fall for their tricks, or will he see through them to the truth about small town life?

Director

Don McKellar

McKellar is a prolific filmmaker and actor whose work has garnered numerous awards. He wrote Highway 61, The Red Violin and Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould, and wrote, directed and starred in Last Night (which won the Prix de la jeunesse at the Cannes film festival), and Childstar, and has directed several other films. He recently starred in Meditation Park, Crimes of the Future, and directed Sensitive Skin. Currently, he is writing episodes for Park Chan-wook’s The Sympathizer, which he is also executive producing.

Writers

Michael Dowse, Ken Scott

Cast

Taylor Kitsch, Brendan Gleeson, Gordon Pinsent, Liane Balaban

Producers

Barbara Doran, Roger Frappier

Genres

Comedy, Drama

Interest

ESL

Original Language

English

Language Versions

EN CC, FR Dub, FR Subtitles

Canadian Distributor

eOne/Criterion

  • Own Voice

Inside Hana’s Suitcase

Director Larry Weinstein
Year 2009
Run Time 88min
Genre Documentary
Based on the internationally acclaimed book Hana’s Suitcase, this poignant documentary tells the tale of George and Hana Brady, two young children who grew up in pre-WWII Czechoslovakia, and the terrible hardships they endured because they were Jewish.

When Fumiko Ishioka, a teacher in Japan, requests artifacts from a Holocaust museum to illustrate the history of WWII to her students, one item she receives is a suitcase labelled “Hana Brady.” As she and her students unravel Hana’s story, the film seamlessly transports audiences through 70 years of history, back and forth across three continents.

“Larry Weinstein’s deft, unique balance of documentary and narrative techniques helps…convey the combination of deep personal trauma and epic atrocity at the heart of Inside Hana’s Suitcase…a lovely, accessible and moving work.” — Kieran Grant, EYE Weekly

Director

Larry Weinstein

Weinstein has received three Gemini awards for his work, including Best Direction for Beethoven’s Hair. Weinstein also directed the docs Mulroney: The Opera, The Devil’s Horn, Leslie Caron: The Reluctant Star, and Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas, and co-directed Our Man In Tehran. His latest, Propaganda: The Art of Selling Lies, premiered at Hot Docs 2019.

Writer

Thomas Wallner

Cast

Daniel Hajek, Jindriska Hanusová, Linda Drexlerova, Karim Tarakji

Producers

Rudolf Biermann, Jessica Daniel, Larry Weinstein

Genre

Documentary

Interests

Biography, Discrimination, ESL, Global Experiences, History, Literary Adaptation

Original Language

English

Language Version

EN CC

Canadian Distributor

eOne

Strange Brew

Directors Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas
Year 1983
Run Time 90min
Genre Comedy
A Canadian comedy classic, Strange Brew follows lovable hosers Bob and Doug McKenzie (Moranis and Thomas, respectively) on an epic adventure soaked with beer and filled with doughnuts.

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/Criterion

  • Own Voice

Sabah

Director Ruba Nadda
Year 2005
Run Time 86min
Genre Drama, Romance
Sabah (Khanjian) is a sheltered 40-year-old woman who lives with her controlling Muslim family in Toronto. While they are a source of love and support, her widowed mother and conservative brother, Majid (Seymour), are also pretty overbearing.

Sabah is frustrated at home with no means of escape. That is, until she meets non-Muslim Stephen (Doyle), who awakens her long-lost desire for independence and romance. Soon, Sabah is having a whirlwind cross-cultural affair that she must hide from her family.

Ruba Nadda’s witty and timely love story breathes new life into a classic tale of family, tradition, cultural difference and love.

Director

Ruba Nadda

Nadda is an internationally acclaimed writer and filmmaker whose credits include the features Inescapable and October Gale and television shows such as Killjoys; Frankie Drake Mysteries; Arrow; Roswell, Riverdale and many others. Her feature Cairo Time won the Best Canadian Feature at TIFF. She is currently producing the series Gray, and next she will direct the films Lifetime and Elizabeth.

Writer

Ruba Nadda

Cast

Arsinée Khanjian, Fadia Nada, Jeff Seymour, Shawn Doyle

Producers

Tracey Boulton, Atom Egoyan

Genres

Drama, Romance

Interests

BIPOC Stories, ESL, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Newcomer Stories, Social Justice & Politics, Strong Female Leads

Original Language

English

Canadian Distributor

Mongrel Media

The Grizzlies

Director Miranda de Pencier
Year 2019
Run Time 106min
Genre Drama

Based on an inspiring true story, The Grizzlies is a powerful film about the determination and resilience of a group of Inuit youth struggling with the legacy of colonization.

When Russ Sheppard (Schnetzer) moves to Kugluktuk, NU, to be a teacher, he is shocked by the challenges facing the community, most especially the ongoing epidemic of teen suicide. Russ introduces a lacrosse programme and gradually wins the trust of his students. Together, the youth find a sense of pride and purpose in themselves and their community.

The Grizzlies was called “transcendently moving” by The Hollywood Reporter and has won multiple awards and been screened to acclaim at film festivals around the world. Cast members Paul Nutarariaq and Anna Lambe earned Canadian Screen Award nominations for their performances.


* Please note that this film has Indigenous producers, but not an Indigenous director. imagineNATIVE defines an Indigenous-made film as one directed or co-directed by an Indigenous person.
 

Director

Miranda de Pencier

De Pencier is a director and producer whose first short film Throat Song won four awards including a CSA for Best Live Action Short. The Grizzlies won the DGC’s Outstanding Directorial Achievement Feature Film Award. She has produced several films, including Cake, Beginners and Thanks for Sharing and episodes of Anne With an E. She is currently producing the film The Chocolate Money.

Writers

Graham Yost, Moira Walley-Beckett

Cast

Emerald MacDonald (Inuk), Paul Nutarariaq (Inuk), Anna Lambe (Inuk), Ben Schnetzer, Ricky Martin-Pahtaykan (Plains Cree/Stoney Nakoda)

Producers

Stacey Aglok MacDonald (Inuk), Alethea Arnaquq-Baril (Inuk), Damon D'Oliveira, Miranda de Pencier, Zanne Devine

Genre

Drama

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Bullying, Discrimination, ESL, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics, Sports

Original Language

English

Language Version

EN CC

Canadian Distributor

Mongrel Media/Criterion

  • Own Voice

Run Woman Run

Director Zoe Leigh Hopkins (Heiltsuk/Mohawk)
Year 2021
Run Time 100min
Genre Comedy, Drama, Romance

Single mother Beck (Hebert) finds her life upended when she faces a health scare and is forced to make big changes to the way she lives. Beck decides to start training for a marathon to prove to herself and her family that she’s able to get back on track.

Guided by the ghost of her ancestor, legendary long distance runner Tom Longboat (Koostachin), she sets out on a journey that is both emotional and inspiring. Told in a lighthearted and charming way, Run Woman Run is a feel-good anti-rom-com about a woman who has to tackle the ghosts of her past before she can run toward a better future. Winner of the Audience Choice Award and Moon Jury Prize at imagineNATIVE.

“It’s one of the year’s best” – Alex Heeney, Seventh Row

 

Director

Zoe Leigh Hopkins (Heiltsuk/Mohawk)

Hopkins is an alumna of the Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program, and has directed numerous shorts, including Button Blanket, Mohawk Midnight Runners, Impossible to Contain and a segment of The Embargo Project. She has directed the features Kayak to Klemtu and Run Woman Run, which won the Audience Choice award at imagineNATIVE 2021. She is currently writing and directing the series Little Bird. 

Writer

Zoe Leigh Hopkins (Heiltsuk/Mohawk)

Cast

Lorne Cardinal (Cree), Braeden Clarke (Cree), Asivak Koostachin (Cree/Inuk), Jayli Wolf (Anishinaabe), Dakota Ray Hebert (Dene)

Producers

Paula Devonshire (Mohawk), Pj Thornton, Laura Milliken (Ojibway)

Genres

Comedy, Drama, Romance

Interests

BIPOC Stories, ESL, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Indigenous Filmmaker, Sports

Original Language

English

Canadian Distributor

LevelFILM

  • Own Voice

Double Happiness

Director Mina Shum
Year 1995
Run Time 87min
Genre Drama
Jade Li (Oh), a vivacious Chinese Canadian, wants to become an actress without upsetting her extremely traditional parents. It’s a balancing act that Jade is finding difficult to achieve. Talking in English, wearing western clothes and going out with non-Asian guys, Jade leads a secret life when she leaves her stuffy-but-warm domestic scene each day. Things come to a head when Mark (Rennie), a white Canadian graduate student, insists on turning their casual fling into something more meaningful. It’s a relationship that Jade’s parents would hate. What should she do?

Sandra Oh won the Best Actress Genie for her performance. The film also won prizes in Vancouver, Berlin and Turin.

Director

Mina Shum

Vancouver-based Shum is best-known for her feature films Double Happiness and Meditation Park, both starring Sandra Oh. Her documentary Ninth Floor was on TIFF’s 2015 list of Canada’s top ten films. Other features include Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity; and Drive, She Said. Most recently, she has directed episodes of Frankie Drake Mysteries, Murdoch Mysteries and October Faction. She is currently directing the feature One (Nine).

Writer

Mina Shum

Cast

Sandra Oh, Callum Keith Rennie

Producers

Stephen Hegyes, Rose Lam Waddell

Genre

Drama

Interests

Arts and Culture, BIPOC Stories, ESL, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Newcomer Stories, Strong Female Leads

Original Language

English

Language Version

EN CC

Canadian Distributor

Mongrel Media

  • Own Voice

Meditation Park

Director Mina Shum
Year 2017
Run Time 94min
Genre Drama

Meditation Park opens with Maria (Cheng Pei Pei), the matriarch of a Chinese-Canadian family, hosting a birthday celebration for her workaholic husband, Bing, (Tzi Ma), along with her similarly overworked daughter (Sandra Oh in a brilliant performance) and her own family.

Maria clearly reveres Bing and the sacrifices he has made for their family – so when she discovers another woman’s panties in his pocket, she's forced to confront the harsh reality that her world may not be what it seemed.

As Maria wrestles with what to do about her discovery, she befriends a group of local eccentrics and a grumpy neighbour (Don McKellar). Maria’s journey of self-discovery soon teaches her everyone’s lives are more complicated than she has been led to believe.

“Shum mines her favourite theme – immigrant experience in Canada – in what seems at first to be a gentle slice of life but eventually develops a powerful emotional force.” – Susan G. Cole, NOW Magazine
 
 

Director

Mina Shum

Vancouver-based Shum is best-known for her feature films Double Happiness and Meditation Park, both starring Sandra Oh. Her documentary Ninth Floor was on TIFF’s 2015 list of Canada’s top ten films. Other features include Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity; and Drive, She Said. Most recently, she has directed episodes of Frankie Drake Mysteries, Murdoch Mysteries and October Faction. She is currently directing the feature One (Nine).

Writer

Mina Shum

Cast

Tzi Ma, Pei-Pei Cheng, Sandra Oh

Producers

Raymond Massey II, Mina Shum, Stephen Hegyes

Genre

Drama

Interests

BIPOC Stories, ESL, Female Filmmaker, Newcomer Stories, Strong Female Leads

Original Language

English

Canadian Distributor

Mongrel Media/Criterion

Still Mine

Director Michael McGowan
Year 2012
Run Time 102min
Genre Drama
A touching drama set in St. Martins, New Brunswick about life, love and our enduring drive to do things for ourselves.

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/Criterion

Away From Her

Director Sarah Polley
Year 2006
Run Time 110min
Genre Drama, Romance
Based on Alice Munro’s short story “The Bear Came Over the Mountain,” this moving film tells the story of Fiona (Christie) and Grant (Pinsent), a couple who have been married for over 40 years. As Fiona’s “forgetfulness” grows worse, the couple are forced to come to terms with the fact that it is actually Alzheimer’s, and she is placed in a new nursing home.

At the end of the difficult 30-day “no visitor” policy, Grant comes to visit Fiona, except there are some wrinkles: Fiona remembers little of the life they shared, and has found a new partner in the home. Beginning a journey that will test the bond they’ve shared for decades, Grant must draw upon his deep love for Fiona in order to adjust to this reality, and help ensure her continued happiness and support.

An enduring love story with a powerful message about friendship, generosity and devotion, Away From Her was nominated for two Oscars and won over 39 other awards. It won seven Genies, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay, among others.

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

Cast

Julie Christie, Gordon Pinsent, Olympia Dukakis, Michael Murphy, Kristen Thomson

Producers

Daniel Iron, Simone Urdl, Doug Mankoff, Atom Egoyan, Jennifer Weiss

Genres

Drama, Romance

Interests

ESL, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Literary Adaptation, Strong Female Leads

Original Language

English

Language Version

FR Dub

Canadian Distributor

Mongrel Media/Criterion

  • Own Voice

Birth of a Family

Director Tasha Hubbard (Cree)
Year 2016
Run Time 79min
Genre Documentary
Four siblings, adopted as infants into separate families across North America, meet for the first time in this deeply moving documentary. 

Between 1955 and 1985, the federal and provincial governments in Canada took an estimated 20,000 Indigenous children from their homes and placed them in the child welfare system. Often referred to as the Sixties Scoop, this policy was part of the same trend of forced assimilation as residential schools.

Betty Ann was one of these children, and over several decades has worked tirelessly to track down her three siblings. As the foursome piece together their shared history, their family begins to take shape. 

This film tackles grief, redemption and discovery as it chronicles the family’s emotional reunion and captures an event that remains painfully elusive for many Indigenous people.
 
 

Director

Tasha Hubbard (Cree)

Hubbard is an award-winning filmmaker and an assistant professor in the University of Saskatchewan’s Department of English. Her writing-directing project Two Worlds Colliding won a Gemini and a Golden Sheaf Award. She has also directed the short film 7 Minutes, and the feature docs Birth of a Family and nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up, which won Best Canadian Documentary at Hot Docs and at the CSAs. She is currently directing the feature doc Singing Back the Buffalo.

Writers

Betty Ann Adam (Dene), Tasha Hubbard (Cree)

Producer

Bonnie Thompson

Genre

Documentary

Interests

Biography, BIPOC Stories, Discrimination, ESL, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, History, Indigenous Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics, Strong Female Leads

Original Language

English

Canadian Distributor

National Film Board (NFB)

New Waterford Girl

Director Allan Moyle
Year 2000
Run Time 97min
Genre Comedy, Drama
Moonie Pottie (Balaban) is a 15-year-old misfit who will do anything to get out of dreary New Waterford, Nova Scotia. Lou Benzoa (Spencer-Nairn) is a tough girl from the Bronx who couldn’t be happier to be moving to the seaside hamlet.

Lou is as extroverted and impulsive as Moonie is shy and withdrawn, and soon their unlikely friendship starts turning the town upside down. Lou wins over the local girls by punishing their two-timing boyfriends, while Moonie plans a new life in NYC. Hilarious and exuberant, New Waterford Girl paints a touching picture of coming of age in a small town.

The film was nominated for seven Genie Awards.

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.

Writer

Tricia Fish

Cast

Liane Balaban, Andrew McCarthy, Tara Spencer-Nairn, Nicholas Campbell, Mary Walsh

Producers

Jennifer Kawaja, Julia Sereny

Genres

Comedy, Drama

Interests

ESL, Family Relationships, Sports, Strong Female Leads

Original Language

English

Language Versions

FR Dub, FR Subtitles

Canadian Distributor

eOne/Criterion

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Iron Road

Director David Wu
Year 2009
Run Time 99min
Genre Drama
A tale of forbidden love set against the building of the Canadian railway in the 1880s, Iron Road tells the story of a Chinese woman (Li) who disguises herself as a man and persuades the son of a railroad tycoon (Macfarlane) to hire her onto the explosives crew.

Soon, though, she finds herself falling in love with him, and as the physical terrain becomes more dangerous, so does the landscape of the heart. Beautifully shot and featuring screen legend Peter O’Toole in one of his last roles, Iron Road revisits an important and controversial time in Canadian history.

Originally broadcast as a CBC miniseries, REEL CANADA is proud to present the feature version of this epic tale that spans two continents.

Director

David Wu

Wu is a master editor who has worked with many legendary Hong Kong filmmakers. His directorial credits include the films The Snow Queen with Bridget Fonda, Plague City: SARS in Toronto (for which he earned the DGC Best Director nomination), See You Tomorrow, and the TV show Once a Thief. He recently edited the films You Are In My Heart and Bai du ren.

Writers

Barry Pearson, Raymond Storey

Cast

Sun Li, Luke Macfarlane, Sam Neill, Peter O’Toole

Producers

Zhao Haicheng, Anne Tait, Raymond Massey II

Genre

Drama

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Discrimination, ESL, History, Newcomer Stories, Social Justice & Politics, Strong Female Leads

Original Language

Other Language

Language Version

EN CC

Canadian Distributor

CCI Entertainment