Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
- Own Voice
Indigenous-made Short Films
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
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
Various
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
Begone Dull Care
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
NFB
When The Day Breaks
In this animated short, Ruby the pig seeks affirmation in the city around her after witnessing the accidental death of a stranger… and finds it in surprising places. With deft humour and finely rendered detail, When the Day Breaks illuminates the links that connect our urban lives, while evoking the promise and fragility of a new day. Winner of over 40 prizes from around the world, the film also features singer Martha Wainwright.
Directors
Wendy Tilby, Amanda Forbis
Producer
David Verrall
Genres
Animation, Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interest
Female Filmmaker
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
NFB
- Own Voice
The Mountain of SGaana
Director
Christopher Auchter (Haida)
Genre
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interests
Arts and Culture, BIPOC Stories, Indigenous Filmmaker
Original Language
English
- Own Voice
Wakening
Content note: The film is set in a post-conflict war zone, and depicts armed characters.
Director
Danis Goulet (Cree/Métis)
Danis Goulet is an award-winning Cree/Métis filmmaker from La Ronge, SK, now based in Toronto. Her films have screened at festivals worldwide including Sundance, Berlinale, TIFF, and MoMA. She is a former programmer and current board member for TIFF, and was the former Director of the imagineNATIVE Film+Media Arts Festival. Her latest projects include the TV series Reservation Dogs, and the upcoming feature film Ivy.
Genre
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Female Filmmaker, Indigenous Filmmaker
Original Language
English
Mariages (Marriages)
Quebec filmmaker Catherine Martin made her feature debut with this film about a 19th century woman struggling against oppressive Victorian social norms. 20-year-old Yvonne (Marie-Ève Bertrand) is a free spirit whose prudish, strict older sister Héleène (Guylaine Tremblay) struggles to contain her.
Helene intends to send her sister to a convent, and when Yvonne falls in love with the rakish Charles (David Boutin), Hélène concocts a scheme to keep them apart by arranging for him to marry her own teenage daughter. Unwilling to give up her passionate desires, Yvonne heads to the woods to find her own solution.
This finely crafted historical drama was awarded Best Feature by the Quebec Association of Film Critics in 2001.
Director
Catherine Martin
Writer
Catherine Martin
Cast
Marie-Ève Bertrand, Guylaine Tremblay, Hélène Loiselle
Producer
Lorraine Dufour
Genres
Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interests
Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, History
Original Language
French
Language Version
EN Subtitles
Canadian Distributor
Film Tonic
Les affamés (Ravenous)
In the bleak aftermath of an outbreak of zombies in rural Quebec, Bonin (Marc-André Grondin) struggles to survive along with the rapidly dwindling remaining population. When he encounters a group hiding in a house that is in the path of an invading horde of the undead, he must decide whether or not to save them, as doing so would put him and his companions in danger.
Les affamés is a brilliant and fresh take on the zombie genre, maintaining a tense atmosphere with exceptional moments of horror. It won the Best Canadian Feature prize at TIFF in 2017 and swept the Jutra Awards (now the Prix Iris) with ten wins, including Best Film and Best Direction.
“Robin Aubert's idiosyncratic and nuanced drama breathes fresh life into the zombie apocalypse subgenre.” - John Leydon, VarietyDirector
Robin Aubert
Saints-Martyrs-des-Damnés premiered at TIFF 2005. Aubert also directed the feature films À quelle heure le train pour nulle part, À l’origine d’un cri, and Tuktuq, and starred in De père en flic, the critical hit Guibord s’en va-t-en guerre, Jeune Juliette, and Mon cirque à moi. His latest film, Les Affamés won Best Canadian Feature at TIFF 2017 and ten Prix Iris. He is currently completing his next film, Tu ne sauras jamais.
Writer
Robin Aubert
Cast
Charlotte St-Martin, Marc-André Grondin, Monia Chokri, Micheline Lanctôt
Producers
C.S. Roy, Stéphanie Morissette
Genres
Action/Adventure, Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Thriller
Original Language
French
Language Version
EN Subtitles
Canadian Distributor
Les Films Seville
The Peanut Butter Solution
Hands down the most surreal children’s movie in Canadian history, this cult classic from the Tales For All series has to be seen to be believed.
Director
Michael Rubbo
Writers
Vojtech Jasný, Andrée Pelletier, Louise Pelletier, Michael Rubbo
Cast
Matthew Mackay, Siluck Saysanasy, Alison Darcy
Producers
Nicole Robert, Rock Demers
Genres
Action/Adventure, Comedy, Family, Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Original Languages
English, French
Canadian Distributor
Cineplex Odeon Films/Criterion
The Drop In
Director
Naledi Jackson
Writer
Naledi Jackson
Cast
Mouna Traoré, Oluniké Adeliyi
Producer
Priscilla Galvez
Genres
Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Female Filmmaker, Global Experiences
Original Language
English
You Are Here
Director
Daniel Cockburn
Writer
Daniel Cockburn
Cast
Tracy Wright, Shannon Beckner, Richard Clarkin, Jenni Burke, Robert Kennedy
Producer
Daniel Bekerman
Genres
Drama, Experimental, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interests
Arts and Culture, Social Justice & Politics, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Pacific Northwest Pictures
Ryan
Director
Chris Landreth
Cast
Ryan Larkin
Producers
Steven Hoban, Marcy Page, Mark Smith, Jed DeCory, Jeremy Edwardes
Genres
Animation, Documentary, Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interest
Arts and Culture
Original Languages
English, French
Canadian Distributor
NFB
Ginger Snaps
Teenaged sisters Ginger (Isabelle) and Brigitte (Perkins) live in Bailey Downs, a small town that has been hit by a mysterious run of dog attacks. On the night of Ginger’s first period she is attacked by a monstrous creature, setting her on the path to a much more dramatic transformation than mere puberty held in store!
With biting satire on the coming-of-age story, Ginger Snaps is a cult classic, howling with laughs, screams and frightfully fun dialogue. Nominated for three Genie Awards, the film went on to spawn two sequels.
Director
John Fawcett
Writer
Karen Walton
Cast
Emily Perkins, Katharine Isabelle, Kris Lemche, Mimi Rogers
Producers
Noah Segal, Daniel Lyon, Alicia Reilly-Larson, Karen Lee Hall, Steven Hoban
Genres
Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interests
Cult & Offbeat Cinema, Family Relationships, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
Canadian Distributor
TVA Films
- Own Voice
Frost
Director
Jeremy Ball
Writer
Jeremy Ball
Cast
Emily Piggford, Lara Daans, Oscar Hsu
Producer
Lauren Grant
Genres
Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interests
BIPOC Stories, History
Original Language
English
Language Version
None
Canadian Distributor
Canadian Film Centre
- Own Voice
The Visit
Director
Lisa Jackson (Anishinaabe)
Writer
Lisa Jackson (Anishinaabe)
Cast
Barry Ahenakew, Kimowan Ahenakew
Producer
Selwyn Jacob
Genres
Animation, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, History, Indigenous Filmmaker
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
NFB
Babine
In the small village of Saint-Élie-de-Caxton, whenever something bad happens, the villagers blame Babine, the son of the village witch. Babine was born an outsider, and has spent his life being teased. When the local church burns down, the new priest becomes determined to find the culprit, and puts the blame on Babine, deciding he must be punished once and for all.
Babine is an offbeat comedy and a charming fairy tale filled with eccentric characters and has a strong message of acceptance that will resonate with audiences of all ages.
Director
Luc Picard
Luc Picard is a celebrated actor with over 50 film and television credits and two Jutra Awards to his name. He has directed Audition, Babine, Ésimésac, and a segment in the anthology film 9. Les rois mongols earned six Canadian Screen Award nominations. His latest film is Confessions and he recently starred in Arsenault & Fils and French Girl.
Writer
Fred Pellerin
Cast
Vincent-Guillaume Otis, Luc Picard, Alexis Martin, Isabel Richer, René Richard Cyr
Producer
Lorraine Richard
Genres
Action/Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interest
Bullying
Original Language
French
Language Versions
EN Subtitles, FR CC
Canadian Distributor
eOne
Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy
The film stars and was written by The Kids in the Hall, one of Canada’s best loved and most internationally acclaimed comedy troupes. Made on the heels of their successful five-season TV show, Brain Candy is an uproarious social satire of both Big Business and modern science.
An off-beat, oddball combination of cerebral humour and belly laughs, Brain Candy is sure to delight any Kids in the Hall fan.
Director
Kelly Makin
Writers
Norm Hiscock, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney
Cast
Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney, Scott Thompson
Producers
Lorne Michaels, Tom Rosenberg, Sigurjon Sighvatsson, David Steinberg
Genres
Comedy, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interest
Cult & Offbeat Cinema
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Scanners
Scanners are social outcasts, the by-product of a failed experimental drug given to their mothers during pregnancy, and possess the unusual ability to read and control minds.
Security firm ConSec wants to harness these telekinetics and turn them into a powerful new weapon; however, Revok (Ironside) is hellbent on destroying ConSec and taking over the world. The only man who may be able to stop him is the stoic but equally powerful Vale (Lack).
Chaos reigns as the duo face off in a series of dramatic duels featuring some of cinema’s most jaw-dropping practical effects.
Busting heads and box-office numbers when it opened in 1981, Scanners demonstrates Cronenberg’s talent for accessible, fun and truly awesome science fiction.
Director
David Cronenberg
Writer
David Cronenberg
Cast
Jennifer O'Neill, Stephen Lack, Michael Ironside, Patrick McGoohan
Producers
Pierre David, Claude Héroux, Victor Solnicki
Genres
Action/Adventure, Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interests
Classics, Cult & Offbeat Cinema
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
Canadian Distributor
Groupe Laurem inc.
Léolo
Lauzon's critically acclaimed film tells the tale from Léolo's point-of-view, alternating the stark reality of his dysfunctional home life with the surrealistic imagery and fantasy sequences into which Léolo retreats, in order to escape the family drama that surrounds him. Eventually, this precarious balance of reality and fantasy begins to crack. A haunting score by Tom Waits accentuates Léolo's breakdown.
This disturbing, visually stunning, magical realist coming-of-age tale won three Genie Awards and was named one of the Top 10 films of 1993 by Time Out. In 2015, a poll conducted by the Toronto International Film Festival named it one of the Top 10 Canadian Films of all time.
Roger Ebert called it “a film that stirs in the shadows of memory for everyone who has ever seen it, a film that cannot be classified and can hardly be explained”.
Director
Jean-Claude Lauzon
Writer
Jean-Claude Lauzon
Cast
Gilbert Sicotte, Maxime Collin, Ginette Reno, Julien Guiomar, Pierre Bourgault
Producers
Aimée Danis, Jean-François Lepetit
Genres
Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interests
Arts and Culture, Classics, Family Relationships
Original Language
French
Canadian Distributor
eOne
My Winnipeg
What is real and what is fantasy is left up to the viewer to sort out, but don’t be fooled by Maddin’s fantastical approach — some of the most shocking stories in My Winnipeg are the true ones! Shot in Maddin’s signature black-and-white style and narrated by the director, the film is funny, touching and mesmerizing.
If you’ve never had the pleasure of watching a Guy Maddin film, this delightfully strange ode to a surprisingly fascinating Canadian city is a great place to start.
My Winnipeg won the Toronto International Film Festival’s award for Best Canadian Feature and the Toronto Film Critics’ Association Award for Best Canadian Film.
Director
Guy Maddin
Writers
Guy Maddin, George Toles
Cast
Darcy Fehr, Ann Savage, Louis Negin
Producers
Michael Burns, Phyllis Laing, Guy Maddin, Jody Shapiro
Genres
Comedy, Documentary, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interests
Arts and Culture, Biography, Cult & Offbeat Cinema
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
eOne