Interest: Cult & Offbeat Cinema
- 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
Blood and Donuts
Most people prefer coffee with their pastry, but then, most people aren't Canadian vampires trapped in an all-night donut shop! Boya (Gordon Currie), a sexy Gothic vampire, rises after 25 years of hibernation in ‘90s Toronto. Overwhelmed by his new surroundings, Boya takes refuge in an all-night diner where he forms a close relationship with a charming waitress (Helene Clarkson) and an offbeat cabbie (Justin Louis) who’s in too deep with the local gangsters, lead by none other than Filmmaking Icon David Cronenberg. Blood & Donuts is the hilariously morbid debut feature film from accomplished Canadian director Holly Dale (Dexter, The Americans, Durham County).
Director
Holly Dale
Writer
Andrew Rai Berzins
Cast
Gordon Currie, Louis Ferreira, Helene Clarkson, Fiona Reid
Genre
Horror
Interests
Cult & Offbeat Cinema, Female Filmmaker
Original Language
English
Language Versions
EN CC, FR Subtitles
Canadian Distributor
Malofilm Distribution
Tales from the Gimli Hospital
Nominated for a genie award for Best Screenplay, Gimli Hospital is a cult classic bearing many of the surreal hallmarks that would make Maddin one of Canada’s most singular filmmaking voices.
Director
Guy Maddin
Writer
Guy Maddin
Cast
Kyle McCulloch, Angela Heck, Michael Gottli
Producers
Guy Maddin, Stephen Snyder, Greg Klymkiw
Genres
Drama, Experimental
Interests
Classics, Cult & Offbeat Cinema
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Criterion
- Own Voice
Afflicted
Afflicted is a rare Canadian entry in the found-footage thriller genre that was called “ambitious in scope and practically flawless in execution,” by the Toronto Star’s Bruce DeMara.
Directors
Clif Prowse, Derek Lee
Writers
Clif Prowse, Derek Lee
Cast
Clif Prowse, Derek Lee, Michael Gill, Baya Rehaz
Producers
Chris Ferguson, Zach Lipovsky
Genres
Action/Adventure, Horror
Interest
Cult & Offbeat Cinema
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Criterion
Pin
When young Leon (Hewlett) forms a bond with an anatomy doll he calls Pin, his father (O’Quinn) doesn’t give it much thought, seeing it as a typical childhood imaginary friend. But after both of Leon’s parents are killed in a car accident, his attachment grows into a dangerous level of fixation, and he begins to employ the doll in increasingly horrific ways. This incredible piece of psychological horror will keep you on the edge of your seat.
A cult favourite among horror fans but currently out of print, we’re pleased to offer a rare chance to see Pin in honour of its 35th anniversary.
“A cool, bloodless, well-made thriller with a taste for the quietly bizarre.” – Janet Maslin, The New York Times
Director
Sandor Stern
Writer
Sandor Stern
Cast
David Hewlett, Cynthia Preston, Terry O'Quinn, Bronwen Mantel
Producer
Rene Malo
Genre
Horror
Interests
Cult & Offbeat Cinema, Family Relationships, Literary Adaptation
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
eOne
Weirdos
Beautifully shot and featuring a killer '70s soundtrack, the new film from Canadian master Bruce McDonald and playwright and screenwriter Daniel MacIvor shakes up the coming-of-age road-movie concept with wit, charm and a lot of heart.
"What's not to love about Canuck hipster Bruce McDonald's return to a genre he's a master of – the indie road movie with a distinctly Canadian flavour and endearingly peculiar characters." – Michelle Reid, Victoria Times Colonist
Director
Bruce McDonald
McDonald directed the cult hits Highway 61, Roadkill, Hard Core Logo, The Tracey Fragments, starring Elliot Page, Pontypool, and the award-winning series Twitch City, episodes of Degrassi and Heartland. His recent films include Trigger, The Husband, Hellions, Weirdos and Dreamland. He recently directed the series Creeped Out and Malory Towers and is currently working on the films Switched at Death and I Have a Bad Feeling About This.
Writer
Daniel MacIvor
Cast
Dylan Authors, Rhys Bevan-John
Producers
Marc Almon, Mike MacMillan
Genre
Drama
Interests
Cult & Offbeat Cinema, Family Relationships, LGBTQ2S+, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Films We Like
The Bitter Ash
Director
Larry Kent
Writer
Larry Kent
Cast
Alan Scarfe, Lynn Stewart, Philip Brown
Producer
Larry Kent
Genre
Drama
Interests
Cult & Offbeat Cinema, Family Relationships
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
CineClix Distribution
Black Christmas
If Black Christmas doesn’t make your skin crawl, it’s on too tight!
At the start of winter break, a group of sorority sisters begin to receive threatening anonymous phone calls. The calls are initially creepy, but soon turn murderous as girls start disappearing from the sorority house and the sisters begin to suspect a killer is in their midst. But no one realizes just how close the mad murderer may be!
Inspired by the terrible true crimes of the Westmount murders in Montreal, Black Christmas is surely not your traditional holiday fare, but when the film is this historically significant — Bob Clark’s film is often cited as one of the first slasher films in horror — naughty or nice, it’s time to check it off your list!
Director
Bob Clark
Writer
Roy Moore
Cast
Olivia Hussey, Keir Dullea, Margot Kidder, John Saxon
Producer
Bob Clark
Genres
Horror, Thriller
Interest
Cult & Offbeat Cinema
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Warner Bros
Crash
After hitting Dr. Helen Remington (Hunter)’s vehicle in a critical car accident, film producer James Ballard (Spader), a man in an open marriage, and Remington, whose husband died in the crash, begin an unlikely affair that seems to take place exclusively in and around automobiles. While he is recovering, Ballard meets Vaughan (Koteas), a man who leads a bizarre subculture of people who fetishize car crashes, car safety tests and traffic accidents in general. As Vaughan’s unusual cult meetings intersect with their lives, Ballard finds deeper meaning not just in his marriage, but in mankind’s increasingly intertwined and disturbing relationship to technology.
Director
David Cronenberg
Writer
David Cronenberg
Cast
James Spader, Holly Hunter, Elias Koteas, Deborah Unger
Producers
David Cronenberg, Robert Lantos, Jeremy Thomas
Genres
Drama, Horror, Romance, Thriller
Interest
Cult & Offbeat Cinema
Original Language
English
Language Version
FR Subtitles
Canadian Distributor
eOne/Criterion
Defendor
Outfitted in a homemade costume, Defendor may not have special powers, but he is nonetheless dedicated to protecting the streets and fighting crime. He battles a corrupt cop (Koteas), befriends the tough and streetwise Kat (Dennings) and schemes to bring down a local mob boss, all while a court-appointed psychiatrist (Oh) tries to get to the bottom of his conviction that he is, in fact, a superhero.
Turning the superhero genre on its head, Defendor is a bittersweet and emotionally affecting take on our comic book–obsessed culture.
Director
Peter Stebbings
Stebbings’ directorial debut was Defendor, and his second film, Empire of Dirt, was nominated for five CSAs. As an actor, his numerous credits include Citizen Duane, The Borgias, Bates Motel, Counting for Thunder and his newest film Percy Vs Goliath. He recently directed The Disappearance, which garnered four CSAs, and episodes of Frankie Drake Mysteries, The Sounds, and Killjoys. He is currently writing and directing the feature Running with Monsters.
Writer
Peter Stebbings
Cast
Woody Harrelson, Kat Dennings, Sandra Oh, Elias Koteas
Producer
Nicholas Tabarrok
Genres
Action/Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Interests
Arts and Culture, Cult & Offbeat Cinema
Original Language
English
Language Versions
EN CC, FR Dub
Canadian Distributor
eOne/Criterion
Fido
Visually captivating, sly and clever, Fido follows the Robinson family, who have been hesitant to get a zombie of their own even though everyone on the block has one. All that changes when Mom (Moss) buys Fido (Connolly), and the loveable brute becomes young Timmy’s best friend. Fido is a funny, satirical and refreshing movie with an all-star cast and a standout performance by Billy Connolly as Fido.
“Currie’s zombie comedy is in a class by itself.”
— Lori Fireman, NOW Magazine
Director
Andrew Currie
Currie attended Simon Fraser University and the CFC. His feature films Mile Zero and Fido garnered international acclaim and awards. He recently directed The Steps and produced the feature Indian Road Trip and the short film Cloud Striker. He is currently writing and directing the feature The Invisibles.
Writers
Robert Chomiak, Andrew Currie, Dennis Heaton
Cast
Carrie-Anne Moss, Billy Connolly, Dylan Baker, Henry Czerny
Producers
Blake Corbet, Mary Anne Waterhouse
Genres
Comedy, Horror
Interests
Cult & Offbeat Cinema, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
Language Version
FR Dub
Canadian Distributor
TVA Films
Fubar II
But life in “Fort Mac” is more complicated than the duo anticipated. While they’re blowing their earnings at the pub, Terry meets a woman and is soon reorganizing his life’s priorities, but risks leaving his best friend Dean behind.
What will become of Night Seeker, the duo’s band (that Dean is confident will make the big time)? And what will happen to this legendary friendship? If you’re ready to give’r once again, Fubar II will shock and delight with its comic hijinks and surprising emotional depth.
Director
Michael Dowse
Dowse’s credits include the cult classics Fubar, Fubar II and It’s All Gone Pete Tong. His film Goon was a huge critical and box-office success. The F Word won the CSA for Best Adapted Screenplay. Dowse also directed episodes of Man Seeking Woman, starring Jay Baruchel, the feature film Stuber, 8 Bit Christmas, and Coffee and Kareem. He is currently set to direct the film adaptation of the video game Just Cause and is developing a series about the late Toronto mayor Rob Ford.
Writers
Michael Dowse, David Lawrence, Paul Spence
Cast
David Lawrence, Terra Hazelton, Paul Spence
Producers
George Baptist, Michael Dowse, Jennifer Wilson, Shirley Vercruysse
Genre
Comedy
Interest
Cult & Offbeat Cinema
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
Canadian Distributor
eOne
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
Highway 61
When naïve barber Pokey Jones (McKellar) meets Jackie Bangs (Buhagiar), a flamboyant roadie on the run, it doesn’t take her long to persuade him to leave Thunder Bay for New Orleans. Jones f inds himself taking not only Jackie, but also a frozen corpse he found in his backyard, which she claims is her brother. Meanwhile, in hot pursuit of the fleeing couple is Mr. Skin (Pastko), a bizarre and deluded character who thinks of himself as the Devil. As the three travel south, sparks fly and romance blooms between Pokey and Jackie.
“The triumphant return of two talents firing on all cylinders.” — Festival of Festivals
Director
Bruce McDonald
McDonald directed the cult hits Highway 61, Roadkill, Hard Core Logo, The Tracey Fragments, starring Elliot Page, Pontypool, and the award-winning series Twitch City, episodes of Degrassi and Heartland. His recent films include Trigger, The Husband, Hellions, Weirdos and Dreamland. He recently directed the series Creeped Out and Malory Towers and is currently working on the films Switched at Death and I Have a Bad Feeling About This.
Writers
Allan Magee, Bruce McDonald, Don McKellar
Cast
Valerie Buhagiar, Earl Pastko, Don McKellar
Producers
Colin Brunton, Bruce McDonald
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Interests
Classics, Cult & Offbeat Cinema, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
Canadian Distributor
eOne
waydowntown
But when the pals decide to make a bet about who can stay indoors the longest, they each start reaching their breaking points in increasingly funny and unexpected ways.
As the bet unravels, the desire for a breath of fresh air brings loyalties, values and relationships under highly comic scrutiny.
Waydowntown won Best Canadian Film at the 2000 Toronto International Film Festival and was nominated for four Canadian Comedy Awards.
“A smart, sardonic satire.” – Stephen Holden, The New York Times
Director
Gary Burns
Calgary-born writer and director Burns’ film credits include Kitchen Party, featuring Scott Speedman in his first starring role, The Suburbanators and Radiant City, which won the Genie Award for Best Documentary. Burns co-directed The Future is Now!, and most recently wrote and directed Man Running, and produced Circle of Steel.
Writers
Gary Burns, James Martin
Cast
Fab Filippo, Don McKellar, Mayra Delver, Gordon Currie
Producers
Gary Burns, Shirley Vercruysse
Genre
Comedy
Interest
Cult & Offbeat Cinema
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN 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
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
Tu dors Nicole (You’re Sleeping Nicole)
A critical hit at the Cannes film festival, Stéphane Lafleur’s third feature is an indie comedy that showcases his trademark absurdist and deadpan humour.
Nicole (Côté) is adrift after college graduation, working a dead-end summer job in her hometown and hanging out with her best pal, Véronique. When her older brother Remi (Grondin) unexpectedly returns with bandmates in tow to record a new album, it becomes clear to Nicole that her summer must — and will — change.
Shot in black-and-white, Tu dors Nicole is a funny, wry and charming snapshot of the fleeting, in-between moments between childhood and the grown-up world.
Director
Stéphane Lafleur
Writer
Stéphane Lafleur
Cast
Julianne Côté, Catherine St-Laurent, Marc-André Grondin, Francis La Haye
Producers
Luc Déry, Kim McCraw
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Interests
Arts and Culture, Cult & Offbeat Cinema
Original Language
French
Language Version
EN Subtitles
Canadian Distributors
Christal Films, eOne
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.
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