Interest: Social Justice & Politics
Second Hand
Two neighbours have very different ideas about wasting time and saving stuff in this humourous meditation on what’s precious or disposable.
Director
Isaac King
Producer
Isaac King
Genres
Animation, Drama
Interests
Environment, Social Justice & Politics
- Own Voice
Lessons Injustice
Director
Karen Chapman
Producer
Paul Moyer
Genre
Documentary
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Discrimination, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
Refuge in the Rockies
Director
Kaio Kathriner
Writers
Kaio Kathriner, Tom Malenica
Producers
Matt Drake, Tony Cerciello, Kaio Kathriner
Genre
Documentary
Interests
Biography, BIPOC Stories, Discrimination, Global Experiences, Newcomer Stories, Social Justice & Politics, Sports
Original Language
English
- Own Voice
Noeuds (Knots)
Director
Aïcha Morin-Baldé
Writer
Aïcha Morin-Baldé
Producer
Fabienne Colas
Genre
Documentary
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Discrimination, Female Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
French
Language Version
EN Subtitles
The Ghosts in Our Machine
In a film that explores the rights of non-human animals through the compassionate lens of international photographer Jo-Anne McArthur, we meet individual animals living within — and rescued from — the machine of our modern world.
Director
Liz Marshall
Writer
Liz Marshall
Producers
Nina Beveridge, Liz Marshall
Genre
Documentary
Interests
Environment, Female Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics
Original Languages
English, French, Other Language
Canadian Distributor
INDIECAN ENTERTAINMENT
Canada: A People’s History
Dramatic and gripping, this popular series illustrates pivotal moments in Canada’s history, bringing a compelling intimacy to grand, historic developments. From the stories passed down through oral tradition to the first encounters between Indigenous peoples and Europeans, through the battles that engulfed the continent and the formation of the Dominion of Canada in 1867, to the modern era of feminism, multiculturalism and globalization, this captivating series brings to life the moments that have shaped our nation, telling Canada’s story through the eyes of the people who lived it.
Canada: A People’s History won the Gemini Award for Best Documentary Series and attracted over 14 million viewers. It is a collaborative production between the CBC and Radio-Canada and is available in both English and French.
Students can explore Canadian history further by delving into the series’ award-winning website (www.cbc.ca/history), which features behind-the-scenes footage, games, puzzles, lesson plans and links to other historical resources.
Each 105 minute episode is made up of several 10-to-15-minute segments, which can be shown independently. For a more detailed breakdown of the topics covered in each episode, please see www.cbc.ca/history.
SERIES 1: 15,000 B.C. to 1800 A.D. For centuries, the territory now known as Canada is home to over 50 Indigenous nations, each with unique traditions and culture. In the 16th century, European explorers arrive, creating Canada’s first colonies, and forever changing the landscape and the lives of the First Peoples.
SERIES 2: 1670 to 1873 By the 1800s, British exploration opens the West to settlement, laying the foundation of a new nation, but also displacing and devastating Indigenous inhabitants. Confederation soon follows, with the creation of the Dominion of Canada in 1867.
SERIES 3: 1873 to 1940 Canada’s early years are fraught with economic depression, rebellions and tension between English- and French-speaking Canadians. Immigration, rapid growth and sociopolitical change follow, ending abruptly with World War II, a pivotal moment in Canada’s quest for autonomy that comes at the enormous cost of 60,000 lives.
SERIES 4: 1940 to 1990 The end of the Great Depression and the flames and ravages of World War II give way to a new era of peace, progress and prosperity, as well as free trade, globalization, feminism, Indigenous land claims, multiculturalism, Québec nationalism and the explosion of computer technology.
Directors
Writers
Hubert Gendron, Mark Starowicz, Gene Allen
Producer
Mark Starowicz
Genre
Documentary
Interests
History, Social Justice & Politics
Original Languages
English, French
Canadian Distributor
CBC
- Own Voice
Against The Grain
Director
Curtis Mandeville (Métis)
Writer
Curtis Mandeville (Métis)
Producers
Curtis Mandeville (Métis), Eileen McCord
Genre
Documentary
Interests
BIPOC Stories, History, Indigenous Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Winnipeg Film Group
- Own Voice
InukShop
Director
Jobie Weetaluktuk (Inuk)
Writer
Jobie Weetaluktuk (Inuk)
Producers
Kat Baulu, Joe MacDonald, Vanessa Loewen
Genre
Documentary
Interests
Arts and Culture, BIPOC Stories, History, Indigenous Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
No Dialogue
Canadian Distributor
NFB
- Own Voice
The Basketball Game
When nine-year-old Hart attends Jewish summer camp, his group must play an epic basketball game against the students of a notorious Holocaust denier. What awaits him on the court?
Director
Hart Snider
Writer
Hart Snider
Producer
Yves J. Ma
Genres
Animation, Drama
Interests
Bullying, Discrimination, Social Justice & Politics, Sports
Original Language
English
Language Version
FR Subtitles
Canadian Distributor
NFB
- Own Voice
Not Just a MMIW
Director
Ulivia Uviluk (Inuk)
Genre
Documentary
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Discrimination, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Indigenous Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
- Own Voice
Sober House: A Sign of Change in Cree Nation
Director
Wendell G. Collier (Mi’kmaw)
Producer
Wendell G. Collier (Mi’kmaw)
Genre
Documentary
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Indigenous Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
- 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
- Own Voice
Continuous Journey
This inventive docudrama explores the exclusionary politics, which kept the Indian passengers of the Komagata Maru sequestered at sea for over two months in this infamous standoff.
A story of immigration and injustice, this beautifully crafted film shows historical footage in a way never seen before.
Director
Ali Kazimi
Writer
Ali Kazimi
Producer
Ali Kazimi
Genre
Documentary
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Global Experiences, History, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
TVO
- Own Voice
Joe
Director
Jill Haras
Genre
Animation
Interests
Biography, BIPOC Stories, Discrimination, Female Filmmaker, Global Experiences, History, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
- Own Voice
Assini
Director
Gail Maurice (Cree/Métis)
Writer
Gail Maurice (Cree/Métis)
Producers
Gail Maurice (Cree/Métis), Melanie Bray
Genre
Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Female Filmmaker, Indigenous Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
Language Version
None
Canadian Distributor
Vtape
No Fish Where To Go
Directors
Nicola Lemay, Janice Nadeau
Writer
Marie-Francine Hébert
Producer
Marc Bertrand
Genres
Animation, Drama, Family
Interests
Female Filmmaker, Global Experiences, Social Justice & Politics
Original Languages
English, French
Canadian Distributor
NFB
- Own Voice
The Routes
Director
James McDougall (Anishinaabe)
Writer
James McDougall (Anishinaabe)
Genre
Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Discrimination, Indigenous Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Wapikoni Mobile
- Own Voice
The Creator’s Game
Director
Candace Maracle (Mohawk)
Writer
Candace Maracle (Mohawk)
Producer
Candace Maracle (Mohawk)
Genre
Documentary
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Discrimination, Female Filmmaker, History, Indigenous Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics, Sports
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Vtape
- Own Voice
The Spirit of Annie Mae
Annie Mae Pictou Aquash was a 30-year-old Nova Scotia-born Mi’qmaw woman and a prominent figure in the American Indian Movement (AIM) until her life was tragically cut short in 1975, when she was brutally murdered in South Dakota. Decades later, as the crime remains unsolved, her friends and family reflect on her life and what she meant to each of them.
While remaining an intimate portrait of a loving mother and friend, The Spirit of Annie Mae also chronicles the history of AIM, and ways in which the government sought to destroy it from within.
Director
Catherine Anne Martin (Mi’kmaw)
Writer
Angela Baker
Producer
Kent Martin
Genre
Documentary
Interests
Biography, BIPOC Stories, Female Filmmaker, History, Indigenous Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
NFB
Shake Hands with the Devil: The Journey of Roméo Dallaire
Dallaire attempted to stop the killing by alerting the world through the United Nations and the international media. Though his attempts were unsuccessful, Dallaire emerged as a hero. Ten years later, Dallaire returns to Rwanda to personally commemorate the anniversary of that holocaust.
Winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival in 2005.
“Dallaire is not only the protagonist of Shake Hands with the Devil, he is a compelling reason to see it.” — Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
Director
Peter Raymont
Raymont has produced and directed over 100 documentaries, which have earned more than 50 international awards. His producing credits include West Wind: The Vision of Tom Thomson, Guantanamo’s Child: Omar Khadr and Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band. He recently directed the doc Margaret Atwood: A Word after a Word after a Word is Power, and produced Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On, which premiered at TIFF 2022.
Writer
Roméo Dallaire
Producers
Linda Lee Tracey, Peter Raymont
Genre
Documentary
Interests
Biography, Discrimination, Global Experiences, History, Literary Adaptation, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
White Pine Pictures