Region: NL
You Are Here: A Come From Away Story
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
At the heart of this powerful film is a remarkable performance by Henry Czerny as Brother Peter Lavin, who transformed his own difficult childhood into a cycle of abuse and pain for others in his charge. Director John N. Smith grapples with this difficult subject with remarkable sensitivity and honesty, turning a dark chapter in Canada’s history into a thoughtful and affecting docudrama.
Director
John N. Smith
Smith’s credits include award-winning TV docudramas such as The Boys of St. Vincent, Dieppe and Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story, as well as numerous feature films, including Dangerous Minds, A Cool Dry Place, Geraldine’s Fortune and Love & Savagery among others. Sitting in Limbo won the Best Canadian Feature Film award at TIFF 1986.
Writers
Sam Grana, John N. Smith, Des Walsh
Cast
Henry Czerny, Johnny Morina, Brian Dooley
Producers
Claudio Luca, Sam Grana
Genre
Drama
Interests
Classics, History, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
Canadian Distributor
eOne
Crackie
Life on the Rock has never been easy, but for teen Mitsy (Greeley) it is especially tough. Her goal of becoming a hairdresser seems like nothing more than a daydream, and she is desperate for deeper emotional connections with her absentee mother and the grandmother (Walsh) who raised her. When life gets difficult, Mitsy escapes into a loving relationship with Sparky, the adorable “crackie” mutt that she tries her best to love and cherish on her own.
Crackie is an inspiring and wryly funny coming-of-age drama about a young woman struggling to come to terms with her past and carve out a better future.
Director
Sherry White
Writer
Sherry White
Cast
Mary Walsh, Meghan Greeley, Cheryl Wells, Joel Thomas Hynes
Producers
Sherry White, Jennice Ripley, Rhonda Buckley
Genre
Drama
Interest
Female Filmmaker
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Shoreline Entertainment
The Grand Seduction
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
Closet Monster
The coming-of-age story gets an imaginative makeover with Stephen Dunn’s debut feature, which mixes affecting drama with whimsical fantasy to tell the story of high school senior Oscar (Connor Jessup), a young man who is struggling with his identity and a turbulent volatile home life with his increasingly volatile father.
Oscar finds an escape from his troubled home life in a passion for special effects and fantasy makeup that he shares with his best friend Gemma (Sofia Banzhaf) and hopes to pursue in college. At home, he creates a different fantasy world, sharing a close bond with the pet hamster (voiced by Isabella Rosellini) who has talked to him since his childhood.
When Oscar meets the cool, handsome Wilder (Aliocha Schneider), he finally starts coming to terms with his own sexuality, which he has repressed since witnessing a terrible act of homophobic violence as a child.
Closet Monster premiered at the Toronto International FIlm Festival, winning the award for Best Canadian Feature Film and was named one of Canada’s Top Ten films of 2015.
Director
Stephen Dunn
Writer
Stephen Dunn
Cast
Connor Jessup, Isabella Rossellini, Aaron Abrams, Aliocha Schneider, Joanne Kelly
Producers
Fraser Ash, Kevin Krikst, Edward J. Martin
Genre
Drama
Interests
Arts and Culture, LGBTQ2S+
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Elevation Pictures/Criterion
John and the Missus
But one obstinate miner (Pinsent) refuses to accept this fate — or the meagre government payout — and with the support of his “Missus” (Burroughs), decides to dig in his heels and stay behind in a seemingly futile attempt to save his town… and his home.
Unfolding slowly with deep affection for life in this remote town, John and the Missus is a true Canadian classic and features a tour-de-force performance from Pinsent, who won a Genie Award for the role.
Director
Gordon Pinsent
Writer
Gordon Pinsent
Cast
Gordon Pinsent, Jackie Burroughs, Roland Hewgill
Producers
Jonathon M.B. Hunter, Peter O'Brian
Genre
Drama
Interest
Classics
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Cinema Group