Region: ON
Monsoon
By treating this natural phenomenon with the respect it commands, this Canada’s Top Ten audience award–winner becomes an epic journey into a phenomenon many call “the soul of India.”
With swells of music by the Bombay Dub Orchestra, Monsoon is wet, wild and utterly astonishing.
Director
Sturla Gunnarsson
Born in Iceland and raised in Vancouver, Gunnarsson earned an Oscar nomination for his debut feature doc, After the Axe. His films include Beowulf and Grendel, Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie and Monsoon, and he has directed hit TV shows such as Motive, Degrassi: The Next Generation, The Art of More, and most recently Schitt’s Creek and Ransom.
Writer
Sturla Gunnarsson
Producers
Ina Fichman, Sturla Gunnarsson
Genres
Documentary, Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Environment, Global Experiences
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
KinoSmith
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
Warrendale
Originally produced for the CBC (but not aired on TV due to profanity), Warrendale is one of Allan King’s most searing and revealing pieces of work. King places us inside Warrendale (a facility for troubled youth in Toronto’s Rexdale community) like a fly on the wall, and we witness the full spectrum of emotions displayed by 12 fascinating children and the caregivers trying to nurture and guide them.
The stunning Warrendale won the Prix d’art et d’essai at the Cannes film festival and a special documentary award from the National Society of Film Critics.
Director
Allan King
Writer
Allan King
Producer
Allan King
Genre
Documentary
Interest
Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
Canadian Distributor
Allan King Films
Our Man in Tehran
These events were fictionalized in the Hollywood film Argo, but this fascinating doc sets the record straight through archival footage and the words of those who experienced it, all culminating in the fantastical plan devised to smuggle the fugitives out.
“Sometimes, the truth can be more entertaining than fiction. If Argo was a high-stakes political thriller…it was also a simplistic and escapist escape movie about the power of Hollywood to defeat evil. So now…we Canadians respond with a documentary to reclaim our true story.” — Simon Houpt, The Globe and Mail
Directors
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.
Drew Taylor
Our Man in Tehran was Taylor’s first film after careers in baseball and bio-engineering. He has also directed Lost and Found.
Writers
Drew Taylor, Robert Wright
Producers
Niv Fichman, Larry Weinstein, Drew Taylor
Genre
Documentary
Interests
Biography, Global Experiences, History, Literary Adaptation, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
Canadian Distributor
eOne
Guantanamo’s Child: Omar Khadr
His subsequent detention at Guantanamo Bay, a harsh prison on the southern coast of Cuba, became the topic of a major political debate, as child soldiers have not been prosecuted for war crimes since WWII.
Guantanamo’s Child gives Khadr a chance to speak for himself on camera for the first time. More than just a stirring story, this documentary delivers an engrossing intimate portrait of how a teenager from a Toronto suburb became the first juvenile to ever be tried for war crimes.
Directors
Michelle Shephard, Patrick Reed
Producers
Peter Raymont, Patrick Reed, Michelle Shephard
Genre
Documentary
Interests
Biography, BIPOC Stories, Female Filmmaker, Global Experiences, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
White Pine Pictures
A Married Couple
In 1969, Allan King crafted one of the most intimate portraits of domestic life ever captured on film with A Married Couple. Billy and Antoinette Edwards are experiencing some marital crises: Power struggles and gender politics have come between them, and their relationship is in deep, deep trouble.
Inviting the cameras into their home, the Edwards allow King to film their life over 10 weeks in Toronto, which — like the film itself — is intense and hectic, frightening and funny. It’s a cinéma verité documentary unlike any other. Throwing the conflict and intimacy of the bonds of marriage into a spotlight that is at once both harsh and tender.
Director
Allan King
Writer
Allan King
Producer
Allan King
Genre
Documentary
Interests
Biography, Classics
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Criterion Collection
Stories We Tell
As Polley interrogates each of her subjects in turn, contradictory accounts emerge, and longstanding efforts to hide some painful truths eventually become futile.
The “stories we tell” — that all families tell in one way or another — turn out to obscure as much as they reveal, and the whole idea of the purpose of narrative is called into question in a way that is both fascinating and poignant.
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
Producers
Silvia Basmajian, Anita Lee
Genre
Documentary
Interests
Biography, Female Filmmaker, History
Original Language
English
Language Version
FR Subtitles
Canadian Distributor
Mongrel Media
Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows
In 1997, at the Summer Series in Montreal, Hart put his WWF (now WWE) title on the line against Shawn Michaels, where the two privately agreed to end the fight with a no contest conclusion.
Referred to in the wrestling community as the “Montreal Screwjob,” the agreement was believed to be a secret betrayal of Hart, who was one of the WWF’s most popular performers. In the end, Michaels won the match, and Hart lost his title.
Jay’s award-winning documentary is an honest and engaging look at a world-famous career of highs and lows.
Director
Paul Jay
Writer
Paul Jay
Producers
Silva Basmajian, Sally Blake, Paul Jay, David M. Ostriker
Genre
Documentary
Interest
Biography
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
Canadian Distributor
NFB
- Own Voice
Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance
This powerful documentary takes you right to the heart of the action, painting a sensitive and deeply affecting portrait of the people behind the barricades.
Winner of the Toronto International Film Festival’s Best Canadian Feature Film prize.
Director
Alanis Obomsawin (Abenaki)
Legendary Abenaki filmmaker Obomsawin has made over 50 documentaries on issues affecting Indigenous peoples in Canada, including Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance, Trick or Treaty?, Is the Crown at War with Us?, Our People Will Be Healed and Jordan River Anderson, The Messenger. Her most recent film is the short documentary Honour to Senator Murray Sinclair. Next, she is set to appear in an episode of Marie Clements’ Bones of Crows: The Series.
Writer
Alanis Obomsawin (Abenaki)
Producers
Wolf Koenig, Colin Neale, Alanis Obomsawin (Abenaki)
Genre
Documentary
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Classics, Environment, Female Filmmaker, History, Indigenous Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
Language Versions
EN CC, EN Subtitles, FR CC, FR Dub, FR Subtitles
Canadian Distributor
National Film Board (NFB)
- Own Voice
Trick or Treaty?
One of the masters of Canadian documentary cinema, Alanis Obomsawin has spent decades chronicling the injustices visited on First Nations communities, creating a remarkable body of work. In her latest film, she digs into the difficult history of Treaty 9, the infamous 1905 agreement in which First Nations communities allegedly relinquished their sovereignty over their traditional lands.
Setting the film against the recent resurgence of First Nations activism (Chief Theresa Spence’s hunger strike and the Idle No More movement), Obomsawin interviews legal, historical and cultural experts — as well as people whose ancestors were present when the treaty was signed — to explore some fundamental questions about Canada’s relationship with our First Nations.
“Obomsawin’s documentaries inform, inspire and shock us. Trick or Treaty? is no different.” — Nadya Domingo, Toronto Film Scene
Director
Alanis Obomsawin (Abenaki)
Legendary Abenaki filmmaker Obomsawin has made over 50 documentaries on issues affecting Indigenous peoples in Canada, including Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance, Trick or Treaty?, Is the Crown at War with Us?, Our People Will Be Healed and Jordan River Anderson, The Messenger. Her most recent film is the short documentary Honour to Senator Murray Sinclair. Next, she is set to appear in an episode of Marie Clements’ Bones of Crows: The Series.
Writer
Alanis Obomsawin (Abenaki)
Producers
Annette Clarke, Alanis Obomsawin (Abenaki)
Genre
Documentary
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Environment, Female Filmmaker, Indigenous Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
Language Versions
EN CC, FR Subtitles
Canadian Distributor
NFB
Long Time Running
Long Time Running chronicles the emotional and epic 2016 tour that The Tragically Hip embarked on after iconic frontman Gord Downie announced that he had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Intimate moments, behind-the-scenes and on-stage footage, personal interviews with the band and close friends reveal the heart-breaking final performances of that now-legendary final tour.
No other band encapsulated the rugged soul of Canada quite like the Hip, and it was completely in character for Downie – the everyman poet laureate of Canada – to go out on his own terms, with a powerfully galvanizing tour that delivered some of the most exhilarating performances of band’s history.
“Long Time Running, named after a languid blues song from the band's second album, is both a history lesson and a eulogy for a group with 16 Juno Awards to its credit.” – Brad Wheeler, The Globe and MailDirectors
Nicholas de Pencier
Baichwal and de Pencier are known for their CSA-winning docs, Manufactured Landscapes, Watermark and Anthropocene. They are frequent collaborators, with Baichwal directing and de Pencier as her cinematographer and producer. Their credits include The Holier it Gets, Act of God and Payback, and their newest film together, Into the Weeds.
Jennifer Baichwal
Baichwal and de Pencier are known for their CSA-winning docs, Manufactured Landscapes, Watermark and Anthropocene. They are frequent collaborators, with Baichwal directing and de Pencier as her cinematographer and producer. Their credits include The Holier it Gets, Act of God and Payback, and their newest film together, Into the Weeds.
Writer
Jennifer Baichwal
Cast
Gord Downie, Rob Baker, Paul Langlois, Davis Manning, Johnny Fay
Genre
Documentary
Interests
Arts and Culture, Biography, Female Filmmaker
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Elevation Pictures
- Own Voice
The Book of Negroes
This CBC mini-series is based on the internationally celebrated novel by Canadian author Lawrence Hill. A compelling tale of loss, courage, love and the triumph of the human spirit, it follows the extraordinary journey of Aminata Diallo (Ellis), an indomitable African woman.
In 1750, 11-year-old Aminata is kidnapped from her village in West Africa and begins a rich journey that takes her through the harrowing ordeal of slavery, to the turmoil of the American Revolution and ultimately to freedom in the British colony of Nova Scotia. Brilliant and determined, Aminata is a remarkable heroine whose unshakeable connection to her own African heritage guides her over unimaginable obstacles in her quest for freedom and ultimately allows her to assume the mantle of leadership for which she is destined.
Deeply moving and inspiring, The Book of Negroes explores painful historical realities through the unblinking eyes of a strong female protagonist whose story will stay with you long after the telling.
Director
Clement Virgo
Virgo rose to prominence with his first feature, Rude, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and garnered two Genie nominations. He has also directed the films Poor Boy’s Game and Lie With Me, and hit TV shows such as The Wire, Regenesis and The Listener. He recently produced the show Greenleaf and directed episodes of Empire and Billions. His most recent film, Brother, premiered at TIFF 2022.
Writers
Lawrence Hill, Clement Virgo
Cast
Aunjanue Ellis, Lyriq Bent, Cuba Gooding, Jr, Ben Chaplin, Allan Hawco
Producers
Damon D'Oliveira, Clement Virgo
Genre
Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, History, Literary Adaptation, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
- Own Voice
Nurse.Fighter.Boy
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
Nobody Waved Good-bye
Peter (Kastner) is an 18-year-old growing up in 1960s suburban Toronto who is totally fed up with his parents’ middle-class lifestyle. He’s on the verge of finishing high school but the thought of a conventional life climbing the corporate ladder is unbearable.
Peter yearns to strike out on his own with his girlfriend Julie, but a life of petty crime and poor decisions looms. Told in stark black and white, this tale of teenage rebellion is timeless and relatable.
One of the National Film Board’s first narrative features, Nobody Waved Good-bye is a cinematic treasure and a true Canadian classic.
Director
Don Owen
Writer
Don Owen
Cast
Peter Kastner, Julie Biggs, Claude Rae, Charmion King
Producers
Tom Daly, Roman Kroitor, Don Owen
Genre
Drama
Interests
Classics, Family Relationships
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
NFB
Anne of Green Gables
So begins Anne of Green Gables, one of the most beloved stories in Canadian literature for readers of all ages. This mini-series adaptation of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s series of novels — one of the highest-rated broadcasts in Canadian television history — features Megan Follows in the title role, who has since gone on to become one of Canada’s most critically acclaimed actors.
This trophy-sweeping Genie Award-winner is a charming, family-friendly affair that is sure to delight.
Director
Kevin Sullivan
Writers
Joe Wiesenfeld, Kevin Sullivan
Cast
Megan Follows, Colleen Dewhurst, Richard Farnsworth, Jonathan Crombie
Producers
Ian McDougall, Kevin Sullivan, Trudy Grant
Genres
Drama, Family
Interests
Classics, Family Relationships, Literary Adaptation, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
Sullivan Entertainment inc
Blackbird
Tense, challenging and told with a great deal of emotional honesty, Blackbird is a powerful film with a breakout lead performance by Jessup.
Director
Jason Buxton
Writer
Jason Buxton
Cast
Connor Jessup, Alexia Fast, Michael Buie
Producers
David Miller, Marc Almon, Jason Buxton
Genre
Drama
Interests
Bullying, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
Canadian Distributor
A71
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
- Own Voice
Bollywood/Hollywood
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
Bon Cop Bad Cop
Ward (Feore) and Boucher (Huard) couldn’t be more different: one is an English-speaker from Toronto, the other is a French-speaker from Montreal; one never deviates from established procedure, the other is a rebel who refuses to play by the rules. The detectives soon learn that if they are to solve this lurid crime, which is linked to the world of hockey, they need to stop bickering and work together.
With uproarious performances from both leads, Bon Cop, Bad Cop is a genuinely clever take on the buddy-cop genre that will keep you captivated throughout.
Director
Érik Canuel
Canuel made music videos and TV commercials before turning to film. His features include Nez rouge and Le dernier tunnel, Barrymore, starring Christopher Plummer, and the recent Undercover Grandpa. Bon Cop Bad Cop won a Genie for Best Motion Picture and the Golden Reel Award. Next, Canuel will direct the feature film The Burning Man.
Writers
Leila Basen, Alex Epstein, Patrick Huard, Kevin Tierney
Cast
Colm Feore, Patrick Huard
Producer
Kevin Tierney
Genres
Action/Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Thriller
Interest
Family Relationships
Original Languages
English, French
Language Versions
EN CC, EN Subtitles, FR CC, FR Subtitles
Canadian Distributor
eOne
Breakaway
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