Educational Catalogue: ESL/ELL Films
Sabah
Sabah is frustrated at home with no means of escape. That is, until she meets non-Muslim Stephen (Doyle), who awakens her long-lost desire for independence and romance. Soon, Sabah is having a whirlwind cross-cultural affair that she must hide from her family.
Ruba Nadda’s witty and timely love story breathes new life into a classic tale of family, tradition, cultural difference and love.
Director
Ruba Nadda
Nadda is an internationally acclaimed writer and filmmaker whose credits include the features Inescapable and October Gale and television shows such as Killjoys; Frankie Drake Mysteries; Arrow; Roswell, Riverdale and many others. Her feature Cairo Time won the Best Canadian Feature at TIFF. She is currently producing the series Gray, and next she will direct the films Lifetime and Elizabeth.
Writer
Ruba Nadda
Cast
Arsinée Khanjian, Fadia Nada, Jeff Seymour, Shawn Doyle
Producers
Tracey Boulton, Atom Egoyan
Genres
Drama, Romance
Interests
BIPOC Stories, ESL, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Newcomer Stories, Social Justice & Politics, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
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 directed episodes of Coroner, and executive produced and co-directed The Porter, which was nominated for an Emmy. Officer passed away in 2023. He changed the Canadian film and television landscape with his fierce dedication to portraying Black perspectives and experiences, and is greatly missed.
Writers
Charles Officer, Ingrid Veninger
Cast
Clark Johnson, Karen LeBlanc, Daniel J. Gordon
Producers
Ingrid Veninger, Justine Whyte
Genre
Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Black Filmmaker, ESL, Family Relationships, Sports, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
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
Kayak to Klemtu
When a prominent Kitasoo/Xai’Xais activist passes away, his 14-year-old niece Ella (Blaney) embarks on a kayak journey to take his ashes home to Klemtu. It’s a race against the clock as Ella tries to make it back in time to give a speech protesting a proposed pipeline that would cross Indigenous land.
Ella is joined by her aunt, cousin and grumpy uncle (Cardinal), as the four paddle with all their might through the Inside Passage and past the shores of the Great Bear Rainforest. Join this family on the adventure of a lifetime that reflects on the importance of protecting our lands for future generations.
Winner of the 2017 imagineNATIVE Audience Choice Award.
Director
Zoe Leigh Hopkins (Heiltsuk/Mohawk)
Hopkins is an alumna of the Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program, and has directed numerous shorts, including Button Blanket, Mohawk Midnight Runners, Impossible to Contain and a segment of The Embargo Project. She has directed the features Kayak to Klemtu and Run Woman Run, which won the Audience Choice award at imagineNATIVE 2021. She is currently writing and directing the series Little Bird.
Writers
Zoe Leigh Hopkins (Heiltsuk/Mohawk), Michael Sparaga
Cast
Lorne Cardinal, Ta’kaiya Blaney (Tla'amin), Evan Adams (Tla’amin)
Producer
Daniel Bekerman
Genres
Action/Adventure, Family
Interests
Environment, ESL, Female Filmmaker, Indigenous Filmmaker
Original Language
English
Strange Brew
When her father dies suddenly, Pam (Griffin) is orphaned, and control of her family’s brewery threatens to fall into the hands of the conniving Brewmeister Smith (von Sydow). In stumble Bob and Doug, who land jobs as beer inspectors when their scheme involving a mouse in a bottle impresses the brewery brass.
Hilarity ensues as the boys attempt to foil the Brewmeister’s sinister plot to take over the world. Though the film appears at first glance to be a bonehead comedy, it is a deceptively clever farce based on William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Long before Wayne and Garth or Beavis and Butt-Head, there was Bob and Doug. Canada is proud to call them our own.
Directors
Rick Moranis
Moranis and Dave Thomas’s work on the Emmy Award–winning SCTV series earned them a place among the greatest comedians this country has ever produced. The duo came together again in 2018 for the live SCTV reunion, which was directed by Martin Scorcese and was released as a Netflix special.
Dave Thomas
Rick Moranis and Thomas’s work on the Emmy Award–winning SCTV series earned them a place among the greatest comedians this country has ever produced. The duo came together again in 2018 for the live SCTV reunion, which was directed by Martin Scorcese and was released as a Netflix special.
Writers
Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, Steve De Jarnatt
Cast
Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, Max von Sydow, Lynne Griffin
Producer
Louis M. Silverstein
Genre
Comedy
Interests
Classics, ESL
Original Language
English
The Snow Walker
Everything changes when Charlie’s plane goes down in the wilderness, leaving him alone with the young girl. Forced to rely on each other, the two form a bond of friendship as the summer months quickly end and winter’s harsh conditions begin to take hold. Based on a story by acclaimed Canadian author Farley Mowat, this is a beautifully rendered tale, set in the gorgeous but desolate Arctic. Director Smith played a key role in an earlier Mowat adaptation, Never Cry Wolf.
“The Snow Walker is a powerful, poignant and transcendent film.” — Bruce Kirkland, Jam! Movies
Director
Charles Martin Smith
Actor/director Smith is known for roles in the 1973 classic American Graffiti and The Untouchables. He has directed episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Da Vinci’s Inquest, and his films include Stone of Destiny and Dolphin Tale. He directed A Dog’s Way Home, and most recently A Christmas Gift From Bob. He is currently completing the film Maybe This Time.
Writer
Charles Martin Smith
Cast
Barry Pepper, Annabella Piugattuk, James Cromwell
Producers
Rob Merilees, William Vince
Genre
Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, ESL, Literary Adaptation, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
Passchendaele
While recovering, Dunne meets Sarah (Dhavernas) and becomes determined to win her heart. When Sarah’s asthmatic younger brother David (Dinicol) enlists to fight in the war, Michael returns to the battlefield in order to protect him. The two men are sent to fight against impossible odds in the battle of Passchendaele.
The film won six Genies, including Best Picture and Best Actor, for Paul Gross.
Director
Paul Gross
Gross starred in the hit TV series Due South and Slings & Arrows. He directed, wrote and starred in Men With Brooms, which won a Canadian Comedy Award, as well as Hyena Road and Passchendaele, which won a Genie for best film. Gross also starred in the mini-series Alias Grace and Caught, the series Tales of the City and Y: The Last Man, and the films Falling and The Middle Man.
Writer
Paul Gross
Cast
Paul Gross, Caroline Dhavernas, Gil Bellows, Joe Dinicol
Producers
Frank Siracusa, Paul Gross, Francis Damberger, Niv Fichman
Genres
Action/Adventure, Drama, Romance
Interests
ESL, History
Original Language
English
One Week
A classic road trip movie featuring lots of Canadian icons (like Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip), One Week follows Ben’s journey from Toronto to Tofino. Along the way, Ben makes new friends and re-evaluates his life, his job and his upcoming marriage. As his fiancée and family back home struggle to understand his decision, Ben rediscovers himself, reawakens his old passion for writing and ultimately learns to appreciate life.
Director
Michael McGowan
McGowan made his film debut as a writer, director and producer with My Dog Vincent, and directed Saint Ralph, One Week, Score: A Hockey Musical and Still Mine, which was named by TIFF as one of Canada’s Top 10 films in 2012. He recently directed TV shows Reign and Between and wrote the film The Etruscan Smile. His most recent film, All My Puny Sorrows, premiered at TIFF 2021.
Writer
Michael McGowan
Cast
Joshua Jackson, Liane Balaban, Campbell Scott, Fiona Reid
Producers
Nicholas de Pencier, Jane Tattersall, Michael McGowan
Genre
Drama
Interests
ESL, Family Relationships
Original Language
English
Window Horses
When she receives an invitation to a poetry festival in Shiraz, Iran, Rosie embarks on a journey that unravels a personal mystery and brings her closer to her Persian roots.
Voiced by an all-star cast including Sandra Oh, Elliot Page and Don McKellar, Window Horses is a beautiful and poignant story about family, imagination, culture and finding your own voice.
"This is not just a visual treat, it's a rewarding and unexpectedly engrossing piece of female-led storytelling." - Wendy Ide, Screen International
Director
Ann Marie Fleming
Fleming is a visual artist, filmmaker and writer who has animated over 20 films, including the shorts Stories Sarah Tells, Big Trees, A Short Film About Tegan & Sara, Question Period, and Old Dog. Her features include New Shoes, The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam, The French Guy, and Can I Get a Witness, which premiered at TIFF 2024. Fleming has won nearly 20 awards and nominations for her films, including 15 for Window Horses.
Writer
Ann Marie Fleming
Cast
Elliot Page, Don McKellar, Nancy Kwan, Sandra Oh, Shohreh Aghdashloo
Producers
Sandra Oh, Ann Marie Fleming, Shirley Vercruysse, Michael Fukushima
Genres
Action/Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family
Interests
Arts and Culture, Asian Filmmaker, BIPOC Stories, ESL, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Global Experiences, Literary Adaptation, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
The Whale charts the community’s struggle to deal with Luna, since whales who are separated from their pods rarely survive in the wild. Raising more questions than it can answer, the film is a truly compelling exploration of our relationship with animals.
“The issues surrounding the emotional lives of animals — and the often presumptuous assumption of humans that they comprehend them — are explored in The Whale with a quiet dignity and gorgeous images.” — Andy Webster, New York Times
Directors
Michael Parfit
Parfit co-founded the BC-based Mountainside Films with Suzanne Chisholm, which Realscreen once named among the world’s 100 most influential production companies. Their work has aired on CBC, CNN, PBS, BBC and National Geographic. Their latest film is Call of the Baby Beluga and they recently executive produced the doc Doeville.
Suzanne Chisholm
Chisholm is a documentary filmmaker and producer who produced and co-directed the feature documentaries Saving Luna (which won nine awards internationally) and The Whale, as well as the TV movie Call of the Baby Beluga, all with her partner Michael Parfit. She also produced the BBC documentary series The Natural World, and produced and co-directed numerous news features for National Geographic Channel – US.
Cast
Ryan Reynolds
Producer
Suzanne Chisholm
Genres
Documentary, Family
Interests
Environment, ESL, Female Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English