Educational Catalogue: JK to Grade 8 Films
Mon Cirque à Moi (My Very Own Circus)
While some children may want to run away and join the circus, Laura (Jasmine Lemée), a young girl in rural Quebec, has grown up in a travelling circus and desperately wants a normal life. Her father (Patrick Huard) is a clown in the circus and can't understand the need for a conventional life, believing that learning happens on the road. As their differences become more apparent, he must accept the fact that his daughter may not want to follow in his footsteps, and let her live the life that she wants.
Miryam Bouchard's debut feature Mon cirque à moi is a heartwarming and hilarious crowd-pleaser that celebrates the power of family in all of its forms.
Director
Miryam Bouchard
Bouchard is an award-winning writer and director. She started her career by directing music videos, and has directed many shorts and TV series, including M’entends-tu?, L'Échappée, Mon ex à moi, Les Chroniques d'une mère indigne, Yin Yang, and La guerre des sexes. Mon Cirque à Moi was her debut feature. She has also directed Lignes de fruite and 23 Décembre.
Writers
Miryam Bouchard, Martin Forget
Cast
Patrick Huard, Jasmine Lemée, Sophie Lorain, Robin Aubert
Producer
Antonello Cozzolino
Genre
Comedy
Interests
Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
French
Score: A Hockey Musical
He’s led a sheltered life, home-schooled by parents (Olivia Newton-John and Marc Jordan) whose idea of extra-curricular activities are trips to an art gallery or an ashram.
His only real friend is Eve (Allie MacDonald), the girl who’s lived next door nearly his entire life. Much to the dismay of his parents, Farley loves to play shinny with the local rink rats (Dave Bidini and Hawksley Workman, among others). When the coach of a local hockey team (Stephen McHattie) spots him, Farley is drawn into the seductive hockey arena – while trying to stay true to his non-violent principles and juggling an ever-changing relationship with Eve.
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
John McDermott, Noah Reid, Hawksley Workman
Producers
Michael McGowan, Avi Federgreen
Genres
Comedy, Family
Interests
Arts and Culture, Sports
Original Language
English
Ballerina
Determined to succeed, Félicie finds her mentor in the tough and mysterious school custodian, Odette (Carly Rae Jepsen), who, along with Victor’s encouraging friendship, helps her reach for the stars.
Directors
Éric Summer, Éric Warin
Writers
Éric Summer, Laurent Zeitoun, Carol Noble
Cast
Elle Fanning, Dane DeHaan, Carly Rae Jepsen
Producers
Valérie d'Auteuil, Nicolas Duval-Adassovsky
Genres
Animation, Comedy, Family
Interests
Arts and Culture, Strong Female Leads
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 and Heart. Her features include New Shoes, The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam and The French Guy. Fleming has won nearly 20 awards for her films, including 10 for Window Horses. Most recently, she directed the shorts A Short Film About Tegan & Sara, Question Period, and Old Dog.
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
Le coq de St-Victor (The Rooster of St-Victor)
Initially delighted, the villagers soon come to regret their choice, as St-Victor is thrown into chaos – the baker doesn’t bake, the deliveryman doesn’t deliver, and absolutely nothing is working like clockwork! Now they must come up with a new plan to rescue their trusty rooster and bring balance and prosperity back to St-Victor.
Director
Pierre Greco
Writers
Pierre Greco, Johanne Mercier
Cast
Benoît Brière, Paul Ahmarani, Anne Dorval
Producer
Nancy Savard
Genres
Animation, Comedy, Family
Interest
Family Relationships
Original Language
French
Avril et le monde truqué (April and the Extraordinary World)
Crafted in stunning animation, this imaginative adventure story will thrill audiences of all ages.
“The movie so teems with delightful detail and has such an exuberant sense of play that it feels entirely fresh” – Glenn Kenny, The New York Times
Directors
Christian Desmares, Franck Ekinci
Writers
Franck Ekinci, Benjamin Legrand
Cast
Marion Cotillard
Producers
Franck Ekinci, Michel Dutheil, Marc Jousset
Genres
Action/Adventure, Animation, Family, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interests
Family Relationships, Global Experiences, Strong Female Leads
Original Languages
English, French
Wapos Bay: Long Goodbyes
Maintaining the hilarious and heart-warming tone as well as the unique style of the award-winning Wapos Bay tv series, Long Goodbyes went on to win the Kidscreen award for Best TV Movie.
Director
Dennis Jackson (Cree)
Writers
Dennis Jackson (Cree), Melanie Jackson (Cree)
Cast
Raven Brass (Cree), Trevor Cameron (Métis), Lorne Cardinal (Cree), Gordon Tootoosis (Cree)
Genres
Animation, Family
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Family Relationships, Indigenous Filmmaker
Original Language
English
The Little Bear Movie
While on a camping trip, Little Bear and his father find a lost cub who has been separated from his parents by a storm. The two become fast friends, and after Cub saves Little Bear from a mountain lion named Trouble, the pair return to Little Bear’s house to meet his pals Cat, Owl, Duck and Hen. The group of friends set out on an exciting adventure to find Cub’s parents.
Based on the beloved book series by Else Holmelund Minarik and illustrated by Maurice Sendak, The Little Bear Movie is a rollicking adventure story, full of the joys and responsibilities of friendship and teamwork.
Director
Raymond Jafelice
Writers
Raymond Jafelice, Nancy Barr
Cast
Kristin Fairlie, Dan Hennessey, Janet-Laine Green
Genres
Action/Adventure, Animation, Family
Interest
Literary Adaptation
Original Language
English
Franklin and the Turtle Lake Treasure
Based on the popular kids TV series, Franklin and the Turtle Lake Treasure is a fun and exciting adventure story for young audiences.
Director
Dominique Monfery
Writer
John Van Bruggen
Cast
Louise Cheka, Kevin Sommier, Ariane Aggiage, Isabelle Volpe
Producers
Jérémie Fajner, Cynthia Taylor
Genres
Animation, Family
Interests
Family Relationships, Literary Adaptation
Original Languages
English, French
Babar: King of the Elephants
First released in 1931, The Babar series is a global phenomenon with millions of fans across multiple generations. Babar: King of the Elephants continues the series’ tradition of teaching important lessons in a fun and smart way.
Director
Raymond Jafelice
Writers
Peter Sauder, Raymond Jafelice
Cast
Philip Williams, Wayne Robson, Ellen-Ray Hennessy
Producers
Hasmi Ferguson, Merle-Anne Ridley
Genres
Action/Adventure, Animation, Family
Interest
Literary Adaptation
Original Languages
English, French