Passchendaele

Director Paul Gross
Year 2008
Run Time 114min
Genre Action/Adventure, Drama, Romance
Set during the height of WWI, Passchendaele tells the moving story of an important event in Canadian history through the eyes of Sergeant Michael Dunne (Gross), a soldier who is wounded in France and returns to Calgary emotionally and physically scarred.

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

Project Grizzly

Director Peter Lynch
Year 1996
Run Time 72min
Genre Action/Adventure, Documentary
When Troy Hurtubise was attacked by a grizzly bear in 1984, he decided that he would never be a victim again and set about constructing an armoured suit that could withstand a grizzly attack. Built out of titanium, rubber and chain mail, and supported by interior air bags, the 145-pound (66-kilogram) suit (with Hurtubise often in it) is clobbered by baseball bats, thrown off cliffs and hit by a pickup truck. Seen around the world and even spoofed on The Simpsons, Project Grizzly has become a cult favourite.

The most hilarious scenes in the film feature Hurtubise as a kind of Japanese robot, willingly testing himself and his suit. The journey takes him to the Rockies…and to some scenes of self-awareness.

“One of the most provocatively entertaining and loopily Canadian documentaries of the decade.” — Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star

“It’s fantastic.” — Quentin Tarantino

Director

Peter Lynch

Lynch earned international success with his wildly popular and critically-acclaimed Project Grizzly. His features include The Herd, Cyberman, A Whale of a Tale and Dem Bones. Lynch won a Genie for his short film Arrowhead. His most recent feature film, Birdland, was released in 2018.

Cast

Troy Hurtubise

Producers

Michael Allder, Gerry Flahive, Louise Lore

Genres

Action/Adventure, Documentary

Interests

Biography, Classics, Cult & Offbeat Cinema

Original Language

English

Window Horses

Director Ann Marie Fleming
Year 2016
Run Time 88min
Genre Action/Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family
This extraordinary animated feature tells the tale of Rosie, a young Canadian poet of Chinese and Persian descent. Rosie lives in Vancouver with her Chinese grandparents and dreams of travelling and seeing the world. 

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

Avril et le monde truqué (April and the Extraordinary World)

Directors Christian Desmares, Franck Ekinci
Year 2016
Run Time 105min
Genre Action/Adventure, Animation, Family, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
It’s 1941 in an alternative history of Europe, where pollution has ravaged the world and technology has not progressed since the steam engine. A brilliant teenage girl named April (voiced by Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard), who lives on the streets of Paris, has been trying to find her parents, scientists who disappeared while working on a top secret project. Her search lands her deep in a sinister criminal plot. Luckily, she is joined on her adventure by her grandfather, her talking cat Darwin and a mysterious boy named Julius. Together, this band of unlikely heroes might just save the 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

The Little Bear Movie

Director Raymond Jafelice
Year 2001
Run Time 75min
Genre Action/Adventure, Animation, Family

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

Babar: King of the Elephants

Director Raymond Jafelice
Year 1999
Run Time 80min
Genre Action/Adventure, Animation, Family
Based on the classic novels and TV series, this feature film tells how Babar came to be the king of the elephants. After losing his mother, Babar finds himself in the big city where a kind stranger offers to raise him and give him an education. When he meets friends from his past, he returns to the forest where he helps solve a series of animal conflicts, and begins to build his amazing kingdom.

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

La course des tuques (Racetime)

Directors François Brisson, Benoit Godbout
Year 2018
Run Time 89min
Genre Action/Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family
Racetime is the sequel to the highly successful animated film Snowtime!, which was the highest-grossing film in Canada in 2015.

This fun and action-packed sequel is a wild romp through the trials and tribulations, passionate joys and little victories of childhood. Frankie and Sophie are teaming up for a spectacular sled race through the village, and this time they’ve got some new friends along for the ride, including the mysterious Zac and his musical cousin Charly.

Directors

François Brisson, Benoit Godbout

Writers

Paul Risacher, Claude Landry, Maxime Landry

Cast

Mariloup Wolfe, Hélène Bourgeois Leclerc, Sophie Cadieux, André Sauvé

Producer

Marie-Claude Beauchamp

Genres

Action/Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family

Interests

Bullying, Sports

Original Languages

English, French

Grocery Store Action Movie

Director Matthew Campbell
Year 2016
Run Time 14min
Genre Action/Adventure, Comedy

A hapless every-man is in the express checkout lane at the grocery store when he realizes with horror that he has forgotten the all-important crackers. With his dinner guests already on their way over, he must risk life and limb to achieve the impossible: locate the salty snacks before losing his place in line. A hilarious send-up of action movie clichés created by and starring three-time Canadian Comedy Award-winning sketch duo Peter n' Chris.

Director

Matthew Campbell

Writers

Peter Carlone, Chris Wilson

Cast

Chris Wilson, Peter Carlone

Producers

David Kaye, Jameson Parker, Ryan Silva

Genres

Action/Adventure, Comedy

Original Language

English

The Blue Butterfly

Director Léa Pool
Year 2004
Run Time 97min
Genre Action/Adventure, Drama
Inspired by the true story of a terminally ill ten year old boy (Marc Donato) and his determined single mom, who will stop at nothing to make his dream come true. This shy, intelligent and brave boy's dream is to capture the most beautiful butterfly on earth, the legendary Blue Morpho, so his mom begins by convincing a renowned entomologist (William Hurt) to take them into the jungle. So, the adventure of a lifetime begins. 

Director

Léa Pool

Pool has earned three Genie Award nominations for Best Direction. Her films include Emporte Moi, Mouvements du désir, Lost and Delirious, La dernière fugue and the documentary Pink Ribbons, Inc. Her recent films include the doc Double Sentence and the features La passion d'Augustine and Et au pire, on se mariera.

Writer

Pete McCormack

Cast

William Hurt, Pascale Bussières, Marc Donato, Raoul Max Trujillo, Marianella Jimenez

Producers

Claude Bonin, Francine Atlaire, Arnie Gelbart, Michael Haggiag

Genres

Action/Adventure, Drama

Interests

Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker

Original Language

English

Scanners

Director David Cronenberg
Year 1981
Run Time 103min
Genre Action/Adventure, Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
After 10 seconds, the pain begins. 15 seconds, you can’t breathe. 20 seconds, you explode.

Scanners are social outcasts, the by-product of a failed experimental drug given to their mothers during pregnancy, and possess the unusual ability to read and control minds.

Security firm ConSec wants to harness these telekinetics and turn them into a powerful new weapon; however, Revok (Ironside) is hellbent on destroying ConSec and taking over the world. The only man who may be able to stop him is the stoic but equally powerful Vale (Lack).

Chaos reigns as the duo face off in a series of dramatic duels featuring some of cinema’s most jaw-dropping practical effects.

Busting heads and box-office numbers when it opened in 1981, Scanners demonstrates Cronenberg’s talent for accessible, fun and truly awesome science fiction.

Director

David Cronenberg

Writer

David Cronenberg

Cast

Jennifer O'Neill, Stephen Lack, Michael Ironside, Patrick McGoohan

Producers

Pierre David, Claude Héroux, Victor Solnicki

Genres

Action/Adventure, Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Interests

Classics, Cult & Offbeat Cinema

Original Language

English