Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie

Director Matt Johnson
Year 2025
Run Time 95min
Genre Comedy
2026 spotlight contributor Staff Pick
Based on the hit series Nirvanna the Band the Show, longtime friends and bandmates Matt (Matt Johnson) and Jay (Jay McCarrol) have been trying for over a dozen years to book a show for their band at The Rivoli through zany, unconventional methods. When their latest (and most outlandish) effort leads to them accidentally travelling back in time, they get taken on an adventure that threatens to change everything.

A hilarious romp that goes far beyond just being for fans of the show, this instant cult classic won the People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award at TIFF and was named to their Canada’s Top Ten list.

“A comedic delight from beginning to end, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie is a must-see comedy worthy of spanning time for.” — Courtney Small, That Shelf

Director

Matt Johnson

Matt Johnson is a writer, actor, and director who co-created the cult web series Nirvanna the Band the Show, which he adapted for television in 2016. His first two features, The Dirties and Operation Avalanche were featured at the Slamdance and Sundance film festivals respectively. His third feature, BlackBerry, premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2023, and earned 28 awards, including 14 Canadian Screen Awards, and another 31 nominations internationally.

Writers

Matt Johnson, Jay McCarrol

Cast

Matt Johnson, Jay McCarrol, Jared Raab

Producers

Matthew Miller, Matt Greyson

Genre

Comedy

Interest

Arts and Culture

Original Language

English

Tous toqués! (All Stirred Up!)

Director Manon Briand
Year 2024
Run Time 112min
Genre Comedy, Family
In this heartwarming comedy set in a small Quebec town near the US border, a reviled customs officer convinces a famous chef to mentor her 10-year-old daughter as she prepares to compete in a prestigious local youth cooking competition. 
 

Director

Manon Briand

Briand is a filmmaker and writer whose first short film, Les sauf-conduits, won Best Canadian Short Film at TIFF. She also directed a segment of the anthology Cosmos. Her features include 2 secondes, La turbulence des fluides (Chaos and Desire, for which she won a Jutra Award), Liverpool and Tous Toqués !, all of which she wrote and directed.

Writer

Manon Briand

Cast

Edouard Baer, Martin Gauthier, Julie Le Breton

Producer

Pierre Even

Genres

Comedy, Family

Interests

Arts and Culture, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Strong Female Leads

Original Language

French

Paying for It

Director Sook-Yin Lee
Year 2024
Run Time 85min
Genre Comedy

Director

Sook-Yin Lee

Writers

Sook-Yin Lee, Joanne Sarazen

Cast

Andrea Werhun, Dan Beirne, Emily Lê

Producers

Matt Code, Sonya Di Rienzo, Aeschylus Poulos

Genre

Comedy

Interest

Female Filmmaker

Original Language

English

Incandescence

Directors Velcrow Ripper, Nova Ami
Year 2024
Run Time 106min
Genre Comedy

Directors

Velcrow Ripper, Nova Ami

Genre

Comedy

Original Language

English

Sweet Summer Pow Wow

Director Darrell Dennis (Secwepemc)
Year 2025
Run Time 93min
Genre Comedy, Romance

Director

Darrell Dennis (Secwepemc)

Writers

Darrell Dennis (Secwepemc), Katya Gardner

Cast

Joshua Odjick (Algonquin/Anishinaabe), Tatyana Rose Baptiste (Syilx Okanagan), Graham Greene (Oneida)

Producers

Leslie D. Bland, Harold Joe

Genres

Comedy, Romance

Interests

Arts and Culture, BIPOC Stories, Indigenous Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics, Strong Female Leads

Original Language

English

Young Werther

Director José Lourenço
Year 2024
Run Time 101min
Genre Comedy, Romance

While on a simple errand to Toronto, a carefree and charming young writer named Werther (Douglas Booth) meets Charlotte (Alison Pill), who he believes love of his life. There's only one thing standing in the way - her engagement to another man. Despite the urgings of his hypochondriac best friend, Werther turns his world upside down in a desperate, misguided and hilarious quest to win her heart.

Director

José Lourenço

Writers

Johann Goethe, José Lourenço

Cast

Alison Pill, Patrick J. Adams, Iris Apatow

Producer

Douglas Booth

Genres

Comedy, Romance

Interest

Strong Female Leads

Original Language

English

La petite et le vieux (Blue Sky Jo)

Director Patrice Sauvé
Year 2024
Run Time 105min
Genre Comedy, Drama
In 1980s Quebec, 10-year-old Helene (Bharucha) dreams of living up to the standard of the cartoon hero "Josephine The Little Musketeer", so much so that she changes her name to Jo to be more like her. Filled with passion and imagination, she sets out to make life better for those around her. When she befriends her curmudgeonly neighbor (Roy), she discovers that his gruff demeanour conceals a heart of gold, and the two form an unlikely bond that enriches both of their lives.

Based on the award-winning novel of the same name, La petite et le vieux is a touching coming-of-age story that wears its heart on its sleeve.

"A bright and rich film, filled with colourful and endearing characters" - Maxime Demers, Le Journal de Montreal

Director

Patrice Sauvé

Writers

Sébastien Girard, Marie-Renée Lavoie

Cast

Juliette Bharucha, Gabrielle B. Thuot, Gildor Roy

Producers

Sonia Despars, Marc Biron

Genres

Comedy, Drama

Interests

Family Relationships, Literary Adaptation

Original Language

French

Billy Bishop Goes to War

Director Barbara Willis Sweete
Year 2010
Run Time 86min
Genre Comedy, Drama

This film was inspired by the life of the legendary WWI flying ace from Owen Sound. Canadian acting legend Eric Peterson and award-winning writer/composer John Gray reprise their iconic two-man stage play that has captivated audiences for over three decades. Nearing the end of his life, an aged Bishop (Peterson) recounts the triumphs and horrors of World War One, “the war to end all wars”. Through raucous stories, haunting memories, and vibrant song, Bishop traces his journey from Royal Military College troublemaker to the top flying ace of the British Empire.

A story of the human cost of war on a scale the world had never seen before, this is an intimate and powerful portrait of a man who continues to capture the imagination.

Director

Barbara Willis Sweete

Cast

John Gray, Eric Peterson

Producer

Sandra Cunningham

Genres

Comedy, Drama

Interests

Biography, Female Filmmaker, History

Original Language

English

Fireheart

Directors Laurent Zeitoun, Theodore Ty
Year 2022
Run Time 92min
Genre Action/Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family
In 1940s New York, firefighters across the city begin to mysteriously disappear during a string of fires started by a shady criminal. As the authorities search for answers to these bizarre events, 16-year-old Georgia joins the fire department, fulfilling her dream of becoming the world's first female firefighter. But there's a catch: she must hide her true identity from the all-male crew and their chief, who happens to be her father!

Directors

Laurent Zeitoun, Theodore Ty

Writers

Jennica Harper, Laurent Zeitoun, Daphne Ballon

Cast

Alice Pol, Vincent Cassel, Valérie Lemercier

Producers

André Rouleau, Valérie d'Auteuil, Laurent Zeitoun, Yann Zenou

Genres

Action/Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family

Interests

Family Relationships, Strong Female Leads

Original Language

English

Mlle Bottine (Miss Boots)

Director Yan Lanouette Turgeon
Year 2024
Run Time 111min
Genre Comedy, Family

An opera composer (Antoine Bertrand) suffering from writer’s block is unexpectedly entrusted with caring for his orphaned niece who he’s never met. While her rebellious and eccentric nature proves to be a challenge, she may be exactly the inspiration that he needs.
 

Director

Yan Lanouette Turgeon

Writer

Dominic James

Cast

Marguerite Laurence, Antoine Bertrand, Marilyn Castonguay

Producers

Brigitte Léveillé, Dominic James, Antonella Cozzolino Giorlando

Genres

Comedy, Family

Interests

Arts and Culture, Family Relationships, Strong Female Leads

Original Language

French