Genre: Romance
Matt and Mara
Director
Kazik Radwanski
Writers
Samantha Chater, Kazik Radwanski
Cast
Michael Michael Kolberg, Matt Johnson, Deragh Campbell
Producer
Candice Napoleone
Genres
Drama, Romance
Interest
Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
Sweet Summer Pow Wow
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
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
Director
Michel Brault
Writers
Marcel Dubé, Michel Brault, Denys Arcand
Cast
Geneviève Bujold, Claude Gauthier
Producer
Pierre Patry
Genres
Drama, Romance
Interest
Arts and Culture
Original Language
French
Die Alone
A brilliant blend of romance and horror, Die Alone is a refreshing take on the zombie genre with a heartfelt message at its core.
“This isn’t just a zombie film; it’s a haunting exploration of love, loss, and what it means to hold on when everything else falls apart.” – Thom Ernst, Original Cin
Director
Lowell Dean
Dean began his career as a director with short films such as Juice Pigs, which he co-wrote, and episodes of Canadian TV series such as Dust Up, and Blood, Lies and Alibis. He has gone on to direct six feature films which include comedy-horror Wolfcop, its well-deserved sequel Another Wolfcop, and the action-packed Supergrid. In 2024, he released two films, Dark Match and Die Alone, which premiered at Sitges Film Festival and took home the Midnight X-treme audience choice award.
Writer
Lowell Dean
Cast
Carrie-Anne Moss, Douglas Smith, Frank Grillo
Producers
Kevin DeWalt, Danielle Masters, Benjamin DeWalt
Genres
Horror, Romance, Thriller
Interest
Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
Stand!
Released to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Winnipeg General Strike that forever changed the labour movement in Canada, Stand! shows that while we’re now living in a different time, the power of joining together to fight for your rights hasn’t changed.
“A film that is actually about something, made by people who are expert storytellers.” – Neil Weisensel, The Globe and Mail
Director
Robert Adetuyi
Adetuyi is a screenwriter and director known for dance and action films. His writing credits include Stomp the Yard, Code Name: The Cleaner, Honey: Rise Up and Dance, and Trouble Sleeping. He wrote and directed Turn It Up, You Got Served: Beat the World, and directed Bring It On: Worldwide #Cheersmack, Trouble Sleeping and Stand!, which won two ACTRA awards.
Writers
Rick Chafe, Danny Schur
Cast
Laura Wiggins, Gregg Henry, Hayley Sales
Genres
Drama, Romance
Interests
History, Newcomer Stories, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
Vous n’êtes pas seuls (You Are Not Alone)
Léo, a lonely young pizza delivery man finds little purpose in his life, but that all changes when he falls head over heels for local musician Rita. As their romance begins to blossom, the couple is blissfully unaware of the threat of an alien who has targeted Léo for a mysterious and dangerous purpose.
A heartfelt drama with a sci-fi twist, You Are Not Alone takes you on a mysterious and beautiful journey that is completely captivating.
“Vous n’êtes pas seuls prouve, si nous en doutions encore, que notre cinéma est capable de continuer d’innover et de se renouveler.” – Isabelle Hontebeyrie, Le journal de Montréal
Directors
Philippe Lupien
Lupien is a director whose short film credits include L'Halloween de Monsieur Simard and Le diable en personne. Together with his partner Marie-Hélène Viens, he has co-directed the short films Bernard Le Grand, Amen and Nous sommes Le Freak Show, and the feature film Vous n'êtes pas seul, which won the Best Canadian Discovery Award at TIFF 2024.
Marie-Hélène Viens
Viens is a director and screenwriter who has worked in collaboration with Philippe Lupien for many years. Their short films Bernard Le Grand, Amen and Nous sommes Le Freak Show played at numerous festivals and won over 15 awards. Vous n'êtes pas seul was the duo’s first feature film, and won the Best Canadian Discovery Award at TIFF 2024.
Writers
Marie-Hélène Viens, Philippe Lupien
Cast
Marianne Fortier, Pier-Luc Funk, Sandrine Bisson
Producer
Fanny-Laure Malo
Genres
Comedy, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interests
Cult & Offbeat Cinema, Female Filmmaker
Original Language
French
Simple comme Sylvain (The Nature of Love)
Director
Monia Chokri
Writer
Monia Chokri
Cast
Pierre-Yves Cardinal, Monia Chokri, Magalie Lépine Blondeau, Francis-William Rhéaume
Producers
Nathanaël Karmitz, Sylvain Corbeil, Nancy Grant, Elisha Karmitz
Genres
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Interests
Female Filmmaker, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
French
Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person
Young vampire Sasha is going to die if she doesn’t kill. Being entirely opposed to taking a human life to feed on, she has long relied on her family’s murderous habits to get her blood, until they suddenly cut her off. Enter Paul, a lonely teen who is considering ending his own life, and is more than willing to do so to help Sasha survive. As they each prepare for the next step in their budding doomed relationship, a true bond forms between them – one that is as sweet as it is inconvenient.
This truly unique coming-of-age story is a heartwarming and clever spin on the vampire genre, and has captured awards at festivals around the world.
“Ariane Louis-Seize makes her feature-length directorial debut with this daring and daffy horror-comedy that plays like Romeo and Juliet meets Beetlejuice and Amelie [sic].” – Kristy Puchko, Mashable
Director
Ariane Louis-Seize
Writers
Ariane Louis-Seize, Christine Doyon
Cast
Félix-Antoine Bénard, Sara Montpetit
Genres
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Interests
Cult & Offbeat Cinema, Female Filmmaker, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
French
Living with a curse that turns her into a wolf if she’s out of the house after midnight, Heather (Menuez) is kept on a tight leash by her overbearing parents. But everything changes when she falls for the new girl in town, Jonny (Stenberg). The two form an instant connection, but as their relationship develops, it causes Heather to rebel, increasing the risk that her secret could be exposed – with disastrous consequences.
A stylish and tense horror-romance, this exciting first feature from director Jacqueline Castel features amazing performances from its two emerging leads, brought together with a cast of Canadian icons.
“My Animal marks an impressive, confident feature debut for several key talents.” – Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter
Director
Jacqueline Castel
Writer
Jae Matthews
Cast
Amandla Stenberg, Bobbi Salvör Menuez
Producers
Andrew Bronfman, Michael Solomon
Genres
Drama, Horror, Romance
Interests
Cult & Offbeat Cinema, Female Filmmaker, LGBTQ2S+
Original Language
English
