Mariages (Marriages)

Director Catherine Martin
Year 2001
Run Time 95min
Genre Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Quebec filmmaker Catherine Martin made her feature debut with this film about a 19th century woman struggling against oppressive Victorian social norms. 20-year-old Yvonne (Marie-Ève Bertrand) is a free spirit whose prudish, strict older sister Héleène (Guylaine Tremblay) struggles to contain her.

Helene intends to send her sister to a convent, and when Yvonne falls in love with the rakish Charles (David Boutin), Hélène concocts a scheme to keep them apart by arranging for him to marry her own teenage daughter. Unwilling to give up her passionate desires, Yvonne heads to the woods to find her own solution.

This finely crafted historical drama was awarded Best Feature by the Quebec Association of Film Critics in 2001.

Director

Catherine Martin

Writer

Catherine Martin

Cast

Marie-Ève Bertrand, Guylaine Tremblay, Hélène Loiselle

Producer

Lorraine Dufour

Genres

Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Interests

Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, History

Original Language

French

Babine

Director Luc Picard
Year 2008
Run Time 112min
Genre Action/Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

In the small village of Saint-Élie-de-Caxton, whenever something bad happens, the villagers blame Babine, the son of the village witch. Babine was born an outsider, and has spent his life being teased. When the local church burns down, the new priest becomes determined to find the culprit, and puts the blame on Babine, deciding he must be punished once and for all.

Babine is an offbeat comedy and a charming fairy tale filled with eccentric characters and has a strong message of acceptance that will resonate with audiences of all ages.

Director

Luc Picard

Luc Picard is a celebrated actor with over 50 film and television credits and two Jutra Awards to his name. He has directed Audition, Babine, Ésimésac, and a segment in the anthology film 9. Les rois mongols earned six Canadian Screen Award nominations. His latest film is Confessions and he recently starred in Arsenault & Fils and French Girl.

Writer

Fred Pellerin

Cast

Vincent-Guillaume Otis, Luc Picard, Alexis Martin, Isabel Richer, René Richard Cyr

Producer

Lorraine Richard

Genres

Action/Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Interest

Bullying

Original Language

French

La mystérieuse mademoiselle C. (The Mysterious Miss C.)

Director Richard Ciupka
Year 2002
Run Time 108min
Genre Comedy, Drama, Family, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
The newest supply teacher at St-Cécile Elementary School, known only as Miss C, is undeniably unusual. This was apparent from the moment she arrives at the school, soaked from head to toe while speaking to a small rock. With her boundless spirit and unparalleled imagination, Miss C. reinvigorates her class of students, and the school as a whole, by encouraging every child to embrace what makes them unique.

Based on the popular children’s book series, The Mysterious Miss C. is a fun and heartwarming story that encourages kids to be positive, to use their imagination and to discover the joy of reading.

Director

Richard Ciupka

Writer

Dominique Demers

Cast

Marie-Chantal Perron, Gildor Roy, Eve Lemieux, Benoît Brière

Producers

Jacques Bonin, Claude Veillet

Genres

Comedy, Drama, Family, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Interest

Literary Adaptation

Original Language

French

Bone Mother

Directors Sylvie Trouvé, Dale Hayward
Year 2018
Run Time 8min
Genre Animation, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
A traveller wanders deep into the forest to visit Baba Yaga, a mysterious woman who is said to possess the powers of life and death.

Directors

Sylvie Trouvé, Dale Hayward

Writers

Lanan Adcock, Dale Hayward, Sylvie Trouvé

Cast

Rafael Petardi, Renee Madeline Le Guerrier

Producers

Michael Fukushima, Jelena Popovic

Genres

Animation, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Interests

Arts and Culture, Female Filmmaker, Global Experiences

Original Language

English

Shoot Your Shot

Directors Madison Thomas (Ojibwe/Saulteax), Meegwun Fairbrother (Ojibway)
Year 2021
Run Time 7min
Genre Action/Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

A sci-fi/action comedy that follows Tover, a teenager on the frontlines battling a future alien invasion. However, it’s not the aliens that terrify Tover, it’s the idea of asking out his crush, fellow soldier Savoy!

Directors

Madison Thomas (Ojibwe/Saulteax), Meegwun Fairbrother (Ojibway)

Cast

Victoria Turko (Métis), Stephanie Sy, Skye Pelletier, Meegwun Fairbrother (Ojibway)

Producer

Stephen Ground

Genres

Action/Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Female Filmmaker, Indigenous Filmmaker

Original Language

English

The Visit

Director Lisa Jackson (Anishinaabe)
Year 2009
Run Time 3min
Genre Animation, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
The charming "true" story of an encounter between extraterrestrials and a Cree family.

Director

Lisa Jackson (Anishinaabe)

Writer

Lisa Jackson (Anishinaabe)

Cast

Barry Ahenakew, Kimowan Ahenakew

Producer

Selwyn Jacob

Genres

Animation, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, History, Indigenous Filmmaker

Original Language

English

When The Day Breaks

Directors Wendy Tilby, Amanda Forbis
Year 1999
Run Time 10min
Genre Animation, Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

In this animated short, Ruby the pig seeks affirmation in the city around her after witnessing the accidental death of a stranger… and finds it in surprising places. With deft humour and finely rendered detail, When the Day Breaks illuminates the links that connect our urban lives, while evoking the promise and fragility of a new day. Winner of over 40 prizes from around the world, the film also features singer Martha Wainwright.

Directors

Wendy Tilby, Amanda Forbis

Producer

David Verrall

Genres

Animation, Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Interest

Female Filmmaker

Original Language

English

Night Raiders

Director Danis Goulet (Cree/Métis)
Year 2021
Run Time 101min
Genre Action/Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

A compelling and propulsive dystopian thriller, Night Raiders follows Niska (Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers), a Cree mother, as she travels across a war-torn Turtle Island (North America) in a desperate attempt to save her daughter from a forced re-education camp. Niska joins forces with a group of underground resistance fighters seeking to free their children and save their future.

Anchored by an incredible lead performance from Tailfeathers along with a stellar supporting cast, this powerful and heartfelt debut feature from Danis Goulet premiered at TIFF in 2021 and was nominated for Best Canadian Film by the Toronto Critics’ Association.

Night Raiders should become the most talked-about Canadian film of the year. And for good reason.” – Barry Hertz, The Globe and Mail

Director

Danis Goulet (Cree/Métis)

Danis Goulet is an award-winning Cree/Métis filmmaker from La Ronge, SK, now based in Toronto. Her films have screened at festivals worldwide including Sundance, Berlinale, TIFF, and MoMA. She is a former programmer and current board member for TIFF, and was the former Director of the imagineNATIVE Film+Media Arts Festival. Her latest projects include the TV series Reservation Dogs, and the upcoming feature film Ivy

Writer

Danis Goulet (Cree/Métis)

Cast

Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers (Blackfoot/Sámi), Brooklyn Letexier-Hart (Cree/Métis), Alex Tarrant (Māori-Niuean-Samoan), Shaun Sipos, Amanda Plummer

Producers

Taika Waititi (Te Whānau-ā-Apanui), Paul Barkin, Tara Woodbury, Ainsley Gardiner (Ngāti Awa/Te Whānau-a-Apanui/Ngāti  Pikiao/Whakatōhea), Georgina Allison Conder

Genres

Action/Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Indigenous Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics, Strong Female Leads

Original Languages

English, Other Language

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

Begone Dull Care

Directors Norman McLaren, Evelyn Lambart
Year 1949
Run Time 8min
Genre Animation, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
In this extraordinary short animation, Evelyn Lambart and Norman McLaren painted colours, shapes, and transformations directly on to their filmstrip. The result is a vivid interpretation, in fluid lines and colour, of jazz music played by the Oscar Peterson Trio.

Directors

Norman McLaren, Evelyn Lambart

Producer

Norman McLaren

Genres

Animation, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Interest

Arts and Culture

Original Languages

English, French, Other Language