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

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

Ice Queens

Director Damon Kwame Mason
Year 2023
Run Time 44min
Genre Documentary
When hockey legend Angela James led Canada to a gold medal in the first four Women’s World Championships in the 1990s, she inspired a generation of girls to join the sport, and later became the first Black woman inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Now, with stars like Sarah Nurse leading the game into new horizons, Black women continue to be a force to be reckoned with both on and off the ice.

A terrific showcase of the Black players and coaches that continue to make huge contributions to the sport, this documentary is an absolute must-watch for hockey fans. 
 

Director

Damon Kwame Mason

Former TV and radio host Damon Kwame Mason transitioned to filmmaker when he wrote, directed and produced Soul on Ice: Past, Present and Future, a documentary about the contributions of black athletes to the sport of ice hockey. He went on to produce The Cannons in 2022, and directed Ice Queens, which was released in 2023.

Cast

Cassie Campbell-Pascal, Angela James, Sarah Nurse

Producer

Tom Cohen

Genre

Documentary

Interests

Biography, BIPOC Stories, Black Filmmaker, Discrimination, History, Social Justice & Politics, Sports, Strong Female Leads

Original Language

English

La soeur de Margot (Margot’s Sister)

Director Christine Doyon
Year 2022
Run Time 17min
Genre Drama

A shy pre-teen struggles when her classmates begin to make fun of her sister’s disability, until she finds the courage within herself to stand up to them.

Director

Christine Doyon

Genre

Drama

Interests

Bullying, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Strong Female Leads

Original Language

French

Arctic Song

Directors Germaine Arnattaujuq, Louise Flaherty (Inuk), Neil Christopher
Year 2021
Run Time 6min
Genre Animation
A traditional song sharing the Inuit creation stories for the land, waters, and sky, set to breathtaking animation.

Directors

Germaine Arnattaujuq, Louise Flaherty (Inuk), Neil Christopher

Genre

Animation

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Female Filmmaker, Indigenous Filmmaker

Original Language

Inuktitut

Astronaut

Director Ian Keteku
Year 2022
Run Time 4min
Genre Animation
A whimsical animated poem about a twelve-year-old’s fantasy of what his life would be like as an astronaut, experiencing the world from above.

Director

Ian Keteku

Genre

Animation

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Black Filmmaker

Original Language

English

Big Drive

Director Anita Lebeau
Year 2011
Run Time 9min
Genre Animation, Family

Stuck in a seemingly endless car ride with nothing to do, four sisters use their imagination to create something amazing together.

Director

Anita Lebeau

Writer

Anita Lebeau

Cast

Nathalie Daudet, Emma Collins, Annie Rose Daudet, Maggie Collins, Anita Lebeau

Producer

Derek Mazur

Genres

Animation, Family

Interests

Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker

Original Language

English

Roses Sing on New Snow

Director Yuan Zhang
Year 2003
Run Time 7min
Genre Animation
Maylin, a fantastic chef, is kept in the shadows by her father who gives her brothers credit for her cooking. When a local dignitary visits, Maylin gets a chance to step into the spotlight.

Director

Yuan Zhang

Genre

Animation

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Global Experiences

Original Languages

English, French

The Girl Who Hated Books

Director Jo Meuris
Year 2006
Run Time 7min
Genre Family
This animated short about literacy introduces us to Meena, a young girl who hates books even though her parents love to read. Books are everywhere in Meena's house, in cupboards, drawers and even piled up on the stairs. Still, she refuses to even open one up. But when her cat Max accidentally knocks down a huge stack, pandemonium ensues and nothing is ever the same again. 
 

Director

Jo Meuris

Writer

Sugith Varughese

Cast

Michael Rudder, Elizabeth Lofranco, Harry Standjofski, Thor Bishopric

Producer

Tamara Lynch

Genre

Family

Interests

Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Strong Female Leads

Original Languages

English, French

Breakaway (Short Film)

Director Jenny Lee-Gilmore
Year 2019
Run Time 9min
Genre Drama
In 1970's Vancouver, 11-year-old Sammy, an ice hockey-obsessed Chinese Canadian girl, dreams of hockey stardom but her responsibilities at home and bullying older brother get in the way.

Director

Jenny Lee-Gilmore

Writer

Jenny Lee-Gilmore

Cast

Kingston Chan, Kailee Lowe

Producer

Dide Su Bilgin

Genre

Drama

Interest

BIPOC Stories

Original Language

English

Les Pee-Wee (The Pee-Wee: The Winter that Changed My Life)

Director Éric Tessier
Year 2012
Run Time 122min
Genre Comedy, Drama, Family

In this uplifting story, 12-year-old Janeau (Pilon) and his father have moved to a new town after the tragic death of his mother. As they struggle to adjust, Janeau is befriended by Julie (Morel-Michaud), a goalie for the local pee-wee hockey team, The Lynx, who are preparing for a province-wide championship.

Julie immediately sniffs out Janeau’s hockey talent, and eventually convinces her coach to let Janeau join the team, much to the dismay of the team’s current star, Joey (Goulet), and his overbearing father.

This stirring hockey comedy will have audiences cheering for The Lynx as they race to settle their differences — both on and off the ice — before the championship.

Director

Éric Tessier

Tessier’s first film was the award-winning short Viens dehors! His feature films include Sur le seuil, Vendus, 5150 rue des Ormes, Junior Majeur, and Les Pee-Wee: L’hiver qui a changé ma vie, which won the Best Feature Film award at TIFF Kids. He recently directed the films Tu te souviendras de moi and When Love Blooms, and episodes of Hôtel and Transplant. He is currently directing The Amityville Curse.

Writers

Martin Bouchard, Emmanuel Joly, Jean-Sébastien Poirier

Cast

Alice Morel-Michaud, Rémi Goulet, Antoine Olivier Pilon

Producer

Christian Larouche

Genres

Comedy, Drama, Family

Interest

Sports

Original Language

French