Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas

Director Larry Weinstein
Year 2017
Run Time 52min
Genre Documentary

Every year, millions of people celebrate the Christmas season with a soundtrack of feel-good classics, most of which were written by Jewish songwriters. This insightful documentary showcases artists like Irving Berlin, Johnny Marks, and Mel Tormé who used universal themes of joy, love, and family to tell the story of the holiday.


Director

Larry Weinstein

Weinstein has received three Gemini awards for his work, including Best Direction for Beethoven’s Hair. Weinstein also directed the docs Mulroney: The Opera, The Devil’s Horn, Leslie Caron: The Reluctant Star, and Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas, and co-directed Our Man In Tehran. His latest, Propaganda: The Art of Selling Lies, premiered at Hot Docs 2019.

Genre

Documentary

Interests

Arts and Culture, History

Original Language

English

Tomson Highway: kipimâtisinaw tapâhpeyahk

Director Barry Bilinsky (Métis/Cree)
Year 2022
Run Time 5min
Genre Documentary
Legendary Cree playwright Tomson Highway finds that his purpose in life always comes back to music, storytelling and laughter.
 

Director

Barry Bilinsky (Métis/Cree)

Writer

Barry Bilinsky (Métis/Cree)

Cast

Tompson Highway (Cree)

Producer

Chehala Leonard (Aseniwuche Winewak)

Genre

Documentary

Interests

Arts and Culture, Biography, BIPOC Stories, Indigenous Filmmaker

Original Language

Cree

Hebron Relocation

Director Holly Anderson (Labrador Inuit)
Year 2022
Run Time 15min
Genre Documentary
Decades after being forcibly relocated from the town of Hebron, a community of Labrador Inuit reflect on the residual trauma of losing the connection to their ancestral home.

Director

Holly Anderson (Labrador Inuit)

Writer

Holly Anderson (Labrador Inuit)

Producers

Latonia Hartery, Katherine Baulu

Genre

Documentary

Interests

Biography, BIPOC Stories, Discrimination, Female Filmmaker, History, Indigenous Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics

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

Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story

Directors Michael Mabbott, Lucah Rosenberg-Lee
Year 2024
Run Time 98min
Genre Documentary
Jackie Shane, a jazz singer who rose to prominence in the 1960s as a Black transgender musician, had disappeared almost entirely from the public eye. Decades later, her work gets rediscovered and reassessed, giving her one last chance to be appreciated properly.

A moving portrait that shines a light on the career of a trailblazer who was ahead of her time, this incredible story won the Special Jury Prize for Best Canadian Feature at Hot Docs 2024.

“A compelling investigation of an elusive life, as well as a talent so striking you’ll be amazed it remained forgotten for so long.” – Dennis Harvey, Variety 
 

Directors

Michael Mabbott

Writer/director Mabbott made his debut with 2005’s Life and Hard Times of Guy Terrifico, winning Best Canadian First Feature Film at the Toronto International Film Festival. He followed with Citizen Duane and television shows like Baxter and The Yard. His short documentary Music Lessons premiered at Hot Docs 2015. He also wrote, produced, and co-directed Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story, which was named to the TIFF 2024 Top Ten List.

Lucah Rosenberg-Lee

Lucah Rosenberg-Lee is an independent filmmaker, speaker and entrepreneur. He is passionate about telling the stories of marginalized voices through film and he specializes in documentary and LGBTQ+ content. He produced For Nonna Anna, which won the Best Narrative Short Award at the Atlanta Film Festival, and he co-directed the 2024 films Passing and Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story, which won the DGC Special Jury Prize at Hot Docs 2024.

Writers

Alison Duke, Lucah Rosenberg-Lee, Michael Mabbott

Cast

Rob Bowman, James Baley, Bobby Dean Blackburn

Producers

Janet Bradey, Justine Pimlott, Michael Mabbott

Genre

Documentary

Interests

Arts and Culture, Biography, BIPOC Stories, Black Filmmaker, Discrimination, History, LGBTQ2S+, Social Justice & Politics, 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

Yintah

Directors Brenda Michell (Wet'suwet'en), Jennifer Wickham (Wet'suwet'en), Michael Toledano
Year 2024
Run Time 88min
Genre Documentary
In early 2020, the Wetʼsuwetʼen land defense exploded into the headlines, and sparked a national conversation  – but the story behind it had been brewing for nearly a decade. Exploring the work of the Indigenous leaders of the blockade, including the sacrifices they made to dedicate their lives to this cause, this documentary offers new insight into this crucial moment in Canadian history.

Capturing footage that startlingly echoes Alanis Obomsawin’s 1994 film Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance, this is a story we can’t afford to forget. Winner of the Audience Award at Hot Docs 2024.

“An incendiary feat of filmmaking” – Pat Mullen, POV Magazine
 

Directors

Brenda Michell (Wet'suwet'en)

Brenda Mitchell is Tsakë ze’ K‑eltiy (a hereditary chief) of the Unist'ot'en Clan of the Wet'suwet'en Nation. In addition to participating in Wet’suwet’en governance, she has worked in post-secondary education for the Lake Babine Nation Band for decades, and is currently a resident Elder, language teacher and addictions counselor. Yintah is her first documentary. 

Jennifer Wickham (Wet'suwet'en)

A member of the Cas Yikh (Grizzly House) of the Gidimt’en (Bear/Wolf) Clan of the Wet’suwet’en Nation, Wickham is a poet, youth advocate, and a committed land defender and activist whose work includes language and culture revitalization. She has worked as Media Coordinator for Gidimt’en Checkpoint since 2018. Yintah is her first documentary. 

Michael Toledano

Michael Toledano is a journalist, photographer, and documentarian whose work focuses on environmental pollution and Indigenous land defense. His reporting has appeared on Al Jazeera America, VICE, Ricochet, Upworthy, Rabble, and other outlets. His footage has appeared on CBC News, CTV, CP24, CityNews, APTN, and Democracy Now. Yintah is his first feature documentary. 

Producer

Bob Moore

Genre

Documentary

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Discrimination, Environment, Indigenous Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics

Original Language

English

Singing Back the Buffalo

Director Tasha Hubbard (Cree)
Year 2024
Run Time 99min
Genre Documentary
Decades after they were driven almost to extinction, the fight to restore North America’s buffalo population continues to rage on. Activists in Indigenous communities across the continent are determined to restore the buffalo’s place on the Great Plains, knowing that they are essential to the survival of our ecosystem.

This epic and inspiring documentary not only offers a new perspective on our connection to the land, it shows us what’s possible when we come together. Singing Back the Buffalo is an essential call to take notice – and take action.

“Tasha Hubbard has created a piece of living history” – Caitie Talty, In the Seats
 

Director

Tasha Hubbard (Cree)

Hubbard is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and an associate professor in the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Native Studies. Her NFB documentary Two Worlds Colliding won a Gemini and a Golden Sheaf Award. She has also directed the short film 7 Minutes, and the feature docs Birth of a Familynîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up, which won 14 awards, including the CSA for best documentary and Best Canadian Documentary at Hot Docs 2019. She is a founding director of the International Buffalo Relations Institute. Her documentary Singing Back the Buffalo won three awards and was nominated for four others.

Writer

Tasha Hubbard (Cree)

Producers

George Hupka, Tasha Hubbard (Cree), Jason Ryle (Anishinaabe)

Genre

Documentary

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Environment, Female Filmmaker, History, Indigenous Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics

Original Language

English

Being Caribou

Directors Leanne Alison, Diana Wilson
Year 2004
Run Time 72min
Genre Documentary
Wildlife biologist Karsten Heuer and his wife, environmentalist Leanne Allison follow a herd of 120,000 caribou on foot across 1500 km of Arctic tundra, hoping to raise awareness of the threats to the caribou's survival. Along this journey, they brave torrid conditions, dangerous wildlife and treacherous terrain all in the hopes of learning the truth about this epic migration.

Directors

Leanne Alison, Diana Wilson

Genre

Documentary

Interest

Environment