Interest: Arts and Culture
Boxcutter
This inspiring first feature from longtime radio host Rez Dahya won the award for Outstanding Direction in a Feature Film at the Reelworld Film Festival and went on to play at South By Southwest.
“It is a portrait of a city that feels both nuanced and universal” - Barry Hertz, The Globe and Mail
Director
Reza Dahya
Writer
Chris Cromie
Cast
Zoe Lewis, Ashton James
Producers
Soko Negash, Reza Dahya, Alison Almeida, Kirthiga Rajanayagam
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Interest
Arts and Culture
Original Language
English
Bye Bye Blues
This acclaimed musical drama is a true Canadian classic, and was nominated for twelve Genie Awards, winning three, including Best Actress for Jenkins.
Director
Anne Wheeler
Writer
Anne Wheeler
Cast
Michael Ontkean, Rebecca Jenkins, Chad Krowchuk, Jyoti Dhembre, Sumant Mastaher
Producers
Anne Wheeler, Arvi Liimatainen
Genre
Drama
Interests
Arts and Culture, Family Relationships, History
Original Language
English
Degrassi: Whatever it Takes
Featuring interviews with some of your favourite cast members (including Drake, arguably Degrassi’s most famous graduate), and the crews and creators of the various series, this is a nostalgic look at a seminal series that’s also not afraid to ask the tough questions about the sacrifices that were made to bring it to life.
“An ode to one of Canada’s greatest entertainment exports. It will make you laugh, it might make you cry, but more than anything, it will hopefully make you proud.” - Kevin Bourne, SHIFTER
Director
Lisa Rideout
Writers
Lisa Rideout, Celine Wong
Cast
Drake, Kevin Smith, Linda Schuyler
Producers
Erin Sharp, Carrie Mudd
Genre
Documentary
Interests
Arts and Culture, Female Filmmaker
Original Language
English
Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie
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
Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas
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
Tous toqués! (All Stirred Up!)
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
Genre
Comedy
Interests
Arts and Culture, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
French
Tomson Highway: kipimâtisinaw tapâhpeyahk
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
Can I Get a Witness?
Director
Ann Marie Fleming
Fleming is a visual artist, filmmaker and writer who has animated over 20 films, including the shorts Stories Sarah Tells, Big Trees, A Short Film About Tegan & Sara, Question Period, and Old Dog. Her features include New Shoes, The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam, The French Guy and Can I Get a Witness, which premiered at TIFF 2024. Fleming has won nearly 20 awards and nominations for her films, including 15 for Window Horses.
Writer
Ann Marie Fleming
Cast
Joel Oulette (Cree/Métis), Sandra Oh, Keira Jang
Producer
Ann Marie Fleming
Genre
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interests
Arts and Culture, Asian Filmmaker, BIPOC Stories, Environment, Female Filmmaker, Global Experiences, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
Doors of War
Directors
Taras Lesiuk, Annick Sheedy McLellan
Writers
Annick Sheedy McLellan, Taras Lesiuk
Producers
Annick Sheedy McLellan, Taras Lesiuk
Genre
Documentary
Interests
Arts and Culture, Female Filmmaker, Global Experiences, History, Social Justice & Politics
Original Languages
English, Other Language
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