Johanne, tout simplement (Simply Johanne)

Director Nadine Valcin
Year 2024
Run Time 75min
Genre Documentary

A touching portrait of Johanne Harelle, a Canadian model who achieved international success as one of the first Black models in North America. Winner of the award for Outstanding Feature Film at the Reelworld Film Festival in 2024.

Director

Nadine Valcin

Writer

Nadine Valcin

Cast

Hamani Harrell, Alain Cadieux, Pauline Bernatchez

Producers

Ania Jamila, Josiane Blanc

Genre

Documentary

Interests

Arts and Culture, Biography, BIPOC Stories, Black Filmmaker, Female Filmmaker, History, Strong Female Leads

Original Language

French

Artie Shaw: Time is All You’ve Got

Director Brigitte Berman
Year 1985
Run Time 114min
Genre Documentary
An Oscar-winning portrait of the legendary jazz clarinetist Artie Shaw, who left home at age 16 to pursue a music career and wound up as one of the most prolific and beloved band leaders in the world.

Director

Brigitte Berman

Writer

Brigitte Berman

Cast

Artie Shaw

Producers

Brigitte Berman, Don Haig

Genre

Documentary

Interests

Arts and Culture, Biography, History

Original Language

English

Lovable

Director Alan Zweig
Year 2007
Run Time 101min
Genre Documentary

Love: Why is it so difficult? That’s the question at the heart of Alan Zweig’s poignant and personal meditation about heartache and the inability to find ‘the one’. But rather than focusing solely on himself, he turns the camera outwards, getting a range of perspectives from single female friends that show the highs and lows of their relationships, and why they think it’s never worked out for them.


Using his distinctive style and wit, Zweig manages to make a film that anyone, no matter their relationship status, can relate to, and resonate with.

Director

Alan Zweig

Writer

Alan Zweig

Cast

Alan Zweig

Genre

Documentary

Interest

Biography

Original Language

English

Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe

Director Robert McCallum
Year 2023
Run Time 90min
Genre Documentary

For so many Canadians, Ernie Coombs and his character Mr. Dressup was an enduring childhood fixture, promoting the power of creativity, play and imagination. This heartwarming documentary traces the roots of the tv series Mr. Dressup, a universally celebrated and uniquely Canadian children’s programme, exploring its enduring legacy, and how it stayed true to its aim throughout its run of almost 30 years.

Winner of the People’s Choice Award for Best Documentary at TIFF, Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe is an absolute crowd-pleaser that is sure to bring a tear to your eye.

The Magic of Make-Believe not only serves as a reminder of the joy Coombs brought to our young lives, but it also emphasizes the need for Mr. Dressup's patience and kindness today more than ever.” – Rachel Ho, Exclaim!

Director

Robert McCallum

Rob McCallum is an award-winning filmmaker whose work focuses on subjects such as video games, heavy metal, fanboy fanatics, and more. His feature documentary credits include Nintendo Quest, Missing Mom, Power of Grayskull: The Definitive History of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, The Art of Protest, and Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make Believe, which won several awards, including the CSAs for best writing and best direction in a documentary, and the TIFF documentary People’s Choice Award.

Writers

Robert McCallum, Jordan Christopher Morris

Producers

Nina Keogh, Matthew Hornburg, Mark J. W. Bishop, Jordan Christopher Morris, Aeschylus Poulos

Genre

Documentary

Interests

Arts and Culture, Biography, ESL, History, Newcomer Stories

Original Language

English

BlackBerry

Director Matt Johnson
Year 2023
Run Time 120min
Genre Comedy, Drama
2026 spotlight contributor Bern Euler

From its humble origins in Waterloo, ON, in 1996, nobody expected the massive global success that the world’s first smartphone would become. Nobody, that is, except Jim Balsillie (Howerton). Taking a chance on then-struggling startup Research in Motion (RIM), he joins BlackBerry creators Mike Lazaridis (Baruchel) and Douglas Fregin (Johnson) as co-CEO. Together, they form a massive multinational tech giant, but the power and wealth soon begin to eat away at their relationship, putting everything they built into jeopardy. 

Based loosely on the true story of the extraordinary development and spectacular demise of the BlackBerry, this high-stakes comedy featuring an all-star cast is a bona fide crowd pleaser and critical darling. 

"An instant Canadian classic." – Barry Hertz, The Globe and Mail

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, Matthew Miller

Cast

Jay Baruchel, Glenn Howerton, Matt Johnson, Kelly Van der Burg

Producers

Fraser Ash, Matthew Miller, Niv Fichman, Kevin Krikst

Genres

Comedy, Drama

Interests

Biography, History

Original Language

English

Without Precedent: The Supreme Life of Rosalie Abella

Director Barry Avrich
Year 2023
Run Time 80min
Genre Documentary

As a fierce advocate for human rights, Rosalie Abella casts a long shadow. This lively documentary explores her life and career trajectory, including her successes as an attorney and judge, culminating with her historic appointment to the Supreme Court of Canada, which made her both the first refugee and first Jewish person ever to sit on the country’s highest court. With Rosalie already being an icon and inspiration to many, this portrait also places a focus on Rosalie’s unique personality, style and love of life that carries through all that she does.

Featuring interviews with Margaret Atwood, Brian Mulroney, Joe Clark and, of course, Rosalie herself, this critically-acclaimed film from Barry Avrich is the perfect introduction to one of Canada’s most important figures.

Director

Barry Avrich

Avrich is an acclaimed documentarian whose many directing credits include Show Stopper: The Theatrical Life of Garth Drabinsky, Prosecuting Evil: The Extraordinary World of Ben Ferencz, Without Precedent: The Supreme Life of Rosalie Abella, Oscar Peterson: Black + White, for which he won a CSA, and The Road Between Us, which won TIFF’s People’s Choice Documentary Award. Avrich has authored three books, and adapted several theatrical productions for the screen.

Writer

Barry Avrich

Cast

Margaret Atwood, Rosalie Abella, Joe Clark

Producers

Barry Avrich, Mark Selby

Genre

Documentary

Interests

Biography, Social Justice & Politics, Strong Female Leads

Original Language

English

A Dangerous Method

Director David Cronenberg
Year 2011
Run Time 99min
Genre Drama, Romance, Thriller
A fictionalized account of the early days of psychoanalysis and the turbulent relationship between Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender), his mentor Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen), and the patient (Kiera Knightley) who tore them apart. 

Director

David Cronenberg

A Companion of the Order of Canada, Cronenberg is a legendary filmmaker and pioneer of the body horror genre. His directing credits include iconic films such as Scanners, Dead Ringers, Videodrome, and Crash, for which he won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. He also directed eXistenZ, Crimes of the Future, The Shrouds, and others. He has won over 80 awards, including the Golden Coach at Cannes, and lifetime achievement awards from TIFF and the DGC.

 

Cast

Keira Knightley, Michael Fassbender, Viggo Mortensen

Producer

Jeremy Thomas

Genres

Drama, Romance, Thriller

Interests

Biography, Literary Adaptation

Original Language

English

Hurt

Director Alan Zweig
Year 2015
Run Time 84min
Genre Documentary
In this honest look at the mythmaking of heroes and what later becomes of them, acclaimed documentary filmmaker Alan Zweig profiles Steve Fonyo, a man who ran across Canada at the age of 19 after losing a leg to cancer, following in the footsteps of Terry Fox, and raising millions of dollars for cancer research while doing so.

Although his charity marathon in 1984 was a glorious success, his subsequent exploits — precarious jobs and petty crimes —find him in a state of financial ruin in one of Canada’s toughest neighbourhoods. The unbelievable run that became his life’s greatest achievement is now a crushing burden.

Zweig’s rare and sensitive portrait of a complex one-time hero won the inaugural Platform prize at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.

Director

Alan Zweig

Writer

Alan Zweig

Cast

Steve Fonyo

Producers

Peter Gentile, Mikey Lalonde

Genre

Documentary

Interest

Biography

Original Language

English

Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows

Director Paul Jay
Year 1998
Run Time 93min
Genre Documentary
Bret Sergeant Hart — known in the professional wrestling world as Bret “The Hitman” Hart — was one of the greatest pro wrestlers in the sport’s history.

In 1997, at the Summer Series in Montreal, Hart put his WWF (now WWE) title on the line against Shawn Michaels, where the two privately agreed to end the fight with a no contest conclusion.

Referred to in the wrestling community as the “Montreal Screwjob,” the agreement was believed to be a secret betrayal of Hart, who was one of the WWF’s most popular performers. In the end, Michaels won the match, and Hart lost his title.

Jay’s award-winning documentary is an honest and engaging look at a world-famous career of highs and lows.

Director

Paul Jay

Writer

Paul Jay

Producers

Silva Basmajian, Sally Blake, Paul Jay, David M. Ostriker

Genre

Documentary

Interest

Biography

Original Language

English

Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster

Director Nathan Morlando
Year 2011
Run Time 105min
Genre Action/Adventure, Drama, Thriller
This real-life adventure story is based on an actual Canadian WWII veteran and family man turned bank robber. Disillusioned by his post-war life, Eddie Boyd (Speedman) is torn between his desire to provide for his wife (Reilly) and his dream to go to Hollywood and become a star. Eddie is charming, ambitious and hungry for success, and ultimately turns to crime in order to attain it.

Eddie gets his start by recruiting a gang of small-time crooks and slowly turns them into a crack team of professional thieves. He launches a series of spectacular bank robberies, gaining notoriety and quickly becoming both a beloved national celebrity and public enemy number one. Part action-packed crime caper, part romance, this vibrant film brings an incredible true story to life.

Director

Nathan Morlando

Morlando’s first film, Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster, won Best Canadian First Feature at TIFF. He also directed Mean Dreams, which debuted in the Directors’ Fortnight section of the Cannes Film Festival. He recently produced Giant Little Ones and directed episodes of the show Cardinal.

Writer

Nathan Morlando

Cast

Charlotte Sullivan, Brian Cox, Kevin Durand, Kelly Reilly, Scott Speedman

Producer

Allison Black

Genres

Action/Adventure, Drama, Thriller

Interests

Biography, History

Original Language

English