Interest: LGBTQ2S+
Wildfire
Director
Bretten Hannam (L'nu)
Writer
Bretten Hannam (L'nu)
Cast
Guillermo Knockwood, Bobby Pierro
Producers
Bretten Hannam (L'nu), Gharrett Patrick Paon
Genre
Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Family Relationships, Indigenous Filmmaker, LGBTQ2S+
Original Language
English
The Little Deputy
Director
Trevor Anderson
Writer
Trevor Anderson
Cast
Trevor Anderson
Producer
Blake McWilliam
Genre
Documentary
Interest
LGBTQ2S+
Original Language
English
Take Me to Prom
The high school tradition of prom is explored through a series of interviews with LGBTQ+ students over the years, sharing their own diverse stories and perspectives.
Director
Andrew Moir
Producer
Andrew Moir
Genre
Documentary
Interests
BIPOC Stories, LGBTQ2S+
Original Language
English
Reviving the Roost
Director
Vivek Shraya
Writer
Vivek Shraya
Producer
Justine Pimlott
Genres
Animation, Documentary
Interests
Arts and Culture, BIPOC Stories, Discrimination, Female Filmmaker, LGBTQ2S+
Original Language
English
The film follows Zac as life takes him on an epic journey to come to grips with his sexual identity. Buoyed by a vibrant soundtrack, C.R.A.Z.Y. boasts countless moments of true movie magic. It is at once a crowd pleaser and a poignant auteur film.
Director
Jean-Marc Vallée
Vallée garnered nine Genie nominations for his first feature, Liste noire. C.R.A.Z.Y. was a box office hit and was honoured at film festivals worldwide. He directed the Oscar-nominated films Dallas Buyers Club and Wild, as well as Demolition starring Jake Gyllenhaal and the hit TV series Big Little Lies and Sharp Objects. He tragically passed away in December 2021.
Writers
François Boulay, Jean-Marc Vallée
Cast
Michel Côté, Marc-André Grondin, Danielle Proulx, Pierre-Luc Brillant
Producers
Jean-Marc Vallée, Pierre Even
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Interests
Bullying, Family Relationships, LGBTQ2S+
Original Language
French
Closet Monster
The coming-of-age story gets an imaginative makeover with Stephen Dunn’s debut feature, which mixes affecting drama with whimsical fantasy to tell the story of high school senior Oscar (Connor Jessup), a young man who is struggling with his identity and a turbulent volatile home life with his increasingly volatile father.
Oscar finds an escape from his troubled home life in a passion for special effects and fantasy makeup that he shares with his best friend Gemma (Sofia Banzhaf) and hopes to pursue in college. At home, he creates a different fantasy world, sharing a close bond with the pet hamster (voiced by Isabella Rosellini) who has talked to him since his childhood.
When Oscar meets the cool, handsome Wilder (Aliocha Schneider), he finally starts coming to terms with his own sexuality, which he has repressed since witnessing a terrible act of homophobic violence as a child.
Closet Monster premiered at the Toronto International FIlm Festival, winning the award for Best Canadian Feature Film and was named one of Canada’s Top Ten films of 2015.
Director
Stephen Dunn
Writer
Stephen Dunn
Cast
Connor Jessup, Isabella Rossellini, Aaron Abrams, Aliocha Schneider, Joanne Kelly
Producers
Fraser Ash, Kevin Krikst, Edward J. Martin
Genre
Drama
Interests
Arts and Culture, LGBTQ2S+
Original Language
English
I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing
Though timid on the outside, Polly’s inner life is rich and full of charming fantasies which Rozema brings to life in black & white sequences that punctuate the film with humour and whimsy.
The film won the award for Best First Feature at the Cannes Film Festival, and in 1993 was ranked as one of TIFF’s Top 10 Canadian Films of All Time.
Director
Patricia Rozema
Writer
Patricia Rozema
Cast
Sheila McCarthy, Paule Baillargeon, Ann-Marie MacDonald
Producers
Don Haig, Alexandra Raffe, Patricia Rozema
Genre
Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Female Filmmaker, LGBTQ2S+
Original Language
English
Beautifully shot and featuring a killer '70s soundtrack, the new film from Canadian master Bruce McDonald and playwright and screenwriter Daniel MacIvor shakes up the coming-of-age road-movie concept with wit, charm and a lot of heart.
"What's not to love about Canuck hipster Bruce McDonald's return to a genre he's a master of – the indie road movie with a distinctly Canadian flavour and endearingly peculiar characters." – Michelle Reid, Victoria Times Colonist
Director
Bruce McDonald
McDonald directed the cult hits Highway 61, Roadkill, Hard Core Logo, The Tracey Fragments, starring Elliot Page, Pontypool, and the award-winning series Twitch City, episodes of Degrassi and Heartland. His recent films include Trigger, The Husband, Hellions, Weirdos and Dreamland. He recently directed the series Creeped Out and Malory Towers and is currently working on the films Switched at Death and I Have a Bad Feeling About This.
Writer
Daniel MacIvor
Cast
Dylan Authors, Rhys Bevan-John
Producers
Marc Almon, Mike MacMillan
Genre
Drama
Interests
Cult & Offbeat Cinema, Family Relationships, LGBTQ2S+, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
Laurence Anyways
Passionate and powerfully acted, this epic film explores the tumultuous relationship between two lovers, one of whom is transitioning from male to female. Touching, enigmatic and genuine, Laurence Anyways is a powerhouse of contemporary Canadian cinema.
Director
Xavier Dolan
Writer
Xavier Dolan
Cast
Melvil Poupaud, Suzanne Clément, Nathalie Baye, Monia Chokri
Producers
Lyse Lafontaine, Nathanaël Karmitz
Genre
Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Family Relationships, LGBTQ2S+
Original Language
French
Bursting with life, innovative visuals and a best-of soundtrack, Mommy is a critically acclaimed award-winner, garnering eight Canadian Screen Awards including Best Motion Picture, and the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
Director
Xavier Dolan
Writer
Xavier Dolan
Cast
Anne Dorval, Antoine Olivier Pilon, Suzanne Clément, Patrick Huard
Producers
Sylvain Corbeil, Lyse Lafontaine, Xavier Dolan, Nancy Grant
Genre
Drama
Interest
LGBTQ2S+
Original Language
French