Interest: Literary Adaptation
Mille secrets, mille dangers (Lovely Day)
Director
Philippe Falardeau
Quebecois director and screenwriter Falardeau has won more than 32 international awards for his films, which include Monsieur Lazhar, La moitié gauche du frigo, C’est pas moi, je le jure!, The Good Lie, Guibord s’en va-t-en guerre, and My Salinger Year. He also directed the TV shows Le temps des framboises, and Lac-Mégantic - ceci n’est pas un accident.
Writers
Philippe Falardeau, Alain Farah
Cast
Rose-Marie Perreault, Clodine Desrochers, Georges Khabbaz
Producers
Luc Déry, Kim McCraw
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Interests
Family Relationships, Literary Adaptation
Original Language
French
Maria Chapdelaine
Director
Sébastien Pilote
Writers
Louis Hémon, Sébastien Pilote
Cast
Sebastien Ricard, Sara Montpetit, Hélène Florent
Producers
Sylvain Proulx, Pierre Even
Genre
Drama
Interests
History, Literary Adaptation, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
French
La petite et le vieux (Blue Sky Jo)
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
Brilliantly adapted from Kim Thúy’s Governor General Award-winning novel of the same name, this compassionate story of resilience in the face of adversity is uplifting and deeply moving.
“An exceptional and beautiful film.” – Isobel Grieve, Montréal Guardian
Director
Charles-Olivier Michaud
Charles-Olivier Michaud is a director, writer, and producer from Saint-Romuald, Quebec. His directing credits include 4 Minute Mile, On the Beat, and Snow & Ashes, which have won awards from the Slamdance Film Festival and the Washington DC Independent Film Festival. Ru had its world premiere at TIFF 2023 and was nominated for nine Canadian Screen Awards.
Writers
Kim Thúy, Charles-Olivier Michaud, Jacques Davidts
Cast
Chloé Djandji, Jean Bui, Chantal Thuy
Producers
André Dupuy, Marie-Alexandra Forget
Genres
Drama, Family
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Family Relationships, Global Experiences, Literary Adaptation, Newcomer Stories
Original Languages
French, Other Language
A Dangerous Method
Director
David Cronenberg
Cast
Keira Knightley, Michael Fassbender, Viggo Mortensen
Producer
Jeremy Thomas
Genres
Drama, Romance, Thriller
Interests
Biography, Literary Adaptation
Original Language
English
Tom à la ferme (Tom at the Farm)
Director
Xavier Dolan
Cast
Xavier Dolan, Pierre-Yves Cardinal, Lise Roy
Producers
Xavier Dolan, Nathanaël Karmitz, Charles Gillibert
Genres
Drama, Thriller
Interests
LGBTQ2S+, Literary Adaptation
Original Languages
English, French
The Book of Negroes
This CBC mini-series is based on the internationally celebrated novel by Canadian author Lawrence Hill. A compelling tale of loss, courage, love and the triumph of the human spirit, it follows the extraordinary journey of Aminata Diallo (Ellis), an indomitable African woman.
In 1750, 11-year-old Aminata is kidnapped from her village in West Africa and begins a rich journey that takes her through the harrowing ordeal of slavery, to the turmoil of the American Revolution and ultimately to freedom in the British colony of Nova Scotia. Brilliant and determined, Aminata is a remarkable heroine whose unshakeable connection to her own African heritage guides her over unimaginable obstacles in her quest for freedom and ultimately allows her to assume the mantle of leadership for which she is destined.
Deeply moving and inspiring, The Book of Negroes explores painful historical realities through the unblinking eyes of a strong female protagonist whose story will stay with you long after the telling.
Director
Clement Virgo
Virgo rose to prominence with his first feature, Rude, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and garnered two Genie nominations. He has also directed the films Poor Boy’s Game and Lie With Me, and hit TV shows such as The Wire, Regenesis and The Listener. He recently produced the show Greenleaf and directed episodes of Empire and Billions. His film, Brother, premiered at TIFF 2022 and won 12 CSAs, including Best Motion Picture, Best Direction, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Writers
Lawrence Hill, Clement Virgo
Cast
Aunjanue Ellis, Lyriq Bent, Cuba Gooding, Jr, Ben Chaplin, Allan Hawco
Producers
Damon D'Oliveira, Clement Virgo
Genre
Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, History, Literary Adaptation, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
Paul à Québec
Director
François Bouvier
Film and TV director Bouvier was nominated for the Best Director Genie in 1990 for his film Les matins infidèles. Since then, he has directed numerous television shows and films, including Histoires d'hiver and Maman Last Call, starring Patrick Huard. He recently directed the TV series Ruptures and the film La Bolduc. Currently he is completing work on the film La Cordonnière.
Writers
François Bouvier, Michel Rabagliati
Cast
François Létourneau, Julie LeBreton, Gilbert Sicotte, Louise Portal
Producers
Nathalie Brigitte Bustos, Valérie d'Auteuil, André Rouleau, Karine Vanasse
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Interests
Arts and Culture, Family Relationships, Literary Adaptation
Original Language
French
Pontypool
Nothing ever happens in Pontypool, so when Mazzy arrives at the station to start his show one wintry morning, he and his team are surprised by strange reports from town.
The station’s tiny crew find themselves holed up in their church basement studio, trying to piece together what’s happening outside as disturbing details pour in. Callers are making very little sense, and it seems like the English language itself is infected with a strange virus.
“McDonald knows it’s the things you don’t see, but only imagine, that best chill the blood.”
— Peter Howell, Toronto Star
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. He has also directed the features Trigger, The Husband, Hellions, Weirdos and Dreamland, and episodes of Creeped Out and Malory Towers.
Writer
Tony Burgess
Cast
Stephen McHattie, Lisa Houle, Georgina Reilly
Producers
Jeffrey Coghlan, Ambrose Roche
Genres
Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interests
Cult & Offbeat Cinema, Literary Adaptation
Original Language
English
Barney’s Version
Based on Mordecai Richler’s Giller Prize–winning bestseller of the same name, this rich and hilarious film won seven Genie Awards and was nominated for an Oscar.
“The impeccably cast confessional, with a pitch-perfect Paul Giamatti leading the way, nimbly traverses the four decades in its lead character’s eventual life with considerable exuberance, visual flair and, ultimately, grace." — Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter
Director
Richard J. Lewis
Lewis’s television credits include episodes of Due South, Power Play, Beggars and Choosers, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Person of Interest and many others. His critically acclaimed debut feature, Whale Music, won four Genie Awards. Recently, he has been directing for television, including episodes of Westworld and Penny Dreadful, and is currently producing the series Trigger Me.
Writer
Michael Konyves
Cast
Paul Giamatti, Rosamund Pike, Scott Speedman, Dustin Hoffman, Minnie Driver
Producer
Robert Lantos
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Interests
Family Relationships, Literary Adaptation
Original Language
English