Interest: Newcomer Stories
Ararat
Director
Atom Egoyan
Egoyan received the Governor General’s award in 2015 for Lifetime Artistic Achievement. He was the first-ever Canadian director to earn two Oscar nominations (for The Sweet Hereafter). His award-winning films include Exotica, Ararat and The Captive. His most recent film, Guest of Honour, premiered at TIFF 2019.
Writer
Atom Egoyan
Cast
Simon Abkarian, Charles Aznavour, Christopher Plummer, Arsinee Khanjian
Producers
Robert Lantos, Atom Egoyan
Genre
Drama
Interests
Discrimination, Global Experiences, History, Newcomer Stories, Social Justice & Politics, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
La sarrasine
Montreal, 1904: an Italian-Canadian immigrant couple is caught in the heightened tension between the city’s Italian and French-Canadian communities. Winner of a Genie for Tony Nardi’s performance.
Director
Paul Tana
Writers
Paul Tana, Tony Nardi, Bruno Ramirez
Cast
Enrica Maria Modugno, Tony Nardi
Producer
Marc Daigle
Genre
Drama
Interests
Discrimination, History, Newcomer Stories
Original Language
French
Easy Land
Director
Sanja Zivkovic
Cast
Daniel Kash, Nina Kiri, Mirjana Jokovic, Arlene Duncan
Producers
Julie Strifler, Matt Code, Kristy Neville
Genre
Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, ESL, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Global Experiences, Newcomer Stories, Social Justice & Politics, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
Fanny: The Right to Rock
Director
Bobbi Jo Hart
Writer
Bobbi Jo Hart
Cast
Cherie Currie, Joe Elliott, Bonnie Raitt, Todd Rundgren
Producers
Robbie Hart, Bobbi Jo Hart
Genre
Documentary
Interests
Arts and Culture, BIPOC Stories, Discrimination, Female Filmmaker, Global Experiences, LGBTQ2S+, Newcomer Stories, Social Justice & Politics, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
Les oiseaux ivres (Drunken Birds)
Director
Ivan Grbovic
Writers
Ivan Grbovic, Sara Mishara
Cast
Jorge Antonio Guerrero, Hélène Florent, Claude Legault
Producers
Luc Déry, Kim McCraw
Genre
Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Family Relationships, Global Experiences, Newcomer Stories, Social Justice & Politics
Original Languages
French, Other Language
From C to C: Chinese Canadian Stories of Migration
Beautifully filmed in Canada and China’s Guangdong province, this fascinating documentary contrasts the historical injustices faced by Chinese migrants over the last century with the experiences of contemporary Chinese Canadian youth.
Focusing on past discriminatory immigration policies, the film reflects on the meaning of prejudice and exclusion to those who experienced it and those who did not. By calling attention to the diverse nature of contemporary Chinese Canadian identities, the film paints an inclusive and diverse picture of Canada as a nation.
From C to C was nominated for three Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Direction in a Documentary Program or Series.
Director
Jordan Paterson
Writers
Jordan Paterson, Paul Yeung, Denise Fong
Producer
Jordan Paterson
Genre
Documentary
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Global Experiences, History, Newcomer Stories
Original Language
English
Dr. Cabbie
“…With a host of appealing characters, snappy dialogue and an issue at its heart that will resonate with audiences, Dr. Cabbie provides a pleasingly comical cinematic ride.” — Bruce DeMara, The Toronto Star
Director
Jean-François Pouliot
In addition to over 500 commercials, Montrealer Pouliot’s credits include feature films Guide de la petite vengeance and the 2015 box-office success Dr. Cabbie as well as the hit animated film Snowtime!. Recently, he directed the feature films Les 3 p’tits cochons 2, Votez Bougon and the Snowtime! sequel, Racetime.
Writers
Vinay Virmani, Ron Kennell, Manu Chopra
Cast
Vinay Virmani, Adrianne Palicki, Kunal Nayyar, Lillete Dubey, Mircea Monroe
Producers
Pauline Dhillon, Salman Khan, André Rouleau, Ajay Virmani
Genre
Comedy
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Global Experiences, Newcomer Stories
Original Language
English
Peace By Chocolate
Tareq (Abou Ammar), a Syrian refugee in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, is torn between his dream to become a doctor and his family’s chocolate-making legacy. When his family joins him in Canada, his father’s new chocolate business becomes an unexpected success, leading to new, unforeseen challenges. Tareq must make a choice between being there to support the family that needs him or pursuing the life in Canada that he always envisioned for himself.
Inspired by the true story of the formation of the artisanal chocolate company of the same name, Peace By Chocolate is an inspiring and quintessentially Canadian story.
“Peace By Chocolate is a bona fide crowd pleaser, and a true story to boot.” - Chris Knight, The National Post
Director
Jonathan Keijser
Writers
Jonathan Keijser, Abdul Malik
Cast
Hatem Ali, Ayham Abou Ammar
Producers
Catherine Léger, Jonathan Keijser, Martin Paul-Hus
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, ESL, Family Relationships, Global Experiences, Newcomer Stories
Original Languages
English, Other Language
Riceboy Sleeps
This stunning second feature from Anthony Shim follows a Korean single mother who moves to Canada with her young son in the early 1990s, following the death of her husband. As she struggles to make ends meet and provide the best life possible for her son, she has to contend with his changing attitudes towards her, and towards their Korean culture.
A profoundly affecting drama about the immigrant experience, Riceboy Sleeps premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival where it won the Platform Prize, and was named to their 2022 Canada’s Top Ten list. It also won the award for Best Original Screenplay at the Canadian Screen Awards.
Director
Anthony Shim
Writer
Anthony Shim
Cast
Choi Seung Yoon, Ethan Hwang, Hunter Dillon
Producers
Bryan Demore, Anthony Shim, Rebecca Steele
Genre
Drama
Interests
Asian Filmmaker, BIPOC Stories, Bullying, Discrimination, Family Relationships, Newcomer Stories, Strong Female Leads
Original Languages
English, Other Language
Legend of a Warrior
Director
Corey Lee
Writer
Corey Lee
Cast
Billy Chow, Corey Lee, Frank Pang Lee
Producers
Susan Bristow, Bonnie Thompson, Corey Lee
Genre
Documentary
Interests
Family Relationships, Newcomer Stories, Sports
Original Language
English