A look at the life of legendary hockey player Terry Sawchuck (Mark O’Brien), who played in the Original Six era and became one of the greatest goaltenders in NHL history. O’Brien won a Canadian Screen Award for his performance.

This documentary, produced by Drake, LeBron James, Vinay Virmani, and Maverick Carter chronicles the legacy of anti-Black racism in hockey, from the early segregation of Nova Scotia’s Coloured Hockey League, its connections to the history of Africville and the experiences of today’s Black NHLers. This powerful film is a must-see critique of the systemic failures that have sidelined Black Canadians in a sport that’s built into the country’s DNA.

The latest feature from Academy Award-nominated director Hubert Davis, Black Ice won over audiences and critics alike upon its TIFF premiere in 2022, winning the festival’s People’s Choice Award for Documentaries. It was also named to TIFF’s annual Canada’s Top Ten list.

In his rookie season in the NHL playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Billy Duke (Art Hindle) finds the adjustment from the minor leagues is harder to deal with than expected. To complicate matters further, he becomes smitten with a professional singer, Sherri Lee Nelson (Trudy Young) and must balance his new relationship with his hockey dreams. While Sherri is concerned with the roughness of his chosen profession, his coach is worried about her effect on him, forcing him to make the ultimate decision: Love or Hockey?

Featuring the 1970 Maple Leafs players as part of the cast as well as other NHL legends of the time such as Bobby Hull, Jean Beliveau and Gordie Howe, Face-Off is one of the great hockey movies and a unique look into the National Hockey League of almost 50 years ago.

A 7-year-old refugee takes an emotional journey as she works towards being able to swim in the deep end at her local pool.

Adapted from the much-celebrated novel by the late Ojibway writer Richard Wagamese, Indian Horse is a powerful drama that delves deep into the shameful history of Canada’s Residential Schools.

The young protagonist of Wagamese’s saga – brought to the screen by a team that includes director Stephen Campanelli, screenwriter Dennis Foon and executive producer Clint Eastwood — Saul comes to know the worst of the system’s abuses after a series of family tragedies leave him in the care of authorities in Manitoba of the late 1950s.

When one of the priests – played by Michiel Huisman of Game of Thrones – recognizes Saul’s hockey talents, a potential pathway opens up before the youngster but like so many survivors of the schools, he remains haunted by the traumas of the past.

Serge Ibaka, a newly crowned NBA Champion with the Toronto Raptors, journeys home to the Republic of Congo, with the NBA Championship trophy to inspire his community. He has an emotional homecoming in Brazzaville, where he grew up poor and sometimes homeless, having been left by himself after his mother’s death when he was 7 and his father’s imprisonment shortly thereafter. Despite these overwhelming obstacles, he achieved his dream of becoming an NBA Champion and becoming the first person to bring the trophy back to the Congo.

While his NBA journey is an inspiring story that led to the fulfillment of his lifelong dream, Ibaka is not just celebrating his own achievement in this documentary but aims to share the message that through hard work and determination, anything is possible.

In addition to the feature films in this catalogue, we also offer a wealth of Canadian short films suitable for various grade levels. They cover a variety of themes and topics, and encompass fiction and documentary, live action and animation. For the full list, check out our Short Film Programme page, and use the filters at the top to find something that meets your needs. 

If you’d like to show several short films together as a programme, please feel free to get in touch for advice and tips on selecting the perfect combination for your needs. 

Cathy (Follows), an avid youth hockey player, moves with her mother to Parry Sound and finds no leagues for girls her age. After securing a spot in the lineup of an all-boys team, she finds that regardless of how well she plays on the ice, she continues to face opposition from a major sponsor who insists he doesn’t want her on the team. As the team nears a major final, she has to rely on the support of her teammates, and particularly its star player (Bisson) to let her achieve her hockey dreams.

A Canadian sports classic, Hockey Night features the on-screen debut of Yannick Bisson (Murdoch Mysteries) and memorable performances from Rick Moranis and Megan Follows (Anne of Green Gables).