On April 16, the World Stands Up for Canada by Sitting Down to Watch a Great Canadian Film!

World’s biggest press release for the world’s biggest film festival

TORONTO – April 1, 2025 – On April 16, National Canadian Film Day (CanFilmDay), will unite the nation in a massive, celebratory, elbows-up explosion of Canadian film.

Returning for the twelfth year, CanFilmDay will present nearly 2,000 FREE screenings in every province and territory, and in more than 43 countries around the world, in addition to hundreds of offerings on broadcast and streaming services for all to enjoy. 

As popular as CanFilmDay has been in recent years, the current swell of cultural pride has given rise to a significant increase in participation, with registrations running 60% higher than last year for the past several months.

“In this time, our stories matter, and our culture matters – more than ever. They show us who we are, who our neighbours are, what we care about. CanFilmDay gives us all the opportunity to celebrate our country, and our shared values – together, with our elbows way up,” said Artistic Director Sharon Corder. 

Programming highlights across the country include:

Elbows Up for Canadian Culture 

A Town Hall-style event will take place in Toronto, featuring Yannick Bisson, Don McKellar, Mary Walsh, and Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers (Blackfoot/Sámi). Hosted by Ali Hassan, the special guests will share the Canadian films that have impacted them and engage in a dialogue about what Canadian culture and stories mean to us. 

In an atmosphere of tariffs and trade wars, we’ve seen a groundswell of interest in these conversations from the film industry and the country at large, and are thrilled to have such a thoughtful and accomplished group of Canadian artists sharing their views with us and with you.

Premieres & Sneak Peeks

We have an exciting lineup of film premieres and sneak peeks, giving audiences nationwide a chance to see the next big hit before its release. Films include:

• It Feeds, a pulse-pounding new horror film, will premiere nationwide at 20+ cinemas thanks to Black Fawn Films and the Network of Independent Canadian Exhibitors (NICE). In Toronto, the screening will be followed by a Q&A with the film’s cast and crew, including director Chad Archibald, and stars Shawn Ashmore (The Rookie, X-Men) and Ashley Greene (The Twilight Saga, Rogue).
• The Westdale Theatre in Hamilton will show a sneak preview of the compelling drama The Players, followed by a Q&A with the film’s director, Sarah Galea-Davis, and stars Eric Johnson and Stefani Kimber.
• The comedy Please, After You will have a sneak preview in Mississauga, along with a Q&A with the film’s stars Neema Nazeri and Kris Siddiqi.
• In Vancouver, a preview screening of the mind-bending new thriller Kryptic will be followed by a Q&A with cast and crew, including producer Amber Ripley and star Jeff Gladstone.
• The Canada-Ukraine Foundation is partnering with Gambade Films for an online sneak preview of the inspiring documentary Doors of War, which will be accompanied by an introduction by co-directors Taras Lesiuk and Annick Sheedy McLellan. 
• The National Screen Institute will premiere the short The Difference Between Us, in a virtual event featuring a Q&A with the film’s director Dabi Anele. This film was part of an NSI training programme for refugees and newcomers in Manitoba.

Sometimes More is More

This year, several partners are expanding their Canadian film celebration into a full week of programming. 

Vancouver International Film Festival is celebrating Canadian Film Week, with 18 features, including six Vancouver premieres and four new films from BC filmmakers, most of whom will join for Q&As. On April 16, VIFF will present a 40th anniversary screening of the beloved classic My American Cousin, featuring a Q&A with director Sandy Wilson.  Also, Velcrow Ripper and Cari Green will present the 20th anniversary screening of ScaredSacred in a heartfelt tribute to much-loved industry leader  Tracey Friesen. 

• Yukon Film Society in Whitehorse will host 11 screenings throughout the week.  
• Cinecenta cinema in Victoria, BC, will also present 11 screenings. 
• The historic Gem Theatre in Grand Forks, BC, is planning four “CanFilmWeek” screenings and a live show about their community.
• Aeolian Hall Musical Arts Association in London, ON is also making it CanFilmWeek, with eight screenings scheduled.

Film Festival Partner Screenings

Over 50 film festivals are participating in CanFilmDay this year. Here are just a few highlights: 

• Edmonton International Film Festival is proud to showcase the inspiring documentary Ice Queens, featuring a Q&A with director Damon Kwame Mason. 
• A 40th anniversary screening of Crime Wave will be presented by Calgary Underground Film Festival, featuring an in-person Q&A with the film’s writer-director John Paizs.
• In Toronto, TIFF welcomes former CEO Piers Handling to host a post-screening Q&A with filmmaker Deepa Mehta after a presentation of the 4K restoration of her debut feature, Sam & Me.  
• The Toronto Latin American Film Festival presents the new drama about undocumented workers, Sin Papeles (Undocumented), featuring a Q&A with director Christian de la Cortina and producer Vanessa Caceres.
• The Bay of Blood Film Festival in North Bay, ON, is thrilled to feature a screening of the hilarious new slasher flick, Massacre at Femur Creek, followed by a post-screening Q&A with the film’s writer-director, Kyle Hytonen.
• Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival will show the horror comedy The Last Video Store, with director Cody Kennedy, producer Greg Jeffs and star Vanessa Adams in attendance. 
• Emerging Lens Cultural Film Festival in Halifax, NS, will present Welcome, a brand new psychological thriller from director Jevon Boreland. Boreland will join stars Emidio Lopes and Shailene Garnett for a Q&A after the film.
• Saint John’s Women’s International Film Festival is pleased to welcome Tasha Hubbard (Cree) for a screening and discussion of her uplifting activist documentary Singing Back the Buffalo.
• The Canada China International Film Festival is presenting a double feature with a matinee of the family-friendly fantasy Tia and Piujuq, including a recorded Q&A with director Lucy Tulugarjuk (Inuk), as well as a screening of the acclaimed drama Nadia, Butterfly with director Pascal Plante in attendance for a Q&A.

Anniversaries 

2025 marks a major anniversary for many incredible Canadian films, and we have special events across the country to showcase them. In addition to the anniversary screenings listed above, dozens of screenings of anniversary titles are taking place, including a few that feature filmmakers, stars and other guests: 

• ReelWorld Film Festival, Director’s Guild of Canada and the City of Toronto are partnering on a 30th anniversary screening of Rude, with director Clement Virgo and producer Damon D’Oliveira in attendance.
• Toronto’s Revue Cinema hosts a 25th anniversary screening of Waydowntown on 35mm, with a post-screening Q&A with director Gary Burns and star Fab Filippo (creator of CBCs Sort Of).
• Toronto Jewish Film Festival hosts an anniversary presentation of the award-winning historical epic Sunshine, with a post-screening Q&A with producer Robert Lantos.
• Future of Film Showcase in Toronto celebrates the 20th anniversary of C.R.A.Z.Y. with a screening and Q&A with actor Pierre-Luc Brillant.
• Ottawa Film Office and Canadian Film Institute celebrate the 25th anniversary of La moitié gauche du frigo (The Left-Hand Side of the Fridge) along with a Q&A with director Philippe Falardeau, as well as presenting the 40th anniversary of My American Cousin, featuring an in-person Q&A with producer Peter O’Brian.

Indigenous Programming

There will be over 70 screenings of Indigenous-made films, plus 350 high schools participating in our Indigenous Realities livestream. Here, an estimated 15,000 students will engage in a live, nationwide conversation with Anna Lambe (Inuk), Alethea Arnaquq-Baril (Inuk) and Stacey Aglok MacDonald (Inuk), the incredible team behind The Grizzlies – and the new hit comedy North of North. The event will be hosted by former executive and artistic director of imagineNATIVE, Jason Ryle (Anishinaabe). 

French-Language Programming

Over 200 French-language screenings are scheduled around the world, including nearly 100 community screenings in Quebec. In collaboration with Mediafilm, independent theatres across Quebec are presenting over a dozen screenings of three exciting new Québecois titles, La petite et le vieux, Maurice, and Vil et Misérable, with many including special guest Q&As. Programming nationwide also includes over 20 screenings each of recent hits Une Langue Universelle (Universal Language) and Bergers (Shepherds). 

International Canadian Film Day 

A partnership with Global Affairs Canada will bring nearly 100 Canadian film screenings to 43 countries worldwide! 

Notable events include: a screening of Paying For It with director Sook-Yin Lee in attendance, at the BAFICI film festival in Buenos Aires, Argentina; and a 60th anniversary celebration of Canada’s diplomatic relationships with Singapore hosted by the High Commission of Canada, which will screen Singing Back the Buffalo at a local theatre. France is embracing CanFilmDay in a big way – we’re expecting no fewer than 11 screenings this year, in eight cities! 

In Schools

Over 20,000 students are participating, from 500 schools in every single province and territory, most notably by watching RCtv: Indigenous Realities, our annual interactive livestream for schools (see above). Special programming available for Kindergarten through to Grade 12 and CEGEP, including special lesson plans focused on “Canadians and their stories”. 

In Communities

Communities across the country that are going all-out for CanFilmDay include: 

• Two outdoor screenings are planned, with the Creston Valley Film Society in Creston Valley, BC, and Victoria Downtown Residents Association in Victoria, BC – perhaps the only corner of the country where it will be warm enough to do so! 
• Red Deer Polytech’s Film Production program in Red Deer, AB, is partnering with the Red Deer Public Library and Lilearner High School to host a full-day event, using the CanFilmDay website to help students collaborate and learn how to host an event. Four screenings will take place, focusing on themes of our Something to Believe In programming spotlight: big dreams, community and family, fighting for your beliefs, the power of art, and resilience. Local schools will attend daytime events, while evening screenings will be tailored to the community at large. 
• Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum in Iqaluit, NU, has invited the local female hockey association to participate in their screening of Ice Queens.
• Brampton Arts Organization in Brampton, ON, will show a short film programme of local filmmakers’ work with guests in attendance, and a networking event at a nearby restaurant to follow. 
• The Côte St-Luc Public Library is hosting director Barry Avrich and producer Mark Selby for a special screening of their documentary Without Precedent: The Supreme Life of Rosalie Abella.
• Point Pelee National Park near Leamington, ON, and the Gananoque Legion in Gananoque ON, are both ordering chocolates from Peace By Chocolate to complement their screenings of the film, and the Legion will host a fundraiser for their veteran’s fund. 
• The Meaford Public Library plans to invite the local Junior Hockey Team, the Meaford Knights, to their screening of Score: A Hockey Musical. 

On Broadcast and Streaming

Hundreds of Canadian films will be programmed on every major broadcaster and streaming service, including Hollywood Suite, Crave, Super Ecran, Corus, Super Channel, APTN, CBC, CHCH, OUTtv, Blue Ant Media, WildBrain, GameTV, Netflix, CBC Gem, NFB, The Roku Channel, APTN Lumi, Amazon Prime, Google Play, YouTube, iTunes, Kanopy, Cineplex Store, Microsoft Store, TVO, Apple TV+, Hoopla, Shudder, Mubi, Highball.tv, TFO and Viva.

Guests and Sponsors

Filmmakers, stars, and industry professionals participating in CanFilmDay include: Vanessa Adams, Stacey Aglok MacDonald (Inuk), Chad Archibald, Shawn Ashmore, Dabi Anele, Alethea Arnaquq-Baril (Inuk), Barry Avrich, Liane Balaban, Brigitte Berman, Yannick Bisson, Jevon Boreland, Pierre-Luc Brillant, Gary Burns, Vanessa Caceres, Christian de la Cortina, Damon D’Oliveira, Sophie Deraspe, Philippe Falardeau, Colm Feore, Niv Fichman, Fab Filippo, Sarah Galea-Davis, Shailene Garnett, Jeff Gladstone, Cari Green, Ashley Greene, Piers Handling, Ali Hassan, Tasha Hubbard (Cree), Kyle Hytonen, Eric Johnson, Peter Keleghan, Cody Kennedy, Stefani Kimber, Anna Lambe (Inuk), Robert Lantos, Sook-Yin Lee, Taras Lesiuk, Emidio Lopes, Peter Lynch, Damon Kwame Mason, Don McKellar, Loreena McKennit, Deepa Mehta, Neema Nazeri, Peter O’Brian, John Paizs, Eric Peterson, David Phillips, Amber Ripley, Velcrow Ripper, Patricia Rozema, Jason Ryle (Anishinaabe), Mark Selby, Annick Sheedy McLellan, Kris Siddiqi, Ryan Singh, former MP Rathika Sitsabaiesean, Kendra Terpenning, Sugith Varughese, Clement Virgo, Vinay Virmani, Mary Walsh, and Sandy Wilson, and more.

For more detailed information about our extensive list of special guests and programming highlights, go to our website.

Founding Sponsor Cineplex is providing 33 cinema screens across the country. The Landmark Cinema chain is also contributing venues in several communities. Both partners will screen the CanFilmDay promo PSA as part of their pre-show presentations for the month of April. 

CanFilmDay is a huge endeavour that’s made possible through the efforts of dedicated sponsors and partners who continue to support us year after year, including Telefilm Canada, Government of Canada, Government of Ontario, CBC, Hollywood Suite, Cineplex, Landmark Cinemas, Canada Council, Ontario Arts Council,DGC Ontario, Extreme Reach, Branded Cities, and more. The complete list can be found on the sponsor page of our website. 

If you’d like to host a free CanFilmDay event for your community, visit canfilmday.ca/register and sign up today.

Visit canfilmday.ca for more information in the lead-up to April 16. You can also find us on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram: @CanFilmDay and #CanFilmDay.

Jack Blum and Sharon Corder, Executive and Artistic Director of REEL CANADA, are available for interviews, as well as Mina Shum, Yannick Bisson, Don McKellar, Mary Walsh and Colm Feore.

Click here for high-res images

About REEL CANADA

REEL CANADA is a charitable organization that promotes the diversity of Canadian film and its power to spark important conversations about what it means to be Canadian. Through our core programmes — Our Films in Our Schools, Welcome to Canada, Reel Opportunities, and National Canadian Film Day (CanFilmDay) — REEL CANADA has reached millions of students, new Canadians, and general audience members.

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