Region: NL
Who’s Yer Father?
Director
Jeremy Larter
Writer
Jeremy Larter
Cast
Susan Kent, Chris Locke, Jess Salgueiro
Producers
Jenna MacMillan, Jeremy Larter, Jason Arsenault
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Interests
Family Relationships, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
John and the Missus
But one obstinate miner (Pinsent) refuses to accept this fate — or the meagre government payout — and with the support of his “Missus” (Burroughs), decides to dig in his heels and stay behind in a seemingly futile attempt to save his town… and his home.
Unfolding slowly with deep affection for life in this remote town, John and the Missus is a true Canadian classic and features a tour-de-force performance from Pinsent, who won a Genie Award for the role.
Director
Gordon Pinsent
Pinsent was a Companion of the Order of Canada, recipient of three lifetime achievement awards, and Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals from the Governor General of Canada. A much-loved Canadian actor, writer and director, he began his career in the theatre. With over 150 acting credits on film and television, he played a broad spectrum of memorable roles, from the 1960s show Quentin Durgens, M.P., to the Oscar-nominated Away From Her. He wrote, starred in and directed iconic films such as The Rowdyman and John and the Missus, and won nearly 20 Gemini, Genie and Canadian Screen Awards over the course of his career.
Writer
Gordon Pinsent
Cast
Gordon Pinsent, Jackie Burroughs, Roland Hewgill
Producers
John Hunter, Peter O'Brian
Genre
Drama
Interest
Classics
Original Language
English
The Grand Seduction
When city doctor Paul Lewis (Kitsch) arrives for a court-ordered trial residence, the townsfolk rally to charm and hoodwink him into staying. Under the guidance of an unemployed fisherman (Gleeson), they go to hilarious lengths to fabricate all the amenities of the big city and make it seem as though their sleepy town has everything Dr. Lewis could possibly want. Will the good doc fall for their tricks, or will he see through them to the truth about small town life?
Director
Don McKellar
A Member of the Order of Canada, McKellar is a prolific writer, filmmaker and actor whose work has garnered numerous awards. He wrote Highway 61, The Red Violin and Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould, and he wrote, directed and starred in Childstar and Last Night (which won the Prix de la jeunesse at the Cannes film festival). As an actor, he has starred in films such as Meditation Park and David Cronenberg’s Crimes of the Future. McKellar has also worked extensively in television, directing the series Sensitive Skin, as well as creating and showrunning The Sympathizer with Park Chan-wook.
Writers
Michael Dowse, Ken Scott
Cast
Taylor Kitsch, Brendan Gleeson, Gordon Pinsent, Liane Balaban
Producers
Barbara Doran, Roger Frappier
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Interest
ESL
Original Language
English
You Are Here: A Come From Away Story
What would you do if 6,600 people unexpectedly landed in your small town with no place to stay? For the 11,000 people of Gander, Newfoundland, this incredible event happened in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, when nearly 40 planes are rerouted and grounded there.
This documentary shows how this town in Newfoundland came together to feed, shelter and support all of the stranded airline passengers for 6 days.
With interviews from a selection of airline passengers and residents of the town, this emotional and inspirational documentary tells the incredible true story that inspired the smash-hit musical Come From Away.
Director
Moze Mossanen
Moze Mossanen is a director, writer and producer who has created a body of popular and critically acclaimed work that includes a unique blend of drama, documentary, music and performance. His films include Dance for Modern Times, Year of the Lion, Roxana, and Nureyev. His doc, Unsung: Behind the Glee, won one CSA, and You Are Here: A Come From Away Story, was released on HBO Canada and won two CSAs, including Best Documentary.
Writer
Moze Mossanen
Producer
Peter Gentile
Genre
Documentary
Interests
Asian Filmmaker, ESL, History
Original Language
English
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
Born in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Dunn established himself as a writer/director with short films such as Swallowed and Life Doesn’t Frighten Me, which starred Canadian screen legend Gordon Pinsent and won the CBC Short Film Face Off in 2013. His first feature, Closet Monster was released in 2015 and won the TIFF prize for Best Canadian Feature Film. He has written episodes of the 2022 reboot of Queer as Folk, Little America, and two Historica Heritage Minutes.
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, Discrimination, Family Relationships, LGBTQ2S+
Original Language
English
The Boys of St. Vincent
At the heart of this powerful film is a remarkable performance by Henry Czerny as Brother Peter Lavin, who transformed his own difficult childhood into a cycle of abuse and pain for others in his charge. Director John N. Smith grapples with this difficult subject with remarkable sensitivity and honesty, turning a dark chapter in Canada’s history into a thoughtful and affecting docudrama.
Director
John N. Smith
An Officer of the Order of Canada, Smith’s credits include award-winning TV docudramas such as Dieppe, Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story, and the Gemini Award-winning The Boys of St. Vincent. He also directed numerous feature films, including Sitting in Limbo, which won Best Canadian feature at TIFF in 1986, Dangerous Minds, A Cool Dry Place, Geraldine’s Fortune and Love & Savagery among others. In 2013, he won the Directors Guild of Canada Lifetime Achievement Award.
Writers
Sam Grana, John N. Smith, Des Walsh
Cast
Henry Czerny, Johnny Morina, Brian Dooley
Producers
Claudio Luca, Sam Grana
Genre
Drama
Interests
Classics, History, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
Life on the Rock has never been easy, but for teen Mitsy (Greeley) it is especially tough. Her goal of becoming a hairdresser seems like nothing more than a daydream, and she is desperate for deeper emotional connections with her absentee mother and the grandmother (Walsh) who raised her. When life gets difficult, Mitsy escapes into a loving relationship with Sparky, the adorable “crackie” mutt that she tries her best to love and cherish on her own.
Crackie is an inspiring and wryly funny coming-of-age drama about a young woman struggling to come to terms with her past and carve out a better future.
Director
Sherry White
Writer
Sherry White
Cast
Mary Walsh, Meghan Greeley, Cheryl Wells, Joel Thomas Hynes
Producers
Sherry White, Jennice Ripley, Rhonda Buckley
Genre
Drama
Interest
Female Filmmaker
Original Language
English