National Canadian Film Day 2022 Brings Back Huge Audiences for Canadian Film

Nearly 1300 events celebrate Canadian film on April 20, 2022

TORONTO June 30, 2022 the ninth annual National Canadian Film Day (NCFD) was back – live and in person! Over the past nine years NCFD has proven to be a massive platform for Canadian films, and for Indigenous-made films from Canada. The 2022 numbers speak for themselves: 

  • 1230 events across Canada
  • 59 international screenings in 43 countries around the world
  • 65,000+ people attended live NCFD events
  • An estimated 2.5 million people watched a Canadian film on broadcast or streaming

In partnership with Telefilm Canada and with generous support from Netflix Canada, NCFD 2022 marked a major return to cinemas after two years of virtual events.

REEL CANADA Artistic Director Sharon Corder says, “We are thrilled and gratified to see so many of our partners excited to celebrate with us again and to see audiences return to the collective experience of watching a Canadian film as part of a live audience.”

Full details are contained in the NCFD 2022 Report, which can be viewed here. Some highlights can be found below.

This year, we are honoured that Canada’s Governor General, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, served as the Honorary Patron of National Canadian Film Day. An official video greeting from Her Excellency preceded all NCFD screenings this year.

The 2022 Spotlight, Celebrating Indigenous Voices, presented in association with imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival, was embraced by audiences, with over 900 screenings of Indigenous-made films across Canada and internationally. 

Capping the Spotlight were two intimate panel discussions – one in Toronto with directors Danis Goulet (Cree/Métis) and Tracey Deer (Mohawk), moderated by APTN broadcaster Adam Garnet Jones (Cree/Métis), which streamed live on CBC Gem, and one in Montreal with Indigenous film pioneer Alanis Obomsawin (Abenaki) and trailblazing filmmaker Jeff Barnaby (Mi’qmaw), inaugurating the NFB’s new screening room, the Alanis Obamsawin Theatre.

Over 50 filmmakers, stars and other special guests participated,, including Shane Belcourt (Métis), Sonia Bonspille Boileau (Mohawk), Pierre-Luc Brillant, Stephen Campanelli, Atom Egoyan, Colm Feore, Marc-André Grondin, Dakota Ray Hebert (Dene), Zoe Leigh Hopkins (Heiltsuk/Mohawk), Anna Lambe (Inuk), Brooklyn Letexier-Hart (Cree/Métis), Phillip Lewitski (Mohawk), Moze Mossanen, Joshua Odjick (Algonquin/Anishinaabe), Loretta Todd (Cree/Métis), Anne Wheeler, Alan Zweig, and more.

NCFD was also celebrated online and on the air with participation from all major broadcasters and streamers.

Canadian broadcasters were all-in, with both Hollywood Suite and Super Channel running 24 hours of Canadian films and new broadcast partner Uvagut TV and streaming partners The Roku Channel and Game TV joining the party.

Netflix kicked off NCFD with an announcement of 21 new Canadian films debuting on Netflix Canada as part of a new collection, Celebrating Canadian Films.

Join us on April 19, 2023, for NCFD’s special Tenth Anniversary edition!

NCFD is a huge endeavour made possible through the efforts of dedicated sponsors and partners who continue to support us year after year. We’re thrilled that so many of our sponsors returned in 2022, including Telefilm Canada, Netflix, Encore+, CBC, Bell Media, Hollywood Suite, Cineplex, Landmark Cinemas, CMPA, and more. The complete list can be found on the sponsor page of our website

Visit canfilmday.ca for more information. You can also find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram: @CanFilmDay, TikTok at @canfilmday and #CanFilmDay.

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 (NCFD) — REEL CANADA has reached millions of students, new Canadians, and general audience members.

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