Discoveries from Canada World Cinema

A woman finds out she's pregnant and returns home when the expected father wants nothing to do with her.

In 2009 three young men were killed in a remote part of Yellowstone National Park. Authorities never found the murderer. He found them! Hours after the trio were gunned down, Dwayne Nelson confessed to the crime. Despite this Nelson was allowed to go free because of an American Constitution loophole. Documentarian Julian T. Pinder travels to Yellowstone in a compelling chase for truth behind a crime that should have rocked the nation. How did a guilty man go free? In his hunt for answers Pinder risks his own life when he finds evidence that could re-open the case years later.

A pair of aspiring mystery novelists realize they know next to nothing about crime and decide to live their adventures venturing out into the big bad world. The boys pose as a cop and a criminal and quickly get in way over their heads.

New Mexico, present day. Brian and Lukas are off to the desert to join a kegger party and to celebrate Lukas’ victory in a motocross competition. His winning prize includes meeting The Deathinator, the biggest action star in the world. The party gets started under the hot desert sun, but Brian isn’t in the mood, so he wanders off and is soon joined by his friend, Lukas. They discover something strange in the desert which leads them into a secret military laboratory, where they discover the disturbing truth of what the government has been doing. Secret experiments on ants and spiders using DNA found in a meteorite which fell to Earth in 1951 has given birth to mutated giant ants which have overrun the facility. Now, it's up to Brian and Lukas to save the world from a giant ant invasion!

In this fun family comedy, a village rooster's punctual (and loud!) crowing keeps everyone awake until a group of sleepy locals hatch a scheme to get rid of him.

Luna is a former dancer, who left that dream behind for a grounded life managing her family’s construction business and gets the opportunity to transform a gymnasium into a studio for aerials. As she sneaks a moment to try dancing in the silks, she is surreptitiously discovered by Bennet, a professional aerialist, who has returned home from performing around the world. Bennet is none too pleased to walk in to find his contractor messing around on the silks, but when his partner for an upcoming show drops out, he soon recruits Luna to perform with him. As the hard work of this dynamic sport and the joys of Luna returning to her roots as a dancer bring them closer together, will their relationship crash or will they find a way to reach new heights?

Nine year old Murray Murray is discovering his sexuality in the era of disco and leisure suits. He has a crush on sixteen year old Deidre, whose younger sister believes herself to be Murray's girlfriend. He also must deal with, among other things, the noisome, nightly lovemaking of his swinger parents.

Stephen Leacock recounts his growing up period in the small town of Mariposa, Ontario, located on the shores of Lake Wissanotti with its notoriously leaky holiday steamer. It is a town similar to many other small towns in Canada with its odd assortment of residents.

When her marriage begins to suffer after her husband loses his job and turns to alcohol, vacationing housewife Grace Needham has a one-night stand with the mysterious Julian Grant. When she returns home, she discovers that her husband has been employed by Julian, whose attention towards her has turned obsessive.

In 1935, in a Quebec village, a boy observes with curiosity the little intrigues of the adult world.

A young writer named Espen Arnakke tells the story of his escape from the small Danish town of Jante. Espen boards a ship headed to Newfoundland, but the harsh conditions on board makes him jump ship, and he ends up in the little town of Misery Harbour. There he meets the girl of his dreams. But his passion shifts to jealousy when one of the men from the ship mysteriously appears in town, and sets out to make Espen's life a misery.

The devastating impact of industrial and military ocean noise on whales and other marine life.

Gabi and Spence, and Spooky the dog, are the “Ghost Patrol,” their town’s supernatural pest control, but they’ve never seen a real ghost. When they get a call to investigate the old Geist Manor, they are about to find the proof they have been looking for – and a whole lot more.

Working as a pharmacy clerk while dreaming of escape through dance, Normande St-Onge supports a household of dependent and unstable relatives. As her efforts to protect and hold together her improvised family intensify, the pressures of exploitation, eviction, and emotional isolation push her toward psychological collapse. Directed by Gilles Carle, the film blurs the boundary between fantasy and breakdown.

Lucy is a fearless young Black girl whose dream of becoming an astronaut collides with the extraordinary moment NASA astronauts descend on her small Canadian mining town. As Lucy and her friends navigate the complexities of their world, they discover the power of hope and the courage to dream big.

Alex and Drew investigate a self help retreat and the controversial life coach who oversees it.

Matt, a 19-year-old student, goes to the hospital to see his newborn son. He learns his girlfriend plans to put the baby up for adoption without his consent, so he takes his son to his grandmother's house to fight for custody.

A lavish dinner party turns uncomfortable for Jacob when he learns of the hosts unusual and archaic approach for settling debates.

Photographer Maggie learns her ex-boyfriend/ex-singing partner is in the wedding she is working. Tensions run high until they sing together, remembering how good they were as a duo.

Clara's mother is on her death bed as she tells her daughter that she regrets they are not closer. This revelation causes Clara to pursue a closer relationship with her own daughter, Bianca.

In the frenzy before Christmas, two single parents accidentally mix up their toys at a crowded department store. As a result, both of their Christmases appear to be ruined. Although the two can’t stand each other, the only way to get things back on track is to help each other salvage their holiday plans – not realizing they’re falling for each other in the process.

A ski-lodge event manager’s task of hosting a corporate Christmas party goes awry when the resort is cut off by a snowstorm and the hard-to-please CEO turns out to be an old flame.

Set in beautiful Vancouver, four friends set out on an everyday errand and end up in a fight for their lives when they discover the body of a dead hooker left in their trunk.

A proofreader at a small-town newspaper decides to try to solve a series of decapitation murders, and reluctantly gets involved with the nutty daughter of his editor. Before long he discovers that he is the prime suspect in the murders.

Chuck has decided that its time to start dating girls only he has no idea how to or what to expect.

Exodus Decoded is a documentary created by Jewish Canadian filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici, in which new evidence in favor of the historicity of the Biblical Exodus is explored.

Cassie has no problem falling asleep -- it's staying awake that's the hard part, because she's narcoleptic. Fortunately for Cassie, she works in a lab that has just created a serum to treat this disruptive condition. However, when subjects in the trial for this new drug start dropping dead, she uncovers a conspiracy that sends her on a dangerous pursuit of the truth. Will she fall asleep on the job? Let's hope not -- she's got a lot of bullets (and sleep-deprived hallucinations) to dodge along her road to justice.

A San Francisco policewoman accepts a favor from a local crime boss to counter a nasty child custody battle with her ex-husband, and finds herself dangerously entangled with the mob.

Twenty-five long years after his time in the limelight, former child actor Cody Lightning tries to revive his fortunes with a self-produced sequel to Smoke Signals in this smart, irreverent new comedy.

Jenna Lane is a young woman trying to escape family pressure to become an Olympic athlete and define her own individuality. Her mother is Celia, a deeply disturbed woman with addictions to emotional abuse and handguns. As she attempts to manipulate Jenna and feed her addictions, Celia grows increasingly irrational and ultimately spirals out of control.

In the 1940s thousands of immigrants are coming from Europe to Canada offering strength and skills in exchange for hope and a new life. 'The long night is ended, the morning draws nigh,' sums up the feelings of those who are sped through immigration formalities on their way to a fresh existence. Though the language may be different, these new Canadians soon find things in Canada that remind them of Holland, Poland or Belgium. Some immigrants carry on with their old trades--sewing, farming, diamond cutting. Others, on huge projects such as Des Joachims, use their muscles to help build their adopted homeland, while their love of culture and their skilled professions will make valuable contributions to Canada in the future.

The biopic of how Kevin Smith bankrolled his $27,000 first film with maxed-out credit cards and became the darling of the Sundance Film Festival when Clerks debuted there in 1994.

Alli Blakeman is an entertainment writer who learns that movie magic isn't always just on-screen after she discovers the mysterious origins of a classic Christmas movie.

It is Christmas Eve, and a clumsy elf accidentally shrinks down two cousins into miniature sizes! The kids are then scooped up into Santa's sack and dropped off across the street at their neighbour's house. In order to make it home for Christmas (just one house away!), the tiny kids must comically work together and overcome holiday hazards to set themselves right and make Christmas magic happen! But, will the tiny kids get home on time?

A private investigator reads a book of sinister origins and unknowingly puts his daughter and himself in a fight for their lives...and their eternal souls.

A woman moves to a new home after her police officer husband is killed. She soon discovers a place where growing prescription drug abuse is creating a nightmare of lies, crime, and murder.

Gerald Price, who is a clerk at at advertising agency, is tired of being lowest in rank. When he meets the girl of his dreams he has to deal with her boyfriend, a gangster.

After receiving fertile eggs from a donor, Rebecca and Caleb are finally able to have a child and start a family. Several years later, a strange woman appears in their life, and is oddly drawn to their daughter. The egg donor has returned–and she wants what is “rightfully” hers.

In 1959, a young journalist ventures to Havana, Cuba to meet his idol, the legendary Ernest Hemingway who helped him find his literary voice, while the Cuban Revolution comes to a boil around them.

A group of actors putting on an interpretive Passion Play in Montreal begin to experience a meshing of their characters and their private lives as the production takes form against the growing opposition of the Catholic church.

A French-to-Spanish interpreter working for a food processing plant that hires seasonal workers from Guatemala is, at first determined to obey the sometimes excessive directives of the young boss, but she befriends the workers and tries to defend them against the exploitation they suffer.

Two men witness an unexplainable event in the sky as a historic solar storm approaches, and they try to survive as a terrifying life form hunts them.

Young Ivan Drago's newfound love of board games catapults him into the fantastical and competitive world of game invention, and pits him against the inventor Morodian, who has long desired to destroy the city of Zyl, founded by Ivan's grandfather. To save his family and defeat Morodian, Ivan must come to know what it is to be a true games maker.

James Hatcher embezzles ten million dollars from a joint mafia/CIA operation, leaving them squabbling with each other. Unemployed Lewis Kinney gets caught up in the intrigue, and must try to recover the money, while saving the beautiful Lise Hatcher (hopefully for himself).

Young Elsie is shocked to learn that her eccentric mother wanted her ashes to be scattered among her five ex-husbands. Elsie is adamant about carrying out her mother's wishes, but the trip fundamentally alters her course.

The new female warden of a high-security prison faces challenges when an inmate puts up a bounty to anyone who can break him out of jail.

After giving up her mafia husband to the police, and starting a new life in witness protection, Erin thinks she's rid of Jimmy forever. However, a mysterious stranger has her worrying Jimmy is back.

In a quiet Toronto apartment, an immigrant mother finds comfort in her Alexa—weather updates, love songs, and the time back home become a lifeline to the Philippines, reminding her of the family she left behind. In the Morning Sun is a gentle portrait of aging, migration, and memory.

Siblings gather to meet their father's new wife and kids.

A young girl, who has recently lost her eyesight to a degenerative disease, struggles to outwit an escaped convict who has taken refuge in her grandmother's cabin during a ferocious snowstorm.

Kate Francis has been a loyal assistant at a Seattle newspaper for the past five years. When one of her story ideas finally gets accepted, the assignment takes her back to her charming hometown of Sunflower Valley.

Mohawk archaeologist Baptiste Asigny engages in a search for his ancestors following a tragic terrain slump in the Percival Molson Stadium.

Based on Naomi Klein's book This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate, a look at how people in various communities around the world play a role in the ongoing climate change debate and how they're affecting change in trying to prevent the environmental destruction of our planet.

A father brings a young child to an emergency room to get treatment for a minor injury occurring in an innocent accident, but he gets accused of child abuse. Child welfare agencies commit grossly unfair over-reactions to remove the child forcibly from the Father, who must brave the arcane system to reclaim his daughter.

The Abnormal Beauty Company offers a raw, rare glimpse into the meteoric rise of The Ordinary, the price of transparency, and the enduring legacy of one of the world’s most disruptive skincare brands and the enduring legacy of its troubled, genius founder.

An arborist helps a fourth generation Christmas tree farmer whose evergreens are dying just before the holiday. As she tries to get to the root of the problem before the town tree lighting, they begin to fall in love.

A story of ambition, love, betrayal and greed.

The crew aboard the Romano Fafard spaceship continues their mission. Captain Patenaude and his acolytes land on planet: Crème hydratante pour le visage soulage la peau sèche (moisturing cream for the face soothes dry skin!) in hopes of finding the ship’s probe, accidentally crashed, that they must have in order to move the Earthlings. Their search is in vain, but it leads them to the tyrannical Governor Supreme who rules the planet. Just when the governor is about to tell them where to find a new probe, there’s a terrible explosion. Will the captain and the Romano Fafard find a liveable planet where they can move six billion Earthlings? And if so, when?

A deadbeat drunk and a junkie hooker join forces to take on the city, each other, and their own personal shortcomings while trying to scam $98 for bus tickets out of town.