Film Countries Archives: Canada

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A woman with short hair works at a desk, behind her the sky is painted orange from the setting sun.

Through the Night Quitter la nuit

  Delphine Girard

  Belgium, Canada, France     108 minutes

Synopsis

Late one night, Aly calls the police from the passenger seat of a car racing along a deserted road. She feels she is in danger from Dary, the man in the driver’s seat whose behavior is becoming increasingly explosive. Anna fields the call, deftly decrypting Aly’s conversation with her “sister” and talking her through the unfolding nightmare. Dary is arrested, and an investigation is underway. Weeks go by, and tensions mount. Aly must figure out what it means to carry on. Anna becomes obsessed with Aly’s future. Dary must account for his actions.

An intelligent and provocative expansion of director Delphine Girard’s Oscar-nominated short of the same title, Through the Night turns the traditional thriller on its head, intertwining the paths and points of view of these three characters in the aftermath of a sexual assault. The film deftly navigates between the shifting perspectives and story lines to create a tense, 360-degree view that never loses sight of the trauma’s impact rippling out over time and across communities.

 French with subtitles 

Content Considerations
Sexual violence
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Screenings & Events

Film Credits

  •   Versus production (BE) – Haut et court (FR) – Colonelle Films (CA) – The Reunion (BE)
  •   Delphine Girard
  •   Damien Keyeux
  •   Juliette Van Dormael
  •   Selma Alaoui, Veerle Baetens, Guillaume Duhesme, Anne Dorval
  •   Ben Shemie
  •   Gwennaëlle Libert
  •   Versus Production, Haut et Court, Colonelle Films, The Reunion
  •   https://playtime.group/film/626b30db8d97dd0004c5bb1a

Sponsors

New Directors Program Sponsors

Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation

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A woman wearing a vibrant green wig and elaborate makeup, blows smoke into the air from a cigarette.

The People’s Joker

  Vera Drew

  United States, Canada, Scotland     92 minutes

Synopsis

Although it made headlines as a wildly parodic rebuke to corporate IP, The People’s Joker is also a surprisingly intimate and heartfelt film. Quadruple-hyphenate writer-director-effects artist Vera Drew stars as “Joker,” an alt-comedy clown in Gotham City whose journey towards self-actualization is facilitated by her pal The Penguin (Nathan Faustyn) and a vat of feminizing chemicals.

The People’s Joker originated online, with a call for musicians, actors, and filmmakers to contribute to a “queer coming-of-age film” set inside the Batman universe. More than 150 artists responded, and their contributions are woven into this madcap work of comedic resistance. With a supporting cast that includes SNL‘s Sarah Squirm and Tim & Eric regular David Liebe Hart, The People’s Joker is a brilliant take on the personal nature of fandom, a love letter to trans artists and trans creativity, and an uproarious comedy from an exciting new talent.

  

 English 

Screenings & Events

Media

Film Credits

  •   Joey Lyons, Vera Drew
  •   Bri LeRose, Vera Drew
  •   Vera Drew
  •   Nate Cornett
  •   Vera Drew, Lynn Downey, Kane Distler, Griffin Kramer, Nathan Faustyn, David Liebe Hart, Tim Heidecker, Ruin Carroll, Bob Odenkirk, Scott Aukerman, Trevor Drinkwater, Denali Winter, Bambi Bell, Dan Curry, Daniella Baker, Maria Bamford
  •   Justin Krol, Quinn Scharber, Ember Knight, Danni Rowan, Elias and the Error
  •   Brian Alkerton, Riccardo Maddalosso, Bee Frederickson, Leo Kovalik Jr., Joey Lyons
  •   Haunted Gay Ride Productions
  •   https://thepeoplesjoker.com

Sponsors

Comedy Program Sponsor

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A dark haired woman stands with her arms, covered in rubber gloves, bent in front of her.

The Nature of Love Simple comme Sylvain

  Monia Chokri

  Canada, France     111 minutes

Synopsis

Plenty of films have been made about adultery. But not many of them are rom-coms told from the perspective of the philandering woman. Sophia (Magalie Lépine Blondeau) is a philosophy professor whose relationship with nice guy Xavier (Francis-William Rhéaume) stimulates her mind — and that’s about it. Enter Sylvain (Pierre-Yves Cardinal), a simple handyman who excites Sophia in all the ways her partner cannot. How can she choose between these two very different men, each of whom satisfies her in distinct ways?

Writer-director Monia Chokri asks a provocative question — can sexual and intellectual gratification co-exist in the same relationship? — in this seductive, playful story about having it all.

 French with subtitles 

Screenings & Events

Media

Film Credits

  •   Sylvain Corbeil, Nancy Grant, Nathanaël Karmitz, Elisha Karmitz
  •   Monia Chokri
  •   Pauline Gaillard
  •   André Turpin
  •   Magalie Lépine-Blondeau, Pierre-Yves Cardinal, Monia Chokri
  •   Emile Sornin
  •   Philippe Lombart
  •   Metafilms, MK Productions

Sponsors

Comedy Program Sponsor

Logo: The Second City 329x75

Film Supporter

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A drag queen in a long wig and leotard performs in front of an adoring crowd.

Solo

  Sophie Dupuis

  Canada     103 minutes

Synopsis

Simon, a talented and carefree drag artist, is the rising star of his club, aided by his costume designer sister. When he meets new performer Olivier, their chemistry is immediate and undeniable. The two dive headfirst into a whirlwind romance combined with artistic collaboration, and their love and performance are both passionate and destructive. Meanwhile, Simon also finds hope in the promise of a renewed relationship with his estranged mother, a famous opera singer from whom he is desperate to receive love and artistic validation.

An increasingly controlling Olivier, a cold and distant mother, and Simon’s neglect of his supportive sister illuminate the toxic cycles of codependency and disappointment in his life, empowering him to realize that perhaps he shines most brightly as a solo act. Sophie Dupuis (Family First) returns to the festival with a vibrant and scintillating tale of self-actualization, with stunning drag performances that hold up a mirror between art and life.

 English, French with subtitles 

Screenings & Events

Media

Film Credits

  •   Étienne Hensez
  •   Sophie Dupuis
  •   Marie-Pier Dupuis, Dominique Fortin, Maxim Rheault
  •   Mathieu Laverdière
  •   Théodore Pellerin, Félix Maritaud, Anne-Marie Cadieux, Alice Moreault
  •   Charles Lavoie
  •   BRAVO CHARLIE

Sponsors

Film Supporters

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Soft

  Joseph Amenta

  Canada      2022    

Synopsis

Three friends fall in love with summertime Toronto’s lively nightlife. Young, queer, and unapologetically self-confident, the trio spends their days holding court and plotting to sneak into a nightclub. When one of their caregivers goes missing under suspicious circumstances, reality comes crashing in and their seemingly unbreakable bond is tested. Featuring remarkable performances from its young actors, Soft is a tender portrait of youth, friendship, and life on the city’s margins.


  87 minutes

Screenings & Events

Media

Sponsors

Film Partner

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Accessibility Partner

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