Canadian film

King Street almost feels like it did a few years ago as the Toronto International Film Festival returned this week for a fest that’s packed with everything that made it one of my favourite places every September.

National Canadian Film Day is April 20, and there are so many incredible films and filmmakers to celebrate, with lots of ways to take part this year, either watching a film, or hearing from some of the country’s best directors.

All My Puny Sorrows opens in theatres this week, and it cuts to the heart of a mother and her daughters dealing with painful family trauma that has haunted them for years.

The Available Light Film Festival celebrated their 20th anniversary with a lineup of Northern, Canadian, and international cinema that was filled with moving stories, storytellers, and a focus on the Yukon.

Vancouver filmmaker, director, and editor Lawrence Le Lam has had the idea for his upcoming movie, The Chinatown Diner, stewing in his head since childhood. The film is based on memories throughout his life, placed in the underground Chinatown hip hop scene and following a young beatmaker who, like him, has a parent who works in real estate.

A keenly detailed and emotionally charged snapshot of a young woman in free fall (both figuratively and literally), Canadian filmmaker Kazik Radwanski’s Anne at 13,000 ft. is a monumental achievement on an intimate scale.

Funny Boy, Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta’s adaptation of the 1994 bestselling novel by Shyam Selvadurai, is a mostly successful drama that works well when at its best, but occasionally delivers too light of a touch.

Splinters is a beautiful, honest, and refreshingly authentic Canadian film that takes you to rural Nova Scotia for a story about family, love, relationships, and the complicated nature of sexuality.

Talented singer and actor Ana Golja made a name for herself on the hit series Degrassi: The Next Generation, and now, after years working alongside Hollywood heavyweights, the 24-year-old became a producer with her new film, The Cuban.

For her unique, personal, and warm-hearted documentary Maison du Bonheur (opening at TIFF Bell Lighbox in Toronto this Frday), Canadian filmmaker Sofia Bohdanowicz took a brave leap of faith and decided to roll with whatever came her way.