Portrait
Adrenaline Bach
Adrenaline Bach is a visually stunning short film that features Tim Sellars, a triathlon athlete who trains among the forests, ridges and mists of Canada’s boreal mountains. A meditation on …
Alegria
Filmed without comment, this study of guitar-making says as much about the maker, Fred Anders, as about the instrument. There is a feeling here, the feeling of a man at …
Alphée of the Stars
Directed by Hugo Latulippe and co-produced by Esperamos and the NFB, this documentary follows the filmmaker’s daughter, Alphée. She has a rare genetic condition called Smith-Lemli-Opitz disorder, for which there …
Alter Egos
In this award-winning animation-documentary, we meet two unusual artists. Ryan Larkin was once a brilliant filmmaker who ended up on the streets in Montreal. Chris Landreth is a rising star …
Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story
A lost R&B star who eclipsed Etta James and Little Richard, trans soul singer Jackie Shane blazed an extraordinary trail with an unbreakable commitment to her truth. Forty years after …
Arab Women Say What?!
With unadulterated truth and complexity, Arab Women Say What?! paints an unparalleled portrait of Arab women living in Canada. The film offers a counter-mainstream narrative that embraces the unique experiences …
The Artisans
“We’re beautiful, the whole gang. We’re special,” says Jean of the 15-odd employees at The Artisan—a workshop employing people with intellectual disabilities. Jean is the self-described “handyman and best-looking” member …
At the Beach
In this short documentary, burn victims get to enjoy a family day at the beach thanks to an outing organized by the Association des grands brûlés. Enduring the curious stares …
The Auctioneer
Dale Menzak is an auctioneer specializing in the sale of family farms. A man of few words when not auctioneering, he also works part-time as an undertaker. Set against a …
Becoming Labrador
In the stark Labrador interior, a growing number of Filipino workers have recently landed in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, travelling halfway around the world for jobs they hope will offer their …
Blood and Water
When the 2004 tsunami hit the coast of Sri Lanka, 65-year-old Anton Ambrose's wife and daughter were killed. "In five minutes," he says, "I lost everything."
A year later, Anton …
Bone Wind Fire
This Emmy-nominated feature film is an intimate and evocative journey into the hearts, minds and eyes of Georgia O’Keeffe, Emily Carr and Frida Kahlo - 3 of the 20th century’s …
Brother 2 Brother
A documentary that follows Corey Lucas, a 21-year-old African Canadian, as he tries to reconcile his urge to be a hustler with his need to be a responsible father and …
The Dance of Words
Over 200,000 people in Canada are deaf. For deaf francophones, Quebec Sign Language is essential to both their identity and their connection to the deaf community. In the past decades, …
Danny
Danny Williams was the charismatic and unflinching Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador from 2003 to 2010. By the time he left office, he had become the most popular—and controversial—Canadian politician …
Daughter of the Crater
A woman with a deep love of the land, Yolande Simard Perrault sees her life as having been shaped by a planetary upheaval in Charlevoix, Quebec, millions of years ago. …
The Days Before Christmas
This short documentary depicts Christmas time in Montreal. The milling crowds, department store Santas, Brink's messengers, kindergarten angels and boisterous nightclubs all combine to make a vivid portrait of the …
Dear Audrey
Acclaimed activist-filmmaker Martin Duckworth has devoted his life to peace and justice. But now he’s put down his camera to fight for the most important cause he’s ever faced. While …
Debris
This short film is a portrait of Tofino, BC intertidal artist Pete Clarkson as he crafts his most ambitious and personal project to date: a memorial to the 2011 Great …
The Devil's Share
Quebec, on the cusp of the 1960s. The province is on the brink of momentous change. Deftly selecting clips from nearly 200 films from the National Film Board of Canada …
Don't Let the Angels Fall
The film reflects the dilemma of an urban family whose private world is no longer proof against strains from outside. The head of the family, a Montréal businessman tormented by …
Earth to Mouth
Filmed at the Wing Fong Farm in Ontario, this documentary follows the tilling, planting and harvesting of Asian vegetables destined for Chinese markets and restaurants. On 80 acres of land, …
Everybody's Children
Monika Delmos's documentary captures a year in the life of two teenage refugees, Joyce and Sallieu, who have left their own countries to make a new life in Ontario. Joyce, …
Finding Macpherson
This feature doc tells the story of the improbable friendship between acclaimed Quebec singer Félix Leclerc and the intriguing Frank Randolph Macpherson. A chemical engineer from Jamaica, Macpherson immigrated to …
Fire-Jo-Ball
Jo-Ann, a 57-year-old bartender, dreams of becoming a singer and actress. Oscillating between spectacular and intimate, between extra and ordinary, Jo-Ann infuses her daily life (and the film) with true …
Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie
This feature documentary profiles the life and work of world-renowned Canadian scientist, educator, broadcaster and activist David Suzuki on the occasion of his last lecture in 2009—a lecture he describes …
French Enough
At her family’s cabin on Wakaw Lake, Saskatchewan, renowned Fransaskois singer-songwriter Alexis Normand invites audiences into a series of candid exchanges about belonging and bilingualism on the Prairies. Weaving together …
From Harling Point
This documentary tells the story of a Chinese cemetery in BC that became a National Heritage site. For Chinese pioneers who died in Canada, Victoria's Chinese Cemetery at Harling Point …
Hell Runs on Gasoline!
This short documentary transports us to the Saint-Félicien racetrack, where engines are running hot and excitement has reached a fever pitch. With its thunderous soundtrack, jarring backfires and choking clouds …
Hey Lou!
This short documentary is an exploration of life, from the first breath to the last. Footsteps in a rocky desert. Human shadows cast upon the ground. A bedridden woman suffering …
In Pieces
Paule Baillargeon is 37 years old, 11 years old, 65 years old. . . In this film composed of fragments, she tells her story: the story of a woman, a …
Inseparable
In their small country home in New Brunswick, Jean-Paul and Anne, who suffer respectively from physical and intellectual impairments, share an unwavering love for each other. Declarations of love, little …
Interview with a Free Man
In this documentary short, several men go through a job interview eager to get a fresh start in life. With each question that's asked, we glimpse tiny snippets of their …
Into Light
When a child reveals who they truly are on the inside, how does a parent set aside their own expectations to help them become their most authentic self? Sheona McDonald’s …
Invisible City
Invisible City is a moving story of two boys from Regent Park crossing into adulthood – their mothers and mentors rooting for them to succeed; their environment and social pressures …
Joe
This animated short tells the story of Seraphim "Joe" Fortes, one of Vancouver's most beloved citizens. Born in the West Indies, Joe Fortes swam in English Bay for over than …
Journey to Justice
This documentary pays tribute to a group of Canadians who took racism to court. They are Canada's unsung heroes in the fight for Black civil rights. Focusing on the 1930s …
Jutra
This semi-animated documentary is a creative, colourful portrait of the great Quebec filmmaker Claude Jutra, director of Mon oncle Antoine and star and co-director, with Norman McLaren, of A Chairy …
The Last Key
A young immigrant arrives in Canada from France—and brings his Citroën 2CV with him. The iconic post-war car stands out on the streets of Vancouver, and before long he meets …
Legend of a Warrior
In this feature length documentary, filmmaker Corey Lee attempts to reconnect with his father, renowned martial artist Frank Lee. Frank's status as legendary street fighter and coach have kept him …
Let the Daylight into the Swamp
In this experimental short, filmmaker Jeffrey St. Jules reconstructs the story of his grandparents and their rugged frontier existence in the logging towns of Northern Ontario. A blend of fiction …
Life Lessons at the Lula Lounge
This short documentary is about a young Cuban band that has recently moved to Canada. The members spend their days learning English and their nights playing and rehearsing their own …
Making It
This short documentary is an inspiring portrait of Black youth who have made their ambitious dreams come true through willpower. Made as part of the Work For All project 2006, …
Marie
Adapted from excerpts of Robert Lepage's theatrical epic Lipsynch, this short drama profiles Marie, a jazz singer left with temporary aphasia following brain surgery. Memory gaps have robbed her …
Martha of the North (Short Version)
Martha was only 5 when she and her parents were lured away from their Inuit village. Along with a handful of other families, they were moved to Canada’s most northerly …
A Memory Forgotten: A Generation Sacrificed
This short documentary is a portrait of Martine Duviella, whose parents were forced to flee Haiti during the Duvalier regime. Here, Duviella recounts the story of her activist father and …
Michelle
In this short film, our protagonist Michelle suffers from schizophrenia and has just come out of a psychiatric institution. Finding refuge in the Quebec bookstore where she works, this tortured …
A Mother Apart
An emotionally sweeping tale of healing and forgiveness, A Mother Apart accompanies powerhouse Jamaican-American poet and LGBTQ+ activist Staceyann Chin as she re-imagines the essential art of mothering—having been abandoned …
Mug of a Diver
Jean-Claude Roubaud's passion is the sea. He's a diver, and for over 15 years has been making his childhood dream come true: earning his living finding sunken treasure. To be …
The Mystery of Mazo de la Roche
This feature documentary tells the mysterious story of Canadian author Mazo de la Roche, author of the Jalna novels. Using both dramatic and documentary techniques, the film explores this compelling …
Night Mayor
This short Guy Maddin film tells the story of inventor Nihad Ademi, who harnesses the power of the aurora borealis in Winnipeg in 1939. Ademi uses this power to broadcast …
Ninth Floor
Director Mina Shum makes her foray into feature documentary by reopening the file on a watershed moment in Canadian race relations – the infamous Sir George Williams Riot. Over four …
Nowhere Land
This short documentary serves as a quiet elegy for a way of life, which exists now only in the memories of those who experienced it. Bonnie Ammaaq and her family …
A Part of Me
A Part of Me addresses a little-known topic: hair loss in women. The documentary focuses on Karène, the director’s wife, who suffers from alopecia and is ready to do anything …
A Passage Beyond Fortune
Through an intimate archive of the Chow’s family lineage, A Passage Beyond Fortune offers an homage to the culturally significant but buried history of Chinese-Canadian communities in Moose Jaw.
Pauline Julien, Intimate and Political
With a meticulous selection of interviews, performances and photos drawn from a vast and rich archival collection, Pauline Julien, Intimate and Political follows the iconic Quebec singer and eternally free …
The Pony
This short film tells the heart-warming Christmas story of two Saskatchewan farm children and a pony named Pancho. There’s no real place for a horse on a fully mechanized wheat …
The Portrait
It’s the opportunity of a lifetime for artist Phil Richards, who’s been commissioned to create Canada’s official portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for her Diamond Jubilee. Academy Award®-nominated …
Prosecutor
This feature documentary follows the Chief Prosecutor through the first trials of the newly formed International Criminal Court. Luis Moreno-Ocampo investigates and prosecutes some of the world's worst criminals for …
The Queen in Canada, 1964
This short documentary follows Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh as they visit Canada to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Confederation. A hundred years earlier, the Fathers of Confederation …
Quiet Forces
In this non-narrative short, director Sophie Dupuis documents the daily lives of sailors aboard the frigate HMCS Ottawa on a mission in the Pacific Ocean, somewhere between the coasts of …
A Quiet Girl
In A Quiet Girl, adopted Montreal filmmaker Adrian Wills discovers, on camera and in real time, the startling truths of his complex beginnings in Newfoundland. Shocking details drive Wills …
Ready to Learn
This film is a moving portrait of an alternative school model that aims to instill self-esteem through African centred learning.
Remembering Maria Chapdelaine
This feature documentary by Jean-Claude Labrecque recounts the bold and astounding enterprise of French filmmaker Julien Duvivier, who shot a film adaptation of Louis Hémon’s classic novel Maria Chapdelaine in …
Revealing Marie Saint Pierre
Revealing Marie Saint Pierre is an art documentary about Quebec fashion designer Marie Saint Pierre. The film gives razor sharp insights into her creative process, and being a woman and …
Richard Cardinal: Cry from a Diary of a Métis Child
Richard Cardinal died by his own hand at the age of 17, having spent most of his life in a string of foster homes and shelters across Alberta. In this …
Rock the Box
Critic-turned-filmmaker Katherine Monk trains her lens on DJ Rhiannon Rozier in this short film about breaking the glass ceiling in a music industry dominated by men. The Vancouver-raised, university-educated Rozier …
Scratches of Life: The Art of Pierre Hébert
Employing an arresting black-and-white palette punctuated with animated flourishes, Scratches of Life: The Art of Pierre Hébert unwinds the thread of the scratch-on-film technique, guiding us through the inspiring labyrinth …
Secretariat's Jockey, Ron Turcotte
Secretariat’s legendary jockey Ron Turcotte is one of the few champions to have won the prestigious American Triple Crown. This is the remarkable story of Turcotte’s rise to fame in …
Self(less) Portrait
In this feature documentary, 50 people decide to bare all about their personal lives and discuss a multitude of subjects on camera, ranging from funny anecdotes to heartbreaking experiences. From …
Seth's Dominion
This short documentary, part animation and part live action, is a portrait of Canadian cartoonist Seth, best known for his Palookaville comic books. Throughout his works, Seth transforms an poignant …
Sleeping Tigers: The Asahi Baseball Story
This feature-length documentary tells the story of the Asahi baseball team. In pre-World War II Vancouver, the team was unbeatable, winning the Pacific Northwest Championship for five straight years. After …
The Socalled Movie
This feature-length documentary is a dynamic kaleidoscopic portrait of Socalled (aka Josh Dolgin), a multi-disciplinary musician and artist whose unique blend of klezmer, hip hop and funk is blasting through …
The Song and the Sorrow
The Song and the Sorrow follows Catherine as she journeys to understand her father and face her own struggles with mental illness. Through archival footage and intimate interviews with friends, …
Speakers for the Dead
This documentary reveals some of the hidden history of Blacks in Canada. In the 1930s in rural Ontario, a farmer buried the tombstones of a Black cemetery to make way …
Star Wars Kid: The Rise of the Digital Shadows
In this Mathieu Fournier documentary on the first viral phenomenon of the digital age, Ghyslain Raza (the “Star Wars Kid”) breaks his silence and reflects on his story for the …
Stories We Tell
Stories We Tell is an inspired, genre-twisting film by Oscar®-nominated director Sarah Polley, and produced by Anita Lee for the NFB. Her playful investigation into the elusive truth buried within …
They Think I'm Chinese!
Thousands of girls who were in the first wave of Chinese children to be adopted in Québec in the 1990s have reached adolescence. The filmmaker focused her lens on five …
Thomas
This short fiction is part of Robert Lepage's three-piece cinematic work Triptych, itself an adaptation of Lepage's own epic nine-hour theatre play. Like his namesake in Caravaggio's iconic painting, …
Tokyo Girls
This feature documentary is a candid journey into the world of 4 young Canadian women who work as well-paid hostesses in exclusive Japanese nightclubs. Lured by adventure and easy money, …
Trudeau's Other Children
Musicians Vineet Vyas, Mei Han and Asif Illyas are part of one of the greatest social experiments the world has seen: multiculturalism. Nearly 40 years ago, under the eye of …
Unarmed Verses
This feature documentary presents a thoughtful and vivid portrait of a community facing imposed relocation. At the centre of the story is a remarkably astute and luminous 12-year-old black girl …
Unmothered
On August 31, 1995, tragedy struck the Guerrette family when Mona, a mother of two, died from breast cancer at age 42, leaving behind a husband and their daughters, Mylène …
Wavemakers
This feature documentary takes us on an intriguing human and musical discovery of the most expressive of electronic instruments, the Ondes Martenot. A group of Martenot aficionados pursues the legacy …
What Walaa Wants
Raised in a refugee camp in the West Bank while her mother was in an Israeli prison, Walaa is determined to become one of the few women in the Palestinian …
Where I Belong
This documentary tells the story of a young man’s struggle to balance his African traditions and new Canadian home. Arinze Eze was born in Canada and raised in Nigeria. An …
The Wings of Johnny May
The first Inuit bush pilot in Nunavik, Johnny May has lived through adventures worthy of the novels of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. While his exploits have made him a legend among …
Wipe Out
Narrated by Olympic gold medalist Ross Rebagliati, this film tells the story of three young men living with permanent brain damage as the result of head injuries they suffered pursuing …
World of Passage
In this short documentary, massive ships harking from all four corners of the world majestically glide by on the St. Lawrence River as riverside residents watch. But they know nothing …
Writing the Land
In this short documentary, a Musqueam elder rediscovers his Native language and traditions in the city of Vancouver, near where the Musqueam people have lived for thousands of years.
Writing …