As Canadians, we don’t do a great job talking about our national cinema. Most of the time, when someone raises the subject with me, it’s in the form of a question: “Why don’t I hear more about Canadian cinema?” I dunno, because you don’t listen?
Look, I write about Canadian cinema all the time. And there’s more of it in theatres than ever, thanks to the lower costs of production and distribution made possible with digital cinema.
Hell, earlier this month, I was on CBC’s Fresh Air talking about the fact that three Canadian films had opened around the country on the same day – Sleeping Giant, Borealis and Across The Line – and that they were all good! (Even better, Jean-Marc Vallée’s Demolition – an American production – had also opened that week.)
Anyway, in order to get folks thinking about homegrown cinema on a national scale, Reel Canada launched its National Canadian Film Day project three years ago – and it’s coming around again, this time on Wednesday April 20. Canadian films will screen in every province and territory, often in the presence of the filmmakers or stars.
In Toronto, NOW is presenting a free screening of David Cronenberg’s Scanners at The Royal at 7:30 pm, with star Stephen Lack there to mark the film’s 35th anniversary in a Q&A with yours truly. Tickets were going fast last time I looked, but you might still be able to snag one here.
And if you can’t, well, our event is just one of literally dozens. At the Revue Cinema, Geoff Pevere introduces three films by Don Owen, including his classic NFB drama Nobody Waved Goodbye, at 6:30 pm across town at The Fox, cléo’s Kiva Reardon presents Ginger Snaps at 7 pm down at CBC, Don McKellar and Eli Glasner will introduce McKellar’s The Grand Seduction in the atrium at 7 pm.
At the Lightbox, TIFF presents Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas’s hoser classic The Adventures Of Bob And Doug McKenzie In Strange Brew at 6:30 pm and Michael Dowse’s It’s All Gone Pete Tong at 8:45 pm. Sonic Boom Records is doing a late-night 30th anniversary screening of Tibor Takacs’s The Gate at 11 pm, introduced by creature performer Jonathan Llyr. (Tickets for that one are $5 at the door.)
The full list of events for Toronto (and across Canada) can be found here. Most of the screenings are free. If you’re coming to our Scanners screening, be sure to say hi! But see something.
And if another title on the list looks interesting, maybe catch up to it on demand or on DVD over the weekend. After all, you don’t need a good reason to watch a Canadian movie you just need a good movie.
May I suggest Our Loved Ones? Anne Émond’s generational drama didn’t even get a theatrical run in English Canada, but it’s available on DVD and iTunes and it’s one of the best Canadian films I’ve seen in years.
There. You’re welcome.
normw@nowtoronto.com | @normwilner
