The Canadian Film Fest on March 28-April 1 is hybrid this year, with in-person screenings at the Scotiabank Theatre and digital opps at Super Channel Fuse. In total, nine features, 25 shorts, and a digital series, running concurrently. The features showcased below screen at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto and digitally on Super Channel simultaneously except Streams Flow From a River.
OPENING NIGHT – Babysitter – Tuesday, March 28 – 7:00 pm ET Directed by Monia Chokri. When a sexist joke goes viral, Cédric loses his job and embarks on a therapeutic journey to free himself from sexism and misogyny. He and his girlfriend hire a mysterious and liberated babysitter to help shake things up.
Streams Flow from a River – Tuesday, March 28 – 9 pm ET Exclusive Super Channel Digital Premiere Directed by Christopher Yip. A freak snowstorm traps a dysfunctional Chinese Canadian family together in their rural Albertan hometown, forcing them to confront the events a decade prior that tore them all apart.
When Time Got Louder Wednesday, March 29 – 7:00 pm ET Directed by Connie Cocchia Departing for college, Abbie leaves her parents and brother who has autism and is non-verbal. As she explores her independence and sexuality, she’s torn between her new life and her love for her brother.
How to Get My Parents to Divorce – Thursday, March 30 – 7:00 pm ET Directed by Sandrine Brodeur- Justine is about to finish grade six and is tired of her parents fighting all the time and wants them to divorce. In order to force their hand, the pre-teen decides to create her own court. The end-of-school-year show is the pretext for this and friends will. serve as lawyers and judges. Then plan turns into an obsession.
Golden Delicious – Thursday, March 30 – 9:15 pm ET Directed by Jason Karman. When basketball-obsessed Aleks moves in across the street, Asian-Canadian teen Jake finds himself trying out for the basketball team to get his attention in this coming-of-age drama set in the digital age.
Bloom – Friday, March 31 – 7:00 pm ET Directed by Fanie Pelletier Through moments in the lives of three groups of girls, images gleaned from the web and live streams of young women around the world, delicately observes a connected but lonely generation’s inner struggle with self-image, the need for self-affirmation and sense of alienation.
Retrograde – Friday, March 31 – 9:15 pm ET Directed by Adrian Murray. A minor traffic citation spirals into an all-consuming obsession for a neurotic young woman.
Polarized – Saturday, April 1 – 7:00 pm ET Scotiabank Theatre Toronto & Super Channel Directed by Shamim Sarif. North America, present day. In a fading small town, Lisa goes to work at an ‘urban farm’ – the kind of controlled production that has helped push traditional farms like her family’s out of business. The political climate against immigrants, threatens the urban farm owners – Dalia and her successful, Muslim family.
Bystanders – Wednesday, March 29 – 9:40 pm ET Directed by Koumbie Kyle is Justin’s brother, Zeke is Justin’s roommate, Lily is Justin’s biggest fan, Sophia is Justin’s critic and Ayda is Justin’s first love. This group of childhood friends, now in their 20s, share their traditional spring weekend getaway and confront the elephant in the room: Justin.
CLOSING NIGHT: Wintertide Saturday, April 1 – 9:10 pm ET Directed by John Barnard Beth, a volunteer watch person in an isolated northern city battles a plague of depression that transforms the few remaining residents into empty, zombie-like automatons. She discovers that by entering an alternative dimension through her own dreams, she’s able to stave off the illness during the long, possibly endless winter. But will her power be enough to sustain her?
All the info here: Films 2023 — Canadian Film Fest (canfilmfest.ca)