We have extolled the virtues of Canadian film here at CanadianCrossing.com. Thanks to REEL Canada and a few sponsors, we now have a day to celebrate Canadian film with National Canadian Film Day.
You can watch an English Canadian film, a French Canadian film, an Inuit film. You can even watch a Canadian film in other languages filmed in other lands. You can combine English and French in a film such as "Bon Cop, Bad Cop."
Maritimes films, Quebec cinema, Ontario films, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Arctic Circle. Lots to choose.
You can find participating theatres in Canada, watch films online, or find them on Canadian TV channels.
In the States, you can find Canadian films in video stores, Netflix, and on cable.
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REEL Canada explains the need for a National Canadian Film Day:
Let's face it, Canada needs all the help it can get. We're a population the size of California on a land mass the size of Russia, so it’s actually legitimately difficult for us to get to know one another. The days of the CBC being one of three or four channels on TV are so behind us that most of you reading this have no idea what that reference even means.
Way back in the day, it was the railroad that tied us all together. Canada needs another kind of track for the 21st century, so REEL CANADA humbly suggests: Movies. It's easier to watch a movie than take a train trip and when it's over you don't have to find a hotel or deal with your luggage.
In describing why I think Canada is a very cool place to be, I keep going back to Canadian film. The sensibility, the smart storytelling, the cool personas, the incredible scenery.
Previous coverage:
CanadianCrossing.com film coverage
Canadian film also allows fellow Canadians to appreciate a different part of Canada, and lets Americans and others see Canada in ways they otherwise wouldn't get to know.
I have a kinship with Canada and Canadian film. Hopefully, you will get a taste of what I experience throughout the year.
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Our friends at the Windsor International Film Festival asked people to vote for which Canadian films would be shown at the Capitol Theatre.
"Bon Cop, Bad Cop" and "The Sweet Hereafter" won the honors and will be shown at 6 pm and 8 pm respectively.
Other films that were nominated were Decline Of The American Empire (Denys Arcand), Meatballs, Dead Ringers (David Cronenberg), The Rocket (story of Maurice Richard), and Passchendaele (from Paul Gross about World War I).
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Which film should you see today? The great point is you have a wide variety of choices. "Bon Cop, Bad Cop" and "The Sweet Hereafter" are wonderful choices. "Marion Bridge" is another great film. "Barbarian Invasions" is the only Canadian film to win an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
"Lost and Delirious" and "Stardom" showcase a young Jessica Paré. "Tracey Fragments" came out around the same time as "Juno" for a then-unknown Ellen Page. Watch "Double Happiness" or "Last Night" — 2 films starring a young Sandra Oh.
"The Five Senses" is one of my favorite Molly Parker films. See anything with Molly Parker.
Xavier Dolan has released a few great films. "Better Than Chocolate" celebrates lesbians and Vancouver.
If you need more inspiration, check out our film coverage. Happy National Canadian Film Day.
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photo credit: REEL Canada
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