Update: We have a second location for the See the North tour: New Orleans. There are more films than the ones listed below and will go on throughout the summer. Details here.
Imagine if top new Canadian films went on tour in the United States, making it easy to see popular Canadian films in movie theatres.
See the North is a collection of 6 new Canadian films touring the United States. The New York version ran at the IFC Center April 1-3 and featured a Q&A with each of the directors. Other U.S. dates have not been announced.
Here are the 6 films on tour:
Closet Monster (Ontario/Newfoundland) This coming of age drama from first-time feature director Stephen Dunn won Best Canadian Feature Film at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. 2012 TIFF Rising Star Connor Jessup plays an aspiring special-effects makeup artist who struggles with his sexuality and escapes into another world. The film also features Mary Walsh of This Hour Has 22 Minutes fame, 2015 TIFF Rising Star Aliocha Schneider, and Isabella Rossellini as the voice of a talking hamster in a Canadian film not directed by Guy Maddin.
The Demons (Quebec) 10-year-old Felix is afraid of things, mostly imagined, in a climate of real kidnappings that target young boys. The film from Philippe Lesage is his non-documentary directorial debut and features Pascale Buissières, one of my favorite French-Canadian actresses, as Felix's mother.
Into the Forest (British Columbia/Ontario) Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood play sisters who try to survive after a continent-wide power outage. The film from legendary Canadian director Patricia Rozema was one of the more prominent Canadian releases that played at TIFF 2015. Callum Keith Rennie is also in the cast.
My Internship in Canada (Quebec) This political satire from Philippe Falardeau was my favorite film at the 2015 Windsor International Film Festival. Patrick Huard and Suzanne Clément star in the film that pokes fun at federal politics and differing factions in Quebec.
Our Loved Ones (Quebec) The Anne Émond film about death, family, and secrets was an unexpected delight at the 2015 Windsor International Film Festival. 2015 TIFF Rising Star Karelle Tremblay was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for her performance as Laurence, the daughter of the primary character.
Sleeping Giant (Ontario) The Andrew Cividino film is about 3 boys passing a summer on Lake Superior where a hurtful secret tests their friendship. The film won Best Canadian First Feature Film at TIFF 2015.
Room, Schitt's Creek lead way in Canadian Screen Awards 2016 nominations
Breaking down 2015 WIFF Canadian films
Canadian film review: My Internship in Canada
2015 Windsor International Film Festival preview
2015 TIFF Canadian film wrapup
TIFF 2015 preview
TIFF Canadian film awards winners
TIFF 2015 announces Canadian film lineup
CanadianCrossing.com film coverage
The film series is a collaboration between the Toronto International Film Festival and Telefilm Canada.
"See the North is America's chance to catch up with some of today’s most inventive filmmakers, who happen to be working just north of the border." said TIFF artistic director Cameron Bailey in a statement.
The pecking order in the States is generally New York City followed by Los Angeles and then Chicago. While we don't know the other cities on the tour, we are hoping Chicago makes the list. I've seen only 2 films on this list and those were in Windsor.
If you live in the U.S. not near a large city, the fact that these films are taking this tour increases the chances at some point of getting to see these films, perhaps even on Netflix.
The balance is equal with 3 English-language films and 3 French-language films. Each film definitely had buzz out of TIFF 2015, except for The Demons, which did not play at TIFF 2015 but was in TIFF's Canada's Top Ten Film Festival in January.
photo credit: Toronto International Film Festival
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