Today we get a new Trailer and Poster for upcoming Holiday release, James Cameron‘s eagerly-awaited AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER.

Synopsis:

Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, “Avatar: The Way of Water” begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.

Directed by James Cameron and produced by Cameron and Jon Landau, the Lightstorm Entertainment Production stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang and Kate Winslet. Screenplay by James Cameron & Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver. Story by James Cameron & Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver & Josh Friedman & Shane Salerno. David Valdes and Richard Baneham serve as the film’s executive producers.

AVATAR arrives in theatres December 16, 2022.

(Photo/video credit: 20th Century Studios Canada)

By George Kozera

It has been reported that the GTA hosts 87 film festivals annually. Whereas Toronto’s world-acclaimed jewel, TIFF, held me captivated 24/7 since I started attending it in its third year. CINEFRANCO however, has had my heart for decades. Featuring French-language films (with English subtitles) from all over the world, it offers Cinema Buffs a rare and unique opportunity to savour movies that are increasingly difficult to find. J’adore cette fête!

This year’s Festival contains both online and in-theatre options. The Online Festival runs November 3-20, 2022 and the In-Theatre component runs November 4-15, 2022. More details here.

We were able to screen a few movies playing at this year’s edition. Here are some of our thoughts.

MES TRES CHERS ENFANTS (PRICE OF PARENTING)

Ten years after their children moved away from the family home to live in the bright lights that is Paris, Chantal (Josiane Balasko) and Christian Blanc (Didier Bourdon) continue to suffer from the empty nest syndrome, despite the fact that their two children turned out to be self-absorbed, manipulative monsters. Stephane (Ben Abdallah) continues to send laundry for his mother to wash and iron and has it picked up by courier despite living next door to a dry-cleaning establishment and Sandrine (Marilou Berry, Josiane Balasko’s real-life daughter) is dismissive and sarcastic. When the children advise the parents that they will not be coming home for Christmas, Chantal and Christian hatch a devious plan and tell their kids that they had just won 18 million Euros which most assuredly will make them spend more time with them to get their sharing of the winnings!

MES TRES CHERS ENFANTS is a delicious Comedy that tackles how greed overtakes dignity and common sense with finesse (even Stephane’s boss and the local bank manager want a piece of the action). The repercussions are many with comedic results – I particularly loved the scene in a designer clothing store (a stunning homage to Julia Roberts in “Pretty Woman”) that ends disastrously!

The leads are astonishingly funny, but the glue that holds this hysterical movie together is Josiane Balasko. I first took notice of her in 2001, when TIFF screened a Gallic version of the hit series “Absolutely Fabulous” where she played the Edwina character alongside the legendary Nathalie Baye as Patsy. Her impeccable comedic timing is joyous to behold, particularly when Chantal is awakened at two in the morning by Stephane asking her how to treat and remove a stain on his dress shirt; her solution has me howling! This Movie had a smile plastered on my face hours after watching it.

EN ROUE LIBRE (FREESTYLE)

EN ROUE LIBRE opens with Louise (Marina Fois) waking-up in bed, still exhausted, and stumbles to her kitchen with a counter filled with half empty bottles of wine and eats a rotting banana before heading off to work. While trying to get out off her car, she experiences a major panic attack and physically cannot do it. In front of the hospital where she works as a nurse, she is advised to just drive around until the panic attack subsides. It doesn’t. When she runs out of gas and is stuck in a parking lot, her car is stolen by Paul (Benjamin Voisin) brandishing a gun. Louise is trapped while Paul drives to Cap Ferrat to kill a man. As the two characters slowly and cautiously reveal themselves to each other, they encounter a variety of characters along the way.

Five-time César Award nominee, Marina Fois gives a full-bodied, hypnotic performance as her character comes to grip with her inner demons. Benjamin adds another impressive performance to his cinematic résumé, which include the French mini-series FIERTES (Pride) and SUMMER OF 85. The French countryside is sumptuously-photographed and any movie that includes songs by Veronique Sanson is A-Okay in my books!

Whereas EN ROUE LIBRE may not linger with any depth about mental illnesses and personal struggles which these characters experience, I was completely engrossed and was happy to be a passenger on this highly original road trip.

L’HOMME PARFAIT

High-powered executive, Florence (Valerie Karsenti) is tired. Her job is demanding, and she gets absolutely no help from her lazy, unemployed actor husband Franck (Didier Bourdon) with the care of their two children or household chores. He is about as useless as breasts on a bull! To make her life easier, she buys a robot. Bobby (Pierre-Francois Martin-Laval) is perfect, with his blonde Vidal Sassoon hair and his perfect physique with abs you can grate cheese on. He cooks gourmet meals with the appropriate wine pairing. The house is immaculate. The children love him. As does Florence. Franck – not so much. His jealousy over Bobby increases daily as he plots the robot’s demise. This is the premise of L’HOMME PARFAIT, a Comedy far from “parfait.”

Comedy is subjective. What makes me laugh or chuckle may not appeal to all, but I personally require it to be somewhat rooted in reality. Whereas I easily bought into the perfect robot concept, as situations escalated, I found myself increasingly irritated. Why would Franck be jealous and contemptuous of Bobby, a programmable robot, who does everything at home that he just won’t do? When seeking advice from his friend Pat (another unemployed actor) or his therapist, the peals of wisdom Franck hears are bizarrely ridiculous or borderline misogynistic. More importantly, due to lack of chemistry between Bourdon and Karsenti, we wonder why she even would remain married to a man who contributes so little?

Other than Martin-Laval’s entertaining take as Bobby, I found L’HOMME PARFAIT quite basic.

LA VRAIE FAMILLE

When Simon (Gabriel Pavie) was 18 months old, his mother died. His father Eddy (Felix Moati) was emotionally unable to care for his young son, hence the courts placed him in custody with Anna and Driss (Melanie Thierry, Lyes Salem) with two sons of their own.

LA VRAIE FAMILLE opens with the family on vacation, enjoying the thrills of a water slide facility and playing a fun round-robin game of table tennis. Simon, now six years old, loves his foster parents and the family dynamics are joyful and energetic, though there is a special bond between him and Anna. She, alone, takes him to a Catholic church every Sunday despite the family’s different religious beliefs. During a regularly scheduled appointment between Simon and his biological dad, Anna is told that Eddy wants to regain full custody of his son and they embark on a temporary shared arrangement where Eddy will have his son every weekend and holidays.

This is an emotionally-shattering experience that will elicit crocodile tears. Watching Anna stoically cope with bureaucratic hurdles (there’s a fight for Simon to stay home to celebrate his older “brother’s” birthday, which falls on a weekend) or being asked by Eddy to not have Simon call her mother anymore is gut-wrenching. Melanie Thierry is letter-perfect as she navigates emotional bombs. In fact, the entire Cast deliver such unadulterated performances, this at times feels like a Documentary. Not wanting to give away any spoilers, all I will say about LA VRAIE FAMILLE is bravo!

LA PIECE RAPPORTEE (UNSOPHISTICATED LADY)

After a hunting expedition goes awry, our voice-over Narrator takes the audience 20 years into the future and introduces us to the Chateau-Tetard family in LA PIECE RAPPORTEE. Paul (Philippe Katerine) is a middle-aged bachelor still living at the family mansion with his mother Adelaide (Josiane Balasko). Due to a taxi strike in Paris, clueless Paul goes to a Metro station hoping he can use the subway to somehow get to the airport and board a plane to be with his mother at their villa in Antibes. Fortuitously, he meets Ava (Anais Demoustier) behind the counter and, bingo bango, they ultimately and quickly get married. “Queen” Adelaide is not amused, she is obnoxiously class conscience and thinks being poor is in one’s DNA. Ava, increasingly bored being trapped in the mansion, starts taking the family’s Rolls Royce and its trusty chauffeur (Sergi Lopez) and travels aimlessly around Paris, where we not only see that city’s historical beauty, but homeless encampments and ugly construction sites. During one outing, Ava “cute meets” Jerome (William Lebghil), and they ultimately have a relationship.

In a nutshell, LA PIECE RAPPORTEE is a giddy, silly movie filled with slapstick scenes (the family dog smokes a pipe. Adelaide unravels designer sweaters to make balls of wool) and some witty dialogue and social observations. Anais Demoustier has a wondrous screen presence and as the pompous, uncompromising, and demanding Adelaide, Balasko revels in a performance so over-the-top, it would make Jerry Lewis smile! I enjoyed Lebghil’s befuddlement but was saddened that more wasn’t given to Sergi Lopez (Pan’s Labyrinth) to do. This is a fun put-your-brain-on hold Comedy and let its slaphappy magic wash over you.

NOEMIE DIT OUI

Fifteen-year-old Noemi (Kelly Depeault) has been living in a Montreal youth centre for two years, but yearns for the day she reunites with her mother. After it becomes clear, when hearing her mother say she would not take her back at a court hearing, she escapes the Youth Protection Centre and contacts another escapee from the facility, Lea (Emi Chicoine) with whom she goes to an apartment filled with rowdy young guys. She meets Zach (James Edward Metayer). They hook-up, she falls in love with him and ultimately he convinces her to work as an escort, alongside Lea, during Montreal’s F1 festivities. On her first day, she services 11 clients and then is gang-raped at the house party afterwards. The plot of NOEMI DIT OUI primarily covers her weekend as a call girl during the weekend of the F1.

NOEMIE DIT OUI offers nothing new nor very original to the prostitute/pimp cinematic genre. Depeault must be commended for her performance, balancing angst and capturing the essence and compassion for Noemi’s mental struggles. It is strong and assured. But, as with the Film itself, it is steeped in melodrama. Whereas I appreciated that Writer/Director Genevieve Albert eschewed potentially violent episodes, I wish her self-editing skills were stronger and that there had been more than just one character that with positive virtues. That said, I loved the scene on Crescent Street filmed late at night after partying all day during the F1. It was true to form!

We love Selena Gomez, and can’t wait to see this new Documentary all about her inspiring journey to this new phase in her life and career after several well-documented battles.

Synopsis:

After years in the limelight, Selena Gomez achieves unimaginable stardom. But just as she reaches a new peak, an unexpected turn pulls her into darkness. This uniquely raw and intimate documentary spans her six-year journey into a new light.

SELENA GOMEZ: MY MIND & ME arrives November 4, 2022 on Apple TV+.

(Photo/video credit: Apple TV+)

We’ve waited SO LONG for this! We proudly present the new Trailer for DISENCHANTED, the follow-up to beloved ENCHANTED!

Synopsis:

It has been more than ten years since Giselle (Amy Adams) and Robert (Patrick Dempsey) wed, but Giselle has grown disillusioned with life in the city, so they move their growing family to the sleepy suburban community of Monroeville in search of a more fairy tale life. Unfortunately, it isn’t the quick fix she had hoped for. Suburbia has a whole new set of rules and a local queen bee, Malvina Monroe (Rudolph), who makes Giselle feel more out of place than ever. Frustrated that her happily ever after hasn’t been so easy to find, she turns to the magic of Andalasia for help, accidentally transforming the entire town into a real-life fairy tale and placing her family’s future happiness in jeopardy.Now, Giselle is in a race against time to reverse the spell and determine what happily ever after truly means to her and her family.

“Disenchanted stars Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, Maya Rudolph, Yvette Nicole Brown, Jayma Mays, Gabriella Baldacchino, with Idina Menzel and James Marsden. Directed by Adam Shankman from a screenplay by Brigitte Hales and a story by J. David Stem & David N. Weiss, and Richard LaGravenese, “Disenchanted” is produced by Barry Josephson, Barry Sonnenfeld, and Amy Adams, with Jo Burn, Sunil Perkash, and Adam Shankman serving as executive producers. The movie features songs with music by 8-time Oscar®-winning composer Alan Menken and lyrics by three-time Oscar-winning lyricist Stephen Schwartz, whose work on “Enchanted” garnered three Academy Award® nominations and a score by Alan Menken.

The digital soundtrack from Walt Disney Records will be available on Nov. 18 and is available for Pre-Save/Pre-Add here.

DISENCHANTED arrives November 18, 2022 on Disney+.

(Photo/video credit: Disney)

With the distinction of having been TIFF ’22‘s official Opening Night Selection, here is a new Trailer for THE SWIMMERS, based on an unbelievable true story.

ABOUT THE SWIMMERS
Based on a true story, THE SWIMMERS follows the journey from war-torn Syria to the 2016 Rio Olympics. Two young sisters embark on a harrowing journey as refugees, putting both their hearts and champion swimming skills to heroic use. Starring Nathalie Issa, Manal Issa, Matthias Schweighöfer, Ahmed Malek, James Krishna Floyd, Nahel Tzegai, Kinda Alloush and Ali Suliman. Directed by Sally El Hosaini, with a screenplay written by El Hosaini and multi-award-winning screenwriter and playwright Jack Thorne. Produced by Working Title’s Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner alongside Ali Jaafar and Tim Cole with Stephen Daldry executive producing.

THE SWIMMERS is coming November 23, 2022 to Netflix.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

November 6, 1983. The day Will Byers went missing, and the day it all began. Stranger Things Day is a celebration with our core fanbase, to honor the very beginning of where it all started! This year is our 5th annual holiday and we are bringing all things Stranger to our fans both IRL and digitally online.

Screenings: For this year’s Stranger Things Day, theaters across North America are hosting screenings of Volume 2 of Season 4 on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2022. Every screening will have trivia, giveaways and other surprises for superfans. They will be held in cities including Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Philadelphia, Chicago, Phoenix, San Francisco, Austin, Texas, Denver, Detroit, Cleveland, Washington, DC, Seattle, Las Vegas, Jacksonville, Florida, and Toronto. Get your tickets now at StrangerThingsDayScreenings.com!

Also Get Excited For: The first ever Immersive Watch Party on Roblox for the episode that started it all – S1, Ep 1! Special guests! Activations at the Stranger Things: the Experience and The Official Store. The latest and greatest when it comes to Stranger gear! And last but not least, watch out for news in the world of Stranger!

Proximity Media, in collaboration with Marvel Studios and Marvel Entertainment, announces an upcoming six-episode podcast about the making of the highly anticipated film “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” opening in theatres nationwide Nov. 11. WAKANDA FOREVER: THE OFFICIAL BLACK PANTHER PODCAST explores the next chapter in the story of Wakanda and honours the remarkable legacy of Chadwick Boseman. National Book Award-winning author, journalist, and writer for Marvel Comics’ BLACK PANTHER Ta-Nehisi Coates serves as host and writer. Proximity’s Head of Audio Paola Mardo serves as producer, as well as executive producer alongside Proximity’s founders Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, and Sev Ohanian. A preview of the show, which is the first podcast from Proximity Media’s new audio division, is now available across all major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Said Mardo, “Ever since Ryan, Zinzi, and Sev entrusted Proximity’s Audio division with this project, our goal has been to tell the story of the making of ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ with as much heart and authenticity as the film itself. With our premiere episode, we’ve accomplished this goal while breaking new ground in the process, thanks to the awesome collaboration between our incredible host Ta-Nehisi Coates, our talented podcast production team, and our collaborators at Marvel and Disney.”

Debuting Nov. 3, the first episode features a conversation between Coates and director and co-writer Ryan Coogler. The two artists and friends reflect on the cultural impact of ‘Black Panther,’ the legacy of Chadwick Boseman and his inspiration to the cast and crew. “There is no storyteller I admire more than Ryan Coogler,” said Coates, who makes his podcast-hosting debut. “Any chance to partner with him, Proximity Media and Marvel, is a worthy one. For that opportunity to be a chronicle of the making of ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ was simply too good to pass up.”

Subsequent episodes will be available weekly in January 2023, celebrating the five-year anniversary of the first “Black Panther” film. Guests will include cast and crew, including stars Angela Bassett and Dominique Thorne; score and soundtrack composer and producer Ludwig Göransson; production designer Hannah Beachler; director of photography Autumn Durald Arkapaw; co-writer Joe Robert Cole; producers Kevin Feige and Nate Moore; and more. Each episode, in tandem with guests’ conversation, will weave host narration, Göransson’s original score, film clips and field recordings. Story editing for the podcast is by James Kim. Audio editing is by Cameron Kell and Cedric Wilson. Sound design and additional music is by Pat Mesiti-Miller. Audio engineering is by Lauryn Newson. Production assistance is from Polina Cherezova.

Acclaimed Thespian Alfred Molina is back in THREE PINES, coming soon to Prime Video! The Montreal-filmed eight-episode Series debuts this December.

Synopsis:

The empathetic and astute Chief Inspector Gamache is tasked with solving a number of mysterious and perplexing murders in the strange-but-beguiling village of Three Pines. Assisted by his trusted team—the combative and troubled Sergeant Jean-Guy Beauvoir (Rossif Sutherland), the intelligent Indigenous working mother Sergeant Isabelle Lacoste (Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers), and the accident-prone rookie Agent Yvette Nichol (Sarah Booth)—Gamache and his group are initially treated suspiciously by the village’s residents. Yet despite the cool welcome, Gamache can’t help but find himself oddly drawn to this unusual place and its eccentric residents, including the owners of the bistro, Gabri (Pierre Simpson) and Olivier (Frédéric-Antoine Guimond), artists Peter (Julian Bailey) and Clara (Anna Tierney), psychologist turned bookshop-owner Myrna (Tamara Brown), gallery owner Bea (Tantoo Cardinal), and the irascible poet Ruth (Clare Coulter). The deeper Gamache delves into the secret lives of these people who have found sanctuary from the outside world in Three Pines, the more it affects him.

Along with the murder investigations covered over two episodes, Three Pines interweaves a dark, mysterious, serial-story, which uncovers police failings to properly investigate cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women, as well as corruption at the heart of the provincial Sûreté du Québec police force. Additional cast includes Marie-France Lambert, Frank Schorpion, Marcel Jeannin, Georgina Lynn Lightning, Crystle Lightning, Isabel Deroy-Olson, and Anna Lambe.

From Amazon Studios, Three Pines is produced by Left Bank Pictures, the Sony Pictures Television-owned production company behind The Crown, with Canadian production company Muse Entertainment providing production services. The series is executive produced by Andy Harries, Sharon Hughff, and John Phillips for Left Bank Pictures. Additionally, Sam Donovan, Emilia di Girolamo, and Alfred Molina serve as executive producers. The series is written by di Girolamo, who adapted the novels as lead writer, and Catherine Tregenna, who penned two episodes. John Griffin is the series producer. Directors on the series are Donovan, serving as lead director, Mohawk director Tracey Deer, and Daniel Grou.

Filmed in Montreal and rural Quebec, the series is part of Prime Video’s continued investment in Canada, joining a slate of Canadian Amazon Original series that includes The Kids in the Hall, The Lake, LOL: Last One Laughing Canada, All or Nothing: Toronto Maple Leafs, and The Unsolved Murder of Beverly Lynn Smith. Since 2015, Amazon Studios has filmed over 25 Amazon Original series and films in Canada, including The Man in the High Castle and Upload in British Columbia; The Boys, Reacher, and The Expanse in Ontario; Tales from the Loop in Manitoba; as well as parts of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan and The Voyeurs in Quebec.  

Three Pines joins the thousands of TV shows and movies from Hollywood and around the world in the Prime Video catalog, including award-winning and critically acclaimed Amazon Originals like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, The Peripheral, Reacher, The Boys, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, and Emmy and Golden Globe winners Fleabag and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. 

The first two episodes of THREE PINES debut December 2, 2022 on Prime Video with two new episodes arriving weekly.

(Photo/video credit: Prime Video)

Rock of Ages, one of Broadway’s longest running hit musicals, will explode onto the Toronto theatre scene at the Elgin Theatre from February 23 to May 20, 2023. A gnarly concoction of power rock and hilarious comedy, this reimagined version of the iconic ‘80s-inspired production promises top tier talent and a night that won’t be forgotten. Tickets are available here.

Featuring earworm 80’s chartbuster music from iconic artists such as Quiet Riot, Poison, Whitesnake, Pat Benatar, Styx, Starship, Twisted Sister, Joan Jett, REO Speedwagon, Survivor, Foreigner and Guns N’ Roses, this blast of power-guitar heaven will both warm your soul and rock your world!

Following the show’s three-month run in Toronto, Rock of Ages will embark on an international tour, bringing 80’s hits to thousands of audience members across the world.

“More Entertainment is very proud and honoured to have collated a top-flight award-winning team of producers, performers, musicians, designers and marketers from around the globe to bring Rock of Ages to Toronto,” says Dr. JP Gedeon, CEO and Executive Producer of More Entertainment. “The 80’s were a time of innocence, freedom, youth and joy, and the nostalgia of those days brings to you a new, fresh, and totally re-envisioned Rock of Ages!”

A rockstar line-up of superior performers make up the production’s cast, including Trevor Coll (We Will Rock You North American Tour), AJ Bridel (Peter Pan, Drayton Ent; Anne of Green Gables, Charlottetown Festival; Kinky Boots, Mirvish), Kae Kae Lee (Zombies 3, Disney; What We Do In The Shadows, Fox), Louise Camilleri (ShowBoat, Gershwin Theatre; (Mamma Mia, Mirvish; Lord of The Rings, Mirvish) and Steffi DiDomenicantonio (Come From Away, Mirvish; Spring Awakening, Mirvish; Canadian Idol) .

Rock of Ages was casted by Larissa Mair Casting and Associates, an agency committed to discovering “new faces” and responsible for launching the careers of an abundance of talented performers.

In addition to the talented cast, Rock of Ages boasts a world-class team behind the show including Musical Director Mark Camilleri, who has worked on theatre productions that include Bend It Like Beckham and Funny Girl, and has provided piano accompaniment for the likes of Celine Dion and David Foster. Also on board is MTV video award-winning Choreographer Sean Cheesman (“Cream” by Prince, “Scream” by Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson), General Manager Ray Chandler (Jesus Christ Superstar National Tour, Beauty and the Beast National Production), award-winning Head of Design Nick Blais (Vespers, The Royal Winnipeg Ballet; Jerusalem, Outside The March), Head of Multimedia Design Simon Clemo (Life of Earth, Director X; Dream Girls, MTC), Company Manager Sabrina Kells (2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, Stars On Ice), Director of Technical Operations Gary Wilson and Head of Marketing and Communications Laura van Leest (CEO, Bellefair Entertainment; former Director of Marketing, Universal Music Canada).

Stay tuned for additional casting announcements and for more information, please visit http://rockofagestoronto.ca.

This month on Hollywood Suite, cinephiles will be treated to two newly restored classics from the Canadian film canon. The stunning 4K restoration of Tales From the Gimli Hospital (1988) from visionary director Guy Maddin will have its broadcast premiere on November 9, 2022, and the 2K digital remaster of Zale Dalen’s cult hit Skip Tracer (1977) will follow on November 29, 2022. Both titles are available to stream on demand.

The Maddin restoration is part of a broader movement to make hard to find Canadian art-house films accessible to a new generation of movie lovers. In Maddin’s surrealist, Manitoban-set feature debut Tales from the Gimli Hospital, a lonely fisherman stricken with smallpox (Kyle McCulloch) embarks on a fierce competition with a fellow patient (Michael Gottli) to vie for the affections of Gimli Hospital’s angelic young nurses. As part of Telefilm’s Canadian Cinema – Reignited initiative to restore and re-release Canadian films of historic and cultural importance, the Toronto International Film Festival hand-picked the restoration of Tales from the Gimli Hospital to premiere at this year’s festival.

Utilizing materials from Library and Archives Canada, the digital remaster of Skip Tracer was produced by Justin Decloux of The Great Canadian Cinema Library. Set in 1970s Vancouver, a debt collector (David Peterson) vies to win his company’s “Man of the Year Award” at any cost, only to be faced with the consequences of relentless and brutal tactics. Considered today to be an essential entry in the Canuxploitation oeuvre, Dalen’s feature film debut was the first Canadian film programmed at the New York Film Festival in 1979 and proved an exciting calling card for the young writer/director. It has been said to have influenced subsequent cult films including Alex Cox’s Repo Man (1984).

“Something that Canadian cinema excels at is a ready-made oddball, DIY, cult mode—both Guy Maddin’s Tales from Gimli Hospital and Zale Dalen’s Skip Tracer are prime examples of this,” says Alicia Fletcher, Producer of Originals and Curatorial Advancement at Hollywood Suite. “With their debut features, both directors proved their singular, surrealist penchants for genre and bucked the rules and expectations of commercial Canadian filmmaking. The restoration and accessibility of important works from Canada’s 70s and 80s cult canon has never been more important if we’re to understand and celebrate the past half century of Canadian filmmaking, for its ground-breaking moments.”

Hollywood Suite is proud to air both of these films as part of its efforts to bring Canadian films to as many Canadians as possible. Positioned at the intersection of history, art, culture, and cool, Tales from the Gimli Hospital and Skip Tracer provide a snapshot of our filmmaking past, and give context to our present.