#FIRSTLOOK: HOLLYWOOD SUITE NATIONAL CANADIAN FILM DAY 2026 PROGRAMMING

On April 15, Hollywood Suite presents coast-to-coast-to-coast cinema with 24 hours of Canadian films in honour of National Canadian Film Day. Featured premieres include Partner Distribution’s supernatural horror filmed in Calgary, Shadow of God (2025), and four 4K restorations of Canadian classics from the 1960s to 1990s: The Winter Kept Us Warm (1965), The Hard Part Begins (1973), East End Hustle (1976) and The Sweet Hereafter (1997). Viewers can catch these titles and more Wednesday, April 15 on Hollywood Suite, and all month long on demand, with select titles featuring exclusive introductions from comedians Emma Hunter (The Beaverton) and Ali Hassan courtesy of Reel Canada.

“As a proudly Canadian company, Hollywood Suite always looks forward to our annual tradition of all-day programming for National Canadian Film Day,” said Suzanne Marshall, Hollywood Suite Senior Manager, Programming. “We are proud to showcase amazing homegrown talent from the past to the present, and couldn’t be more excited to join in on the Canadian cinema festivities without leaving the comfort of our homes.”

“Hollywood Suite has always been one of our favourite partners on CanFilmDay and this year their programming is the best yet, including some fantastic hidden gems for Canadians to rediscover,” said Jack Blum, Executive Director, Reel Canada. “Their 24-hour schedule really helps make National Canadian Film Day accessible to everyone.”

Calgary’s Michael Peterson directed the film Shadow of God (2025), which tells the story of an unauthorized exorcism that an elite exorcist performs on his father. The horror film features the snowy landscapes of Alberta and Canadian talent, including St. John’s’ Mark O’Brien (Ready or Not), Edmonton’s Shaun Johnston (Heartland), and Toronto’s Jacqueline Byers (Prey for the Devil).

With the help of Canadian International Pictures, Hollywood Suite is bringing back four homegrown classics in 4K. Set in 1960s Toronto, The Winter Kept Us Warm (1965) was the first English-language film to screen at the Cannes Film Festival and follows a charismatic senior and a timid freshman who form an intense friendship, sharing music and adventures. Directed by Paul Lynch (Prom Night), the drama The Hard Part Begins (1973) follows a struggling country singer whose life is falling apart because life on the road is no fairytale. The Montreal-filmed East End Hustle (1976) tells the story of Cindy, an ex-sex worker who rescues Marianne, one of her pimp’s potential recruits, and a deadly rivalry begins. Finally, Atom Egoyan’s Academy Award-nominated The Sweet Hereafter (1997) is a psychological drama about a bus crash in a small town that brings a lawyer to defend the families, but he discovers everything isn’t what it seems.

More National Canadian Film Day highlights include Tracey Deer’s award-winning drama Beans (2020); the Bill Murray comedy Meatballs (1979) filmed in Haliburton, Ontario; and world-renowned Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg’s Crimes of the Future (2022).

In addition to the on-air celebrations, Toronto-based fans can celebrate the 30th anniversary of Bruce McDonald’s Hard Core Logo in person, with Hollywood Suite co-presenting a screening of the cult classic film with the Academy of Canadian Film and Television at Toronto’s Varsity Theatre. Tickets are available here.

View the full list of National Canadian Film Day programming below:

The Winter Kept Us Warm (4K) (1965)

Dream Life (2K) (1972)

The Hard Part Begins (4K) (1973)

East End Hustle (4K) (1976)

Comme les six doigts de la main (1978)

The Brood (1979)

Meatballs (1979)

Prom Night (1980)

Scanners (1981)

The Peanut Butter Solution (1985)

Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1986)

Sam & Me (1991)

Double Happiness (1994)

Whale Music (1994)

Crash (1996)

Hard Core Logo (1996)

The Sweet Hereafter (4K) (1997)

Crossed Over (2001)

Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity (2002)

Men With Brooms (2002)

Owning Mahowny (2003)

My Life Without Me (2003)

Who Loves the Sun (2006)

Away From Her (2006)

Passenger Side (2009)

Brooklyn (2015)

Beans (2020)

Crimes of the Future (2022)

Relax, I’m From the Future (2022)

With Love and a Major Organ (2023)

Skeet (2024)

The Movie Man (2024)

Lunatic: The Luna Vachon Story (2024)

Shadow of God (2025)

ABOUT HOLLYWOOD SUITE

Curated by real movie lovers, Hollywood Suite operates four exclusive HD channels that showcase must-see movies from the Golden Age to today, plus exclusive new series from around the world, always uncut and commercial-free. With hundreds of movies every month on four HD channels and Hollywood Suite On Demand, Hollywood Suite provides unparalleled value to subscribers.

Hollywood Suite is available to over 10 million households across Canada, exclusively through Canadian television service providers and Amazon Prime Video Channels. Visit hollywoodsuite.ca for more information.

Hollywood Suite is an Anthem Sports & Entertainment company.