Super Channel and the Canadian Film Fest, an indie-spirited festival dedicated to celebrating Canadian filmmakers, are pleased to announce that they have partnered to bring a virtual edition of the recently postponed 2020 CFF to Canadian film fans across the nation, with the Canadian Film Fest presented by Super Channel.
Beginning Thursday, May 21 and running for three consecutive weekends, nine feature films that were slated to premiere at the CFF this past March, will air on Super Channel Fuse on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT. All festival feature films will have a linear only limited run, so viewers are encouraged to catch them while they can and experience them festival-style during their linear broadcast. In addition, 25 short films from the CFF will be peppered into the schedule around the feature film presentations for viewers to enjoy as part of the film festival experience. The Canadian Film Fest presented by Super Channel will immerse viewers in a virtual festival experience complete with pre-recorded and live Q&As with filmmakers, access to industry programs online (panel discussions, masterclass), and a virtual awards presentation.
“When we learned that the CFF was postponed and in jeopardy of being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we felt we had to do something to enable these important Canadian films to be experienced and enjoyed by film lovers during these uncertain times,” said Don McDonald, President, and CEO, Super Channel. “We jumped at the chance to not only resurrect the festival experience for CFF fans, but to also expand its audience by bringing a virtual version of the festival to Super Channel viewers across the country. We are sure that our audience is going to be delighted with the opportunity to view these exceptional Canadian films, many of which are Canadian and world premieres.”
“On behalf of the Board, our filmmakers and our small but mighty team at the Canadian Film Fest, we are forever grateful to Super Channel for seeing the value of our festival and partnering with us to revive our 2020 edition,” said Bern Euler, Executive Director, Canadian Film Fest. “We are proud to showcase some of our country’s freshest voices and talent to Super Channel’s national audience, further reinforcing the importance of our Canadian storytellers.”
The Canadian Film Fest presented by Super Channel will kick off on May 21 with The Cuban, starring Ana Golja from Degrassi: Next Class and Oscar winner Louis Gossett Jr., which follows a young Afghan immigrant’s unexpected friendship with an elderly Cuban musician in this coming-of-age drama about the power of music over Alzheimer’s. Closing out the Festival experience on June 6, will be the 2020 Slamdance Film Festival Audience Award-winner Shoot to Marry, a real-life romantic comedy about a heartbroken filmmaker who uses documentary filmmaking as a means to meet the love of his life.
Other feature film highlights include the Toronto Premieres of award-winning titles Queen of the Morning Calm a film about a young immigrant sex worker, her little girl and their journey of self-empowerment and love, and Volition, a time-bending thriller about a man afflicted with clairvoyance who tries to change his fate when faced with a vision of his own imminent murder. The Festival will present three World Premiere features which include Clapboard Jungle, a documentary featuring Hollywood legends Guillermo del Toro, Paul Schrader, and George A. Romero, which chronicles the life and career of an independent filmmaker striving to answer how they survive in the current climate of the film industry; and Hazy Little Things, the first feature programmed at this festival by former CFF Alumni Sam Coyle, which follows writer Billie through a birthday weekend full of friends and family rushing to her ‘rescue’ after she accidentally threatens suicide on social media. A complete listing of scheduled festival features follows below.
The 25 new CFF short films which will be showcased in the festival include Because One Day which tells the story of a hopeful romantic with a unique past as he struggles to keep alive his dream of becoming a successful jazz singer; the return of past Slamdance winners Dusty Mancinelli and Madeleine Sims-Fewer with the World Premiere of their latest short, Chubby, which follows a family dealing with a traumatic event, as well as TIPS (dir. Mercedes Papalia), the latest project from producer Elise Bauman (from the highly popular and award-winning web series Carmilla) which tells the story of a desperate server who confronts a young couple celebrating their Tinder anniversary, after they write a negative review about her service (and hair) online. Other shorts include 20 Minutes to Life about an 11-year-old “good kid” who gets her first detention and imagines it as a prison complete with barred windows, guards, and a warden; Award-winning French-language film Heart Bomb about a man’s ultimate dilemma to follow his passion or risk his integrity in order to reach the firmament; and ShoeGazer (dir. Isa Benn), which showcases the story of a young black female who desperately tries to carve out a place for herself in the world, as she learns there is more to her relationship with her hair than she once thought.
The Canadian Film Fest presented by Super Channel schedule:
(All features air on Super Channel Fuse at 9 p.m. ET/PT)
Thursday, May 21: The Cuban (Drama) – Toronto premiere
When a young Afghan immigrant named Mina gets her first job in a nursing home, an unexpected friendship with Luis, a resident with dementia, reignites her love of music and changes her life forever.
Friday, May 22: Alone Across the Arctic (Documentary) – Toronto premiere
Modern-day explorer Adam Shoalts sets a record-breaking solo expedition in crossing the Canadian Arctic on foot and by canoe that would span four long and lonely perilous months. No one has ever attempted this before.
Saturday, May 23: A Perfect Plan (Action) – World premiere
Kate Paxton, an expert safecracker, wakes up captive in a fortified warehouse along with three other notorious thieves. Forced to plan the perfect diamond heist by a cunning master thief, they must use their combined expertise to penetrate multiple layers of advanced security before a bomb detonates.
Thursday, May 28: Queen of the Morning Calm (Drama) – Toronto premiere
Debra is a young Korean sex worker who’s always lived at the mercy of men. She struggles with her role as a mother to her precocious and quirky daughter Mona, while trying to better herself by taking accounting courses and keep track of her gambler boyfriend, the Sarge. He’s the baby daddy and the love of Debra and Mona’s life. When her daughter is caught snooping around the strip club, Debra is fired and has to find a way to make up her late rent. And then, the Sarge disappears and Debra and Mona’s life explodes in chaos. A love story about a mother and daughter, Queen of the Morning Calm is a powerful journey of emancipation and redemption.
Friday, May 29: Volition (Drama, Sci-Fi, Action) – Toronto premiere
In this time-bending cerebral science-fiction thriller, a man afflicted with clairvoyance tries to change his fate when a series of events leads to a vision of his own imminent murder. Awarded as BEST FEATURE at the Philip K. Dick Film Festival, among a slew of other awards and critical acclaim, VOLITION is a tightly-wound puzzle of a ride.
Saturday, May 30: Nail in the Coffin – The Fall and Rise of Vampiro (Documentary) – Super Channel Original production – Toronto premiere
An aging professional wrestler must reinvent himself in the grappling business working as a Talent Director in Mexico City and Los Angeles while simultaneously raising his 17-year-old daughter in remote Northern Canada.
Thursday, June 4: Hazy Little Thing (Drama) – World Premiere
A trip through social media, depression, and psychedelics. Hazy Little Thing follows writer Billie through a birthday weekend full of friends and family rushing to her ‘rescue’ after she ‘accidentally’ threatens suicide on social media.
Friday, June 5: Clapboard Jungle (Documentary) – World premiere
An emotional and educational journey following five years in the life and career of an independent filmmaker, supported by dozens of interviews, posing one question: how does an indie filmmaker survive in the current film business?
Saturday, June 6: Shoot to Marry (Documentary) – Canadian premiere
After a failed marriage proposal, heartbroken filmmaker Steve Markle heads to L.A. to shoot a doc about Kate, a gifted artist and crush from his past. Suddenly Steve realizes he’s found the perfect way to meet women: ask them to be in his documentary! Hopping from city to city, Steve stumbles through interviews with dozens of intriguing women. What transpires is a hilarious and often poignant real-life romantic comedy about a filmmaker intent on finding love.
