The CFF returns to The Royal Cinema in Toronto from March 30 – April 2 and opens with the Toronto premiere of Jeremy LaLonde’s How To Plan An Orgy In A Small Town, which is fresh off its U.S. premiere at Slamdance and stars Jewel Staite, Ennis Esmer, Katharine Isabelle and Kristian Bruun. Director X’s feature film debut Across the Line, with Stephan James and Sarah Jeffery, has its Toronto premiere as the closing night film.
The other feature films screening over the four-day festival include 20 Moves (dir. Harv Glazer), Borealis (dir. Sean Garrity), Chasing Valentine (dir. NavinRamaswaran), Dead Rush (dir. Zach Ramelan), Jackie Boy (dir. Cody Campanale), and The Sabbatical (dir. Brian Stockton).
The CFF short film program boasts 17 shorts, including Slamdance Grand Jury Award winner Winter Hymns. Some of Canada’s top on-screen talent like Paul Amos, Steve Lund, Meghan Heffern, Yannick Bisson, Lara Jean Chorostecki, Debra McGrath, Sean Cullen, Eric Peterson, Supinder Wraich, and more make appearances in the official short selections.
“The Canadian Film Fest has become a hotbed for emerging filmmakers. We’re proud to be one of the launching pads for some of Canada’s next generation of filmmakers. We’re very excited to showcase six world premieres in our 10th edition,” said Bern Euler, Executive Director, Canadian Film Fest.
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Opening Night Film
How To Plan An Orgy In A Small Town
In high school Cassie Cranston was slut-shamed out of the wholesome and repressed town of Beaver’s Ridge following a humiliating attempt at losing her virginity. Now, years later, a big city sex columnist, Cassie returns home to bury her mother and finds a chance for revenge when her prudish childhood nemesis insists she helps her old friends plan an orgy. Director/Writer: Jeremy Lalonde. Cast: Jewel Staite, Ennis Esmer, Lauren Lee Smith, Katharine Isabelle, Mark O’Brien, Jonas Chernick, Kristian Bruun, Tommie-Amber Pirie. (Toronto Premiere)
Closing Night Film
Across the Line
Taking place over a matter of days, Across the Line looks at the deep-rooted racial tensions within North Preston, Nova Scotia, undoing the lives of three students at Cole Harbour high school. Director: Director X. Cast: Stephan James, Sarah Jeffery, Shamier Anderson, Lanette Ware, Steven Love, Denis Theriault, Cara Rickets. (Toronto Premiere)
Feature Film Lineup
20 Moves
Holocaust survivor Tom Kremer brought the world’s best selling puzzle toy “The Rubik’s Cube” to market in the early 1980’s.Invented by Erno Rubik in communist Hungary this magical cube would go on to symbolize an entire decade of pop culture, change the face of communism, spawn an art movement and become a teaching tool for high end mathematics. It would alsotouch the hands of 1/5th of the world’s population who simply wanted to see if they could solve this intriguing puzzle. Director: Harrv Glazer. Cast: Tom Kremer, Stewart Sims, George Irwin, Jessica Fridrich. (Toronto Premiere)
Borealis
Jonah Finn owes poker money. A lot. Tubby Finkleman, the volatile accountant for the Jewish mafia, warns him - if he doesn’t pay by morning, he and his pot-smoking teenaged daughter, Aurora, are gonna get hurt. Later, after yet another eye exam, Aurora’s doctor delivers the news to Jonah in private: she’s going completely blind. Unable to tell her the truth, Jonah takes Aurora on a dangerous road trip to remote Churchill, Manitoba. Director: Sean Garrity. Cast: Jonas Chernick, Joey King, Kevin Pollak, Emily Hampshire, Cle Bennett, Jake Epstein, Greg Bryk. (Toronto Premiere)
Chasing Valentine
Unable to get over the tragic loss of the love of his life and stuck with a day job of editing adult videos, Chase meets an unlikely ally, Valentine - a call girl who works under the various personas she has created for herself. Is Chase ready to uncover Valentine's dark secrets? Director: Navin Ramaswaran. Cast: Adam Langton, Gwenlyn Cumyn, Bobbie Phillips, Brad Cowan, Ryan Fisher. (Canadian Premiere)
Dead Rush
Dead Rush is the end of the world, as we know it. Seen through the eyes of one man - David. As he takes us through his journey: before,during and after the zombie outbreak. Director: Zach Ramelan. Cast: David Michael Moote, Raven Cousens, Charlie Hamilton, Caleigh Le Grand, Rich Piatkowski, Austin Duffy. (World Premiere)
Jackie Boy
Jack, a self-destructive womanizer, substitutes his emotional insecurities with drinks, drugs and one-night stands. It’s only after meeting the fiery-spirited Jasmine that he decides to change his ways. As Jack distances himself from his troubling lifestyle, he becomes determined to open up to Jasmine, but little does he know she has something different in mind. Director: Cody Campanale. Cast: Alino Giraldi, Shannon Coulter, Edward Charette, Andrew Di Rosa, Chloe Van Landschoot, Christina Bryson. (Toronto Premiere)
The Sabbatical
When a university professor is forced to produce a new photography book on his year off, he finds he's no longer the hotshot artist he once was. His workaholic wife is nowhere to be found and his best friend is busy leading a family life. Alone and desperate, he befriends a young artist who turns his world upside down. Mid-life crisis ensues. Director: Brian Stockton. Cast: James Whittingham, Laura Abramsen, Bernadette Mullen, Mike Gill, Trevor Aikman, Ken Wilson, Paul Gui-Crepeau, Candy Fox, Kevin Allardyce. (Toronto Premiere)
Short Film Lineup
Divorce Photographer
Carla, a seasoned wedding photographer, has just been dumped. She turns to her best friend, Kayla, who is about to go through the proceedings for a nasty, painful divorce and begs Kayla to let her shoot the impending un-coupling. Carla becomes obsessed with this new idea and word of the divorce photographer spreads like wildfire. Director: Christine Buijs. Cast: Amy Matysio, Nicole Stamp, Andrea Drepaul, Peter Spence.
Dude, Where’s My Ferret?
Skeezix has grown a righteous marijuana plant for the Colorado Chronic Cup Contest, whose grand prize is a cool thousand dollars. When Skeezix's dream girl Zelda shows up at his stoner pad to give him a lift to the venue in Boulder, it seems like everything is going to be gnarly. But when Zelda runs off unexpectedly, leaving her buzzkill pet Ferret Bueller behind, the situation becomes decidedly bogus. Director: Alison Parker. Cast: Jedidiah Goodacre, Brittney Wilson, Tim Carlson, Michael Roberds and Mike Smith as “The Bong”.
Duty Calls
A beat cop on the night shift downtown has the unglamorous job of dealing with a drunk, feisty older woman. His duty as an officer conflicts with his impulses as a private citizen as he handles the situation in this observation on city social power dynamics. Director: Jackie English. Cast: Debra McGrath, Seán Cullen, Glenda Braganza, Paul Amos.
Flung
A young woman visits an old friend in New York City, and struggles with her deepening affection for him as they engage in an unexpected fling. Director: Christopher Warre Smets. Cast: Meghan Heffern, Steve Lund.
Julia Julep
On the way back from her mother's funeral, six-year-old Julia and her Uncle Jacky stop at a giant orange snack bar rumoured to contain a magic cure for sick people. When Julia disappears inside to seek it out, her panicked uncle is left in the seedy parking lot where he's forced to deal with his own, very real grief. Director: Alana Cymerman. Cast: Emmanuel Schwartz, NaevaHernandez-Souki.
Keystone
When Jack begins to forget, he visits Keystone, an organization with an unlikely mandate: making your most important memories truly ‘unforgettable.’ When Jack begins to recount moments from his life in an interview, he reveals the bond he formed with one particular woman, and the importance he has placed on their story. Director: Ian Foster. Cast: Des Walsh, Paul Wilson, Brad Bonnell, Jennifer Smith.
Looking for Today
After coming home from WWII injured, Nate, a former boxer, turns to morphine to solve his problems. Chester, his girlfriend, struggles to find work. Nate wishes to regain his former self, Chester struggles to see a future. With nowhere to turn, the couple contemplates ending their lives. Director: Dylan Rayne Fitzgerald. Cast: Kenton Blythe, Stephanie Lawlor.
Onto Us
When Maria is invited into Adrian and Alana’s already warm bed she’s forced to come to terms with her relationship to their relationship and their expectations for a new partner. Director: Natty Zavitz. Cast: Laysla De Oliveira.
Pit
Harvey finds a small connection with one of his female examiners in what should be an extremely uncomfortable situation at a testing facility. Director: Jonathan Steckley. Cast: Lindsay Stewart, Jennifer Gough.
Shavasana
Struggling to alleviate the aching pain of regret, a young woman pushes herself through a strenuous yoga class. As the heat and physical challenges begin to take a toll on her mind and body she is confronted by her past, bringing her closer to achieving peace and forgiveness. Director: Ian Macmillan. Cast: Gillian Ferrier, Anna Hardwick, Steve Belford, Samy Osman, Alex Paxton-Beesley, Jane Luk, Lorna Wright.
Static
Ernest discovers his TV is bleeding. He calls a repairmanand then his son, only to be told “just throw it out”, but he can’t because the ailing TV is the last thing Ernest has of his beloved wife. When his emotional shield shatters along with the screen, Ernest is finally able to find the strength to give his faithful electronic companion the dying wish that he couldn’t give the love of his life. Director: Tanya Lemke. Cast: Eric Peterson, YannickBisson, Kristian Bruun, Janet Laine Green, Chantal Craig, Matt Murray, Supinder Wraich, Igor Pugdog.
Synapse Dance
Any dancer will tell you that dance has the power to heal. At Canada’s National Ballet School, Dancing with Parkinson’s is an exciting initiative that opens their doors to unlikely students, while allowing researchers to study the effect of dance on the brain. Using CG animation combined with live action dance shot in the beautiful NBS studios, this short documentary explores how the brain works, while showing the restorative power of dance for people living with Parkinson’s disease. Director: Karen Suzuki. Cast: David Dennison, Rachel Bar, Joseph DeSouza.
The Floaters
Claire, Josh, Pete, and Suz want nothing more then to have a fun-fuelled magic mushroom experience in the safe and peaceful confines of a summer cottage. But romantic entanglements, broken toilets, and expired pregnancy tests threaten to turn a good trip bad and a bad trip plain weird. Director: Nick Wilson. Cast: Amelia Wasserman, Jessica Hinkson, Kristian Bruun, Stefano DiMatteo, Angela Besharah.
The Girl Next Door
When Evette moves in to a new apartment, she learns she can hear her neighbours through the wall. With the safety of their separation she begins to obsess over their lives. Director: Peter Mabrucco. Cast: Lara Jean Chorostecki, Lauren MacKinlay, Farah Merani, Brad Cook.
The Substitute
A young teacher takes a job at an unusual private school where she soon discovers that the boys have a sinister power over the girls. As the boys behaviour becomes increasingly threatening she uncovers the source of the girls fear; an ominous locked door at the back of the classroom. Director: Nathan Hughes-Berry. Cast: Madeleine Sims-Fewer, David Bamber, Ben Kerfoot, Haruka Abe, Anna Hogarth.
Winter Hymns
Ten-year-old Joshua is spending his winter break at home in the backcountry of Northern Ontario. Killing time before a Christmas party later that night, Joshua along with his pal, Kane journey through the countryside looking for adventure and performing reckless antics. While hiking through the woods on their way home, the boys stumble across an empty cottage. Joshua breaks into the cottage in search of alcohol. But, when things go horribly wrong, Kane is left to pick up the pieces. Director: Dusty Mancinelli. Cast: Sam Ashe Arnold, Kyle Peacock.
Worst. Day. EVER.
Five University students have the worst day ever imaginable. Director: Adam Goldhammer. Cast: Harrison Tanner, James Karfilis, Hans Krause, Jackie Rowland, Jenna Warriner.
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