National Canadian Film Day returns with record-breaking number of free screenings

Buy Canadian. As the U.S. trade war persists, that simple phrase has become a rallying cry at the checkout line. But are Canadians applying the same nationalistic fervour to all of their consumer habits? What about movies, for example? Is it time to watch Canadian too?

Wednesday is National Canadian Film Day, an initiative that aims to make homegrown cinema easier to access than usual. And according to organizers, this year's edition will boast a record-breaking number of free in-person screenings. Nearly 2,000 community events are scheduled for Wednesday, and no province or territory has been left behind. 

Interest from new presenting partners saw an uptick this year, increasing by 60 per cent, and artistic director Sharon Corder says the recent wave of patriotic sentiment may account for the excitement. "I think in general there's a quiet pride in Canada, but this year it's a lot noisier," she says. "People want to join in and celebrate being Canadian."

On that front, approximately 100,000 audience members are expected to attend CanFilmDay events. Cineplex and Landmark Cinemas (both of whom are sponsors) have donated screens, and a plethora of public watch parties will be taking place in community venues including libraries and schools. But the celebration isn't limited to Canada. CanFilmDay screenings are also booked for 40 other countries (including the United States), and a searchable program guide is available on the event's website. 

Ticketed entertainment is also on the schedule. New films will debut with key talent in attendance. CanCon classics such as Rude, C.R.A.Z.Y., Ginger Snaps and Waydowntown will be celebrated at special anniversary presentations. And a panel of stars (including Don McKellar and Mary Walsh) will appear on stage in Toronto for a town-hall discussion: Elbows Up for Canadian Culture. 

For those who'd prefer to stay on the couch with a bag of all-dressed chips, the options are similarly plentiful thanks to partnerships with major broadcasters and streaming services, and according to organizers, approximately 2.5 million viewers sampled a Canadian film from home during last year's edition.

A collection of 60 movies has been highlighted by CanFilmDay organizers. This year's theme is "something to believe in," and among the dozens of titles is Universal Language, Matthew Rankin's absurdist comedy set in an alternate Winnipeg. (The film made a splash at Cannes last year.) Other contemporary offerings include Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story (2024), BlackBerry (2023) and Hey, Viktor (2023).

Corder co-founded National Canadian Film Day in 2014 with her husband and fellow filmmaker Jack Blum, and the initiative sprung out of their non-profit, Reel Canada. "It started with a desire for people to actually see the films we make," she says, and in Reel Canada's early days, Corder would meet students at school screenings across the country. "We were talking to young people and they didn't know the difference, in lots of ways, between us and the U.S., and that seemed dangerous and strange," she says. When CanFilmDay launched, she wanted to show audiences that Canada does, in fact, have a film culture of its own. 

"Here are our films, they reflect us," she says. "They reflect where we live, they reflect our geography, they reflect our differences, they reflect our our samenesses, and so it just became more and more urgent for us — for people to take a look."

That mission hasn't changed, but CanFilmDay has welcomed the "elbows up" enthusiasm of the moment. "We're not saying never watch anything from another country, specifically a place south of us," says Corder. "But it's important to take a look at who we are and what we're about and to see what our values might be. To see what we look like, to see who we are. Just to reflect on us."

National Canadian Film Day. April 16, 2025. Find more information at www.canfilmday.ca, including details on how to screen this year's movies in the spotlight.