Watch Absolutely Canadian independent documentaries and short films from Ontario
Locally produced films air this season on CBC TV and CBC Gem
Absolutely Canadian is a national one-hour series showcasing documentaries, short films and performance programs that tell unique stories from communities across Canada. All programs are produced locally.
Ottawa Reel Shorts
Short films produced by broadcast and film media students and emerging filmmakers from the Ottawa area. Film titles: The Legend of Ismael LBG by Conor DeVries, Encounters: The Story of Buck Hill Road by Salah Tebessi and Farming Now by Naomi Runstedtler.
Click HERE to watch on CBC Gem.
Toronto Reels Shorts
Short films produced by student filmmakers in media, televison production programs and independent directors from the Toronto-GTA region. Film titles: Shadow Boxing by Arwen Mercado, Weaving Journeys: Shivani by Danelene O'Flynn and Red String by E.J. and Jainna Fernandez.
Click HERE to watch on CBC Gem.
Windsor Shorts
Short films produced by student filmmakers and independent directors with stories relevant to the Windsor-Essex region. Film titles: From Napoli with Love by Luca Cunial, Legacy by Ashley Jun and Tulips by Larissa Cioci.
Click HERE to watch on CBC Gem.
Studio Films A Inc.
Return of Spirit the Horses
Return of the Spirit Horses follows an Indigenous filmmaker as he reconnects with the stories of his youth through the once nearly extinct Ojibwe Spirit Horses, now revitalizing in Chatham-Kent, Ontario. Guided by his father, a Residential School Survivor of Walpole Island, and joined by Indigenous students learning from an Elder, and community members, they unravel their history and the deep, personal bond they share with the horses, which once rode freely.
Click HERE to watch on CBC Gem.
Derek Sands, Indigital Films
Taye Alvis, Misho Entertainment
The Mystery of Winston Churchill: Missing Portrait
The mystery surrounding the disappearance of Yousuf Karsh's famous portrait of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, which was on display at Ottawa's Château Laurier. It has now been found and returned.
Click HERE to watch on CBC Gem.
Marie-Pierre Gariépy
SLALOM Productions
Street Cred
Toronto's streets hold more than directions; they whisper forgotten stories. The documentary highlights the legacy of some Torontonians remembered in the city's street names.
Click HERE to watch on CBC Gem.
Kyle Schmalenberg, Laura Friedmann
Wrapped Productions Inc.
Bridging the Gap: Legacy in Harmony
A journey through Ottawa's Black artistic heritage, weaving together the stories of pioneers, contemporary music voices, and emerging talents, reflecting the city's rich cultural tapestry.
Click HERE to watch on CBC Gem.
Fitch Jean
Lenz Films Inc.
Dear Lunch Box
A heartfelt documentary that delves into the concept of the "lunch box moment." It highlights how favourite Filipino and other cultural foods created hurtful experiences for the filmmaker, some family and community members, who aim to heal memories tied to traditional dishes.
Click HERE to watch on CBC Gem.
Lourdes Lasala
Rosala Pictures Inc.
The Pizza City You've Never Heard Of
Ask anyone from Windsor, Ontario about their hometown's pizza and you'll get an earful about how it's the best in the world. The rest of the world, however, isn't paying attention.
Disturbed that his hometown is typically overlooked on lists of the top pizza cities in the world, George Kalivas set out on a mission. In this road-trip documentary, he explores the most well-established pizza places in Windsor talking with suppliers, pizza joint owners and pizza enthusiasts about the essential characteristics that define and distinguish a true Windsor pie.
Click HERE to watch on CBC Gem.
LRG Super Inc. - Filmmakers: George Kalivas & Tristan Laughton
Be Taylor
A young queer woman from Windsor, Ontario aims to overcome her mental health struggles and regain her confidence by embarking on a journey of self-love, self-discovery, and stand-up comedy.
Click HERE to watch on CBC Gem.
GeminiFilms Inc./ Gemma Eva
Giiwe: Returning Home
Following filmmaker Taye Alvis as he looks to reconnect to his community of Walpole Island First Nation. Taye will explore his relationship to Walpole Island, and how one can reconnect to their traditions and culture by way of conversation, arts, and recreation.
Click HERE to watch on CBC Gem.
Wanderer Entertainment Inc.
Creatorland: Four Women
Creatorland: Four Women follows the lives of Shery, Jamie, Dawn and Rehab. Each one of them has an unstoppable will to create space for their communities and share their stories and legacies with the world.
Click HERE to watch on CBC Gem.
Producers: Zainab Muse, Nickie Shobeiry
Interview on CBC's Our Ottawa. In conversation with the film's co-producer Nickie Shobeiry.
Interview on CBC's Ottawa Morning. In conversation with filmmaker Zainab Muse and Rehab Adas, one of the women featured in the documentary.
Hodan's Story
After 25 years living a comfortable life in Canada, Hodan Nalayeh — a tireless activist, journalist, visionary and single mother of two — leaves Toronto and returns to her birth country of Somalia on a mission to spread light, in a world where many only see darkness.
Hodan's Story, as told by her friend and filmmaker Dwayne Holness, is a film about her life, which was one of passion, inspiration, and ultimately of tragedy. But it covers so much more. Her death may have been a devastating loss, but this is not a tragic story.
Click HERE to watch it on CBC Gem.
Frequent Flyer Films Inc. - Dwayne Holness, Bryn Hughes, Michelle Shephard
The Photographer
Faye Schulman was one of the only known Jewish partisan photographers of the Second World War and in The Photographer, her grandson, Michael Tward, tells the story of her life. Faye Schulman didn't only survive the Nazis — she fought back, photographing the resistance movement along the way. Joining the resistance movement, Faye became one of the only known Jewish partisan photographers of World War Two.
In The Photographer, her grandson Michael traces her story from the Nazi's destruction of her Polish village to her final days in Toronto, Canada. Separated from her few surviving relatives and lost after the massacre of her entire community, Faye captured a wealth of stunning photographs. Today, those photos provide a rare look into the lives of Jewish partisans, serving as evidence that Jewish resistance against the Nazis.
Click HERE to watch it on CBC Gem.
Space Case Productions Inc. - Emily Pasternak & Maryam Remtulla
The Colour of Music
An exploration of the musical talents of women and gender-diverse singer-songwriters and how their intersectionalities influence their music. This next generation of artists are paving their own path in the music industry by valuing community, inclusion and collaboration. (Ottawa)
Click HERE to watch on CBC Gem.
SandBay Entertainment: Han Nguyen & Sarah Fodey
Reel Black: Our Film Stories
Young emerging Black filmmakers Christian Anderson and Ajahnis Charley learn what it takes to fulfill their filmmaking dreams through the insight of veteran filmmaker Claire Prieto-Fuller and other Black Canadian filmmakers. This film project was created by participants from OYA's Emerging Filmmaker Program, they are: Tristen Sutherland, Alexx Bryant, Ayan Tani, Émeraude Domingos Mbuku, Leilah Dhoré, and Enni Balo. (Toronto)
Click HERE to watch on CBC Gem.
OYA Media Group, OYA Black Arts Coalition, OYA's Emerging Filmmaker Program.
Letters from Home
When the painful memories of the Bosnia war resurface through uncovered family letters, Windsor based filmmaker Svjetlana Oppen retraces her emotional journey as a refugee to Canada while reconciling a shattered past through family letters, home video and photos. (Windsor)
Click HERE to watch on CBC Gem.
Producer/Director: Svjetlana Oppen