Toronto Film School Faculty Share Their Top 3 Canadian Film Picks in Honour of National Canadian Film Day
We have once again reached that special time of the year – National Canadian Film Day.
Billed as a day dedicated to encouraging all Canadians to celebrate the incredible achievements of our nation’s filmmakers, National Canadian Film Day marks the perfect occasion to watch some great Canadian film and television.
To help you out with your viewing selections, we at Toronto Film School reached out to some of our faculty to provide their top three recommendations:
Andrew Barnsley – Executive Producer in Residence:
Barnsley is one of the Emmy-nominated executive producers of the CBC’s hit comedy series Schitt’s Creek. In addition to his 2019 Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy nomination, Andrew’s work on the Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara fronted show has also garnered him two Canadian Screen Awards for Best Comedy Series, as well as a 2019 Critic’s Choice Television Award nomination. As the CEO of Project 10 Productions, Barnsley currently splits his time between Toronto and Los Angeles, where his 2019 development and production slate also includes CTV’s Jann, and the Family Channel tween series, My Perfect Landing.
Barnsley’s top 3 must-see Canadian films:
Goin’ Down The Road, directed by Donald Shebib
Rare Birds, directed by Sturla Gunnarsson
Kids In The Hall: Brain Candy, directed by Kelly Makin
Adam Till – Writing for Film & TV Program Director:
A former lawyer, award-winning screenwriter Till made the transition from the courtroom to the writer’s room in 2001 and hasn’t looked back. Till saw early success with his short film Leo being accepted into TIFF. He then moved on to television, where he worked with Atom Egoyan to adapt the film The Adjuster into a television series – a project that was later optioned to Showtime. Till’s TV credits include Billable Hours, a sitcom he co-created with series star Fabrizio Filippo, and which ran on Showcase for three seasons.
Till’s top 3 must-see Canadian films:
Felicia’s Journey, directed by Atom Egoyan
Ginger Snaps, written by Karen Walton
Waydowntown,starring Fab Filippo
Till’s top 3 must-see Canadian TV series:
Yale Massey – Film Production Program Director:
Massey is an award-winning producer, director, writer and cinematographer. As a partner in Massey Bros. Films, he co-wrote and directed a six-part television series entitled Hart of the Annex. Since then, Yale has written, directed and produced five seasons of the Gemini-nominated documentary series, The Film Student, and has directed and produced two documentaries: G-Way focused on issues facing at-risk youth; while HIV: A Nutrient Deficiency Disease outlined holistic solutions to HIV in Africa.
Massey’s top 3 must-see Canadian films:
I Killed My Mother, directed by Xavier Dolan
Stories We Tell, directed by Sarah Polley
Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould, directed by Francois Gerard
Massey’s top 2 must-see Canadian TV series:
Hart Massey – Acting for Film, Television, & the Theatre Program Director:
Massey is an actor, writer, producer and teacher who has worked in the theatre and film industry since he was a child. With more than 30 years of experience, he has collaborated with Canada’s finest directors and entertainers, including Ryan Reynolds, Don Cherry, Tomson Highway, and others. He is a partner in the film company Massey Bros. Films, for which he produced and starred in his self-titled TV series, Hart of the Annex, bringing him acclaim in several Canadian newspapers and the nomination for Best Television Series at the Rogers Impression Awards.
Massey’s top 3 must-see Canadian films:
Exotica, directed by Atom Egoyan
C. R.A.Z.Y., directed by Jean-Marc Valee
Last Night, directed by Don McKellar
Massey’s top 3 must see Canadian TV series:
Two of Toronto Film School’s faculty have recently released their own films as well. Randall Okita directed the VR masterpiece The Book of Distance and Jordan Walker produced James vs. His Future Self, a comedic sci-fi staring Daniel Stern.
Make sure you tag Toronto Film School and use the hashtag #canfilmday when you share your own list of must-see Canadian films on social media today!
