Starting tonight, with films from Quebec, the Maritimes and Ontario, the Canadian Film Festival (CFF) will screen six feature films alongside eighteen short films.

“Last year, Torontonians welcomed us back to the scene with open arms and it was a bonafide success,” said Executive Director Ber Euler, adding, “We are thrilled to present another exciting edition with a slate of solid films and panels to audiences eager to see and support our homegrown talent.”

The CFF’s sole focus is to bring the best in Canadian cinema to Torontonians. In addition to the film screenings over the course of four days, the CFF will present various panels for industry and public alike, which will be announced at a later date.

The feature and short film lineup for the CFF is a mixture of drama, documentary and genre films ensuring something for all tastes.

FEATURE FILMS INCLUDE:

ROUGE SANG (THE STORM WITHIN)
Director: Martin Doepner
Cast: Isabelle Guérard, Lothaire Bluteau, Anthony Lemke

On New Year’s Eve 1799, Esperance with her three young children, anxiously await the return of her husband. With a snowstorm brewing, five British soldiers invade her home to take cover from the blizzard. As the night progresses, so does the tension in the small cabin in the woods. Horrific acts are committed and blood is spilled in the name of revenge. As the victim becomes the aggressor, one quickly understands that there is no place for mercy in hell.

THE SCENE: AN EXPLORATION OF MUSIC IN TORONTO
Director: Josh Jensen
Featuring: The Ruby Spirit, Committed To Rhyme, The Alter Kakers, Bif Naked, Anvil, Tokyo Police Club

The film follows trio of indie rock bands as they refine their sound, promote their shows, and record their music in the city of Toronto. With commentary from music legends, chart-toppers, band managers, talent agents, radio personalities, and industry experts, The Scene explores the realities of pursuing a career in Canada’s music capital.

SKULL WORLD
Director: Justin McConnell
Cast: Greg Sommer/Skull Man, Jason Pluscec, Shane Patterson, Sean Chillcott, Merv Perez, Ross Koger, Hoss Siegel, Josh Spiegel, Stefano Manera, Sandra Sommer

Greg Sommer is an enigma, wrapped inside a mystery, encased in a Jean-Jacket Vest. An enterprising man in his early 30s, Greg, and his alter-ego Skull Man, are at war. Welcome to Greg’s world – a world of warriors, magic, and glory, where he is building the Canadian-chapter of Box Wars, an international underground movement of Cardboard-based combat. Skull World follows two years in the life of Greg, and sheds light on exactly what makes him, and his goals in life, so unique.

MR. VIRAL
Director: Alex Boothby
Cast: Jefferson Brown, Alex Appel, Christian Lloyd And Michael Ripley

Mr. Viral combines three stories of perversion, coercion and sin, set in the world of viral advertising. A brilliant but twisted ad man creates a secret viral marketing campaign to save his failing ad agency and take revenge on his smarmy replacements. He rebrands their beloved kid’s toys as sex toys (the kind you would see alongside some hot lingerie picks at Restricted 21)and adult diapers as kink-wear. Pretty strange stuff already, but it gets weirder. As time goes on, this ends up inspiring an underground cult following on sites similar to https://www.porn7.xxx/. In the same office, a spastic, gay account girl recruits a group of crazed Quebec e-stalkers in a desperate attempt to catch her wife cheating. Meanwhile, an aging accountant falls into a dangerous trap while seeking love on the Internet. All three stories simmer and explode as they become linked by a mysterious digital pimp who calls himself Mr. V.

SHORT FILMS INCLUDE:

ACE OF SPADES
Director: Justin Kelly
Cast: Scott McCord, Ariel McDonald, Daveed Louza, Glen McDonald, David Tompa

The comedy trio “Funny Stuff” encounter their Canadian TV star hero, Scott McCord, star of the hit TV hostage drama “Rookie Flash Bang”, while going door to door to raise funds for their comedy show, “Making Funny Stuff”. Impressed by their awe for him, Scott makes the unfortunate mistake of inviting the infantile and tragically untalented trio into his home to impart some of his comedy wisdom to them.

BEST, APRIL
Director: Scott McCord
Cast: Priya Rao, Kristopher Turner, Kris Holden-Ried, Shannon Barnett

When thirty-something April falls for Matt, a charming British author, she believes she’s found ‘the one’ and envisions a future together. Instantly smitten, she begins a flirtatious yet awkward communication via text message. When Matt first replies, April assumes the adoration is mutual. Except it’s not.

Still from “Charlie Gauvin”

CHARLIE GAUVIN
Director: Teresa Alfeld
Cast: Katherine Addington, Caitlin Dodd, David Mubanda, Katharine King, Kai Nagata, Benedict Marsh

Canadian former teen-pop superstar Charlie Gauvin is launching a career comeback after several years away from the spotlight. Having split from the producing machine that made her, Charlie is determined to do things her way this time around. She quickly finds that much has changed since she left the limelight, and recapturing her fame will be far more difficult than she imagined.

LIFE ON THE RIVER
Director: Chris Remerowski
Cast: Marquis Bobesich, Meagan Fallenbock

Homeless companions Jerry and Harriet flee hostile streets to set up camp in an idyllic inner-city ravine. They find sanctuary and love at the river’s edge. Harriet is drawn to Jerry, even as her suspicions about him grow. They are pulled apart by a shocking revelation.

STUDENT SHOWCASE – NOT TO BE MISSED!

AIDEN
Director: Alex P. Smith (Sheridan College)
Cast: Jackson Martin, Claire Armstrong, Kane Mahon, Alex Tucci

Aiden’s mother tells him that if he spends one minute with each fear using his grandfather’s stopwatch to time it, his nightmares will go away forever. The following day Aiden returns home from school to learn that his mother has been killed in a car accident. That night, Aiden starts on the incredible journey to overcome his fears one by one.

BLUE BIRD
Director: Ariane Lorrain (Concordia University)
Cast: Kat, Ray, Alexandra, Logan, Rusty

Blue Bird is the portrait of a family of five who has chosen a nomadic lifestyle through their moving home, a school bus.

DEDICATION
Director: Brian Gregory (Dedication)
Cast: Cristhian Ramirez, Gabriel Ramirez, Ashton Martin.

Dedication is a look into the life of a young photographer torn between his passion and survival.

FLOOD
Director: Derek Branscombe (Concordia University)
Cast: Eun Kyung Cho, Jin Yong Lee, Minseo Cho, Sofia Kim

The surface impression of an ideal Korean family slowly unravels as director Branscombe’s jagged, non-linear narrative takes the viewer along a Korean mother’s disturbing descent into the darkest recesses of her soul.

ZEN
Director: Arshad Khan (Concordia University)
Cast: Kunval Mudhar, Pal Mudhar and Zen Mudhar

Zen is a three-year-old boy with cerebral palsy whose parents put their entire lives on the line in order to get the much-needed therapies that are not covered by the Canadian health care system.

Hoping some of you come and support some Canadian talent this week ; I know I will! CFF films will screen at The Royal Cinema from March 20-23, 2013. Full scheduling info at canfilmfest.ca.