Canadian Film Day tapping into rising patriotism with record number of screenings

A still from the 2024 Canadian film "Universal Language" is shown in this handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Oscilloscope Laboratories *MANDATORY CREDIT*

As U.S. president Donald Trump’s ramps up trade and annexation threats, Sharon Corder and Jack Blum are calling on Canadians to clap back — not with picket signs, but popcorn.

The husband-and-wife team behind National Canadian Film Day say this Wednesday’s 12th annual edition is set to be their biggest yet, with nearly 2,000 free screenings of Canadian films happening across the country, around the world and on TV.

They expect about 100,000 people to attend events based on ticket reservations, and more than 2 million to tune in on broadcast and streaming.

“Most of us feel that our culture is threatened. And I think everybody steps up when they think that,” says Corder.

“As I’ve seen on social media, just because we’re polite, don’t think we’re not mean. So this is a statement that we exist.”

“It’s also a statement of our values,” adds Blum, who co-founded the non-profit Reel Canada with Corder to screen Canadian films in schools across the country.

“Movies and stories convey values and this is how we tell each other who we are. And Canadians aren’t necessarily used to watching their own stories — there’s massive competition from our neighbours to the south and it’s very hard to find them.”

He explains that Canadian films don’t have nearly as much money for promotion as Hollywood blockbusters.

Several films will premiere on National Canadian Film Day, including Chad Archibald’s slasher “It Feeds” starring Ashley Greene and Shawn Ashmore, which will screen at more than 20 cinemas. The National Screen Institute will also debut the short “The Difference Between Us” in a virtual event, followed by an interview with director Dabi Anele.

Launched in 2014, National Canadian Film Day celebrates the country’s film industry with events hosted in venues ranging from theatres and libraries to embassies and consulates worldwide. Exhibitors sign up and co-ordinate events at the local level, while Reel Canada supplies a curated selection of homegrown films.

Blum and Corder expect to surpass their 2017 milestone, when they received extra federal funding for Canada’s 150th birthday and delivered 1,800 screenings. They say Telefilm and various industry sponsors have provided “well-timed” funding this year, and they’ve seen a 25 per cent increase in partners showing films. Cineplex has donated 30 screens in 20 different theatres across the country.

Blum says this year’s event feels timely as a wave of renewed patriotism sweeps the country. He believes that while the “buy Canadian” movement is gaining traction, more Canadians are also challenging the grip of U.S. culture on their screens and making a conscious shift to “watch Canadian.”

“Because we’re doing it in the grocery store, I think a lot of people are thinking, ‘Well, maybe I should not be watching Netflix all the time. Maybe I should get a little Canada in the diet.’”

In addition to theatrical premieres, there are anniversary screenings of Canadian classics. The Vancouver International Film Festival will hold a special screening of “My American Cousin,” which turns 40 this year, followed by a Q&A with the film’s director Sandy Wilson.

Another highlight is “Elbows Up for Canadian Culture,” a fundraising event in Toronto featuring a town hall discussion with Mary Walsh, Don McKellar, Yannick Bisson and Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers.

Sixty films are being showcased this year, with the theme of “something to believe in.” They also include Matthew Rankin’s 2024 absurdist comedy “Universal Language,” 2018’s Indigenous sports drama “The Grizzlies” and 2017’s Tragically Hip documentary “Long Time Running.”

Blum believes Canada’s film industry needs to find ways to capitalize on the revived nationalism around the country.

“Often we’ve had to really go out of our way to find people and get their attention for (Canadian films). I think there’s a moment now where people are hungry for it, where their appetite is heightened. Producers, the agencies that fund films and distributors have to recognize that and take advantage of it and reach out to those audiences,” he says.

“We’ve been able to prove that there is an audience out there, not just in Hipsterville, Toronto, but everywhere, for these films,” adds Corder.

“There are people all over this country who want to see a Canadian film if they can get a chance.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 15, 2025.

Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press