Simulant is a good recommendation for those looking for a solid sci-fi action/thriller and in-the-moment entertainment. The film doesn’t have much resonance after the credits roll, but I thoroughly enjoyed being in this futuristic story that’s executed well enough by director April Mullen (88, Farhope Tower, Badsville) and adequately written by screenwriter Ryan Christopher Churchill.
I Like Movies, a coming-of-age dramedy set in the early-2000s, alternates between the double life of 17-year-old Burlington native Lawrence Kweller (Isiah Lehtinen): an outspoken high school senior and an obsessive film buff at his local video store, Sequels Video, who is simply trying to fit in. Lawrence is an opinionated know-it-all under both roofs, but he feels more in his element at Sequels and is elated when they finally hire him on as an…
It’s been over a decade since being first exposed to Canadian cult hit Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter and Lee Demarbre’s wholesome filmmaking for mature audiences. Underneath its goofy and ambitious premise about our lord and saviour socking it to some blood-suckers was an infectious love for filmmaking and community. It’s main concern other than entertaining audiences was having fun with friends behind-the-scenes. And while that rallying doesn’t always work for all indies, it benefited Demarbre’s…
From the producers of Poor Agnes comes the provocatively titled Happy FKN Sunshine feels, an angry indie with a vague connection to its story.
Environmental lawyer Aurora (Noëlle Schönwald) has sought out refuge in Canada after her husband is mysteriously killed. She flees across the border from Colombia and then, after some additional information is explained about Aurora’s backstory, the film fast-forwards to the refugee’s contemporary lifestyle in Toronto. Despite finding new roots and separating herself from the past, some new reminders and concerning sightings have Aurora second-guessing her identity.
The Long Rider is a welcomed return to documentary filmmaking for director Sean Cisterna (Moon Point, Kiss and Cry, From the Vine).
All My Puny Sorrows, directed by One Week’s Michael McGowan, is cut from similar cloth as last year’s outstanding, sad drama Our Friend. Carried by a small yet mighty cast who are all approaching sensitive material under the guidance of a cautious filmmaker, All My Puny Sorrows tracks how deep mental illness can run within a family’s dynamic, and how it affects its members.
Written and directed by Nicole Dorsey, Black Conflux gets many things right. Aesthetically, it is a compelling film that makes use of visual motifs to link the lives of two very different characters.
