Teresa MacInnes

Several elderly friends and acquaintances in 1950s London are disturbed to receive mysterious telephone calls predicting their impending deaths...

Feisty, fiercely independent and firmly rooted in place, 90 year-old Mabel Robinson broke barriers back in the 40s when she became the first woman in Hubbards, Nova Scotia, to launch her own business—a hairdressing salon where she still provides shampoo-n-sets over 70 years later. Weaving animation and archival imagery with intimate and laugh out loud moments in the salon, the film celebrates the power of friendship, doing what you love and staying active. With no desire to retire anytime soon, Mabel gives voice to a generation who are not front and center of cinema or the pop hairstyles of the day, and subtly shifts the lens on our perception of beauty and the elderly.

Norm is a love story pure and simple. But there is nothing simple about it. A loving sister decides to take her older brother with Down syndrome into her home to provide the care and the sense of family she feels he has been denied since childhood. Like many aging adults living with Down syndrome, he begins to experience the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Her greatest fears have become a reality, "What if she can't keep him at home forever?"

Conviction envisions alternatives to prison through the eyes of women behind bars and those fighting on the front lines of the decarceration movement. Not another ‘broken prison’ film, this collaboration is a ‘broken society’ film—an ambitious and inspired re-build of our community, from the inside out. The film compels viewers to examine why we imprison the most vulnerable among us, and at what cost.

Timely and wise, this feature documentary explores the state of prostitution laws in Canada. Buying Sex captures the complexity of the issue by listening to the frequently conflicting voices of sex workers, policy-makers, lawyers and even the male buyers who make their claim for why prostitution is good for society. Examining the realities in Sweden and New Zealand, and respecting the differences of ideology as Canada works its way toward an uneasy consensus, the film challenges us to think for ourselves and offers a gripping and invaluable account of just what is at stake for all of us.

At Caledonia Junior High - like at so many schools - students and teachers live in an environment of disrespect and potential danger.

Patrick Laba and his crew explore the intersection between space aliens and cultural alienation in Nova Scotia.

n The Quiet and the Dark follows one woman’s mission to save our remaining Eastern Hemlocks from an invasive, tree-killing insect (brought to North America by humans, of course). Captivating through its footage of lush, old-growth forests—a reminder of what’s at stake—this documentary from director Nance Ackerman offers a considered model for scientists working alongside Indigenous communities to prevent ecological catastrophe. It also prudently differentiates between the interference and involvement of humans in nature’s healing.

In this offbeat whodunit, Bernie Langille sets out to uncover the truth around the strange circumstances of his grandfather (and namesake) Bernie Langille's death. Fifty years after the fact and with the help of meticulous miniatures, he reconstructs the bizarre events of one fateful winter night in 1968. What exactly precipitated the shocking discovery of Grandpa Bernie, dead in his own bed? The labyrinthian task of answering this question leads Bernie to interview a range of characters, including forensic experts and family members. Along the way, Bernie entertains increasingly absurd scenarios—including the possible involvement of Agent Orange. His obsessive musings, just like the constantly changing miniature sets, never get old. Ultimately the film provides a quirky yet thoughtful look at family ties, the fault lines of memory and intergenerational trauma.

A film that tackles the taboo subject of menstruation. A compelling source of information that is essential for all teachers, mothers, daughters, and the men who love them. It challenges society's thoughts on such issues as safety, Toxic Shock Syndrome, tampons, pads, different cultures, and misconceptions. Author Judy Blume and The Museum of Menstration curator are featured in the film.