Ann Bernier

Fanarchy explores the rise of fan culture and ways in which fans are threatening the Hollywood system by becoming a creative force in their own right. With affordable technology at their fingertips, fans are producing more new content per month than studios or networks combined. Whether it's an original idea or a personal spin on a favorite film or TV show, fans are taking the reins and blurring the line between amateur and professional. Written and directed by Halifax’s own Donna Davies, Fanarchy exposes the burgeoning media landscape and the issues that complicate it – copyright, intellectual property and the concept of originality in a remix culture.

Some people grapple with the moral challenges of treating human beings decently. Others are just… assholes. Inspired by Aaron James’ New York Times bestseller of the same name, this documentary investigates the breeding grounds of contemporary ‘asshole culture’ — and locates signs of civility in an otherwise rude and nasty universe. Venturing into predominantly male domain, this film moves from Ivy League frat clubs to the bratty princedoms of Silicon Valley and the bear pits of international finance. Why do assholes thrive in certain environments? What explains their perverse appeal? And how do they keep getting elected?

A year in the life of a French speaking family and the obstacles they face as a linguistic minority in Nova Scotia.

60-year-old Harry Stockowski imagined his fresh start in the Canadian wilderness differently. Instead of finding the peace he longed for on a deserted island, someone who is anything but friendly awaits him there. The rough-necked Susan claims to be the owner of the island and tries to drive away the unwanted newcomer with a shotgun. A fight for the log cabin begins, in which the German dropout takes a huge hit. However, Harry doesn't give up that easily.

A pornographic photographer befriends a terminally ill British diplomat while traveling to Romania.

A queer ensemble comedy set over a weekend at the lake house of a group of lifelong friends

The divided community of Pictou County, Nova Scotia is facing a major turning point in the fifty-year old controversy surrounding the pulp mill located on the shores of Pictou Harbour. Will the mill, considered the dirtiest in Canada, finally clean up its act or will the Government of Nova Scotia allow a new plan to allow the mill to pipe its treated waste directly into the Northumberland Straight?

A marginalized people rose up from humble beginnings, with nothing but their talent, their guiding principles, and their determination to leave none behind. The public has heard so many sad stories, but Atautsikut / Leaving None Behind reveals another aspect of the true North. In their own words, raw and unfiltered, the Nunavik Inuit and Cree recount their struggle and how their co-ops came shining through – a message of hope.

John Walker grew up an Anglophone in Montreal in the years surrounding Quebec's Quiet Revolution. He witnessed first-hand the upheaval that transformed the political and cultural landscape. In those years, more than 500,000 English-speaking Quebecers left the province, many of them—including Walker—finding their way to Toronto. After decades as a cinematographer and documentary filmmaker, Walker decides to turn his lens on his own story and dig into the heart of the social revolution that shaped his identity. His immediate and extended family express their conflicted feelings about their place in modern Quebec. Others, from a police officer who diffused FLQ bombs to director Denys Arcand, contemplate the issues that drive Quebec's desire for sovereignty. A province's past is informed by personal reflection and Walker's perspective that "my grandmothers taught me that history is a path to understanding and myths and half-truths must be challenged." (Summary by Alexander Rogalski)

A Gaelic comedy period piece.

A survivor of the Asian tsunami finds an anchor to her disintegrating new Canadian life when she hits the road with a homeless musician.

Songs of Unama’ki ventures into the “land of the fog” – Cape Breton – where traditional music of the Mi’kmaq shines despite the passage of time. Directed by Mi’kmaw filmmaker Dawn Wells and Jeff Miller, this transportive documentary mines archival material (including recordings captured by folklorist Helen Creighton) and highlights fiddle legend Lee Cremo, tying these gems of yore to gifted artists of today who prove this music is rich and perennial.