About Us

ABOUT REEL CANADA
HOW REEL CANADA WORKS
WHY REEL CANADA MATTERS
REEL CANADA BOARD
REEL CANADA ADVISORY COMMITTEE
PARTICIPATING GUESTS
CORPORATE STUFF

About REEL CANADA

REEL CANADA is an initiative of members of our national film and television industry, designed to bring Canadian films into Canadian classrooms. It is endorsed and supported by our National Honourary Patron, the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Honourary Patron Mayor David Miller, a Board of Directors and an Advisory Committee that includes some of our most prominent filmmakers and producers - Atom Egoyan, David Cronenberg, Norman Jewison, Robert Lantos, Don McKellar, Sarah Polley, Jean-Marc Vallée and many others have all put their personal endorsement on this vital project.

Essentially, REEL CANADA is a day-long traveling film festival that moves from one school to another.

Each event includes films chosen by the students themselves from a curated program of features, documentaries, animated programs and shorts. Special guest speakers such as actors, directors and other prominent personalities present the films and take part in Q&A’s with the students.

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How REEL CANADA Works

Several weeks before Screening Day, participating teachers and students are provided with a catalogue of REEL CANADA selections. Each school chooses its own unique program of films, and then participants select which of the programmed films they’d most like to see.

On Screening Day, REEL CANADA moves into the school and transforms two or three spaces into screening venues of different sizes, depending on the needs and the capacity of the school. Two or three films are screened in the morning and two or three more in the afternoon.  Student volunteers help set up the screening rooms, take tickets and present festival guests.  Some students act as “media”, covering the event for their school papers or creating short documentary pieces about the day.

From first browsing of the catalogue to attending the actual screenings, participants are sure to appreciate the range and depth of Canadian films, as well as the excitement of the "film festival experience".

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Why REEL CANADA Matters

With this initiative we are addressing a very serious crisis in our cultural life in Canada. 

Canada faces unique challenges in creating and maintaining a viable cultural identity.  Movies and television from foreign countries, the U.S. in particular, are ubiquitous and overwhelming.   The stories that we consume are increasingly stories told by, and about, others.  At a time when screen-based media is at its peak of influence, Canadians are threatened by the prospect of invisibility.

Most dangerously, the points of Canadian identification for young people are becoming fewer and fewer.  Without an awareness of Canada as a distinct and sovereign nation, succeeding generations may find it more and more difficult to defend our unique social and political values.

REEL CANADA is an attempt to counteract these trends by creating future audiences and instilling in young people a sense of pride in Canadian cinema, as well as some understanding of Canada’s place in the world with regards to what is, in the 21st Century, the dominant cultural medium.

As our program grows into new communities across the country in future years, we believe we can not only increase audiences for our films and help move our education system forward into the modern currency of screen based media, but also, most crucially, nurture a sense of cultural identification among young Canadians.

By telling Canadian audiences Canadian stories - we can build a stronger and prouder Canada.

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REEL CANADA Board of Directors

Doug Dales, President
Curtis Barlow
Reg Bronskill
Atom Egoyan
Veronica Tennant

National Honourary Patron
Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson


Honorary Patron
Mayor David Miller
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REEL CANADA Advisory Committee 2009

Hussain Amarshi
Denys Arcand
David Booth
Tim Brown
Gary Burns
David Cronenberg
Anne Marie Flemming
Prem Gill
Paul Gross
Norman Jewison
Nicholas Kendall
Robert Lantos
Ron Lea
Bruce McDonald
Don McKellar
Deepa Mehta
Charlotte Mickie
Geoff Pevere
Marguerite Pigott
Gordon Pinsent
Sarah Polley
Ben Ratner
Peter Raymont
Patricia Rozema
Mina Shum
Charles Martin Smith
Scott Smith
Tara Spencer-Nairn
Lynne Stopkewich
Jean-Marc Vallée
Carol Whiteman
Elizabeth Yake




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Participating Guests

We’d like to thank the following people for giving their time, sharing their knowledge, insights and stories with our students, and truly making our first two seasons an unforgettable experience.

Our guests and presenters:
Jim Allodi
Tré Armstrong
Sylvain Arseneault
Harvey Atkin
Joel Bakan
Clé Bennett
Sonja Bennett
Devon Bostick
Pierre-Luc Brillant
Adam Brodie
Jaden Brown
Gary Burns
Dave Calder
Keyon Campbell
Nicholas Campbell
Marsha Cesley
Jerry Ciccoritti
Kamar Clarke
Sadiki Clarke
Kevin Courrier
Richard Crouse
Andrew Currie
Michael D’Ascenzo
Robert Deleskie
Norma Dellagnese
Lee Demarbre
Dave Derewlany
Dan Diamond
Andy Dick
Stacey Donen
Angie Driscoll
Hon. Ken Dryden
Kevin Duhaney
Atom Egoyan
Chris Ellis (C-Jewlz)
Shelley Fairfield
Colm Feore
Niv Fichman
Gerry Flahive
Jill Frappier
Sarah Galea-Davis
Colin Geddes
James Genn
Rob Gray
Timothy Green
Paul Gross
Brian Henry
David Hyde
Renuka Jeyapalan
Jennifer Jonas
Winnie Jong
Marvin Karon
Allan King
Greg Klymkiw
Ron Lea
Marcelle Lean
David Lewis
Nadia Litz
Keith Lock
Peter Lynch
Michael Mabbott
Rishma Malik
Stephen McHattie
Don McKellar
Jesse McKeown
Ian McLatchie
Tom McSorley
Deepa Mehta
Jordan Mendez
Mayor David Miller
Michael Miller
Jay Molloy
Annmarie Morais
Dwain Murphy
Peter O’Brien
David Ostry
John Paizs
Geoff Pevere
Sarah Polley
Paul Quarrington
Josh Raskin
Peter Raymont
Sajean Reed
Patrick Reid
Brent Robinson
Ronika Sajnani
Devyani Saltzman
Paul Scherzer
Patrick Sharangabo
Mina Shum
Smiley Guys Animation Studios
(Matt Cassan and Shona Neil)
Sonja Smits
Kathleen Smith
Tara Spencer-Nairn
Rob Stewart
Marvin Thomas
Kevin Tierney
Jean-Marc Vallée
Jivon Walker
Myrocia Watamaniuk
David Weaver
Robert Wertheimer
Claire Wihogora
George Willis
Vanessa Wood
Hon. Kathleen Wynne
Don Young
Erin Faith Young
Patricia Zentilli


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Corporate Stuff

The REEL CANADA program is  operated by Canadian Film in the Schools Inc., a non-profit corporation.  We are affiliated with the Toronto Foundation for Student Success, a registered charitable foundation associated with the Toronto District School Board.  Donations to REEL CANADA are tax deductible.

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