April 15, 2026 marks the 13th anniversary of National Canadian Film Day, presented by REEL CANADA. CanFilmDay brings together hundreds of thousands of Canadians for a coast-to-coast celebration of our stories and the incredible achievements of Canadian filmmakers. Whether hosting a screening, attending one, or watching from home, CanFilmDay is all about connecting with our cultures and shared values.
Following a successful 2025 edition that boasted 1900+ events worldwide, 180 special guests, and millions of at-home viewers, REEL CANADA assembled a dream team of 51 prominent Canadians, including Margaret Atwood, Rick Mercer, Sarah Polley, Deepa Mehta, Atom Egoyan, Anna Lambe (Inuk), and Neve Campbell (full list here), to recommend a list of must-see films. On April 15th, Canadians will be able to watch their diverse and delightful recommendations, as well as more premieres, sneak previews, and 2026 Canadian Screen Award nominees than ever before.
Discover all local events on the CanFilmDay website.
Support B.C. films and see a handful of the screenings you can attend:
Still from HEAVY PETTING (dir. Brendan Prost)
Vancouver: VIFF Centre
The VIFF Centre’s annual Canadian Film Showcase is back and continues to expand and evolve. Specially curated by multihyphenate Sook-Yin Lee (PAYING FOR IT), the program features 23 events with numerous screenings in the series DIY: Making Movies No Matter What. Boasting both features and shorts, the series platforms filmmakers who’ve relied on resourcefulness rather than resources and mobilized their communities in order to create extraordinary independent cinema.
INTIMATE MOMENTS: SHORT FILMS BY BRENDAN PROST (dir. Brendan Prost)
Vignettes of loneliness, desire and fleeting connection, immerse yourself in the short, bittersweet films of Brendan Prost — who will also be filming proceedings for potential inclusion in his self-reflexive doc, The Performance of a Lifetime.
4 OR 5 THINGS I WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT ME (AN ESSAY) (dir. Carl Bessai)
Carl Bessai’s playful Godardian riff on actors and acting gives us a portfolio of dramatic portraits and monologues focused on half a dozen female performers at different points in their journey. It’s a grab-bag of a film, sparky and specific.
LOVE AND MONEY (dir. David Ray)
David Ray’s shoestring comedy is a totally improvised film, almost like a game of telephone, involving a musician searching for his missing friend and finding all kinds of weird.
LAST WEDDING: JUBILEE SCREENING WITH BRUCE SWEENEY (dir. Bruce Sweeney)
Named the Best Canadian film of 2001 by the Vancouver and Toronto Film Critics, Bruce Sweeney’s third feature took a wry look at contemporary relationships through the experiences of three thirtysomething couples whose relationships are about to implode.
Still from THE ART OF ADVENTURE (dir. Alison Reid)
THE ART OF ADVENTURE (dir. Alison Reid)
The unbelievable adventure story of how painter Robert Bateman and ecologist Bristol Foster drove a Land Rover from Africa to Australia in 1957, developing a love of nature to last a lifetime. An inspirational love letter to the adventure of life itself.
PAYING FOR IT (dir. Sook-Yin Lee)
Sook-Yin Lee wittily adapts the graphic novel of the same name by her ex-boyfriend, Canadian cartoonist Chester Brown, about the end of their relationship and Brown’s subsequent decision to start paying for sex.
STARWALKER (dir. Corey Payette)
Corey Payette’s musical blends drag spectacle, Indigenous storytelling, and soaring emotion in a film that celebrates chosen family and the liberating magic of performance.
CASTRATION MOVIE ANTHOLOGY 1: TRAPS (dir. Louise Weard)
Louise Weard’s underground movie is a talk-a-thon in two chapters and four hours: a sex worker contemplates having her testicles removed, and a movie production assistant pitches himself right out of a job, and other misadventures in Vancouver life.
LUNATIC: THE LUNA VACHON STORY (dir. Kate Kroll)
Kate Kroll’s doc is a touching tribute to wrestling legend Luna Vachon, who redefined women’s wrestling but struggled with her own demons outside the ring.
Still from UIKSARINGITARA (WRONG HUSBAND) (dir. Zacharias Kunuk)
Alliance française de Vancouver
UIKSARINGITARA (WRONG HUSBAND) (dir. Zacharias Kunuk)
Igloolik, Nunavut, 2000 BCE. Kaujak and Sapa were promised to each other at birth. After the sudden death of Kaujak’s father, her mother marries a man from another camp tearing the young lovers apart. The promise of a better life quickly turns to a nightmare, with aggressive suitors backed by an evil shaman vying to win Kaujak’s hand. But Kaujak resists, holding on to hope that Sapa will one day make things right.
Vancouver Horror Show Film Festival
CUBE (dir. Vicenzo Natali, co-written by Graeme Manson)
A group of strangers awaken to find themselves placed in a giant cube. Each one of them is gifted with a special skill and they must work together to escape an endless maze of deadly traps.
Creston Valley Film Society
Historic Gem Theatre
MEADOWLARKS (dir. Tasha Hubbard)
Based on her 2017 documentary BIRTH OF A FAMILY, Tasha Hubbard’s MEADOWLARKS is an emotional drama that follows four siblings, separated by the Sixties Scoop, as they come together over a week spent in Banff.
Still from THE GREY FOX (dir. Phillip Borsos)
Grand Forks & District Public Library
THE GREY FOX (dir. Phillip Borsos)
After decades in prison, stagecoach robber Bill Miner emerges in 1901 a free man without a place in 20th-century society. Times have changed, but in the face of all these changes, neither his good-humored patience nor his joy of life has abandoned him. With the vigor of a teenager, Miner sees a screening of one of the first films, THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY, and is inspired to once again do what he does best.
Shawnigan Lake Historical Society
BYE BYE BLUES (dir. Anne Wheeler)
During World War II, Daisy Cooper returns home to Canada with her children after her British husband, soldier Teddy, is assigned to Singapore. With the help of trombonist Max Gramley, Daisy’s amateurish piano and vocal skills improve, and soon she is supporting her family with her performances. Unsure whether Teddy is alive or dead, Daisy is torn between staying faithful and giving in to her growing feelings for Max.
Learn more about National Canadian Film Day, find even more screenings in your area, or find out how to watch from the comfort of your home on the CanFilmDay website.
