The 2015 edition of the Canadian Film Fest begins tomorrow evening and runs through Saturday.  Now in its ninth year, this year’s festival will feature 8 feature films and 16 shorts over the course of four days. My coverage of the festival will begin tomorrow, but in the meantime, here is a rundown what will be happening at the festival.

Features

Opening Film – The Cocksure Lads Movie (Murray Foster) – Toronto Premiere – March 25, 6:45 PM
A musical comedy about a British band’s first North American gig. Relative Happiness (Deanne Foley)  – Toronto Premiere – March 26, 7:00 PM
A romantic comedy about a Bed and Breakfast owner looking for a date for her sister’s wedding . Late Night Double Feature (Navin Ramaswaran, Zach Ramelan, Torin Langen) – Canadian Premiere – March 26, 9:30 PM
A horror anthology centring around a late night filming of Dr. Nasty’s Cavalcade of Horror. High School Shooting: The Musical (Joel Ashton McCarthy) – Toronto Premiere – March 27, 7:00 PM
A mockumentary about the filming of the most offensive movie ever. Barn Wedding (Shaun Benson) – World Premiere – March 27, 9:30 PM
A film about a fashion blogger preparing for her wedding. Ben‘s at Home (Mars Horodyski) – Toronto Premiere – March 28, 3:45 PM
A coming-of-age comedy about a 30-something , who decides never to leave his house again. Nocturne (Saul Pincus) – Canadian Premiere – March 28, 6:00 PM
An offbeat urban fairy tale about an insomniac who falls in love with a sleepwalker. Closing Film – Pretend We’re Kissing (Matt Sadowski) – Toronto Premiere – March 28, 8:45 PM
A romantic comedy about an intense whirlwind weekend romance.

Shorts

Speak Now (Raj Ramnauth) – World Premiere – Precedes Relative Happiness
A visceral exploration of love and the silences that bind us. Burn the Tapes (Nick Kewin and Brit Kewin) – World Premiere – Precedes Late Night Double Feature
A story about love, commitment and oneness under the weight of an unspeakable act. She Sings for Me (Rebecca Davey) – World Premiere – Precedes High School Shooting: The Musical
A modern day fairy tale. Job Interview (Rodrigo Fernandez-Stoll and Tim Moore) – Toronto Premiere – Precedes Barn Wedding
A regular job interview turns into a reminder of Dan’s dark past. When Fish Fly (Lisa Rose Snow) – Toronto Premiere – Part of Homegrown Shorts Showcase – March 28, 1:30 PM
A young girl grieves the loss of her mother, and is gifted a pet fish in an attempt to brighten her spirits. Astraea (Rouzbeh Heydari) – Canadian Premiere – Part of Homegrown Shorts Showcase – March 28, 1:30 PM
On a cold ghostly autumn night, a mothers will to save her child’s life is put to test. Some Things Won’t Sleep (Leah Johnston) – Toronto Premiere – Part of Homegrown Shorts Showcase – March 28, 1:30 PM
A woman does the most horrific thing possible to save her marriage. Unfortunately, some secrets won’t stay buried for very long. Night Life (Erica Genereux Smith) – World Premiere – Part of Homegrown Shorts Showcase – March 28, 1:30 PM
omewhere in the shadows of Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal, a young woman spends her nights alone, lurking in internet chat rooms and meticulously constructing a ‘vision board’ of an ideal future, while her real life crumbles around her. Finalitas (Sebastien Rioux) – Canadian Premiere – Part of Homegrown Shorts Showcase – March 28, 1:30 PM
Spring is just beginning. Maude suddenly decides to leave her boyfriend, whom she does not love anymore. The first thing she does: write to Antonin, a man she has never seen, who has sent her evocative love letters. “Nothing is holding me back now. I will be yours.” Through her encounter with this loving stranger she will finally face her destiny and discover the hidden side of her personality: her independence. sic. (Joshua Hinkson) – Toronto Premiere – Part of Homegrown Shorts Showcase – March 28, 1:30 PM
A lifelong friendship is set ablaze when two friends confront their past unveiling a provocative secret. The Time Traveller (RT!) – Part of Homegrown Shorts Showcase – March 28, 1:30 PM
A man suffering from amnesia after a traumatic experience, rebuilds his life. His new found peace is interrupted when fate brings his former student back into the picture. His current identity is threatened by inquiries about his disappearance and he is forced to confront the dark past to preserve his new life. The Day Santa Won’t Come (Ryan Keller) – World Premiere – Part of Homegrown Shorts Showcase – March 28, 1:30 PM
In the final days before Christmas, young Curtis is concerned about his status on Santa’s list. Lunchbox Loser (Virginia Abramovich) – Toronto Premiere – Part of Homegrown Shorts Showcase – March 28, 1:30 PM
Aspiring stand-up sensation Natasha Marakova would rather practice her comedy routine alone in the bathroom than try to deal with school politics. When the hall monitor busts her sanctuary hideout, Natasha is forced to eat in the lunchroom for the first time. After being humiliated by the most popular girls in school for the contents of her lunchbag, Natasha vows revenge. Winning over the tough lunchroom audience isn’t easy, especially with a heckler in the crowd. Lunchbox Loser is a dark comedy, about owning who you are and eating it with pride. This is Not What You Had Planned (Christopher Warre Smets) – World Premiere – Precedes Ben’s at Home
While waiting for his movie to start, Hank works up the nerve to speak to the attractive woman seated behind him. Gaybasher (Ron Leach) – Canadian Premiere – Precedes Nocturne
A young man emerges from a violent encounter in the back alleys of the gay ghetto to become an avenging angel. Forged by the cruelty of bigotry, he takes back the name of the aggressors to become an urban vigilante called GAYBASHER! Iris (Simone Stock) – Toronto Premiere – Precedes Pretend We’re Kissing
Devoted teenage boyfriend Marshall worries his girlfriend Iris, who has Asperger’s Syndrome might be losing her grip on reality when she tells him she sees another world. And it’s beautiful.
And that’s the line-up for this year’s Canadian Film Fest. Information on tickets an be found on the festival’s website.