Canadian Film Fest (CFF), the indie-spirited festival dedicated to celebrating Canadian filmmakers, today announced its lineup for the 2025 edition of the festival. Now in its 19th year, CFF continues to champion and support our country’s creatives and homegrown talent, bringing Canadian stories to Canadian audiences. This year, the festival will be showcasing 16 features and 50 shorts. Tickets go on sale March 10 and can be purchased at canfilmfest.ca. CFF returns to Cineplex’s Scotiabank Theatre in Toronto and runs from March 24-29, 2025.

This year, CFF welcomes films from across Canada, with feature films from British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. The festival kicks off with Naomi Jaye’s award-winning film Darkest Miriam, an adaptation of Martha Baillie’s novel The Incident Reporter, starring Britt Lower (Severance, Man Seeking Woman) and Tom Mercier (Synonyms, The Animal Kingdom). The film tells the story about a librarian who lives in a fog of grief while working at the Allen Gardens branch of the Toronto Public Libraries.

Other festival highlights include Tarique Qayumi’s CONCEIVING CLARA, a midwife who helps many women give birth but cannot bear a child. Under pressure from her mother-in-law, she undergoes IVF treatment and complications lead her to choose between her life and the baby’s; LARRY (they/them), a documentary directed and written by Catherine Legault, focuses on a young non-binary trans photographer Laurence Philomène, who has emerged as one of the most original and inspiring voices of their generation and an LGBTQ+ community icon; The closing night film is LUNATIC: THE LUNA VACHON STORY, a documentary directed and produced by Kate Kroll, about WWF villain Luna Vachon, reaching the peak of her fame in the 90’s and her mental health struggles.

What’s Queer

Larry (They/Them)

Young non-binary trans photographer Laurence Philomène has emerged as one of the most original and inspiring voices of their generation and an LGBTQ+ community icon. Exploring the artist’s intimate world and creative process, LARRY (they/them) paints a luminous and engaging portrait of the complex, often misunderstood multiplicity of trans and non-binary identities and experiences.

To The Moon

Closeted single dad Sam (Jacob Sampson) finds his world upended when he meets a handsome stranger. Meanwhile, his daughter Ella (Phoebe Rex) struggles with the challenges of teenagerhood and their writer’s block-suffering neighbour Claire (Amy Groening) tries to mine this offbeat father/daughter duo for source material. An ensemble comedy about love, choreographed dance, kitchen safety, stranger danger, planetary physics, and the idea that it’s never too late in life to figure out who you really are.

CFF will once again highlight a variety of short films through the six Homegrown Shorts programs, while also screening a short film before each feature presentation. These shorts span over a wide range of genres including Drama, Comedy and Sci-Fi.

66 Total Films
16 Features
50 Shorts
29 (44%) BIPOC Filmmakers
35 (53%) Female/Non-Binary Filmmakers
31 (62%) Toronto Shorts

About the Canadian Film Fest
The Canadian Film Fest  (CFF)  is a non-profit organization whose mission is to celebrate the art of cinematic storytelling by exclusively showcasing Canadian films. The festival unites film-loving audiences with diverse selections of features and shorts from across the country. The CFF provides Canadian filmmakers with essential professional development and networking opportunities through its Industry Series and awards. To view the complete festival schedule click here.

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About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist with a focus on travel, lifestyle, entertainment and hospitality. He has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He enjoys discovering delicious eats, tasting spirited treats, and being mesmerized by musical beats.