“The critical shorthand for a film like this is "tragicomic," but more precisely one might say that Iranian writer-director Abbas Kiarostami [Taste of Cherry] indulges in comic complications that invariably pay off in melancholy. A Tokyo college student moonlighting as a hooker (Rin Takanashi) is browbeaten by her pimp into meeting an old friend of his out of town; there's a heartrending sequence, set in her moving cab, in which she listens to a series of increasingly plaintive phone messages from her sweet grandmother, who's visiting Tokyo for the day, and then passes by the old woman as she waits alone under a statue in a public square. This cruel moment underlines everything that follows, as the woman meets her john, an elderly scholar (Tadashi Okuno), and tries to keep her private and professional lives from colliding. Kiarostami is masterful in his layering of space, using glass walls, mirrors, and, in one instance, the aligned side windows of parked cars to suggest a world of divisions, both between people and within them.” Chicago Reader

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As you can see we couldn’t be more proud of all the Canadian representation in our program this spring…including Slaughter Nick! “A real find is this truly bizarre documentary about Rob Stewart, a struggling actor who was living in his parents’ Brampton basement when he learned that his character Slaughter Nick from the forgotten ’90s action trash TV series Tropical Heat (a.k.a. Sweating Bullets) had become something of an ironic folk hero in Serbia during a time of political upheaval. On a lark, he flies to the country where he’s treated like a king, stars in an insane commercial, interviews local activists about his character’s accidental significance, and appears in a concert.” Toronto Star

“Tell your friends, family, neighbours, pets, and ANYONE into the subversive use of pop culture to overthrow a Government… So, if you find yourself in Ottawa, this is one documentary worth checking out. Trust us.” NXNE Film Fest

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The Winner of the Best Canadian Documentary at the Global Visions Film Festival will surely charm you. Yes, even you young’uns. “Part rock-u-mentary, part character study, [Director Marco DiFelice’s] cameras track along behind Oliver as he records his debut album “…And all that Crap”. Wait? Did I just say an 82-year-old man is recording his debut album? Yes I did. That’s the incongruity that The Ballad of Hugh hangs on. But as we get to know Hugh Oliver and hear his songs, delivered in quirky little music videos and footage from the studio, he starts being less an incongruity and more a revelation. DiFelice is not only the director of this film, he’s also Oliver’s producer. And on top of all that, he’s Oliver’s mentor, mentee, and biggest fan. The affection shines through and Oliver’s delightful personality justifies the affection.” Toronto Film Scene

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