Month: January 2025

In its 19th edition, the Canadian Film Fest (CFF) has established itself as a vital platform for celebrating Canadian stories and filmmakers. At the heart of this endeavor is Ashleigh Rains, the festival director and a passionate advocate for Canadian cinema. In this insightful interview, Rains delves into the festival’s unique mandate, its unwavering focus on showcasing exclusively Canadian films, and the strategies it employs to elevate local talent. From navigating challenges posed by the pandemic to fostering a sense of community among filmmakers, Rains shares how CFF continues to thrive as Toronto’s largest festival dedicated to Canadian storytelling.

Amir Ganjavie, UniversalCinema Magazine (UM): Could you please introduce yourself and share a bit about your role in the organization?

Ashleigh Rains (AR): Yeah. Hi, my name is Ashleigh Rains. I am the festival director and head of Canadian Film Fest. I’ve been with the film festival in various capacities for 10 years now.

(UM): Could you tell us a bit more about your festival and what sets it apart from other Canadian film festivals?

(AR): Yeah. So, Canadian Film Fest, we are celebrating our 19th edition this year, and it was founded by our executive director, Bern Euler. It was born from the need to see more Canadian films on screen. So, Toronto is a great culturally diverse city, but in terms of having exclusive Canadian content, in a festival setting, Bern saw a need for that. So, he founded the festival. Our festival is different because we are Toronto’s largest film festival exclusively dedicated to screening Canadian films. We screen feature films and short films and recently, we started screening digital series as well. We also have an industry series, and this is headed by our director of Industry, Jen Pogue. It’s really such a wonderful resource for the filmmaking community in Canada. It’s five days where filmmakers get to learn from, interact with, and also do practical work in support of their careers. We cover everything from financing in Canada to distribution, to current trends, as well as last year, for example, we did the Canadian Comedy Film Igniter Challenge with the Firecracker Department, and we had filmmakers actually go and make short films. We have diverse offerings in programming or film programming, but also in terms of our industry.

(UM): Just to clarify, does your festival focus exclusively on curating Canadian films, without including international films?

(AR): Only Canadian films. We ask that the e-creatives and specifically the director of the project be Canadian. Sometimes we get questions where people are like, “My film stars 20 Canadians. Would you consider it?” No. Our mandate is to support and elevate Canadian filmmakers as well as connect audiences across the country with Canadian filmmakers.

(UM): What inspired you to create this film festival? Was there a specific gap or need you identified that prompted its creation?

(AR): Yeah, so it was Bern Euler. He was working as an editor in the industry, and he had so many friends who were creating amazing films playing in Toronto. So, it was hard to get those Canadian films up on screens. First for the community, but then also for the general public. He literally was like, “I’m going to start a film festival.” So, he started doing the screening at the Royal, and it was so successful that it grew year to year to year, and that was really the need. There was such a response within the community, where like, yes, we need a film festival that shows Canadian films and only Canadian films, and it engages the industry, but also platforms this content for the general public. I can’t speak specifically, I don’t know the exact numbers, but Bern really grew the festival over 19 years. There were some years when the festival had to go dark because of sponsorship reasons, recessions, et cetera. But this year, we are celebrating our 19th edition and it’s really a testament because Bern saw a need in the market for this type of festival and here we are 19 years later.

(UM): The concept of nation is often highly politicized, and its definition can be quite ambiguous. For example, in some countries, when supporting French films, there’s an emphasis on highlighting certain aspects that define them as distinctly “French.” I’m curious—how does this apply in your case? Do you and your team ever engage in debates about what constitutes a “Canadian” film?

(AR): I don’t think I caught the word that you said at the beginning, but when we try and define what a Canadian film is, we say, “Is the director Canadian? Is it in the creative control of a Canadian?” So, that’s how we look at defining that piece. In terms of value associated with that, we don’t come in with that. We don’t come in with a set idea of, like, “This is Canadian,” because we all have our own personal POVs and our own lived experiences, but that doesn’t apply to everyone. So, we really like our programming team. We really, I think, look at the films on an individual basis and again, go back to, is it a good story? Was it compelling? Did it make me laugh? Did it make me cry? Was I scared? Do I want to keep watching? That’s really how we do our assessment of the films.

(UM): How many films are typically submitted to your festival, and how many of those are ultimately selected?

(AR): Last year, we had over 500 submissions, and I say that’s a great number, and it’s an encouraging number to know that Canadians are making that much content every year.

(UM): Does that include both feature films and short films?

(AR): Yeah. It’s for features and shorts. Last year, we programmed 11 feature films and about 40 short films.

(UM): Could you elaborate on your selection process? How do you go about choosing the films for the festival?

(AR): Yeah, so I have a great programming team and we’ve been working together for a handful of years now. We do open calls for submissions. So, we open them after TIFF and we keep them open until the end of the year. We’re really looking for films that represent the Canadian landscape. So what does that mean? First of all, we like to consider geography. We are the Canadian Film Fest, so we want films from all regions across the country. We program films in English, in French, and in other languages. Canada has many languages, so we’re interested in films. In all languages, we do request English subtitles. Then we look at basically our mandate, and this really comes from the heart of Bern, the founder of the festival, and we just carried it through 19 editions. It’s a good story. So, we’re looking for compelling stories. In that way, we’re open to all genres. So, it can be horror, it can be drama, it can be comedy, it can be Sci-fi, it can be a period piece. We really consider all genres of films as long as it has a really good story.

(UM): Could you clarify what you mean by a “good story”?

(AR): Yeah. So, that’s a great question. I think good story, like, it’s open to that kind of interpretation in the sense that compelling, does it hook us? Are we interested? Do we want to keep watching the movie? Do we think it’s going to resonate with an audience? Sometimes, also we look at what’s going on in the world and whether it speaks to current issues. And is it of the time? Will that resonate? Does it further a conversation? Does it further ideas about an issue or a topic? I would say, like, first and foremost though, compelling in that sense, and then from there, it could be those kinds of considerations. Like, what is it talking about? What’s it saying? What’s the messaging? How is the story told? Is it told in an innovative and interesting way? Is it a theme that has been explored in film before but from a unique POV?

We love films that take chances and risks too. So, if stories are told innovatively, that’s awesome. Last year, in our programming, we had some interesting feature films that came through and we love stories told in really like cool, in a sci-fi format or a thriller that was told in a Western format. We’re really open to how the stories are told. And we’re looking for that kind of diversity of content too. We don’t program for a theme. We’re not saying this year, it’s an environmental theme, or this year we are leaning into the genre, we’re really open in those considerations.

(UM): Do you invite films to the festival, or do you select them solely from submissions?

(AR): We do invite films. Our programming team is really plugged into what’s going on in Canadian film. Most of our team, I’m going to say like 95% of the Canadian Film Fest team are filmmakers. So, we are all working in the industry and have backgrounds as producers, writers, directors, television creators, and on-camera talent. So, we’re plugged into the industry we’re following. When we see a film or hear about a film that’s in production or recently wrapped, we will approach filmmakers or distributors for that content. We also have distributors pitch us content as well. We have wonderful relationships with many of the other awesome film festivals in Toronto that will suggest content to us. So, it’s really kind of diverse. We get a lot of applications through just a call for submissions as well.

(UM): Do you tend to select films that have already been recognized at other major festivals, or do you prioritize premieres?

(AR): We’re looking for films. We want Toronto premieres and we’d love Canadian premiers for our film. So, at minimum, we’ll take a Toronto premiere, but we are looking for a Canadian premiere for our films too. Sometimes, we do screen films that have had successful runs at other festivals. It’s really kind of a case-by-case consideration looking at what our slate is this year and what we’re programming.

(UM): Do you follow any specific ratios or quotas during the film selection process?

(AR): Well, we do mandate gender parity in our programming. That’s something that I started when I joined the festival, but that’s not a difficult position for us to meet. Every year, we have an amazing amount of submissions from all genders. We look at representation too in terms of gender as well as BIPOC representation and equity-seeking communities. We want to make sure that our programming reflects the diversity of Canada. So, we do consider that when we program too.

(UM): I’m curious—how do you approach handling films that might spark political controversy?

(AR): Yeah. In Canadian Film Fest, we don’t take political positions, but we do believe in the freedom of expression and free speech. As filmmakers and as citizens of the world, we are very aware of all of the challenges going on globally and the devastation to various communities, so we do consider that in terms of our films. But our mandate first is to support our film filmmakers and to platform their work.

(UM): Regarding venues, I know some Toronto festivals face challenges in securing locations. How is the situation for your festival? Where do your events typically take place?

(AR): Historically, we’ve screened at the Scotiabank Theater. We used to screen at the Royal College, which is an amazing independent theater. Our festival grew, so we had to move to a bigger venue to accommodate our audiences. We hope to be back at Scotiabank this year. In terms of the logistics of the festival though, it’s year to year. We don’t have a permanent space as some other festivals do, so we’re always looking for our venues. But we do have a wonderful relationship with Scotiabank and we’ve been there for several years.

(UM): One common challenge for film festivals is the lack of a consistent, year-round staff, as many team members work only for a few months, leading to potential instability. How does your festival handle this issue?

(AR): Our festival director, Bern Euler, and I can speak to this specifically, running a film festival is not a secure job and it’s not a guaranteed year to year. We really are dependent on government support as well as sponsorship, as well as engagement from the filmmaking community and the general audience to make sure the festival can run year to year. Bern and I, typically, work year-round. We really believe in the need for the festival and the space for the festival to exist in Canada. So, we are working year-round on it. Whether that means, it’s not a full-time job as well, because we also do work in the industry in various roles. I also work as a producer and a creator, so I do have other jobs. But this is something that Bern and I work on year-round. As soon as the festival ends, we take a few days off and then we’re into planning for the following year.

(UM): You mentioned that the Canadian government is one of your major supporters. Are there any specific policies or requirements you need to adhere to as a result of working with them?

(AR): Are you asking if they have certain mandates for us to meet?

(UM): Yeah.

(AR): Yeah. I think different government funds have different mandates, and we see their funding used. So, for some funds, they really want to support B2B within the industry. So, it’s creating those opportunities for filmmakers to meet with other filmmakers. Other funds might want to see a lot of community engagement. So, everyone has, I think. They have specifications about how they would like to see their money spent, and then we review that of course at the application stage and make sure that our programming on the industry side and on the film side, meets those mandates.

(UM): You mentioned that the festival includes five days of networking and other industry opportunities. Could you elaborate on this aspect of the event?

(AR): Yeah. As I said, our director of industry, her name is Jen Pogue, and she’s done such a wonderful job of developing the industry side of the festival. I think it’s such a necessary component of the festival. I can’t imagine CFF without it. What we do is, historically, we always have a masterclass. It’s a hands-on practical learning opportunity for filmmakers. We’ve had directing master classes. We’ve had pitching master classes. Like last year, we did pitching with Lauren MacKinlay, who’s an incredible talent and resource. We had Jeremy Lalonde[?] come in and do a director’s workshop with our filmmakers. We’ll have something like that. We’ll have panel discussions. Usually, I’ll say, like, we’ll do something on financing. We’ll invite all of the funders in Canada to come in and speak about their funds, how to access them, and what you need to do as filmmakers to prepare yourself for that process. We’ll have conversations on festival programming.

Canadian Film Fest, we have our specific mandate, but we know that the success of a filmmaker in Canada relies on having a successful festival run with other festivals. So, we’ll talk about that and how that can leverage a festival run for the next steps. We have the Making a Canadian Classic Series, which we started a few years ago, and the objective of this is to meet with established Canadian directors who started working in independent film and their one independent film kind of launched their career. For example, we’ve had Sudz Sutherland come on, we had Jasmin Mozaffari come on. Last year, we had Vincenzo Natali. They came in and talked about their early work and how, Cube, for example, helped launch Vincenzo’s career. And that’s hosted by Warren P. Sonoda, who’s the President Directors Guild in Canada. He’s a masterful moderator. So, they are really valuable, unique conversations.

Then we have our Cheers and Chats Series where we get filmmakers to come in and informally talk about their careers, in a really practical and candid way about how to be a writer in the industry, how to develop comedy in Canada, et cetera. Then we have networking opportunities as well. We have pitch competitions. Every day we have networking socials. So, filmmakers get together, they can meet other filmmakers, they can meet decision-makers, financiers. It’s really a comprehensive week. It’s fully packed, but it’s a great opportunity for filmmakers. And, I also like to participate because I’m always learning something in this series too.

(UM): One of the biggest challenges for Canadian filmmakers is distribution, as the market is often dominated by American and Hollywood films. Even prominent Canadian films struggle in this regard. How does your festival support filmmakers in terms of distribution? Do you assist with securing distribution deals?

(AR): Yeah. So, at the festival, we’ve had films come in that we invite distributors to come to the festival. We’ve actually historically had distributors pick up films from seeing them at the festival, which is great. When we work with distributors, part of that conversation is what the release strategy looks like for the feature film. So, then it’s how we can position the feature with the festival and help leverage the festival for the release of the film. Then when our filmmakers do release films in theaters across Canada, we encourage our followers, our audience, and our community to go out and see them. However, we can support it, it’s always like a multifaceted approach, but we try to have those conversations up front and continue those conversations after filmmakers leave us so that we’re encouraging audiences to see the films.

(UM): I see a big disparity between the French and English sides of Canada in terms of film. The French side is more powerful and they have a strong system of starships and it seems that it works better. I’m just curious how you are trying to help the English side. Do you have any kind of preference or any agenda? I’m just curious to know more.

(AR): Yeah. I think generally, our mandate is to platform and elevate Canadian filmmakers. A big part of our marketing at the festival is directly promoting the individual filmmakers who are screening with us. So, that includes traditional media, like print interviews, it includes some of the entertainment shows, and radio appearances. We work with a team that helps elevate our filmmakers and make some noise about their films. That’s really important to us. We really try to make a lot of noise for our programs, films, and film filmmakers so that we do get eyes on them and hopefully that those experiences and opportunities can be leveraged for the next steps in the film’s life or in their careers.

(UM): One of the challenges I’ve noticed, especially post-COVID, is getting audiences back into theaters. Many festivals have adopted various strategies to address this. How has your festival managed this situation?

(AR): Well, I don’t know if you know this, but when COVID hit, we were two weeks away from opening our festival. And it was in that kind of gray area where the government was like, “Just don’t shake hands and keep safe distances and use hand sanitizer.” We’re like, “Okay, we’ll do that.” And then it like slowly, not slowly, it actually quickly escalated to the point of a lockdown, and we had to close. And Bern will say this, we had no contingency plan in place because nobody was expecting this, so we thought we were going to go under. And then Super Channel in Canada, a broadcaster in Canada came in and said, “We love the festival. They’re Canadian. We support this mandate.” So, they transitioned the entire festival into a virtual edition so that audiences across Canada could experience the festival on their channel. They actually formatted it like the in-person event with screenings, Q&As, introductions, networking events, and industry series. They were so generous and kind and we worked with them for, I believe, three years online.

Then when, in this kind of what we’re calling a post-pandemic world, theaters opened again and we went back to theaters and we weren’t sure, we had no idea. We’re like, “Will our community come? Will audiences come?” We had no expectations, only hope that we would be successful. The first year we were back, we had a great response, and the second year, like last year was just a banner year for the festival. We had the most people ever attend, sold-out screenings, and high engagement. It was really successful. So, I think that speaks to the needs of the festival and the legacy of the festival. We’re really pleased that we’re still engaging our community and also engaging audiences who want to come and see Canadian films.