Reel Canada is a national film festival that introduces Canadian high school students to Canadian films. It has hosted over 600 screenings for 120,000 students across seven provinces. The flagship event transforms schools into film screening venues and includes films, workshops, and guest appearances by Canadian filmmakers. Reel Canada aims to build appreciation for Canadian culture and support the Canadian film industry by developing future audiences for Canadian films.

1. Quick Facts & Overview
Season Eight
2012-13

2. REEL CANADA:
• Is a national travelling film festival for Canadian high schools
• Introduces students to the power and diversity of Canadian film and engages them in a
conversation about what it means to be Canadian
• Builds a larger domestic audience for Canadian film
• Is supported by the leaders of Canadian film including Atom Egoyan, David Cronenberg,
Norman Jewison and Sarah Polley
QUICK FACTS:
• More than 600 screenings to date for 120,000 Canadian youth in seven provinces
• Projected 2012-13 student participants: 25,000
• Special guest appearances by Atom Egoyan, Sarah Polley, Deepa Mehta,
Paul Gross, Don McKellar, Colm Feore, Gordon Pinsent, and many others
• Selected press coverage: CBCʼs The National, CTV News, Global, MTV, The Globe
& Mail, Toronto Star, Ottawa Citizen, CBC Radio & dozens more
PROGRAMS:
• One-day film festivals in schools, programmed by students, featuring screenings,
workshops, special guest Q&Aʼs
• Cineplex Day festivals serving entire school boards
• “Welcome to Canada” screenings for both adult and high school ESL classes
• French language events for francophone and French Immersion audiences
• Do-It-Yourself festival kits
• Interactive website with clips, trailers, blogs, student reviews
• Curriculum-based teacher resources
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT REEL CANADA:
• “This film program could have a deep impact on potential Canadian cinema audiences”.
- Norman Jewison
• “The whole school was completely transformed into wonderful theatres like Iʼve never seen
before. Learning the difference between Canadian and American films made me respect
filmmakers in Canada like never before”.
- Nadia A., Gr. 11 student
• “We want you to know that the event has made a lasting impact on our school, the
students and the staff.”
- Varla Abrams, Principal, Northern SS, Toronto

3. REEL CANADA is an initiative of members of the Canadian film and television industry. Its purpose is to
raise awareness among the high school population of the incredible achievements of Canadian filmmakers
past and present, and ultimately to enhance young people’s appreciation of their national culture.
What: The flagship event is a travelling film festival that allows students and teachers to program their own
festival of Canadian films. On festival day, REEL CANADA transforms high school facilities into high-
quality screening venues, and provides special guests and workshops dealing with the films that have
been presented. Our program is presented in both French and English, and our new “Welcome to
Canada” initiative serves new Canadians, young and old, via their ESL courses.
When: With seven successful seasons in Ontario under our belt, REEL CANADA is truly becoming a
national program. As we enter our 2012-13 season, we have an established presence in seven provinces,
having reached thousands of students in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Quebec,
PEI, and across Ontario. REEL CANADA will be presenting approximately three dozen events during the
fall of 2012 and spring of 2013.
REEL CANADA is supported and endorsed by:
National Patron: Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson
rd
Founding Patron: David Miller, 63 Mayor of
the City of Toronto
Advisory Committee:
Hussain
Amarshi
Denys
Arcand
Carl
Bessai
Gary
Burns
Jerry
Ciccoritti
David
Cronenberg
Andrew
Currie
Phillipe
Falardeau
Colm
Feore
Niv
Fichman
Paul Gross being interviewed at York Mills Collegiate Institute’s
Bryan
Gliserman
Paul
Gross
REEL CANADA festival, January 2009
Norman
Jewison
Robert
Lantos
Bruce
McDonald
Don
McKellar
Deepa
Mehta
Geoff
Pevere
Gordon
Pinsent
Sarah
Polley
Michel
Poulette
Peter
Raymont
Patricia
Rozema
Mina
Shum
Tara
Spencer-­‐Nairn
Jean-­‐Marc
Vallée
Clement
Virgo
Colm Feore presents BON COP, BAD COP at Parkdale
Collegiate, Toronto, April 2008

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Sponsors and partners have included almost every sector of the film industry -- DGC,
ACTRA, broadcasters (CBC, CTVglobemedia, Shaw Media), distributors (CAFDE,
Alliance, E1) – and all levels of government – the federal Department of Heritage,
Telefilm Canada, Ontario ministries of Culture and Education, Ontario Trillium
Foundation, Ontario Arts Council, the Toronto Arts Council and City of Toronto. We are
also delighted to count Cineplex Entertainment as our Premiere Corporate Sponsor, and
both RBC Foundation and TD Bank as Presenting Sponsors.
We enjoy the support of many educators of local and international repute, as well as
organizations such as film festivals (TIFF,Windsor, Whistler, Kingston, ImagineNative),
school boards and media literacy organizations.
Filmmakers Jack Blum and Sharon Corder are the Executive Director and Artistic
Director, respectively, and REEL CANADAʼs Board includes Atom Egoyan, Veronica
Tennant, Reg Bronskill (Bronskill & Co.), Curtis Barlow (Fort York Foundation), Liz
Shorten (CMPA) and Denise Bolduc (ImagineNative).
Why: Todayʼs youth are overwhelmed by foreign-based cultural product. REEL CANADA
is a visionary nation-building initiative that will help create tomorrowʼs audience for our
distinctive cultural products while bolstering a sense of national identity among our youth.
For our partners and sponsors, it is an ideal opportunity to be associated with the
excitement and glamour of the film industry while reaching out to the high school
audience. The REEL CANADA program creates a buzz for the entire student and teacher
population in the schools we visit, and for the general public in the media coverage we
generate.
How: REEL CANADA is an ambitious venture; our budget for 2012-13 will be just over
$1,000,000. In addition to funding from government, and from every sector of the film and
television industry, we need to attract substantial support from both private citizens and
corporate sector partners who understand the value of being associated with building the
Canadian brand. Opportunities exist currently to support REEL CANADA as foundational
partners on a multi-year basis.
REEL CANADA is a registered charity and all donations may be deemed tax deductible.
For further information, please contact:
Jack Blum
Executive Director, REEL CANADA
@ Centre For Social Innovation
720 Bathurst Street – Suite 501
TORONTO, ON M5S 2R4
416-906-5606
jack@reelcanada.com
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