Ottawa Canadian Film Festival


OCan is a Film Festival in Ottawa that celebrates Canadian film with screenings in November, usually held at the ByTowne Cinema every year. It is a volunteer-run, not-for-profit organization. Films are selected by a jury of volunteers composed of film fans and filmmakers. Screening fees are paid to artists whose films are screened. Also known as the Ottawa Canadian Film Festival, the festival was co-founded by Ottawa-based filmmakers Jith Paul, Ed Kucerak and Blair Campbell in 2015 and collects films for consideration exclusively via a platform called FilmFreeway. The call for submissions usually opens in January.
OCan is listed among qualifying festivals for the Canadian Screen Awards by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.
Co-founder Jith Paul's time on the OCan board concluded in 2024 as the festival shifted its focus and brought in new voices for its next decade.
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Background

The Ottawa Canadian Film Festival was co-founded by Ottawa-based filmmakers Jith Paul, Ed Kucerak and Blair Campbell in 2015. The festival was an evolution of the Treepot Film Festival spearheaded by Treepot Media's Jith Paul. The festival features Canadian independent films of all genres from filmmakers across Canada. The Treepot Film Festival was a series 10 curated screenings at independent cinemas and public parks in the Ottawa area between 2011 and 2014.
OCanFilmFest collaborated with established festivals like the One World Film Festival on screenings at the National Art Gallery and St. Paul's University and partnered with the Ottawa Champions baseball team on short film screenings between innings at games from 2015 to 2017. Independent OCanFilmFest Film Festival screenings began in 2017 and the festival moved to Arts Court in Ottawa in 2018.
In addition to annual screenings, a series of streamed short film screenings 'Shorts at Home' was launched in May 2020.
In 2020 and 2021, the annual festival temporarily moved online to Vimeo's On Demand Platform, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The festival returned to in-person screenings in 2022 at the Bytowne Cinema in Ottawa.

Highlights

2017 Festival Films

Feature Films:
  • RAW* – Ottawa Premiere - Director: David I. Strasser
  • Broken Mile – Ottawa Premiere - Director: Justin McConnell
  • Heroes Manufactured – Ottawa Premiere - Director: Yaron Betan
  • Sisyphus Rides – Ottawa Premiere - Directors: Lisa Lightbourn Lay & Tim Alberts
Short Films:
  • Hue Quilted Windowpane – Ottawa Premiere - Director: Lasha Mowchun
  • Honestly Charlotte – Canadian Premiere - Director: Sarah Hedar
  • Milo – Ottawa Premiere - Director: Jeremie Azencot
  • The Talk – World Premiere - Director: Tyler Boyco
  • Poison in the Water – Ottawa Premiere - Director: Romeo Candido
  • Andre the Anti-Giant – Ottawa Premiere - Director: Kim Saltarski

2018 Festival Films

Feature Films:
  • Pur Laine - Director: Alexander Cruz - WORLD PREMIERE
  • The True North Project - Director: Emil Agopian
Short Films:
  • the art of the morning - Director: Nathan Hauch
  • Harevan - Director: Marilou Caravecchia-Pelletier
  • Russian Gangster - Director: Maissa Houri
  • As It Was - Director: Blake Garbe
  • It Could Be You - Director: Cody Westman
  • Away Home - Director: Jana Stackhouse
  • Super Bingo - Director: Matthew J. Blecha
  • What We Owe - Director: Bryce Mercier
  • Intercept - Director: Kirk Knapp
  • End of the Night - Director: Tavit Melikian
  • Angels - Director: Taylor Olson

2019 Festival Films

Feature Films:
  • The Mayor of Comedy: A Canadian Stand-Up Story – Director: Matt Kelly - WORLD PREMIERE
  • Nose to Tail – Director: Jesse Zigelstein
  • Trouble In The Garden – Director: Roz Owen
Short Films:
  • Baba Yaga – Directors: Nicole Sitanski and Cheryl Taam
  • Dog Bite – Director: Luvia Petersen
  • Fragile Dream – Director: Isabelle Hayeur
  • Girl in the Hallway – Director: Valerie Barnhart
  • Life Via Rail – Director: Jonny Micay
  • May Flowers – Director: Marianna Phung
  • Newborn – Director: Ray Savaya
  • The Order of Things to Come – Director: Tavit Melikian
  • Overgrowth – Director: Christian Belisle
  • Rise n’ Shine – Director: Silver Kim
  • The Still Life of Annika Myers – Director: Matthew Blecha - WINNER, Audience Favourite

2020 Shorts at Home

In addition to annual screenings, a series of streamed short film screenings 'Shorts at Home' was launched in May 2020. The series is intended to prepare OCanFilmFest for online and hybrid physical/virtual screenings in 2020 and beyond.

2020 Festival Films

OCanFilmFest moved to an online event in 2020 out of an abundance of caution due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fans can rent specific films for 24-hour streaming periods during the three weekends starting on November 6, 2020.
Feature Films:
  • Project Cold Days Director: Stephen R. Coleman
  • The Great Disconnect Director: Tamer Soliman
  • The Manhattan Project Director: Matthew Campanile
Short Films:
  • Advances Director: Tyler J. Seguin
  • and also, for youth Director: Eamon Hillis - WINNER, Audience Favourite
  • Guardians of the Grasslands Directors: Sarah Wray, Ben Wilson
  • I Hope They Remember My Name Director: Patrick Weiers
  • Inhale Director: Brian Chambers
  • Miracle, Baby Director: C. Hudson Hwang
  • Not Your Average Bear Director: Cliff Skelton
  • Saint-Tite Directors: Florence Pelletier, Élizabeth Marcoux-Bélair
  • Social Mediation Director: Matt Pittroff
  • StreetSauce! Public Art in Waterloo Region? Directors: Paul Campsall, Tom Knowlton
  • Tessellate Director: Rob Jacobsen
  • The Date Director: Taylor Olson
  • Vessel Director: Ethan Godel
  • WESTBOUND / EASTBOUND Director: Rohan Bader
  • World Of The Fluffs Director: Chaisi Glover

2021 Festival Films

The 2021 edition of the festival, OCan21, took place online on Vimeo's On-Demand platform. Fans can rent specific films for 24-hour streaming periods from November 12–21, 2021.
Feature Films:
Short Films:
  • Camp Tipsy Director: Jana Stackhouse
  • Curbside Pickup Director: Hingman Leung
  • The Debate Director: Allison Elizabeth Burns
  • The Flexed Arm Hang Director: Findlay Brown
  • Mute Director: Constance Hilton
  • Pinball & Perogies Director: Sammy J. Lewis
  • What Flowers They Bloom Director: C Hudson Hwang

2022 Festival Films

The 2022 edition of the festival, OCan22, took place on November 3–5 at the Bytowne Cinema in Ottawa.
Feature Films:Tehranto Director: Faran Moradi - WINNER, Audience Favourite
  • the smallest steps Director: Nicole Bedford
Short Films:
  • Baduk Director: Induk Lee
  • L'Entente Cordiale / The Cordial Agreement Directors: Gautier Piton, Clement Douillet
  • Magic Trick Director: Chris Lennox-Aasen
  • Plus que des cheveux / More Than Hair Director: Fitch Jean
  • Sarah Director: Peter Riddihough
  • Tears of Oizys Director: Ramy Raphae
  • The High Road Director: Keith Robertson
  • The Star Mill Director: Daniel Blake
  • The Untouchable Director: Aazeh Shahnavaz

2023 Festival Films

The 2023 edition of the festival, OCan23, took place on November 2–4 at the Bytowne Cinema in Ottawa.
Feature Films:
  • Broken Waters / Brise Glace Director: Karolyne Natasha
Short Films:
  • The Fire Dancer Directors: Agnieszka Pajor, Lancelot Burton
  • The Gentle Waltz Director: Yann-Manuel Hernandez
  • Her Ordinary World Director: Samuel Dayomi
  • IDOL Director: Kris Fleerackers
  • Impulse Control Directors: Mikey Tachuk, Sarah Marks
  • Laundry Director: Victoria Zubick
  • Leo & Chester Director: Andrea Wing
  • Life After... Director: Stephanie Lalonde - WINNER, Audience Favourite
  • A love letter Director: Thaïs Despont
  • Lunch at the Rideau Directors: Jane Gurr, Kent Newson
  • Margot's Sister Director: Christine Doyon
  • The Mess We're In Director: Jamie Lam
  • Pen Pals Director: Lucas Frison
  • RESTE Director: Ginger Le Pêcheur
  • A Simple Mix-Up Director: Maissa Houri
  • Tiny Directors: Ritchie Hemphill, Ryan Haché
  • The Trapline Director: Andrea Wing

2024 Festival Films

The 2024 edition of the festival, OCan24, took place on November 7–9 at the Bytowne Cinema in Ottawa.
Feature Films:
  • La folle traversée de Philippe Director: Stéphanie Gagné
  • Stealing Vows Director: Bobby Singh Brown
Short Films:
  • Ayam Zaman Director: Hassib Hani
  • Bridge the Gap Director: Luca Fiore
  • Desync Director: Minerva Navasca - WINNER, Jury Prize
  • A Good Day Will Come Director: Amir Zargara
  • Gro$ Lot Director: Sharbel El-Showairy
  • Les mots d'amour Director: Laetitia Demessence
  • Nix's Symphony Director: Karina Loerchner
  • OCD Director: Madonna Gonzalez
  • Radio Bingo Director: Shelby Adams
  • Safe Space Director: Matt Pittroff
  • Silent Cries Director: Navalik Tologanak
  • The Steak Director: Kiarash Dadgar
  • Treat Day Director: Lisa Kockeritz
  • Triage Director: David Rendall - WINNER, Audience Favourite