Film chart in Canada
Canada's Top Ten is an annual honour, compiled by the Toronto International Film Festival to identify and promote the year's best Canadian films.[1] The list was first introduced in 2001 as an initiative to help publicize Canadian films.[1] Normally announced in December each year, the 2024 list was not announced until early January 2025.[2]
The list is determined by tabulating votes from film festival programmers and film critics across Canada.[3] Films must have premiered, either in general theatrical release or on the film festival circuit, within the calendar year; although TIFF organizes the vote, films do not have to have been screened specifically at TIFF to be eligible.
Originally, only a single list of 10 films was released. Although both short and feature films were eligible, the list was dominated primarily by feature films. Accordingly, in 2007 TIFF expanded the program, instituting separate Top Ten lists for feature films and short films.[4] However, both lists remain inclusive of both narrative fiction and documentary films.
In a 2022 article, Barry Hertz of The Globe and Mail praised the program as a diverse overview of the creative risk-taking in Canadian cinema, and a worthwhile contrast to the limited scope of conventional commercial film distribution.[5] Conversely, in 2025, Pat Mullen of Point of View criticized the program for seemingly ignoring documentary films, with only one feature and two short documentaries highlighted in that year's list.[6]
Screening series
Each year's list was formerly screened as a Canada's Top Ten minifestival, held in January of the following year.[7] Prior to 2010, the films were screened at the Art Gallery of Ontario's Jackman Theatre as part of TIFF's Cinematheque Ontario program;[8] following the opening of the TIFF Bell Lightbox in 2010, the festival was staged at that venue thereafter. For the 2014 festival, TIFF introduced a People's Choice Award for the feature film program, modeled on the existing Toronto International Film Festival People's Choice Award and conducted in the same manner.[9]
In 2018, TIFF dropped the January festival, instead introducing a new model in which each film receives its own standalone theatrical run at the Lightbox in the following year.[10] They subsequently dropped this model, and returned to screening the honored films at a dedicated Canada's Top Ten screening series in the winter programming season,[11] although the series has not reintroduced a People's Choice award as of 2024.
Other activities
In 2024, following the death of influential Canadian film director Charles Officer in fall 2023, TIFF and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation also announced the creation of the Charles Officer Legacy Award, to be presented at the Canada's Top Ten reception to a filmmaker whose body of work is reflective of Officer's values, artistry and vision.[12] The inaugural recipient of the Charles Officer Legacy Award is slated to be announced on February 5, 2025, at the opening of the Canada's Top Ten screening series.
Once per decade, TIFF also polls Canadian film critics and festival programmers to determine a list of the Top 10 Canadian Films of All Time, separately from the annual Canada's Top Ten survey.
Unified list (2000-2006)
Feature films (2007-present)
2000s
2010s
Films highlighted in yellow below were the winners of the People's Choice award at the Canada's Top Ten minifestival.
Year
|
Film
|
Director
|
Ref
|
2010
|
Barney's Version
|
Richard J. Lewis
|
[20]
|
Curling
|
Denis Côté
|
Heartbeats (Les Amours imaginaires)
|
Xavier Dolan
|
The High Cost of Living
|
Deborah Chow
|
Incendies
|
Denis Villeneuve
|
Last Train Home
|
Lixin Fan
|
Modra
|
Ingrid Veninger
|
Mourning for Anna (Trois temps après la mort d'Anna)
|
Catherine Martin
|
Splice
|
Vincenzo Natali
|
Trigger
|
Bruce McDonald
|
2011
|
Café de Flore
|
Jean-Marc Vallée
|
[21]
|
Citizen Gangster
|
Nathan Morlando
|
A Dangerous Method
|
David Cronenberg
|
Hobo With a Shotgun
|
Jason Eisener
|
Keyhole
|
Guy Maddin
|
Monsieur Lazhar
|
Philippe Falardeau
|
The Salesman (Le Vendeur)
|
Sébastien Pilote
|
Starbuck
|
Ken Scott
|
Take This Waltz
|
Sarah Polley
|
Wetlands (Marécages)
|
Guy Édoin
|
2012
|
Cosmopolis
|
David Cronenberg
|
[22]
|
The End of Time
|
Peter Mettler
|
Goon
|
Michael Dowse
|
Laurence Anyways
|
Xavier Dolan
|
Midnight's Children
|
Deepa Mehta
|
My Awkward Sexual Adventure
|
Sean Garrity
|
Still Mine
|
Michael McGowan
|
Stories We Tell
|
Sarah Polley
|
War Witch (Rebelle)
|
Kim Nguyen
|
The World Before Her
|
Nisha Pahuja
|
2013
|
Asphalt Watches
|
Shayne Ehman, Seth Scriver
|
[23]
|
Enemy
|
Denis Villeneuve
|
The F Word
|
Michael Dowse
|
Gabrielle
|
Louise Archambault
|
Rhymes for Young Ghouls
|
Jeff Barnaby
|
Sarah Prefers to Run (Sarah préfère la course)
|
Chloé Robichaud
|
Tom at the Farm (Tom à la ferme)
|
Xavier Dolan
|
Vic and Flo Saw a Bear (Vic et Flo ont vu un ours)
|
Denis Côté
|
Watermark
|
Jennifer Baichwal, Edward Burtynsky
|
When Jews Were Funny
|
Alan Zweig
|
2014
|
Monsoon
|
Sturla Gunnarsson
|
[24]
|
Corbo
|
Mathieu Denis
|
[25]
|
Felix and Meira (Félix et Meira)
|
Maxime Giroux
|
In Her Place
|
Albert Shin
|
Maps to the Stars
|
David Cronenberg
|
Mommy
|
Xavier Dolan
|
The Price We Pay
|
Harold Crooks
|
Sol
|
Marie-Hélène Cousineau, Susan Avingaq
|
Violent
|
Andrew Huculiak
|
You're Sleeping Nicole (Tu dors Nicole)
|
Stéphane Lafleur
|
2015
|
My Internship in Canada (Guibord s'en va-t-en guerre)
|
Philippe Falardeau
|
[26]
|
Closet Monster
|
Stephen Dunn
|
[27]
|
The Demons (Les Démons)
|
Philippe Lesage
|
The Forbidden Room
|
Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson
|
Guantanamo's Child: Omar Khadr
|
Patrick Reed, Michelle Shephard
|
Hurt
|
Alan Zweig
|
Into the Forest
|
Patricia Rozema
|
Ninth Floor
|
Mina Shum
|
Our Loved Ones (Les êtres chers)
|
Anne Émond
|
Sleeping Giant
|
Andrew Cividino
|
2016
|
Angry Inuk
|
Alethea Arnaquq-Baril
|
[28]
|
Hello Destroyer
|
Kevan Funk
|
[7]
|
It's Only the End of the World (Juste la fin du monde)
|
Xavier Dolan
|
Mean Dreams
|
Nathan Morlando
|
Nelly
|
Anne Émond
|
Old Stone
|
Johnny Ma
|
Searchers (Maliglutit)
|
Zacharias Kunuk, Natar Ungalaaq
|
Those Who Make Revolution Halfway Only Dig Their Own Graves (Ceux qui font les révolutions à moitié n'ont fait que se creuser un tombeau)
|
Mathieu Denis, Simon Lavoie
|
Werewolf
|
Ashley McKenzie
|
Window Horses
|
Ann Marie Fleming
|
2017
|
Unarmed Verses
|
Charles Officer
|
[29]
|
Adventures in Public School
|
Kyle Rideout
|
[30]
|
Allure
|
Carlos Sanchez, Jason Sanchez
|
Ava
|
Sadaf Foroughi
|
The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond of Matches (La petite fille qui aimait trop les allumettes)
|
Simon Lavoie
|
Luk'Luk'I
|
Wayne Wapeemukwa
|
Never Steady, Never Still
|
Kathleen Hepburn
|
Our People Will Be Healed
|
Alanis Obomsawin
|
Ravenous (Les Affamés)
|
Robin Aubert
|
Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World
|
Alfonso Maiorana, Catherine Bainbridge
|
2018
|
Anthropocene: The Human Epoch
|
Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier, Edward Burtynsky
|
[31]
|
Edge of the Knife
|
Gwaai Edenshaw, Helen Haig-Brown
|
Firecrackers
|
Jasmin Mozaffari
|
The Fireflies Are Gone (La disparition des lucioles)
|
Sébastien Pilote
|
Freaks
|
Zach Lipovsky, Adam Stein
|
Genesis (Genèse)
|
Philippe Lesage
|
Giant Little Ones
|
Keith Behrman
|
Mouthpiece
|
Patricia Rozema
|
Roads in February (Les routes en février)
|
Katherine Jerkovic
|
What Walaa Wants
|
Christy Garland
|
2019
|
And the Birds Rained Down (Il pleuvait des oiseaux)
|
Louise Archambault
|
[32]
|
Anne at 13,000 Ft.
|
Kazik Radwanski
|
Antigone
|
Sophie Deraspe
|
Black Conflux
|
Nicole Dorsey
|
The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open
|
Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Kathleen Hepburn
|
Matthias & Maxime
|
Xavier Dolan
|
Murmur
|
Heather Young
|
One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk
|
Zacharias Kunuk
|
The Twentieth Century
|
Matthew Rankin
|
White Lie
|
Calvin Thomas, Yonah Lewis
|
2020s
Short films (2007-present)
2000s
2010s
Year
|
Film
|
Director
|
Ref
|
2010
|
Above the Knee
|
Greg Atkins
|
[20]
|
I Was a Child of Holocaust Survivors
|
Ann Marie Fleming
|
The Legend of Beaver Dam
|
Jerome Sable
|
Lipsett Diaries
|
Theodore Ushev
|
Little Flowers (Les Fleurs de l'âge)
|
Vincent Biron
|
The Little White Cloud That Cried
|
Guy Maddin
|
Marius Borodine
|
Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais
|
Mokhtar
|
Halima Ouardiri
|
On the Way to the Sea
|
Tao Gu
|
Vapor
|
Kaveh Nabatian
|
2011
|
Choke
|
Michelle Latimer
|
[21]
|
Doubles with Slight Pepper
|
Ian Harnarine
|
The Fuse: Or How I Burned Simon Bolivar
|
Igor Drljaca
|
Hope
|
Pedro Pires
|
No Words Came Down
|
Ryan Flowers, Lisa Pham
|
Ora
|
Philippe Baylaucq
|
Rhonda's Party
|
Ashley McKenzie
|
La Ronde
|
Sophie Goyette
|
Trotteur
|
Arnaud Brisebois, Francis Leclerc
|
We Ate the Children Last
|
Andrew Cividino
|
2012
|
Bydlo
|
Patrick Bouchard
|
[22]
|
Crackin' Down Hard
|
Mike Clattenburg
|
Herd Leader (Chef de meute)
|
Chloé Robichaud
|
Kaspar
|
Diane Obomsawin
|
Keep a Modest Head (Ne crâne pas sois modeste)
|
Deco Dawson
|
Lingo
|
Bahar Noorizadeh
|
Malody
|
Phillip Barker
|
Old Growth
|
Tess Girard
|
Reflexions
|
Martin Thibaudeau
|
Wintergreen (Paparmane)
|
Joëlle Desjardins Paquette
|
2013
|
A Grand Canal
|
Johnny Ma
|
[23]
|
The Chaperone 3D
|
Fraser Munden, Neil Rathbone
|
The End of Pinky
|
Claire Blanchet
|
An Extraordinary Person (Quelqu'un d'extraordinaire)
|
Monia Chokri
|
In Guns We Trust
|
Nicolas Lévesque
|
Noah
|
Walter Woodman, Patrick Cederberg
|
Paradise Falls
|
Fantavious Fritz
|
Subconscious Password
|
Chris Landreth
|
Time Flies (Nous avions)
|
Stéphane Moukarzel
|
Yellowhead
|
Kevan Funk
|
2014
|
Bison
|
Kevan Funk
|
[25]
|
The Cut (La Coupe)
|
Geneviève Dulude-De Celles
|
Cutaway
|
Kazik Radwanski
|
Day 40
|
Sol Friedman
|
Kajutaijuq: The Spirit That Comes
|
Scott Brachmayer
|
Mynarski Death Plummet
|
Matthew Rankin
|
Rebel (Bihttoš)
|
Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers
|
Sleeping Giant
|
Andrew Cividino
|
Still
|
Slater Jewell-Kemker
|
The Weatherman and the Shadowboxer
|
Randall Okita
|
2015
|
Bacon and God's Wrath
|
Sol Friedman
|
[27]
|
Balmoral Hotel
|
Wayne Wapeemukwa
|
Bring Me the Head of Tim Horton
|
Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson
|
Interview with a Free Man (Entrevue avec un homme libre)
|
Nicolas Lévesque
|
The Little Deputy
|
Trevor Anderson
|
My Enemy, My Brother
|
Ann Shin
|
Never Steady, Never Still
|
Kathleen Hepburn
|
Nina
|
Halima Elkhatabi
|
O Negative
|
Steven McCarthy
|
Overpass (Viaduc)
|
Patrice Laliberté
|
2016
|
Blind Vaysha
|
Theodore Ushev
|
[7]
|
Emma
|
Martin Edralin
|
Fish
|
Heather Young
|
Fluffy
|
Lee Filipovski
|
Frame 394
|
Rich Williamson
|
A Funeral for Lightning
|
Emily Kai Bock
|
Her Friend Adam
|
Ben Petrie
|
Mariner
|
Thyrone Tommy
|
Mutants
|
Alexandre Dostie
|
Snip
|
Terril Calder
|
2017
|
The Argument (with annotations)
|
Daniel Cockburn
|
[30]
|
The Botanist
|
Maude Plante-Husaruk, Maxime Lacoste-Lebuis
|
The Crying Conch
|
Vincent Toi
|
The Drop In
|
Naledi Jackson
|
Flood
|
Amanda Strong
|
Milk
|
Heather Young
|
Pre-Drink
|
Marc-Antoine Lemire
|
Rupture
|
Yassmina Karajah
|
The Tesla World Light
|
Matthew Rankin
|
Threads
|
Torill Kove
|
2018
|
Accidence
|
Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson
|
[31]
|
Altiplano
|
Malena Szlam
|
Biidaaban (The Dawn Comes)
|
Amanda Strong
|
Brotherhood (Ikhwène)
|
Meryam Joobeur
|
Fauve
|
Jérémy Comte
|
Little Waves (Les petites vagues)
|
Ariane Louis-Seize
|
My Dead Dad's Porno Tapes
|
Charlie Tyrell
|
Paseo
|
Matthew Hannam
|
The Subject (Le sujet)
|
Patrick Bouchard
|
Veslemøy's Song
|
Sofia Bohdanowicz
|
2019
|
Acadiana
|
Guillaume Fournier, Samuel Matteau, Yannick Nolin
|
[32]
|
Cityscape
|
Michael Snow
|
Delphine
|
Chloé Robichaud
|
Docking
|
Trevor Anderson
|
I Am in the World as Free and Slender as a Deer on a Plain
|
Sofia Banzhaf
|
Jarvik
|
Émilie Mannering
|
No Crying at the Dinner Table
|
Carol Nguyen
|
The Physics of Sorrow
|
Theodore Ushev
|
Please Speak Continuously and Describe Your Experiences as They Come to You
|
Brandon Cronenberg
|
Throat Singing in Kangirsuk (Katatjatuuk Kangirsumi)
|
Eva Kaukai, Manon Chamberland
|
2020s
Year
|
Film
|
Director
|
Ref
|
2020
|
Aniksha
|
Vincent Toi
|
[33]
|
The Archivists
|
Igor Drljaca
|
Benjamin, Benny, Ben
|
Paul Shkordoff
|
Black Bodies
|
Kelly Fyffe-Marshall
|
êmîcêtôcêt: Many Bloodlines
|
Theola Ross
|
Foam (Écume)
|
Omar Elhamy
|
How to Be At Home
|
Andrea Dorfman
|
Scars
|
Alex Anna
|
Sing Me a Lullaby
|
Tiffany Hsiung
|
Stump the Guesser
|
Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson
|
2021
|
Ain't No Time for Women (Y'a pas d'heure pour les femmes)
|
Sarra El Abed
|
[34]
|
Angakusajaujuq: The Shaman's Apprentice
|
Zacharias Kunuk
|
Boobs (Lolos)
|
Marie Valade
|
Defund
|
Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah, Araya Mengesha
|
Fanmi
|
Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers, Carmine Pierre-Dufour
|
Honour to Senator Murray Sinclair
|
Alanis Obomsawin
|
Like the Ones I Used to Know (Les grandes claques)
|
Annie St-Pierre
|
Meneath: The Hidden Island of Ethics
|
Terril Calder
|
The Syed Family Xmas Eve Game Night
|
Fawzia Mirza
|
Together
|
Albert Shin
|
2022
|
Belle River
|
Guillaume Fournier, Samuel Matteau, Yannick Nolin
|
[35]
|
Bill Reid Remembers
|
Alanis Obomsawin
|
The Flying Sailor
|
Wendy Tilby, Amanda Forbis
|
Lay Me by the Shore
|
David Findlay
|
Municipal Relaxation Module
|
Matthew Rankin
|
Nanitic
|
Carol Nguyen
|
No Ghost in the Morgue
|
Marilyn Cooke
|
Same Old
|
Lloyd Lee Choi
|
Simo
|
Aziz Zoromba
|
Violet Gave Willingly
|
Claire Sanford
|
2023
|
Gaby's Hills (Gaby les collines)
|
Zoé Pelchat
|
[36]
|
I Used to Live There
|
Ryan McKenna
|
Katshinau (Les Mains sales)
|
Julien G. Marcotte, Jani Bellefleur-Kaltush
|
Lake Baikal (Baigal Nuur)
|
Alisi Telengut
|
Madeleine
|
Raquel Sancinetti
|
Making Babies (Faire un enfant)
|
Éric K. Boulianne
|
Motherland
|
Jasmin Mozaffari
|
Mothers and Monsters
|
Édith Jorisch
|
Sawo Matang
|
Andrea Nirmala Widjajanto
|
Thriving: A Dissociated Reverie
|
Nicole Bazuin
|
2024
|
Are You Scared to Be Yourself Because You Think That You Might Fail?
|
Bec Pecaut
|
[2]
|
EarthWorm
|
Phillip Barker
|
Inkwo for When the Starving Return
|
Amanda Strong
|
Julian and the Wind
|
Connor Jessup
|
Maybe Elephants
|
Torill Kove
|
Mercenaire
|
Pier-Philippe Chevigny
|
On a Sunday at Eleven
|
Alicia K. Harris
|
One Day This Kid
|
Alexander Farah
|
perfectly a strangeness
|
Alison McAlpine
|
Who Loves the Sun
|
Arshia Shakiba
|
References
- ^ a b "Canada's Top Ten awards will honour excellence in Canadian cinema". Welland Tribune, November 23, 2001.
- ^ a b c Carlos Diaz, "Canada’s Top Ten: TIFF Celebrates the Best in Cinema for 2024". That Shelf, January 8, 2025.
- ^ "TIFF strategically trades champagne for screen time for Canada’s Top Ten movies". Toronto Star, December 6, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Cronenberg, Arcand make Hogtown film festival's top Canadian movies list". Daily Gleaner, December 12, 2007.
- ^ Barry Hertz, "Want a moviegoing future beyond Batman? TIFF’s Canada’s Top Ten series is essential". The Globe and Mail, March 9, 2022.
- ^ Pat Mullen, "Canada’s Top Ten Has a Documentary Problem". Point of View, January 8, 2025.
- ^ a b c "TIFF announces lineup for Canada's Top 10 Film Festival". CBC News, December 7, 2016.
- ^ a b c "TIFF's Top Ten". Vancouver Sun, December 17, 2008.
- ^ "TIFF’s Top Ten Film Festival: Spotlight on Canadian film". Toronto Star, December 1, 2014.
- ^ "TIFF scraps popular Canada's Top Ten Film Festival". Now, November 7, 2018.
- ^ Andrew Parker, "TIFF’s Latest Edition of Canada’s Top Ten Crosses Boundaries and Borders". TheGATE.ca, January 24, 2024.
- ^ "CBC and Toronto International Film Festival honour Charles Officer with new award". The Globe and Mail, January 25, 2024.
- ^ "Lists, lists and lists: Tops in video". Peterborough Examiner, December 20, 2001.
- ^ "Canada's Top Ten 2002". Film Studies Association of Canada, January 21, 2003.
- ^ "Canada's Top 10 films". Peterborough Examiner, December 18, 2003.
- ^ "Best films tells diverse stories; Top Ten Canadian movies honoured New filmmakers being recognized". Toronto Star, December 15, 2004.
- ^ "Veterans and newcomers alike make annual Top Ten Canadian film list". Whitehorse Star, December 19, 2005.
- ^ "'Away From Her' makes list of Top 10 Canadian films of 2006". Times & Transcript, December 15, 2006.
- ^ a b "Dolan, Nadda films among Canada's best of the year". Waterloo Region Record, December 26, 2009.
- ^ a b "Canada's Top Ten for 2010". Now, December 15, 2010.
- ^ a b "The Festival group releases Canada's annual top ten". Postmedia News, December 7, 2011.
- ^ a b "Rebelle, Goon, Cosmopolis among Canada's Top Ten: Honoured film titles will be shown at Lightbox from Jan. 4 to 13". Toronto Star, December 5, 2012.
- ^ a b "TIFF selects top 10 Canadian films". Screen International, December 3, 2013.
- ^ Linda Barnard, "Monsoon Canada’s Top Ten people’s choice winner". Toronto Star, January 12, 2015.
- ^ a b "TIFF announces its top 10 Canadian films of 2014". CBC News, December 2, 2014.
- ^ Charles-Henri Ramond, "Le député Guibord élu par le public". Films du Québec, January 18, 2016.
- ^ a b Bruce Kirkland, "TIFF announces its top 10 films of 2015". Toronto Sun, December 8, 2015.
- ^ "'Angry Inuk' wins people's choice award at Canada's Top Ten Film Festival". National Post, January 22, 2017.
- ^ Jordan Pinto, "Unarmed Verses wins Canada’s Top Ten People’s Choice Award". Playback, January 22, 2018.
- ^ a b Norman Wilner, "Canada’s Top Ten has some glaring omissions". Now, December 6, 2017.
- ^ a b "TIFF's Canada's Top Ten list skews a lot younger this year". Now, December 5, 2018.
- ^ a b Norman Wilner, "TIFF announces Canada's top 10 films of 2019". Now, December 11, 2019.
- ^ a b Victoria Ahearn, "Toronto International Film Festival releases Top Ten lists for 2020" Archived 2021-01-04 at the Wayback Machine. Squamish Chief, December 9, 2020.
- ^ a b Norman Wilner, "TIFF announces Canada’s Top Ten films of 2021" Archived 2021-12-06 at the Wayback Machine. Now, December 6, 2021.
- ^ a b Pat Mullen, "Three Feature Docs Make Canada’s Top Ten". Point of View, December 8, 2022.
- ^ a b Pat Mullen, "TIFF’s Canada’s Top Ten Includes BlackBerry, Solo, Humanist Vampire". That Shelf, December 6, 2023.
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