An Introduction to Canadian International Pictures
I remained willfully ignorant of Canadian film history for far too long even as I dove into the rest of world cinema via curators like the Criterion Collection, and I don’t imagine I’m the only one. Canadians have the option of free access to the National Film Board of Canada, which hosts a huge collection of Canadian films online, so it isn’t an access issue.
But accessing movies isn’t anyone’s problem these days. Streaming provides an endless sense of choice, even if it can prove to be limited in providing options you want to watch.
That’s why I’m grateful for Canadian International Pictures (CIP) and the work that they are doing to curate an understanding of Canadian film history that is far richer than I ever imagined. Their collection of Blu ray and 4K releases provides a dynamic view into how Canadian films fit into the greater cinematic landscape.
Our history runs far deeper than Denis Villeneuve, David Cronenberg, and “Bon Cop, Bad Cop,” and it’s exciting to be able to discover a new world of film thanks to the work of CIP. The films that they release are often compelling yet underseen compared to their American counterparts, and they deserve to be watched and embraced by film fans worldwide.
Who is Canadian International Pictures?
Canadian International Pictures (CIP) is a Toronto-based company co-founded by David Marriot, Jon Doyle, and Ei Toshinari. They’ve been releasing movies since 2022. They are a small company, but you wouldn’t know it from the high quality of their restorations and physical media releases.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the co-founders, two of whom also founded the LA-based distribution company Arbelos Films, reconnected and began exploring Canadian films and discovered how many films remained unreleased.
CIP is a partner label of Vinegar Syndrome, which means their releases are distributed by OCN Distribution. OCN is one of North America’s primary independent film distributors.
What does CIP do?
CIP’s focus is on releasing movies made in Canada, but occasionally they also present films that feature prominent Canadian actors or filmmakers as part of the production. They are “devoted to resurrecting vital, distinctive, and overlooked triumphs of Canadian cinema,” according to their website.
Each film receives a uniformly beautiful restoration of the original print, and each release comes with a wealth of bonus features, including short films, interviews, and informative booklets. Their releases place a large focus on the additional short films, such as a hugely important early Leonard Cohen documentary.
The colourful range of Canadian International Pictures releases on full display. What would you pick?
A look into CIP’s catalogue
As of August 2024, CIP has released 28 movies. They’ve helped me to discover a rich history of Canadian-made films that I am honoured to know exists.
To help you get started, we’ve tried to sort the movies that they’ve released so far into loose categories that line up with their international counterparts from faraway places like “Hollywood”.
New Wave/ New Hollywood adjacent
These movies feature the kinetic energy of experimentation that was commonly found in European arthouse films of the 1960s and the movies happening during the fall of the Hollywood studio system at the end of the ‘60s, such as Jean-Luc Godard’s “Breathless” or “Easy Rider.”
o The Other French New Wave Vol. 1
Crime cinema
New Hollywood filmmakers in the 1970s like Martin Scorsese and William Friedkin embraced a focus on darker aspects of society. It turns out that a similar movement was happening in Canada, which CIP has focused on with a series of gritty crime film releases, including an informal trilogy of Quebec-based crime films directed by Denys Arcand (“Gina,” “Dirty Money,” and “Réjeanne Padovani”).
o The Mob
o Gina
o One Man
Documentaries
In what may be the most compelling portion of their catalogue (at least for me), an amazing selection of documentaries has provided unforgettable insight into important, occasionally eclectic topics like the land rights of Indigenous People via the Kanesatake Resistance (Oka Cris) of 1990; the Lesbian subculture of the 20th century; Wrestling, the WWE, and the “Montreal Screw Job;” and a making-of documentary about one of the final short comedies starring the silent-era genius Buster Keaton.
o Buster Keaton Rides Again/ Helicopter Canada
o Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance
o Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows
Eclectic children’s movies
These oddities left generations of ‘80s and ‘90s kids with strange memories of “what was that movie anyways?” for years afterward. Consider joining them for some unforgettable journeys, including the must-see “The Kid Brother.”
American Independent Cinema adjacent
This is a more widely eclectic grouping, but these films follow similar patterns of the US independent films that were released from the ‘60s to the ‘90s. You’ll find parallels to everything from John Cassavetes’ “Shadows,” Barbara Loden’s “Wanda, Jarmusch’s early work, up to the independent explosion of the 1990s with the films of Steven Soderbergh and Kevin Smith.
Canuxploitation
Another loose grouping, these are low-budget films that took full advantage of government tax grants. No film industry can or should resist the pull, and frequently open wallets, of the horror movie or exploitation-leaning audience, and Canada certainly didn’t resist.
o Roadkill
Animation
A category on its own somewhat by default, some of their releases have featured animated shorts as bonus features, but in 2024, CIP released a collection of Oscar-nominated animated shorts produced by the National Film Board of Canada, which helps to showcase the role played by Canadian creatives in the evolution of animated film.
CIPs releases won’t leave you with Buster Keaton’s famous deadpan expression.
Support Canadian International Pictures
CIP releases at least one movie almost every month and they have a long list of movies still to be released. Check out their social media to stay informed.
You can support the important work being done by Canadian International Pictures to curate and present our film history to Canadians and the world by buying their releases and recommending them to like-minded cinephiles.
You can also find releases by Canadian International Pictures at Vinegar Syndrome’s retail locations, including their location in Toronto.
Written by Matthew Long