CFF HUNTSVILLE CANADIAN FILM GALA

Our 20th anniversary marks two decades of championing the best in Canadian cinema. Two decades earning industry and audience trust. And a trip to Muskoka!

CFF Huntsville Canadian Film Gala was so very warmly welcomed by so many in Huntsville and for that we are very grateful. We had a wonderful time and judging by the barrage of phone calls to the theatre the next morning, so did Huntsville!

The Gala marked the festival’s official expansion into the Muskoka region, extending CFF’s mission of bringing Canadian stories to Canadian audiences beyond Toronto. The evening was generously sponsored by REEL CANADA. We were so pleased to welcome Community Partners in The Algonquin Theatre, Reel Alternatives, Theatre Muskoka, Gravenhurst Opera House, Huntsville Arts Society, and Muskoka Arts & Crafts.

The Gala screened two Canadian films from CFF’s 2026 Closing Night programme. The feature presentation was THE BEARDED GIRL, a charming fantasy from writer-director Jody Wilson starring Anwen O’Driscoll (Netflix’s BET) and Jessica Paré (MAD MEN). Wilson’s past credits include AVENGERS, TERMINATOR: DARK FATE and THE LAST OF US. The feature was preceded by the short film LEOPARD from Dan Abramovici, whose past credits include MURDOCH MYSTERIES and WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS. Both filmmakers and Anwen O’Driscoll were in attendance for a post-screening Q&A with the audience.

Following the films and Q&A, we celebrated with a reception at the theatre. Good times were had by all and we here at the CFF are more determined than ever to bring quality Canadian films to town.

Tuesday, September 29 @ 7:00 pm
102min | Drama

Director: Jody Wilson
Writer: Jody Wilson

Film Synopsis: 
On the brink of inheriting the position of The Bearded Woman; matriarchal leader to an outcast community of circus performers, a young woman defies her overbearing mother and runs away instead. Free from the expectations and responsibilities at home, she seeks romance and adventure with the normies in a tiny farm town. In order to fit in, she reinvents herself with stories of a fabricated past, until the truth of who she is can no longer be concealed.

Cast: 
Anwen O'Driscoll, Jessica Paré, Skylar Radzion, Linden Porco, Keenan Tracey, Brendan Riley

THE BEARDED GIRL will be preceded by the short film LEOPARD

SPONSORED BY: