100 Best Canadian Films – Jason Anderson

I first discovered the writing of Jason Anderson through his essays on Canadian cinema in Cinema Scope back in 2010. As an adolescent living in Ottawa, which had the Bytowne and the newly opened Mayfair, it was a shock to discover a Canadian cinema that went beyond the limited films that opened there and to even hear polemics against these titles. Now having lived in Toronto for seven years, I’m more aware of upcoming Canadian films and these positions but I still read Anderson’s pieces for their authority and passion. Anderson still writes for Cinema Scope, among many other outlets, along with programing short films at TIFF and being the director of programming at the Kingston Canadian Film Festival. Other 100 Best Canadian Films contributors include Daniel Kremer, Yves Lever, Piers Handling, Marcel Jean, Mike Hoolboom and myself. – D.D.

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Jason Anderson's 100 Best Canadian Films
1. La région centrale (1971, Michael Snow)

2. Pour la suite du monde (1963, Pierre Perrault)

3. Mon oncle Antoine (1971, Claude Jutra)

4. Lonely Boy (1962, Wolf Koenig, Roman Kroitor)

5. Atanarjuat (2001, Zacharias Kunuk)

6. A Married Couple (1969, Allan King)

7. The Heart of the World (2000, Guy Maddin)

8. Les Ordres (1974, Michael Brault)

9. Videodrome (1983, David Cronenberg)

10. My Winnipeg (2007, Guy Maddin)

11. Léolo (1992, Jean-Claude Lauzon)

12. Jesus of Montreal (1989, Denys Arcand)

13. Dead Ringers (1988, David Cronenberg)

14. Goin’ Down the Road (1970, Don Shebib)

15. La Sarrasine (1992, Paul Tana)

16. Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould (1993, Francois Girard)

17. FUBAR II (2010, Mike Dowse)

18. FUBAR (2002, Mike Dowse)

19. Crime Wave (1985, John Paizs)

20. Wavelength (1967, Michael Snow)

21. La bête lumineuse (1982, Pierre Perrault)

22. Mynarski Death Plummet (2014, Matthew Rankin)

23. Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010, Panos Cosmatos)

24. Ryan (2004, Chris Landreth)

25. Six Figures (2005, David Christensen)

26. It’s Not Me, I Swear! (2008, Philippe Falardeau)

27. Spider (2002, David Cronenberg)

28. Negativipeg (2010, Matthew Rankin)

29. Before Tomorrow (2014, Marie-Helene Cousineau, Madeline Ivalu)

30. Top of His Head (1989, Peter Mettler)

31. Entre la mer et l’eau douce (1967, Michel Brault)

32. Picture of Light (1994, Peter Mettler)

33. Polytechnique (2009, Denis Villeneuve)

34. The Journals of Knud Rasmussen (2006, Zacharias Kunuk)

35. Carcasses (2009, Denis Côté)

36. Calendar (1993, Atom Egoyan)

37. Pas de deux (1968, Norman McLaren)

38. Full Blast (1999, Rodrigue Jean)

39. Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance (1993, Alanis Obomsawin)

40. Maelstrom (2000, Denis Villeneuve)

41. Gambling, Gods and LSD (2002, Peter Mettler)

42. Begone Dull Care (1949, Norman McLaren, Evelyn Lambart)

43. Manufactured Landscapes (2006, Jennifer Baichwald)

44. The Far Side of the Moon (2003, Robert Lepage)

45. Walking (1968, Ryan Larkin)

46. The Forbidden Room (2015, Guy Maddin)

47. Monsieur Lazhar (2011, Philippe Falardeau)

48. The Sweet Hereafter (1997, Atom Egoyan)

49. Very Nice, Very Nice (1961, Arthur Lipsett)

50. Trains of Winnipeg (2004, Clive Holden)

51. Block B (2008, Chris Chong Chan Fui)

52. The Decline of the American Empire (1986, Denys Arcand)

53. Neighbours (1952, Norman McLaren)

54. Les bons débarra (1979, Francis Mankieicz)

55. Shivers (1975, David Cronenberg)

56. Felix and Meira (2014, Maxime Giroux)

57. Careful (1992, Guy Maddin)

58. The Adjuster (1991, Atom Egoyan)

59. Back and Forth (1969, Michael Snow)

60. Les signes viteaux (2009, Sophie Deraspe)

61. The Hundred Videos (1989-1996, Steve Reinke)

62. Up the Yangtze (2007, Yung Chang)

63. C.R.A.Z.Y. (2005, Jean-Marc Vallée)

64. Warrendale (1967, Allan King)

65. Plage de sable (2015, Marie-Eve Juste)

66. I’ve Heard The Mermaids Singing (1987, Patricia Rozema)

67. Dying at Grace (2003, Allan King)

68. Save My Lost Nigga Soul (1993, Clement Virgo)

69. Blue (1992, Don McKellar)

70. Next Floor (2008, Denis Villeneuve)

71. L’Acadie, L’Acadie (1971, Michel Brault, Pierre Perrault)

72. Frank’s Cock (1993, Mike Hoolboom)

73. Foster Child (1987, Gil Cardinal)

74. The Far Shore (1976, Joyce Wieland)

75. On est au coton (1970, Denys Arcand)

76. Cairo Time (2009, Ruba Nadda)

77. The Weatherman and the Shadowboxer (2014, Randall Okita)

78. Les êtres chers (2015, Anne Émond)

79. Sur la trace d’Igor Rizzi (2006, Noel Mitrani)

80. If You Love This Planet (1982, Terre Nash)

81. La Confessional (1995, Robert Lepage)

82. Highway 61 (1991, Bruce McDonald)

83. Those Who Make Revolution Halfway Only Dig Their Own Graves (2016, Mathieu Denis, Simon Lavoie)

84. Stories We Tell (2012, Sarah Polley)

85. The Sweater (1980, Sheldon Cohen)

86. Sophie Lavoie (2010, Anne Émond)

87. Act of God (2009, Jennifer Baichwal)

88. Noah (2013, Patrick Cederberg, Walter Woodman)

89. Lilies (1996, John Greyson)

90. It’s All Gone Pete Tong (2004, Mike Dowse)

91. Emporte-moi (1999, Léa Pool)

92. You Take Care Now (1989, Ann Marie Fleming)

93. Monkey Warfare (2006, Reg Harkema)

94. The Big Snit (1985, Richard Condie)

95. Synchromy (1971, Norman McLaren)

96. Film (dzama) (2001, deco dawson)

97. The Bitter Ash (1963, Larry Kent)

98. Nobody Waved Good-bye (1964, Don Owen)

99. Last Wedding (2001, Bruce Sweeney)

100. Sleeping Giant (2015, Andrew Cividino)