National Canadian Film Day is a massive one-day, coast-to-coast-to-coast celebration of Canadian cinema. Every year Reel Canada provides the means for hundreds of schools, libraries, theatres, and other organizations to screen great Canadian films for free (normally we have to purchase licenses for public screenings which can be hundreds of dollars). This year NCFD falls on April 22nd. We had arranged screenings at four of our branches this year, but are sad that our events had to be cancelled.
So how can I participate?
Many of these events have moved online! You can still watch the films on broadcast TV and through streaming services such as Netflix, Crave TV, and more. Check out the full TV schedule and films available for streaming at canadianfilmday.ca/broadcast-schedule/ and canadianfilmday.ca/streaming/.
NCFD will be hosting interviews and Q&As with the stars and filmmakers at canadianfilmday.ca/live/ starting at 3pm PDT.
For a full day of family friendly events and activities check out canadianfilmday.ca/family-friendly-programming/.
For some local content check out the Kamloops Film Society’s event with the Vancouver International Film Festival. Find out more details at viff.org/Online/default.asp. Join their watch party at 5:00pm for Meditation Park, then at 7:30pm check out Last Night. Both films are available to watch for free on CBC Gem. We hope to “see” you there!
Accessing CBC Gem
CBC Gem is CBC’s free streaming service. It offers live and on-demand access to CBC’s full programming slate including drama, comedy, documentaries, arts, kids, sports and national and local news programming. There’s also a curated selection of best-in-class content from around the world, including popular shows such as Luther, The Little Drummer Girl, and The Victim. CBC Gem also features various films including Incendies, The Sweet Hereafter, and Last Night.
To access CBC Gem in your browser, go to gem.cbc.ca . On mobile devices, download the CBC Gem app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. Check out the CBC Help website for a full list of supported devices and browsers as well as troubleshooting tips.
The CBC Gem app is quite easy to use. Tap the hamburger menu icon in the top-left corner to choose a content category. Tap the magnifying glass icon in the top-right corner to perform a search for a particular film or TV series.
You may want to sign up for a free CBC Gem account to unlock past seasons of on-demand TV shows, have access to all 14 live local CBC TV channels, and continue streaming where you left off across multiple devices. CBC Gem also offers a Premium subscription for $4.99/month. This help article explains the different ways of accessing content.