Canadian filmmaking is often overshadowed by the behemoth of Hollywood to the south, but Canadian film-junkies know that our national cinema is just as good, and often better, than what we can find abroad. To help promote Canadian media during our country’s sesquicentennial anniversary, Reel Canada has teamed up with the National Film Board and CBC to celebrate 150 of Canada’s greatest big-screen accomplishments. On April 17^th, theatres and auditoriums across the country will have free screenings of top Canadian films, some popular, and others obscure. Here in St. Albert you’ll be able to catch the film Angry Inuk as well as a compilation of some of the country’s best animation. If those don’t catch your fancy, you can check out what other films are being shown around the region at Reel Canada’s website. If you can’t make it out to a theatre, the NFB and CBC will be streaming a selection of the films online during the year-long anniversary celebrations. Canada’s film history is quite unique and has been shaped by the government as much as by public reception since the very beginning.

Canadians have been making films since the late 1890s on early black-and-white cameras, the kind that came without audio-recording of any kind. These early films typically had a focus on art and education as opposed to spectacle, and even if they weren’t quite as exciting as their American counterparts, they were getting a lot of attention. The Government of Canada saw the potential power that film had to inform citizens and sway public opinion, and in 1938, they hired filmmaker John Grierson to come up with a national film program that could help build patriotism among Canadians. This is how Canada’s National Film Board was formed. These early government films are typically considered propaganda by today’s standards, but even so, they aren’t quite as nefarious as you might think. Even today, they can serve as an interesting look at how we saw ourselves back then and how we wanted to see ourselves in the future. Most importantly though, the National Film Board gave Canada’s aspiring filmmakers access to the funding, education and equipment they would need to start exploring this emerging medium.

In 1952, The National Film Board was joined by CBC’s new television division as a way for filmmakers to practice and share their craft, and in 1968, Telefilm Canada was formed in order to provide government funding to the emerging film industry. But there was a major problem facing Canadian filmmakers back then, and it’s one that continues to plague the industry today. It seems no matter how good Canadian films are or how much funding gets poured into them, a very small percentage of the Canadian population will actually be interested in watching them.

This is where the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) came in. In 1991, the Canadian Government passed the Broadcasting Act in an effort to promote the screening and distribution of Canadian film and television content. This was seen as a controversial law by many, with some accusing it of being a form of censorship. This policy did little to promote the quality of Canadian films, as many people felt they were being forced to watch it. Of course, in the age of online streaming and downloads, the CRTC exerts little power in deciding what Canadians should and should not watch.

Whether you already enjoy Canadian content or typically prefer to stay away, take a chance on a few films this April. They’re free, they’re authentically Canadian and you just might like what you see.