The Stittsville Rotary Club’s International Film Series in Ottawa, has been running since 2013, in partnership with the TIFF Film Circuit to screen acclaimed international and Canadian films at Landmark Cinemas in Kanata. Held monthly these screenings serve as a fundraiser for local and international projects such as the Stittsville/Richmond Food Banks, Water First, and ShelterBox. The winter-spring Rotary film series is set to begin on Monday, February 23, 2026.
The films will be screened at 4:00pm and 7:00pm, tickets can be purchased by contacting Sandra Burt by email at sburt@uwaterloo.ca. The price of a pass for the four films is $60. If you cannot attend all the films, you may send a substitute attendee.
Details of the films being screened in this series are as follows:
February 23: Sentimental Value, Norwegian/English with subtitles, 133 minutes
Gustav is an aging filmmaker who would like to recapture his faded glory. He arrives at the family home following the death of his former wife, and tries to rekindle a relationship with his two estranged daughters. At the core of the film is a play about Gustav’s mother, which he would like to turn into a successful film. Daughters, famous actors, and past lives intersect in this powerful exploration of family ties and family rifts. At the end, Gustav comes to realize that relationships are more important that fame, and that pursuing the former can sometimes lead to the latter.
March 30: Uiksaringitara (Wrong Husband), Inuktitut with subtitles, 100 minutes
This captivating film follows an Inuk boy, Sapa, and his promised bride, Kaujak from their birth to early adulthood. It is an epic, historical drama set 4000 years ago, and blends the supernatural with realism. The scenes of the Arctic are breathtaking, and the primarily non-professional actors take us into a magical world of shamanism, drum dancing, and throat singing. The film builds on Inuit legends and oral traditions, and manages to weave humour with Inuit culture. This film won the Best Canadian Feature Film Award at TIFF 50. You may remember the director (Zacharias Kunuk) from his award winning film Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner.
April 27: DJ Ahmet, Macedonian, Turkish, English with subtitles, 100 minutes
Picture a Yuruk farming community in North Macedonia, where teenager Ahmet and his little brother Naim are coping with life following the death of their mother. Add into the mix a stern father, a flock of sheep, and a beautiful young neighbour Aya. Naim has not spoken since the death of his mother. Ahmet, caring for his brother with a tenderness that is heartwarming, finds relief from his daily grind in the magic of hip hop. The movie touches on culture clashes between the traditionally conservative parents and their rebellious offspring; between Muslim and secular communities; between the rich and the poor; and the past and the present. It is a gem of a movie that is so much more than just the story of a teen romance.
May 25: The Nine Lives of Barbara Dane, English, 108 minutes
Barbara Dane was a trailblazer who rubbed shoulders with Louis Armstrong, Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Muddy Waters, and many more famous artists, but until this film she was overlooked in music histories. This film tribute brings to our attention her artistry, her dedication to music, and her commitment to social justice. Barbara Dane, who died in 2024 at the age of 97, was an inspiring presence in the folk/blues/jazz music worlds in the US. Bonnie Raitt, one of her many admirers, said that she was “a role model and a hero of mine – musically and politically”. Bob Dylan wrote that “Barbara is someone who is willing to follow her conscience. She is, if the term must be used, a hero.”
For more information about the Rotary Club please visit their website at stittsvillerotary.com or follow their facebook page at Rotary Club of Ottawa-Stittsville. Their motto is “We serve our community and beyond”.
