North Bay Film Festival 2025 | November 14-16
Framed by the North: A Century of Stories
As part of the 2025 North Bay Film Festival’s 10th Anniversary, 𝙁𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙉𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝: 𝘼 𝘾𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨, celebrates the rich legacy of filmmaking in our region through a full day of screenings dedicated to works produced in and around North Bay, from the 1940s to today.
This special program highlights five remarkable titles that reveal how the northern landscape has shaped generations of filmmakers and storytellers. From the skies above Lake Nipissing to the forests and backroads of Northern Ontario, these films capture the rugged beauty, character, and creativity of our region — showing how the North itself becomes a defining force in story, identity, and meaning.
That Beautiful Somewhere (2006)
Directed by Robert Budreau
Filmed across Northern Ontario, including near Temagami and North Bay, That Beautiful Somewhere is a haunting drama about a detective and an archaeologist investigating a mysterious death in the wilderness. Adapted from the novel Loon by Bill Plumstead, the film follows a weary detective and a troubled archaeologist who are drawn together by the discovery of a preserved body found in a northern bog. As they search for answers, the investigation becomes deeply personal — a meditation on loss, belief, and the possibility of healing in even the most desolate places.
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Project Grizzly (1997)
Directed by Peter Lynch
This unforgettable National Film Board documentary follows local inventor Troy Hurtubise, who set out to design a bear-proof suit of armor after surviving a near-fatal encounter with a grizzly. Filmed around North Bay and the Alberta wilderness, Project Grizzly captures Troy’s eccentric brilliance and boundless curiosity, blending humor, invention, and obsession. The film became a cult classic and earned Troy international fame, including an Ig Nobel Prize in Safety Engineering.
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Captains of the Clouds (1942)
Directed by Michael Curitz
The first Hollywood feature ever filmed in North Bay, Captains of the Clouds stars James Cagney as a bush pilot who joins the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II. Shot at the North Bay Airport and across Northern Ontario, it captures the region’s dramatic skies and rugged wilderness in early Technicolor. The film served as both patriotic propaganda and a cinematic love letter to Canada’s northern frontier.
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North of Normal (2022)
Directed by Carly Stone
Based on the memoir by Cea Sunrise Person and filmed largely in North Bay, North of Normal tells the story of a young girl raised off the grid in the Canadian wilderness by her free-spirited mother and grandparents. As she grows older, she struggles to balance her unconventional upbringing with her desire for stability and belonging. The film is a moving portrait of resilience and identity, grounded in the breathtaking natural beauty of the North.
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EVEL (2025)
Directed by Derek Diorio
The newest feature from acclaimed Northern Ontario director, Derek Diorio , EVEL follows a young woman who is held hostage inside a self-driving electric vehicle on an isolated northern highway. Controlled by a malevolent force, the car begins erasing her digital footprint and her very existence as it carries her toward a billionaire predator. Featuring a stacked ensemble of Northern Ontario talent, EVEL blends high-stakes tension with a strong showcase of local performers on the rise.
This screening will be followed by a Q&A Session with the director, Derek Diorio, and cast members!