Top 10 Canadian films chosen

TORONTO Films from veteran directors Patricia Rozema, Guy Maddin and Philippe Falardeau are among the homegrown features screening at Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival.

Rozema makes the cut with her survival drama Into the Forest, which will get a screening in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver on Jan. 9.

That includes an interactive Q&A with Rozema in Toronto that will be beamed to audiences in Vancouver and Montreal.

Meanwhile, Maddin and Evan Johnson earn the spotlight for their art-house outing The Forbidden Room, as does Falardeau for his political comedy My Internship in Canada.

Side events this year include a discussion with actor Kiefer Sutherland about his career, taking place Jan. 16.

The festival runs Jan. 8 to 17 in Toronto, with select screenings also scheduled in Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Halifax and Ottawa.

Established in 2001, the festival celebrates contemporary Canadian cinema and raises awareness for Canadian achievements in film.

A national panel of six filmmakers and industry professionals selected the best in Canadian features. Here’s a look at their picks: Closet Monster: Stephen Dunn (Elevation Pictures) The Demons (Les demons): Philippe Lesage (FunFilm Distribution) Les êtres chers (Our Loved Ones):

Anne Emond (Entertainment One Films) The Forbidden Room: Guy Maddin and Evan Johnson (Mongrel Media) Guantanamo’s Child: Omar Khadr: Patrick Reed and Michelle Shephard (White Pine Pictures) Hurt: Alan Zweig (Super Channel/ MDF) Into the Forest: Patricia Rozema (Elevation Pictures) My Internship in Canada (Guibord s’en va-t-en guerre): Philippe Falardeau (Entertainment One Films) Ninth Floor: Mina Shum (National Film Board of Canada) Sleeping Giant (Le geant endormi): Andrew Cividino (D Films Corp)