With winter in the air, it is time once again to celebrate the season with a collection of festive films for the holidays. Join Kanopy as we present an array of holiday offerings, from films fit for the entire family to titles that will appeal to those cynical Scrooges out there, we’ve got something for everyone. So, snuggle up by the cinematic fire and enjoy classic and contemporary films that will warm your heart and soul as the holidays approach.
The Man Who Invented Christmas
This is the story of the magical journey that led to the creation of Ebenezer Scrooge (Christopher Plummer), Tiny Tim and other classic characters from A Christmas Carol. Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens) mixed real life inspirations with his vivid imagination to conjure up unforgettable characters and a timeless tale, forever changing the holiday season into the celebration we know today.
In this beloved holiday classic, Cary Grant plays an angel in human form sent down from heaven to help a bishop (David Niven) build a new cathedral while also repairing the committed community leader’s fractured relationship with his wife (Loretta Young).
Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas
Set almost entirely in a Chinese restaurant, Dreaming of A Jewish Christmas is an offbeat, irreverent musical documentary that tells the story of a group of Jewish songwriters, including Irving Berlin, Mel Torme, Jay Livingston, Ray Evans, Gloria Shayne Baker and Johnny Marks, who wrote the soundtrack to Christianity’s most musical holiday.
A trippy, cinematic sleighride into the strange and sublime universe of alternative and underground Xmas music, featuring The Flaming Lips, Run-DMC, The Free Design, Low, Miles Davis and Bob Dorough, Clarence Carter, John Waters, and many more.
It is Christmas Eve in the little country town of Wyndenham. Inside the rectory all is bustle as Jenny Gregory, the vicar’s elder daughter, begins putting up the decorations. But before this particular Christmas is over, the various members of her family will have to come to terms with a number of difficult subjects, only then they can truly claim to have goodwill to all men in their hearts.
A collection of nine enchanting films from 1901 to 1925 that offer a nostalgic peek into the Yuletide pleasures of the early 20th century.
The McGarrigle Sisters’ annual Carnegie Hall Christmas performance, captured live at the Knitting Factory stage, features the last filmed performance by Kate and Anne McGarrigle (together), since Kate’s passing on January 18, 2010. This unique concert also brings special appearances by Rufus and Martha Wainwright, Grammy award-winner Emmylou Harris, Velvet Underground frontman Lou Reed, and famed performance artist Laurie Anderson.
Every Christmas The Nutcracker is performed in cities around the world. What does it take to produce this timeless ballet? Witness the passion of young dancers, from auditions to the final, triumphant performance.
Tyler and Jordie Schwartz grew up loving the movie A Christmas Story. Although they didn’t know each other as kids, the couple always shared the same annual anticipation of waiting for the movie to air on television. Once they finally met, they were delighted to discover their mutual admiration for the classic Christmas movie. Join the filmmakers as they visit more than 15 locations in Canada and Cleveland to learn amazing trivia about the movie and the people who made it.
Saint Nicholas – The Real Story
Everybody knows the story of Santa Claus, the red-suited figure who lives at the North Pole and distributes gifts to good children every Christmas Eve. But is there any historical evidence on which this jolly old character is based? Was there a real Santa Claus? To answer that question, host Mark Wilson, a distinguished historian and archeologist travels not to the North Pole but to modern day Turkey and Italy. There he uncovers clues that lead to the truth about the man behind the legend.
This is the short tale of a young boy as he prepares his neighborhood for Christmas. That is until he confronts the one lady who doesn’t want the holiday to come at all.
This classic tale takes place on the night before Christmas, when Clara and Franz receive a Nutcracker as a gift from their uncle. This present sparks a magical dream, and a night filled with amazing stories and characters. The Mouse King, Sugar Fairies, Chime Puppets and other timeless characters, makes this ballet, set to Tchaikovsky’s music, an unforgettable experience.
The college town of Bedford is receiving an unwelcome guest this Christmas. As the residents of sorority house Pi Kappa Sigma prepare for the festive season, a stranger begins to stalk the house. One of the earliest examples of a slasher film, this creepy holiday classic is sure to terrify and delight classic horror lovers everywhere.
Christmas is supposed to be a magical time, but instead it’s dire times for Santa Claus. His whole existence is fading, because the children have stopped believing in him. There is one little boy called Vetle, that still believes, but for how long? Santa Claus must find Vetle, deliver a mysterious gift and convince Vetle that he exists before it’s too late and he ultimately fades away.
For a fifth consecutive December, a heartbroken Noel returns to New York City to work the night shift at a sidewalk Christmas tree lot. Devoid of any holiday spirit, he struggles to stay awake during the long, chilly nights in his trailer, while the daytime traffic keeps him from getting any real rest. As he slowly spirals into despair, he comes to the aid of a mysterious young woman in the park. Her warming presence, matched with some colorful customers, help rescue him from self-destruction.
This indie feature is a witty and stylish comedy about the Fitzgeralds, a large Irish Catholic clan from New York, whose grown children and spouses and grandchildren have gathered for a holiday that turns out to be a far cry from the picture-postcard Currier & Ives Christmas anyone had in mind.
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale
In this darkly comic gem, it’s Christmas Eve in northern Finland, and an archeological dig has just unearthed Santa Claus. But this Santa isn’t one you want coming to town. When local children begin disappearing, Pietari and his father capture the mythological being and attempt to sell Santa to the corporation sponsoring the dig.
In this wry German dark comedy, Walter (Jurgen Rissmann) is a professional hitman who has just botched a job. Forced to leave the city, he reluctantly takes up an offer from eccentric crime boss Berger (Reiner Schone) to protect his house (and young, pretty, free-spirited wife Sybille) in a remote region of the Carpathian Mountains. At Walter’s side is Micky (Thomas Wodianka), his chatty, thrill-seeking old friend. After a freak accident, what seemed to be a nice, easy holiday job for the hapless pair soon becomes a comically nightmarish fight for survival.
Santa Claus has crashed his sleigh, lost his reindeer and finds himself on the run from police! Now it is up to a father and son to get Santa back and save Christmas for everyone.
This unique African-American holiday commemorates the strength of family ties, respect for ancestors, commitment to the growth of community, and gratitude for life’s bounties.
A wealthy arrogant merchant learns the true meaning of Hanukkah when he takes the family of a poor peddler to court for savoring the smell of his wife’s pancakes from outside their window.
A satirical music video co-produced by Maureen McElheron and Bill Plympton showing the effects of global warming on our favorite holiday.
Santa doesn’t want to retire, but rules are rules and he must train someone to replace him. The lucky winner, to be chosen from among millions of children, must be named Nicholas, be an orphan, and have a pure heart.
Remember driving around and looking at your neighbor’s lights? Enjoy the world’s most stunning Christmas light displays from the comfort of your own home. A soundtrack of classic Christmas songs in various styles fills out the program.
When laid-back Australian Barry Buckley’s sure-fire business venture fails to ignite, a bizarre chain reaction of events causes a catastrophic chance meeting with Santa. Before you can say, Winter Wonder Down Under, the two have unwittingly traded lives in a Christmas mix-up of epic proportions. At the end of this tale, you’ll believe that kangaroos can fly, the platypus has a lovely singing voice, and anything is possible with a little bit of Christmas magic!
