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CSFF
Film of the Month

Canadian Sport Film Festival

Film of the Month

CSFF is pleased to feature a Film of the Month series.

Each month we showcase a different short film from around the world on the theme of sport. 

The CSFF Film of the Month for June is:

Inuit High Kick

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Inuit athlete Johnny Issaluk performs the One-Foot High Kick event in the short film Inuit High Kick directed by Alethea Arnaquq-Baril.

INUIT HIGH KICK was directed by Alethea Arnaquq-Baril for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. In this traditional Inuit event, the competitor stands on one foot, jumps in the air and hits a suspended sealskin ball, then lands on the same foot. The one-foot high kick was traditionally used to signal a successful hunt. 

June 2023

Inuit High Kick

In celebration of National Indigenous History Month, the CSFF Film of the Month for June is INUIT HIGH KICK

Director Alethea Arnaquq-Baril uses super slow motion to magnify the incredible skill and physicality of Inuit athlete Johnny Issaluk as he performs the one-foot high kick event.

2009, Documentary, Canada
2 minutes

Directed by:
Alethea Arnaquq-Baril

Alethea Arnaquq-Baril is the writer / producer / director of the documentary Angry Inuk and is one of three Indigenous producers of Twice Colonized, the Opening Night film at Hot Docs 2023

Archive

CSFF Films of the Month

Watch previous CSFF Films of the Month in our archive below.

May 2023

Image of Bill McFadyen, 73-year-old power lifter from Scotland from the short doc 'Ma Bar' (2009).

Ma Bar

At age 73, Scotland’s Bill McFadyen is a power lifter on a quest to be the best. He’s a World Master’s Champion and world record holder who’s “addicted to strength” and won’t tolerate losing. 

2009, Documentary, United Kingdom
12 minutes

Produced and Directed by:
Adrian McDowall & Finlay Pretsell

March 2023

Female water polo player - image for Just Breathe a short doc

Just Breathe

A competitive water polo player overcomes anxiety and assault to realize her dreams as a college athlete and leader.

2015, Documentary, United States
8 minutes

Director: Ben Steinbauer

December 2022

Poster for the film Gnarly in Pink with 3 6-year old girls in helmets with skateboards

Gnarly In Pink

Celebrating the “Pink Helmet Posse”, three feisty 6-year-old girls who prove that skateboarding is not just for boys.

2014, Documentary, United States
8 minutes

Directors: Kristelle Laroche and Ben Mullinkosson

November 2022

Boy defends football goal as a ball comes towards him

My Greatest Day Ever

On the morning of the football grand final Scotty’s lucky sock is nowhere to be found. Scotty must battle his superstition to try to save the big game.

2007, Fiction, Australia
9 minutes

Director: Mark Bellamy

October 2022

Image: Close up of a ballet dancer’s legs standing wide with her toes on pointe. Film title below image: The Perfect Fit

The Perfect Fit

Dedicated craftsmen masterfully create perfect footwear for the graceful and demanding athletic artistry of ballet.

2011, Documentary, United Kingdom
9 minutes

Director: Tali Yankelevich

September 2022

A Black boy in a yellow shirt rests a baseball bat over his shoulder. Film title above image: Baseball in the Time of Cholera

Baseball in the Time of Cholera

A young baseball player dreams of the big leagues amid the tragedy and scandal of Haiti’s cholera epidemic.

2012, Documentary, Haiti
28 minutes

Directors: David Darg and Bryn Mooser
(RYOT Films)

August 2022

The torso of a female synchronized swimmer below the waterline. Film title above: Waterbabies

Waterbabies

Discover the strength, grace and artistry of synchronized swimming through the eyes of a teenage team.

2015, Documentary, USA & UK
16 minutes

Director: Nora Ballard

July 2022

Fast Horse

Capturing the thrill of “North America’s original extreme sport”: Blackfoot bareback horse racing Indian Relay.

2018, Documentary, Canada
13 minutes

Director: Alexandra Lazarowich