The Revue Cinema pays tribute to acclaimed homegrown filmmakers this summer with a four part series, Canadian Cinema in Revue. Curated by filmmaker and film writer Alan Bacchus (who has his own "insane self-imposed mandate" of reviewing a film a day on Daily Film Dose) the programme pairs some inspired gems that deserve more screen time with shorts of a similar theme or genre.

Explaining how the series came about, Bacchus says that after meeting with The Revue, "they sensed my enthusiasm for Canadian film and suggested to do a Canadian series. From there I ran with it."

Who doesn't love a good psychological sci-fi story? The Revue rolls out its Canadian selections this Monday (June 8th), with a screening of Vincenzo Natali's Cube (1997), followed by a Q&A with co-writer Andre Bijelic and Natali Skyped in from Los Angeles.

The prohibitive cost of making sci-fi films might be discouraging for a first time feature director, but Natali succeeded in coming up with a plot that could be executed on a limited budget. In Cube, six people wake up trapped in a maze. Then, a battle of wits ensues, as the inmates scramble to get out (see trailer above). Produced trough the Canadian Film Centre's Feature Film Project, the movie went on to win Best Canadian Film at TIFF and scored six Genie Award Nominations.

Natali's short Elevated will kick off the evening. "It's basically the same film as Cube except in an elevator," says Bacchus, "It's amazing to see how he adapted the characters and themes of the short form into the long form in Cube."

The series will continue throughout the summer with more films sure to become Canadian classics, including one of my favourites, Andrew Currie's zomb-com Fido (2006), Michael Dowse's It's All Gone Pete Tong (2004), and a man having a particularly troubling midlife crisis in David Christensen's Six Figures (2005). This is a rare chance to revisit these innovative films, or to see them for the first time on the big screen.

Based on the audience response, Bacchus has about 10 or more films "lined-up on paper" and is hoping to return with a fall programme. I'm hoping he does too.

Canadian Cinema in Revue launches with Vincenzo Natali's Elevated followed by Cube on Monday, June 8th at 7 p.m. at the Revue Cinema, 400 Roncesvalles Avenue.

Fido trailer: