Hybrid Storytelling in Canadian Indie Films: Insights from Bardya Ziaian
Canada’s independent film industry is experiencing a creative evolution, with more filmmakers mixing genres to pursue hybrid storytelling. Be it horror-comedies, sci-fi dramas, or surrealist thrillers, the Canadian indie scene is catching a wave of boundary-pushing cinema that defies easy categorization.
This movement is part of a larger international trend in filmmaking, but in Canada, it’s taken on a particular identity. The country’s cultural ecology, lack of funding, and willingness to take risks have made it a fertile ground for an explosion of genre-blending projects that push against conventional formats.
“Canada’s indie film community has always been something of a creative laboratory,” says Bardya Ziaian, an independent filmmaker and producer who lives in Toronto. “We don’t face the same commercial pressures as the U.S., and we have more space to play around. That’s where genre-bending films live, on the cusp of convention.”
Ziaian’s work is proof of this evolution. His recent work has included mixtures of comedy, psychological tension and satire that have blurred the genre lines. Instead of colouring within the lines of conventional, formulaic narratives, he leans into unpredictability and tonal shifts that keep the audience hooked. One example of this is his 2020 feature film Super Dicks.
This approach is gaining traction among a new generation of filmmakers, many of whom came of age during the streaming era and were exposed to more international content that often doesn’t conform to traditional genre structures. Canadian indie films like Blood Quantum, The Twentieth Century, and Slash/Back are recent examples of this boundary-pushing trend. They’ve received critical acclaim at festivals and proven that innovation does not need to come at the expense of emotional depth or storytelling craftsmanship.
“Genre-blending helps you connect with people differently,” Ziaian says. “You can have someone laugh and then hit them with a serious moment, or change their expectations of what they think they’re watching. That level of emotional agility is powerful.”
Despite this creative energy, the indie scene has its own structural limitations. Funding agencies tend to prefer clear genre identification when evaluating scripts, making pitching hybrid projects more difficult. Moreover, distributors have at times been reluctant to support films that don’t neatly fit into marketable categories.
But this tension is, in Ziaian’s view, part of the process, and can sometimes even be an advantage. “When you’re doing something that doesn’t look or feel like anything else, people will raise an eyebrow. But it also opens up room for original voices to break through,” he says.
Audiences are starting to figure that out, too. A 2023 report from Telefilm Canada said there is increased demand for stories that reflect new formats and untraditional storytelling. An even stronger trend is apparent among audiences under 35, who are likelier to engage with indie projects on streaming services than in a traditional theater.
The embrace of genre-blending also affects how Canadian filmmakers think about collaboration. Many build deep projects with layered tones and narratives, drawing on cross-disciplinary experiences, like writing, acting, animation, and even podcasting. Ziaian considers this promising news that’s changing the definition of being a filmmaker.
“Indie filmmakers are curating an experience in their projects,” he says. “Whether through dialogue, pacing, visuals, or music, genre fluidity allows us to mess around with form in ways that resonate even more deeply with contemporary viewers.”
This evolution isn’t specific to English-speaking markets, either. Across Québec and Indigenous communities, there’s a similar movement toward stories that shuffle folklore, politics, and genre tropes in fresh new ways. Articulating the cultural mix and film language enhances Canada’s cinematic voice by one more layer.
Ziaian explains that it comes down to intention. “Ultimately, genre is just a tool,” he adds. “What’s important is the story you’re telling as a filmmaker and how much you’re willing to work off of your instincts.”
The increasing appearance of Canadian films at international festivals such as Berlinale, Sundance, and SXSW indicates that this instinct-driven, genre-hopping attitude is attracting an audience beyond Canada.
As the industry adjusts to a post-pandemic world and new technologies make production and distribution more easily accessible, Canadian filmmakers have a unique opportunity to rethink what indie cinema might look like.
