WINTER KEPT US WARM (1965) - 60th Anniversary Special Edition Blu-ray

Product Description: Leaving his small town to attend the University of Toronto, introspective freshman Peter (Henry Tarvainen) finds a campus steeped in tradition waking up to the radical politics of the 1960s. Following a disastrous first encounter, he connects with handsome and cocksure sophomore Doug (John Labow), who quickly indoctrinates him in city and college life. But as their bond grows, Doug’s girlfriend Bev (Joy Fielding) feels increasingly cast aside and begins to question the nature of the friendship. Tensions come to a head when Peter starts dating Sandra (Janet Amos), forcing Doug to confront his true feelings and desires.

Often described as the first LGBTQ+ film ever to screen at the Cannes Film Festival, David Secter’s WINTER KEPT US WARM was one of the first Canadian feature films to attract international acclaim with its lovingly observed portrait of a burgeoning queer romance, at a time when homosexuality was still illegal in the country. A milestone in independent film production, Secter’s debut would go on to influence a wide range of Canadian auteurs, most notably David Cronenberg, who cites WINTER KEPT US WARM as the film that inspired him to become a filmmaker. CIP is proud to resurrect this trailblazing classic with a new 4K restoration.

Find out more about this DVD/Blu-ray release after the jump.

Click the links below to jump directly
to the selected section:

Movie Details

Available Formats (Purchasing Links)

Video

Audio

Subtitles

Special Features & Extras

Trailer and Clips

Pictures

MOVIE DETAILS

JUMP BACK TO TOP

Director: David Secter

Starring: John Labow, Henry Tarvainen, Joy Fielding, Janet Amos

Genre: Drama, Romance

Runtime: 81 min

Rating: Not Rated

Language: English

Studio: Canadian International Pictures

Home Video Release Date: September 30, 2025

AVAILABLE FORMATS (Amazon):

JUMP BACK TO TOP

Blu-ray

VIDEO

JUMP BACK TO TOP

Blu-ray

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Resolution: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
Region: Region A/1

AUDIO

JUMP BACK TO TOP

Dubbed:

Blu-ray: None

Audio Formats:

Blu-ray: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0

SUBTITLES

JUMP BACK TO TOP

Blu-ray: English SDH

SPECIAL FEATURES & EXTRAS

JUMP BACK TO TOP

Region A Blu-ray
Newly scanned and restored in 4K from the original 16mm A/B camera negatives by Canadian International Pictures with sound transferred from the answer print
New audio commentary featuring director David Secter
New audio commentary featuring filmmaker John Greyson and author/professor Thomas Waugh
Learning on the Job (2025, 18 min.) – New interview with Secter
The Actor as Author (2025, 16 min.) – New interview with actress Joy Fielding
Winging It (2025, 16 min.) – New interview with executive producer Ronald B. Thomson
First Score (2025, 12 min.) – New interview with composer Paul Hoffert
After Winter (2025, 13 min.) – Hoffert reflects on his body of work
Behind-the-scenes footage (1965, 5 min.)
Outtakes and deleted scenes (1965, 18 min.)
Unmade Memory (2025, 9 min.) – Secter on Memory & Desire, the sequel he wrote, but never shot
Screenplay draft for Memory & Desire
Press gallery
Theatrical re-release trailer
Love with the Proper Guppy (1964, 8 min.) – New 2K scan of Secter’s first short
The Best of Secter & the Rest of Secter (2005, 58 min.) – Documentary on David Secter’s life and work with a new introduction by director Joel Secter
Booklet featuring a new essay by Chris Dupuis and an archival essay by Waugh
English SDH subtitles