Waterloo Region – Get ready to travel back-and-forth through the best years of pop-culture, with six classic films about time travel! A local writer and pop-culture-guru, Joel Rubinoff, is showing that community-building is timeless by organizing his second annual film festival, “The Time Travel Years”, hosted at Princess Cinemas in uptown Waterloo.
Running from November 16th, 2025, to April 18th, 2026, six time-travel-themed films will be shown monthly, with $1 from every ticket sold being donated to United Way Waterloo Region. Following each movie, Rubinoff will lead a discussion with a special invited guest star.
Rubinoff asked Scott Hamilton, a Cambridge City Councillor and most recently the original ‘Captain Canuck’ stand-in at Canadian comic and pop-culture conventions, to discuss the film ‘Looper’ on December 13th, 2025. Rubinoff and Hamilton quickly formed a friendship and partnership that combined with film festival with United Way Waterloo Region’s mission to help local charities and persons in need.
The local United Way, where Hamilton also sits as Senior Director, is a non-profit organization that helps support and fundraise for 76+ local charities across all of Waterloo Region.
The film festival kicks off on Sunday, November 16th, 2025, at 4:00pm, with the classic film ‘Groundhog Day’ and a panel discussion with local AM570 radio host Mike Farwell, and Waterloo Region Record columnist, Luisa D’Amato.
When asked about how his film festival emerged, Rubinoff states that: “The idea for this festival — now in its second round — actually kicked off a year ago, when John Tutt offered to screen a retirement film to mark my departure from the Waterloo Region Record, and asked for suggestions. Having started at the Record as a film critic in 1989, and retiring 35 years later in a non-entertainment role, I wanted to renew my passion for film in a way that felt appropriate in an era when smart, populist movies have been usurped by brain-dead blockbusters and streaming channels that have threatened the viability of seeing movies in theatres at all.”
Scott Hamilton, Cambridge City Councillor and recent alter-ego of Captain Canuck, agreed. “The concept of time travel goes to the very heart of human existence, as every single person has wondered what would happen if they could go back and change their own past, or gaze into their own future,” Hamilton adds. “When Joel asked me to join him for the film ‘Looper’, I jumped at the chance. …But I couldn’t help but ask, if we could use the festival as a way to support local charities in need during a very tough time, too” Hamilton says.
Rubinoff and John Tutt agreed that donating $1 per ticket to our local United Way Waterloo Region was a great way to give back to the community. “As the parent of an autistic child, I understand the need for organizations like United Way and how important they are in people’s lives,” says Rubinoff. “Making my film festival a fundraiser for United Way Waterloo Region, in partnership with the Princess, is a way to give something back” Rubinoff adds.
”Movies are pop culture, and Joel Rubinoff has an elephant’s memory of all things pop culture,” says John Tutt, who founded Princess Cinemas in 1985. Tutt adds that these small film festivals are great ways to build community in Waterloo Region. “Joel’s introductions, and his guest discussions on stage before and after screenings, are priceless,” Tutt adds.
Joel Rubinoff, Scott Hamilton, and John Tutt all agree that supporting local businesses, arts and culture hubs, and charities, is an all-around win and contributes to the incredible sense of community forming across all of Waterloo Region.
The schedule and lineup for ‘The Time Travel Years’ is:
- Sunday, November 16th, 2025, 4:00pm: ‘Groundhog Day’
w/guest stars Mike Farwell & Luisa D’Amato - Saturday, December 13th, 2025, 4:00pm: ‘Looper’
w/guest star Scott Hamilton - Saturday, January 17th, 2026, 4:00pm: ‘Edge of Tomorrow’
w/guest star Colin Hunter - Saturday, February 14th, 2026, 3:45pm: ‘Yesterday’
w/guest star Sara Geidlinger - Saturday, March 14th, 2026, 3:00pm: ‘Boyhood’
w/guest star Andrew Hunt - Saturday, April 18th, 2026, 4:00pm: ‘Field of Dreams’
w/guest star Glenn Smith & Sean Kane
Tickets can be purchased, and more information can be found, at: https://princesscinemas.com/blog/joel-rubinoff-film-festival-the-time-travel-years
About United Way Waterloo Region
United Way Waterloo Region is a non-profit organization with a rare and unique mandate, defined by the Government of Canada as an ‘umbrella organization’: we raise funds for a large number of charities working across many social issues, such as homelessness, mental health, addictions, food insecurity, children, youth, and seniors, illiteracy, and much else. Funds raised by United Way are then strategically allocated to local groups and charities where the greatest impacts can be made, and donor dollars can be used most efficiently to make the greatest local impacts.
We help build our community by supporting a wide network of non-profit organizations, whose programs and services are locally focused and deeply invested in helping people reach their full potential. We help people in need today, while also addressing the systemic issues impacting tomorrow.
To learn more, connect with us at www.uwaywrc.ca
Digital Assets:
Please visit www.uwaywrc.ca/about-us/communications/ to download our digital assets and further information, including photos, CEO bio and photo, and other United Way materials.
For more information or for media interviews, please contact:
Scott Hamilton
Senior Director
United Way Waterloo Region
519-888-6100 ext. 218
shamilton@uwaywrc.ca