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Amos Lassen wrote on 11/03/2010:

“Winter Kept Us Warm”
A Student Film
Amos Lassen

There are certainly many student films made each year but few of them are regarded as important. “Winter Kept Us Warm” is the first film from Canada that was invited to the Cannes Film Festival. It is also important as it is an early film (1965) that deals with the topic of homosexuality. , David Secter's first feature broke ground in terms of independent filmmaking--its story of a close (but not quite too close) friendship between two college boys is circumspect even for the times, although when one ditches his girlfriend to take the other to a Harry Belafonte show, the codes aren't too hard to understand. Filmed in black and white, it has the feel of an intimate look at life.
It’s the 1960's at the University of Toronto and Doug is a well-liked senior with a popular girlfriend. Peter is a shy freshman new to the big city. Peter and Doug become best friends and soon go to concerts, out for drinks and they play in the snow together. When Doug brings Peter to a steam bath and washes his back, the friendship seems to head to a new level (in Doug's mind, at least). However….
This film was shot at Sir Daniel Wilson Residence at the University of Toronto with a cast of amateur actors. Some of what was sensational in 1965 looks quite mild today but it is an important film in terms of where gay films are today. It is amateur but we must consider when it was made, I feel it should be a part of every gay movie collector’s library but we must remember that it is over forty years old.