digital event program

4:52 M | DOCUMENTARY | Raven Davis

17:06 M | SHORT FILM | Ryan Gannon

28:23 M | DOCUMENTARY | Brandon Boyd

Leona Burkey, a maritime musician originally born in Cape Breton. Now living in Halifax, exploring her life, her twenty year career in the music industry and family hood while developing the song "Wave Theory" in an upcoming event supporting Autism Nova Scotia.

8:03 M | SHORT FILM |  Sonia Nouri 

The story revolves around a woman who works as a toilet cleaner and is struggling with the decision of aborting her child. As she faces this personal challenge, she also encounters the broader issues and hardships faced by other women around her. The narrative explores her emotional journey and the social struggles of women in a harsh and oppressive environment.

4:59 M | SHORT FILM | Ana Sofia Alaman

Violet is on her way to meet up with her friend Saige, when she finds herself stuck in a weird loop in between the floors of her apartment building.

2:52 M |  MUSIC VIDEO |  ANYO

‘BLINK’ is an upbeat, motivational track with heavy 808's and vocal samples sounding the alarm. Siddartha takes listeners on a journey of self-discovery, delivering clever wordplay and rapid-fire verses capturing a moment where time feels like it moves faster and faster: “In the blink of an eye”. 

2:14 M |  SHORT FILM |  Ellie Rowles

A young girl awakens within her own dream, attracted by a glorified, ever-moving object. As she indulges into a chaotic chase, desire weaves madness and emptiness through her very being. 

3:15 M |  MUSIC VIDEO | Satu

A dance-based music video featuring stunning visuals from masterful dance cinematographer, Josh S. Rose (renowned instructor of Dance Cinema at CalArts), and evocative choreography from Jasmine Ejan, "The Echo of Your Goodbye" tells the story of a romance in turmoil portrayed by rising stars, Laura Sofia Dominguez and Anthony Cannarella. 

7 M |  SHORT FILM | Harmony Adesola

In a world caught between endings and beginnings, Doc Am I Ok? captures the haunting moment of rebirth. As one era of Harmz fades, something new  ises. Mysterious, powerful, and unstoppable. This visual tradition piece marks the crossing into uncharted territory, setting the stage for Harmz’s next chapter.

Creator: Harmony Adesola

Produced By: Nikita Morris - CNMA CREATION INC. 

Directed by: Nathan D Simmons

Director of Photography: Liam Jordan

6:24 M | SHORT FILM | Rosanna Terracciano

Flamenco at the Shop is dancer Tracy Cumberbatch’s love letter in film and dance to her dad’s auto shop which also held an important space for her flamenco dance studio. “It’s not a glamorous space, but my parents carved out a small section in the back mechanic bay to build a make-shift dance studio for us to use and make as much noise as we needed.” 

 8 M | DOCUMENTARY | Andre Anderson 

11 M | SHORT FILM | Danae Pinder

The Letter 'D' is a poignant exploration of Mildred's struggles with  memory loss. As this former preschool teacher wrestles with early signs  of dementia, she becomes increasingly confused and paranoid, suspecting  her loving daughters of ulterior  motives. Through a series of flashbacks, Mildred's gradual decline is  revealed, making it clear that she is losing her grip on reality and  independence.

11 M | SHORT FILM | Randon Wright

Set in a suburban town shadowed by secrets and societal norms, "Growing  Secrets" follows Nokio, a 20-year-old man who grapples with a bizarre  condition where telling lies causes his nose to painfully elongate. His  attempts to live a normal life are  disrupted by societal pressures and a strained relationship with his  stern but loving father, Joseph. 

11 M | SHORT FILM | Wanda Taylor

In "Voices Pulled From the Embers," Shelley, a young Black woman, returns to her childhood home, haunted by memories of her past and the secrets locked within the surrounding woods. As she reflects on her history, a traumatic event from her youth resurfaces, connecting her family's struggles with those of the Mi'kmaq people who once inhabited the land. 

3:11 M | ANIMATION | David Saah

At the end of having fun at a local bar, Dan, one of our main characters, leaves the bar at 2am in the morning and wrongfully disposes an empty bottle of “Sweet Karma Bitters”. The bottle or some other unknown force, decides to take the matter into their hands and pursues Dan to do the right thing. 

DOCUMENTARY | Kardiesha Provo  

5 M | ANIMATION | Tara Taylor 

25 M | DOCUMENTARY | Asiah Sparks

Mini doc of transformative workshop designed for  Black women, providing a nurturing space to engage in open conversations while acknowledging the intersectionality beyond of a shared black identity. Through engaging dialogues, storytelling, poetry, and shared reflections, we embrace the beauty of being Black women, celebrating our unique culture and contributions and creating sisterhood through poetry. 

1H 20M | FEATURE NARRATIVE | Joshua Ojeda

In the heart of Las Vegas, siblings Tiana and Trey, hustle to make ends meet, selling custom t-shirts and hosting a mobile podcast that gives voice to their city’s underground culture. Struggling against financial hardships, gentrification, and the weight of their own ambitions, they find themselves in debt to a dangerous local dealer, 2 Sacks. 

13:16 M | Amapola Tô

Leila and Ruben are a couple in their thirties looking for an oboe teacher for their daughter. Getting ready to meet the candidate who appears to meet their requirements, the interview does not go according to plan.

9:55 M | SHORT FILM | Cortez Mack 

An inspirational story about PTSD awareness.

11:59 M | SHORT FILM |  Sajad Hosseini 

Omid, A two years old toddler, is missing in the women’s prison. His mother is accusing the prison authorities for the loss of her son and the authorities believe it’s the mother herself who has hidden the child to prevent the legal separation of 2-years-old children from their imprisoned mothers. The story takes place in the jail’s public bathroom during a day in which the truth is finally revealed. 

14:59 M | SHORT FILM | Alysha Daniele Haran

After running away from home, a young boy happens upon a mysterious stone garden. Through the help of the enigmatic Stone Witch, caretaker of the garden, he learns a painful lesson about regret, sacrifice and ultimately what it means to love and be loved.

11:33 M | SHORT FILM | AKWASI POKU

An exploration of black men’s mental health and the often-overlooked role that barbershops play in providing a space for restoration and healing.

7:34 M | SHORT FILM | Ashwin Agrawal 

In the bustling streets of the city, a young girl and her brother struggle to make ends meet, selling plastic dustbin bags to indifferent passersby. Each day, they manage to save just enough to buy a little food—not only for themselves but to share with each other. In the quiet solitude of a park corner, the siblings come together to exchange their saved portions a samosa and some noodles creating a modest shared meal that deepens their bond.

9:05 M | ANIMATION | Vaibbhav Shirke

In a vibrant, whimsical world where nature flourishes and colours burst with life, a young girl discovers a divine connection with Mother Nature. Playing amidst blooming flowers and dancing amongst trees, she interacts with nature and animals to convey the message of one religion – HUMANITY. 

5:28 M | SHORT FILM |  Ameera Mian 

With forces closing in, an art-thief must convince an uptight cop to join her quest to find a supernatural discovery. 

14:36 M | SHORT FILM |  Mohammad Hossein Soleimani Fard 

Hello Anna tells story of Maryam Mirzakhani who immigrated years ago and achieved many successes in the world arena. But on the other hand, we hear a story of Raha, who immigrated many years ago, but experienced though and bitter days and her dreams did not come true. Sormeh hears their story and Rasha takes pictures of all the moments with her camera. 

10 M | ANIMATION |  Callum Scott-Dyson 

In a post-apocalyptic future, an aging man struggles to survive alone on a desolate Earth. As his food supply dwindles, he realizes his time is running out. One day, while scavenging the wasteland, he stumbles upon a broken, malfunctioning robot. Against the odds, the two form an unlikely bond and work together to find a way to survive in this harsh, unforgiving world. 

6:49 M | SHORT FILM | Joy Shannon

Guarding Confederate POWS in a Civil War prison, a runaway slave now Union soldier, desperately fights for power, or faces returning to slavery.
 

8:50 M | ANIMATION | quankai li 

The title of this film is “Bipolar Bipolar” which means “two extremes”.
It symbolizes the two extremes of bipolar disorder. The story is about many rocks in my head, a cat and a dog.
The dog often appears during the day and the cat at night. Of these two beings that live in my head, the cat's presence always makes me feel mentally ill and triggers all sorts of bad emotions and all sorts of bad feelings. Therefore, I prefer dogs to cats. 

13:44 M | SHORT FILM | Faisal Lutchmedial 

In the mid 1960s a young girl who has never seen anything but rural Trinidad has her eyes opened to the world when her adventurous Auntie from India comes to visit.

8:03 M | SHORT FILM |  Sonia Nouri 

The story revolves around a woman who works as a toilet cleaner and is struggling with the decision of aborting her child. As she faces this personal challenge, she also encounters the broader issues and hardships faced by other women around her. The narrative explores her emotional journey and the social struggles of women in a harsh and oppressive environment.

5 M | SHORT FILM |  Masoud Mashouf 

6:10 M | SHORT FILM |  Keyvan Azad

A young boy decides to suicide and fall of the bridge in view of having difficult problems in life including loneliness , money and .... on his way to bridge he faces with a reality that completely changes his decision ...

33:40 M | DOCUMENTARY |  Kire Godal 

Through the voices of warriors and elders during their emotional rite of passage in 2022, ‘Maasai Eunoto’ follows the vanishing Maasai warrior passage to elder-hood revealing the hidden past & present of one of Africa’s most important, cultural initiation ceremonies. The indigenous Maasai are fighting to keep their traditions alive today. The Eunoto Ceremony is on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in need of urgent safeguarding.

9:53 M | SHORT FILM |  Hélène Lebon 

On Prince Edward Island, vinyl is making a comeback as an act of resistance in the digital age. Blending nostalgia and authenticity, this cinematic essay explores the beauty of the tangible and the magic of etched sound, as an entrepreneur and artists reinvent a deep, intimate connection to music and time.

9:16 M | SHORT FILM |  Mona Hersi, Hannah Yohannes

In "Hiding At A Funeral," chaos ensues when four siblings find themselves in a precarious situation during their grandmother's somber funeral. With the house overrun by bustling Somali aunties and mourning relatives, the siblings concoct a daring plan to escape the solemnity: hiding away upstairs.

7:40 M | SHORT FILM |  Chen Zhan

On a cold winter night, two strangers met at a bus station. The delayed arrival of the last bus led to a conversation to pass the time and warm up in the chilly weather. As they talked, they opened up about themselves until an unexpected turn of events was unveiled.

ANIMATION | Rebeka Herron 

Agatha is a mixed race witch, who is struggling to learn her magical powers.

1H 37M | FEATURE NARRATIVE |  Keenan Dailey 

"Brim" is a trans-generational drama exploring racial trauma, resilience, and legacy, as we follow a family from the 1940s into the 2020s. The narrative navigates the erasure of Blackness and how racial trauma impacts Alzheimer's disease and cognitive decline as the majority American identity reckons with race and privilege and their role in oppressive systems.

1H 40M | FEATURE NARRATIVE |  ANGELA AQUEREBURU

 When a tradeswoman discovers that the mayor (her husband)
is going to demolish Mikoko's main market, she decides to do
everything she can to stop him. 

16:05 M | SHORT FILM |  Nana Kwabena, Zachary Cedarholm 

Amidst her village nearing the brink of extinction, an unforgiving desert warrior fights to protect the legacy of Palve, a sacred psychedelic fruit that connects its indigenous to the spiritual realm. The only way to experience the effects of this scarce and forbidden hallucinogenic is through the remaining villagers greatest form of protection; their hair.

1H 14M | FEATURE NARRATIVE |  Richard Green

A successful writer goes to an abandoned hotel with his wife and adopted daughter to finish his much anticipated follow-up book when strange things start to occur. At the same time, a high school teacher is forced to deal with her gruesome past which is linked to the same hotel.

9:40 M | SHORT FILM |  Mostafa Shokouhi 

A boy has to bring his father to school because of a fight with a classmate, but his mother prevents him from coming because his father is transgender.

10 M | SHORT FILM |  BRACE EVANS 

Daily, Maxwell is told 'GO!' by individuals and the non-speaking walk signal. On a business trip to Berlin, a kid helps him to realize that walk signals in the United States are being used to subconsciously train and sustain a centuries old hierarchy.

8:59 M | ANIMATION |  Farnoosh Abedi Renani, Negah Khezre Fardyardad

 The unbearable lightness of the death of loved ones… There are wounds in life that eat away at you like leprosy…
The weight of the death of loved ones sometimes becomes so overwhelming that to get rid of this weight another birth is inevitable. 

15 M | SHORT FILM  |  Hossein Khami 

In an abandoned forest, a woman emerges from the depths of a lake. She wants to give birth to her child, but she keeps repeating that her child has told her it doesn’t want to be born. She encounters two women who tell her that in the world she has entered, no one is born easily. They reveal to her the secret of childbirth, which is based on the mother’s sacrifice.