2022 Film Schedule

Opening Night Celebration

7:30pm

Join us for our opening night slate of incredible World Class Short Films. Each of these film have been specially selected to give you a glimpse into the marvelous films that will screen over the next few nights.

Opening Night Celebration Encore Screening

9:30pm

A Hard Doc’s Life

Friday 12:00pm

(Documentary Shorts)

The goal of any documentary is to bring the audience along into places unknown with a hope of discovering something new. A Hard DOC’s Life presents our first of two documentary blocks that deliver on those promises with interesting tales from real life.

Freedom Swimmer

15 mins / UK

The story of a grandfather’s perilous swim from China to Hong Kong that parallels his granddaughter’s own quest for a new freedom.

Directed by Olivia Martin-McGuire

Generation Impact: The Scientist

7 mins / USA

Emily Tianshi is a young woman striving to raise awareness and create solutions for the global water crisis. At age 13, Emily transformed her garage into a science lab to research San Diego’s unique Torrey Pine tree and uncover how the tree is able to produce its own source of moisture from the atmosphere, enabling its survival through years of severe drought in California.

Directed by Stephanie Wang-Breal.

Merry Widow, The

10 mins / USA

The Merry Widow is a radioactive "health spa" located in the heart of an abandoned ore mine in Montana, and the site of the filmmaker's efforts to come to grips with his mother’s ovarian cancer diagnosis. Directed by Jason Jakaitis.

Directed by Jason Jakaitis

Rent-A-Friend

30 mins / USA

In 1986, a novelty video tape named Rent-A-Friend introduced the world to friendship on demand. Over thirty years later, the man behind the tape reflects on the experiment and his own personal views on friendship. Directed by Carson Tappan.

Directed by Carson Tappan

Story of Roshan, The

15 mins / Saudi Arabia

The film highlights the Rawashin and the history of this unique craft. When it originated more than a thousand years ago, it was one of the rarest arts of decoration and Islamic architecture in the Hijaz. Directed by Abdul Majeed Musa Al Harbi.

Directed by Abdul Majeed Musa Al Harbi

An Uncomfortable Truth

Friday 2:30pm

(Drama / Thriller)

Often the truth is fluid, deemed a casualty of the person receiving the information and seldom based on reality. What happens when the truth changes a life, because of the sometimes brutal honesty of the situation or unexpected things uncovered but true.

5150

18 mins / USA

Influential, arrogant, a genius, and a nuisance; Celeb is a globally recognized star who is well known for his political statements and increasingly for his erratic behavior. At the height of his antics, Celeb awakens in a peculiar hospital room, confined for a reckless and violent outburst.

Directed by Denzel Whitaker

AAgnostic

18 mins / USA

Grace turns to alcohol to mask the grief of a terrible accident. She struggles with her faith in God, and the concept of faith in general. She is offered help, but it is unclear if Good or Evil is lending the hand.

Directed by Daniel James Dismuke

After (A Love Story)

14 mins / USA

After surviving a violent event, a couple tries to overcome the space trauma created between them.

Directed by Clare Cooney

Elevate

15 mins / USA

Tiffany works the graveyard shift as a security guard at a high rise building. Over the course of one night on shift, her morality is tested.

Directed by Dylan Boom

Neshamah

18 mins / USA

When an estranged brother and sister learn of their ailing father’s 80th birthday wish for assisted suicide, their love for each other is tested as they decide whether or not to fulfill his shocking request.

Directed by Tony Doupe'

Thoughts and Prayers

9 mins / USA

A powerful United States Senator lives out every American parent's worst nightmare when she receives a call from her teenage son as he desperately tries to survive a school shooting.

Directed by Evan Miller

Life Interrupted

Friday 5:00pm

(Drama / World Cinema)

You expect your life and each day to go the way it normally does, in Life Interrupted you can witness what happens when life comes at you from a completely different direction. And seldom the way you expected it.

Bombay Beach

15 mins / USA

Set in the remote town of Bombay Beach, this coming-of-age story follows a naive young girl who dreams of leaving her trailer park to reunite with her estranged father in Los Angeles. While she fantasizes, her older and wiser sister grapples with protecting her from their bleak reality.

Directed by Starsi Howell

Burros

14 mins / USA

Set in southern Arizona, twenty miles from the Mexico border on the Tohono O’odham Nation, a six-year-old Indigenous girl (Amaya Juan) discovers a Hispanic migrant her age who has lost her father while traveling through the Tohono O’odham tribal lands into the United States.

Directed by Jefferson Stein

Hawawshi

5 mins / Egypt

When Farida witnesses Eva getting sexually assaulted, she tries to stand up to the harasser. The situation doesn't go as expected.

Directed by Waleed Bedour

Heart Land

12 mins / USA

When a cynical, disenchanted New Yorker gets stuck on a layover in Kansas, she finds a romantic spark where she leasts expects it -- a Red State.

Directed by Lauren Ciaravalli

Off Side

24 mins / France

Camille, a single mother and home helper, tries as best she can to raise her son Théo, who has severe language problems. Obliged to replace a colleague, she is forced to take care of Monsieur Conti, a silent old man.

Directed by Sophie Martin

The Phoenix

15 mins / USA

After successfully acquiring superpowers, a young girl attempts to fix her parents’ marriage. In the end, she learns that superpowers can't fix everything.

Directed by Regina Pigsley

Wei-Lai

14 mins / USA

Tired of getting pushed and punished by his own parents, Wei-Lai, an 11-year-old Chinese American boy, decides to show up at his best friend’s family and offer himself up for their adoption.

Directed by Robin Wang

Make ‘Em Laugh

Friday 7:45pm

(Comedy)

We are eager to present not one but two comedy blocks this weekend. In Make ‘Em Laugh we are offering a wide assortment of chuckles, witty ideas and downright funny short films that we hope are exactly your cup of fish. Or tea. Highly Recommended.

Arm On Head

9 mins / USA

Derek tries to live as normal of a life as possible after he has accidentally superglued one of his arms to his head, but his condition is isolating. One day, he randomly meets Steve, a man who has the exact same condition.

Directed by Brett Maline

How Did We Get Here?

12 mins / USA

Rapid-fire delivery meets nonsensical themes and ideas in this original comedy pilot.

Directed by J.N. Mackey

Little Joy

9 mins / USA

Days from giving birth, a pregnant woman tries to relax and get her ducks in a row and have some fun and do everything she has to do before the baby arrives and changes everything.

Directed by Kandis Fay

Le Pompon

13 mins / France

Sandra is a struggling single mom. But today, she holds her revenge. Her son Ryan will catch the pompon!

Directed by David Hourrègue

Lucy

13 mins / USA

When Brad orders takeout after his Grindr hookup, he gets more than he bargained for when Lucy, a food delivery robot, drops off a baby instead. Paranoid, he drags his roommate into the situation when their nosy neighbor arrives bringing more complications.

Directed by Emma Sofia Fazzuoli

Lunch Tattoo

11 mins

For some people getting a tattoo is as easy as grabbing lunch, but for Roksana and Nico it's anything but.

Directed by Nicholas Luciano

Melons

16 mins / USA

With one simple misunderstanding, a jolly grocery store manager swiftly becomes public enemy number one.

Directed by Matt MacDonald

One Who Never Watched Friends, The

12 mins / France

Rachel is getting married, but when her husband-to-be makes a Friends joke, everything changes as this Rachel has never seen Friends.

Directed by Charlotte Gabris

I Have A Bad Feeling About This

Friday 10:00pm

(Thriller/ Drama / Sinister)

A hand on your shoulder late at night, you turn around to see no one there. That feeling of something sinister permeates these thrilling short films. Not for the weak of heart, I Have A Bad Feeling About This will test your senses and may keep you up at night.

Attest

7 mins / USA

Two sisters are under harsh investigation as they get their story straight about a fateful encounter at a party the night before.

Directed by Andi Behring

Black Creek Trail

11 mins / USA

A woman on a solo backpacking trip battles her intuition when she encounters a friendly and overly helpful hiker whom she can't seem to shake.

Directed by Soma Helmi

First Circle, The

16 mins / UK

When Death (and his head of research and development) stage an intervention for a fake news-peddling journalist, she ends a doomed relationship to save her soul. The fate of her soul, however, is the least of Death’s worries.

Directed by Maximilian Dobbyn, Anthony Le

Poachers

13 mins / USA

During the summer before they must leave for college, two lifelong best friends come across a unique business opportunity: illegally harvesting and selling succulents from the California coast.

Directed by Tiffany Lin

Something Unseen

20 mins / USA

August has bipolar disorder. While staying at his parent's house alone, he senses something. Something coming through a portal in the attic.

Directed by Sparkman Clark

Triggered

18 mins / USA

A US Senator faces her greatest challenge when a home invasion takes a shocking turn.

Directed by Tara Westwood

Kids & Family

Saturday 11:00am

(Family Shorts)

Each year we offer a block of films for kids and families alike, from animation to live action short films. This is a family block with offerings for everyone and we are delighted to share these wonderful films with you.

Akesi and the Secrets of the Forest

14 mins / Germany

An introduction to Akesi from his home in Brazzaville - a mystical journey that explores where he lives and the culture that surrounds him.

Directed by Saïd Abitar, Curt Fortin

Amelia (The Twin)

13 mins / USA

When 5th-grader Amelia gets an assignment to write one thing unique about her, she sets out to make herself different from her identical twin sister, Jane.

Directed by Luke & Ethan Montgomery

Air

10 mins / USA

AIR is about a young girl who lives in a polluted megacity that is trying to make the world a better place.

Directed by Brian Wilcox

Blanket

6 mins / Russian Federation

In the far far North lives a very very grumpy Polar Bear. One day he receives an unexpected visitor...

Directed by Marina Moshkova

Father, Son, and the Beach

19 mins / Taiwan

Ting-Wei spent his entire summer vacation helping his dad make deliveries, with only one condition- that he will take him to the beach before school starts. Dad never keeps his word; will he actually remember to fulfill his promise this time?

Directed by Chieh-Huei Hsu

Fleeting Moment, A

4 mins / USA

An animated short film that follows the journey of two raindrops, and how they come to terms with what it means to be alive.

Directed by Allyanna Demafeliz

Social Chameleon, The

10 mins / USA

Cosmo the chameleon doesn't fit in with the other animals. No matter how hard he tries, he just can't seem to find his place in the jungle. Then, everything changes when he meets another chameleon who shows him how to live by his own true colors!

Directed by Alex Ross

Return of the Ink & Paint Club

Saturday 11:30am

(Animation Shorts)

Our animation block includes CG, stop motion and traditional hand drawn tales that bring color and form to the art of cinematic animation. Note: Most of these featured stories have themes not meant for children as we Return to the Ink & Paint Club.

Air

10 mins / USA

AIR is about a young girl who lives in a polluted megacity that is trying to make the world a better place.

Directed by Brian Wilcox

Balcony, The

6 mins / USA

A lonely mid 20's man goes out to his balcony at night and has a brief connection with someone across the way.

Directed by Anya Martin

Blanket

6 mins / Russian Federation

In the far far North lives a very very grumpy Polar Bear. One day he receives an unexpected visitor...

Directed by Marina Moshkova

Fleeting Moment, A

4 mins / USA

An animated short film that follows the journey of two raindrops, and how they come to terms with what it means to be alive.

Directed by Allyanna Demafeliz

Lady Betty

7 mins / Ireland

In a cosy corner of a country pub, two old friends wile away the evening trading tall tales - until they begin telling the story of Lady Betty. The First and only female executioner in Ireland.

Directed by Paul McGrath

Peanut Factory

5 mins / Korea, Republic of

One day, the house cat King runs away from Nara's house and is captured by someone who may change his life forever.

Directed by Seongmin Kim

Sea of Hope, The

8 mins / UK

A Middle eastern refugee father and son dangerous sea journey trying to escape the war-torn country.

Directed by Walid Salhab

Slasher Squad

5 mins / Australia

Home alone with a killer on the loose, a young woman must test her limits to survive the night.

Directed by Nathan Stone, Stuart Campbell

Sprite Fright

11 mins / Netherlands

When a group of rowdy teenagers trek into an isolated forest, they discover peaceful mushroom creatures that turn out to be an unexpected force of nature.

Directed by Matthew Luhn

Triskelion

10 mins / Belgium

A Celtic fairy tale in stop-motion animation filled with adventure and magic. A story about tribal war and finding peace: An arrow from a rival tribe pierces the chieftain’s heart. With his dying breath, he gives his daughter the quest to end this senseless feud.

Directed by Jessica Raes

Trojan Horace

6 mins / USA

A group of Greek warriors try to pass through the walls of the great city of Troy, but meet their match in a clueless Trojan guardsman.

Directed by Scott Graham

Barking Orders

2 mins

When the entire British Royal family tragically dies, the Queen’s corgi finds himself next in line for the throne and in the seat of power.

Directed by Alex Tullo

The World Beyond

Saturday 1:00pm

(Sci-fi, Fantasy)

Elsewhere and places unexpected, we will touch on fantasy and science fiction themes in these fantastic short films. Buckle up for a ride into the unknown as the door is secured and we take our seats as we venture into The World Beyond.

Apotheosis

20 mins / USA

Selene dreams of working on Colony Ourania, but as a naturally born human living amongst the first generation of genetically engineered “designer baby” humans, she must find her own way to compete for her place in the stars.

Directed by Max Pearce

Can I Help?

15 mins / UK

An operating system tries to help a successful and overworked architect get over the break up of his family.

Directed by Rupert Ratcliffe

Censor of Dreams

18 mins / France

Every night, The Censor and his team moderate Yoko’s dreams. Tonight nothing happens as planned.

Directed by Leo Berne, Raphaël Rodriguez

Following Year, The

22 mins / Spain

The day of his anniversary, a widow farmer receives the clone of the woman he lost years ago under tragic circumstances.

Directed by Miguel Campaña

Rachels Don't Run

15 mins / France

While monitoring late-night calls at an AI companionship service, lonely customer support agent Leah impersonates an artificial dream girl to chat with the regular caller for whom she's developed feelings.

Directed by Joanny Causse

What the What?!?

Saturday 2:00pm

(Quirky / Comedy / Drama)

Different is probably not the best description. Quirky is much more in keeping with the feel and ideas behind these short films. Join us for What the What?!? as we attempt to surprise you with something completely different. Weird, thoughful and insightful, hope to see you there.

Coming Out With the Help of a Time Machine

15 mins / USA

When coming out to his traditional and god fearing parents, Sid uses his time machine to reset the day trying to make sure everything goes perfect.

Directed by Naman Gupta

Clean Break, A

8 mins / USA

A lonely introverted thief breaks into people's houses until he has an unexpected encounter...

Directed by Victor Pigasse

Cruise

7 mins / Canada

We’ve all received scam phone calls, but what about the person making the calls? Cruise is a dark workplace satire about a hapless telemarketer trying mightily to give away a free cruise. And if he fails, there will be dire consequences.

Directed by Sam Rudykoff

Diamond, The

14 mins / Sweden

Stefan is lonely with a blinding ambition to make friends. One day he stumbles upon a diamond in the woods. Unable to reach it, the solution presents itself in the form of an even smaller man.

Directed by Vedran Rupic

El Portafolio

10 mins / USA

Clutching an intriguing looking briefcase, a man arrives home late to his concerned wife, curious to hear the tale of his tardiness - a tale beyond belief.

Directed by Scottie Cameron

Ice Cream. Sladoled

13 mins / USA

A Day in the Life of a thirty-something immigrant caught in a rut. He lives in a place where everyone speaks a different language and no one understands anyone else. When his wife asks him to buy ice cream, his day unravels as misunderstandings sink to absurd misadventures.

Directed by Steve Spremo

White Now Please

16 mins / USA

Twelve-year-old Asian American Bryan Chen wants to be a hero, so he tries to become the thing he knows all heroes need to be… White.

Directed by Kyle Lau

World Cinema One

Saturday 3:30pm

(Foreign Films / Drama / Comedy)

Every year we offer a look at some of the festival’s most wonderful international films, from Switzerland to the United Kingdom, from Finland to Taiwan, offerings from France and Belguim plus many more. We are proud to present these incredible World Class Short Films.

Eating the Silence

24 mins / Switzerland

Rolf, a hemiplegic, spends his days dozing on a sofa bed in his dusty apartment. On TV, he learns of a deadly pandemic sweeping around the globe. While the world around him falls apart, he bears witness to it on his screen with relish.

Directed by Joël Jent, Ali Al-Fatlawi

Flyer Boys

19 mins / Canada

A grandfather transplanted from Ukraine and his Canadian-born grandson find themselves at cultural odds as they spend long summer days delivering flyers.

Directed by Taras Lesiuk

Frontline

11 mins / Canada

In the early days of COVID-19, a brave nurse lives in a tent in his backyard to protect his husband and young son.

Directed by Dan Slater

Hold Me

19 mins / Norway

Ella, a divorced mother, experiences that her fifteen-year-old daughter acts violently when she discovers that her mother has a new boyfriend.

Directed by Tommy Naess

Idealist, The

10 mins / France

During the shooting of an educational school film, a teaches directs his students on a scene where young actors have to hold hands. His own sentimental life resurfaces unexpectedly.

Directed by Martin Drouot

A Taste of Cinema

Saturday 4:30pm

(Foodie Inspired / Drama / Comedy)

New for 2022. These films find all the essential ingredients to craft a World Class Short FIlm, featuring culinary connected storylines that offer heartfelt and dramatic performances, we are proud to serve up A Taste of Cinema.

Bibimbap for One

16 mins / UK

After the passing of her mother, an unusual encounter with an elderly neighbour helps Hana to put things into perspective.

Directed by Ella Greenwood

Brunch

3 mins / USA

Austin is invited to his first ever brunch, and his world is changed forever.

Directed by Tess Paras

Mr. Mayonnaise

13 mins / USA

With 10 minutes left to submit an important work assignment, a millennial's childhood imaginary friend appears to remind him of his forgotten passions.

Directed by Patrick Rahill

Dinner with Edie

5 mins / USA

After a breakthrough therapy session, a young woman invites her problematic friend over for dinner to end the relationship.

Directed by Adrienne Picciotto

Sinigang

15 mins / USA

Ever since her mother passed and her father took ill, Josie has chosen to bear the weight of it all on her own shoulders, enduring a job that is breaking her spirit one phone call at a time and cutting herself off from anyone and anything that could give her the happiness and sense of purpose that she so desperately lacks and so clearly deserves.

Directed by Melissa Jane Rodriguez

Touch

15 mins / USA

Riley's dream of culinary school has been driven by the special relationship she has with her grandmother, a gifted baker now in hospice. Will the mysterious recipe be enough to carry them through.

Directed by Julia Ngeow

Talk to Me in Silence

12 mins / USA

A nostalgic woman confronts a stranger in her house, one who ultimately reveals their shared history and the love they have for one another.

Directed by Cat Dale

The Human Experience

Saturday 6:00pm

(Heartfelt Positive Stories)

The Human Exerience offers a chance to witness lives lived fully in the moment. Personal, heartfelt and sobering World Class Short Films that have managed to uncover what being a human being is all about. Highly Recommended.

Anirudh

11 mins / USA

An anxious Indian man desires to get up on stage, but must first overcome his own insecurity about his identity.

Directed by Raghav Puri

Bourn Kind

12 mins / USA

Bourn, a Black- Jewish street artist confronts the fear and isolation of the moment through art and creates a street mural project to celebrates kindness and connection in his community.

Directed by Rachel S Myers

Hot Shot, The

15 mins / Canada

When the sudden death of his troubled worker threatens his own sobriety, blue-collar landscaper, Shayn Wallace, must balance between saving his personal relationship and seeing to the dead-man's funeral.

Directed by Robert Tornroos

Hug Lottery

14 mins / USA

When a deadly virus has the world on a global lockdown for five years and counting, the US government finally attempts to address the isolation felt by individuals sheltering alone. . . Katherine, a young widow in Maine suddenly finds herself entered into the first government subsidized Hug Lottery; where she will be permitted one hug with another person also living solo, giving Katherine her first chance at human contact in more than 1,825 days.

Directed by Cass Buggé

Stream of Consciousness

7 mins / USA

Stream of Consciousness follows the first date of Cole and Megan. As the date progresses we watch Cole struggle with his self doubt, personified incessantly through his reflection talking to him.

Directed by Jesse Shore

Stupid Boy, The

15 mins / UK

London is being terrorised by christian white supremacists. While a broken man is groomed for the next attack, a boy from Brixton sees the world in a different way. But seeing things differently can be dangerous.

Directed by Phil Dunn

Father, Son, and the Beach

19 mins / Taiwan

Directed by Chieh-Huei Hsu

World Cinema Two

Saturday 7:00pm

(Foreign Films / Drama / Comedy)

We are happy to offer our second block of international films with World Cinema Two. Be sure to get your tickets for these amazing films.

Women of Virtue

30 mins / France

Etel, a 9-year-old girl who lives in the Hassidic community in Paris, gets her period for the first time. Myriam, her mother, finally looks at her as if she were a woman. Etel is blessed, until she finds out that in her religion, women are considered impure when they have their period.

Directed by Stéphanie Halfon

All That Glitters

23 mins / UK

A desperate teenager snatches a rich woman's handbag but in a bizarre twist of fate discovers her life is not as rosy as it seems and that they have more in common than he realizes.

Directed by Dan Bronzite

Sissy

20 mins / Italy

Luca is struggling. After his mother's death, he has hit rock bottom - living on the streets, trying to feel closer to her. He finally returns on his father’s birthday but nothing prepares him for what happens and is confronted by something unexpected and magical.

Directed by Eitan Pitigliani

Avant-Guarde

16 mins / France

When a Berlin gallery owner attempts a border crossing into France, a lonely customs agent must decide - what is art?

Directed by Maxime Azzopardi, Adrien Guedra-Degeorges

Make ‘Em Laugh, After Dark

Saturday 8:45pm

(Late Night, Dark Comedy)

Our second comedy block comes with a disclaimer: Not for the prudish, easily offended or for those that lack a funny bone. Expect to be offended at minimum, shocked at moments and entertained throughout. Must be over 18 to attend.

Bye Bye Baby

22 mins / UK

The babyshower of the decade goes horribly wrong when its hostess is revealed to have spun a web of lies to impress her so-called friends. When she's publicly ridiculed by the girls - she snaps, leading to the boujiest of bloodbaths...

Directed by Jessie Barnett

Daddy's Girl

10 mins / USA

A transgressive comedy about a young woman whose charming but overbearing father helps her move out of her wealthy, older boyfriend's apartment.

Directed by Lena Hudson

Dick Heist

8 mins / USA

A newlyweds marriage is put to the test when the groom locks his private parts up in an electronic chastity cage that's taken over by a hacker.

Directed by Aiden Glikmann

Guitar Thief, The

17 mins / USA

Two mariachi players cope with rent increases, a changing neighborhood and a stolen guitar.

Directed by Miguel Lepe Jr

Julia

8 mins / UK

Touring actors, Jasper and Dario, arrive at ‘digs’ one evening and walk into a peculiar setup. Unintentionally they inflate tensions with their odd host when one causes a blow-up between him and his unusual ‘wife’.

Directed by Jack Donnelly

Past Life

13 mins / USA

An ambitious academic’s life implodes the night he is recognized by a forgotten enemy - a small dog.

Directed by Rose O'Shea

Sprite Fright

11 mins / Netherlands

When a group of rowdy teenagers trek into an isolated forest, they discover peaceful mushroom creatures that turn out to be an unexpected force of nature.

Directed by Franco Volpi

So What Did We Learn Today, Georgina?

6 mins / UK

Georgina, a curious and energetic 10-year-old girl, comes home and has a lot to say about her day at school while her mum is busy preparing supper. But something Georgina overheard today is on her mind, a word she doesn't know.

Directed by Matthew Luhn

It Was a Dark & Stormy Night

Saturday 9:15pm

(Thriller / Horror / Drama)

The darkness returns as thriller and horror shorts expand across the silver screen as It Was A Dark & Stormy Night delivers hauntings and monsters both real and imagined. An audience favorite for those brave enough to brave the storm.

Cutter

16 mins / USA

A teenage cutter in recovery and her overbearing mother are haunted by a ghost who seeks to keep them at odds.

Directed by Dan Repp, Lindsay Young

Legs

16 mins / UK

Joy and Harry are trying to have a baby. When Joy subsequently develops an insatiable appetite for flies, it dawns on her that there may be more than one way of becoming a mother.

Directed by Celine Cotran

Neither Here nor There

12 mins / USA

After getting beat up by the local racist bullies, Nacho only feels hate in his heart. However, when he finds a mysterious creature hiding within a magical bus, he learns that hate is caused by fear, and on the other side of fear is forgiveness.

Directed by Franco Machado-Pesce

OST.

19 mins / Thailand

A scoring assistant working on a horror feature film finds her debilitating perfectionism has manifested as the film's malevolent spirit who will not let her live past the night unless she delivers a perfect score.

Directed by Abhichoke Chandrasen

Rooted

16 mins / USA

Things take an unexpected turn when a young man's unusual DNA results are accompanied by a mysterious mask allowing him to see into the slave dungeon of his African ancestors.

Directed by Sean Addo

Trunk, The

14 mins / Canada

A father and daughter find a chained up old chest hidden in the woods. They bring it home with plans to sell its contents, but quickly discover that what's inside was locked up for a reason.

Directed by Travis Laidlaw

More From A Hard DOC’s Life

Sunday 11:30am

(Documentary Shorts)

Our second block of documentaries are here to expand your mind with new experiences and glimpses into the real life of everyday people. Join us for this incredible block as More From A Hard DOC’s Life unveils something new and special.

In Search of Boozers and Schmucks

13 mins / USA

“In Search of Boozers and Schmucks” is a short documentary set in the high turnover, high stakes, escalating cost of the world of sports card collecting, where hundreds of millions of dollars are spent every year in search of Holy Grail cards.

Directed by Hrag Yedalian

Lalito 10

17 mins / USA

When COVID-19 forced his school to close and remote learning proved impossible, a teacher in Guatemala built a classroom on wheels to bring education directly to his students.

Directed by Jordan Matthew Horowitz

Powers

24 mins / USA

A budding artist in her 60s hangs sculptures on telephone poles to spread joy in her urban community. A heart-warming story reminds us that it’s never too late to discover one's true passion.

Directed by Paige Morrow Kimball

Roads Most Traveled: Photojournalist Don Bartletti, The

25 mins

Internationally recognized for his commitment to photographing the migration of Central Americans to the United States, Bartletti’s images reveal the never-ending saga of illegal immigration by individuals desperate to improve their lives.

Directed by Bill Wisneski

The Road Not Taken

Sunday 12:00pm

(Drama, The Fork in Life’s Road)

A path forward is not always the direction that we expected to go in. These short films take us on a journey to a place unplanned and often surprising, travel with us on The Road Not Taken as we explore life’s mysteries within these dramatic shorts.

Manager Position, The

16 mins / USA

Months after losing his job, a man is still unable to tell his wife.

Directed by Craig Trow

Panorama

18 mins / USA

A young man grieving the loss of his mother is catapulted into a near death experience and must learn the meaning of life to escape it.

Directed by Scott Felix

We Do This Once

12 mins / USA

A new mother who loses her family's home takes wildy brazen action in the hopes of giving her baby a better life.

Directed by Michael Marantz

Where No One Lives

15 mins / USA

On a single night, three lonely next-door neighbors find themselves in search of connection, forgiveness and company in an old apartment building.

Directed by Li Anne Liew

You Are, I am

15 mins / USA

Tim seeks comfort by picking up women at a sex addict support group until a suspicious patron catches onto his act and forces him to grapple with his troubled past.

Directed by Dan Counihan

World Cinema Three

Sunday 2:00pm

(Foreign Films / Drama / Comedy)

Our final block of international films concludes on Sunday when World Cinema Three launches across the screen.

Off Side

24 mins / France

Directed by Sophie Martin

Stupid Boy, The

16 mins / UK

Directed by Phil Dunn

Day Without Prohibition, A

15 mins / Finland

Two young women decide to defy the dancing prohibition set by the Finnish government by organising a secret graduation dance in a war-torn Helsinki in 1944. Before best friends Elvi and Irja take their biggest step yet into adulthood, they must find the courage to say goodbye to one another.

Directed by Elisa Kujala

Vulnerable

15 mins / Belgium

Anissa, a young girl age 25, is passionate about one thing: MMA. Struggling in a world of men and with her family, determined, she will have to fight, both on the ring and in life, in order to defend her freedom of choice.

Directed by Noureddine Zerrad

When She Was Good

20 mins / UK

When a young girl discovers that Santa is not real, she questions the lies told by adults and the terrible secret that she has been forced to keep.

Directed by Margarita Milne

Meet the Filmmaker

Sunday 2:30pm

(Special Event: Filmmaker Interview)

38 at the Garden

38 mins / USA

In a hostile time for Asian Americans, the revisiting of an unlikely athlete’s story 10 years later gives hope and shatters stereotypes on sport’s biggest stage.

Directed by Frank Chi