OCan25

The Burden, Vahid Fazel, (Toronto, ON) [Animation | Sci-fi] 3:56

A stranded astronaut, struggling for survival on a mysterious desert planet, trying to find the home he longs for.

Vahid Fazel is an Iranian-Canadian award-winning visual artist, filmmaker, and illustrator in Toronto, Canada. With extensive experience in animation and illustration, his work explores themes of identity, culture, resilience, displacement, and human connection.

More info: Trailer | Website | Instagram

It Comes in Waves, Fitch Jean (Ottawa, Ontario) [Drama | Crime] 1:45:00

A family of four escapes the genocide in Rwanda and lands in Ottawa. They quickly learn that the grass is not always greener on the other side.

Fitch Jean, with Haitian-Canadian roots, evolved from music and photography to become a filmmaker. His directing debut with "Forgive Me Father" in 2019 led to more narrative and documentary shorts. His films, focusing on underrepresented communities, address mental health and trauma, earning recognition in over 50 film festivals and 7 awards. Fitch's work, including a recent CBC documentary, aims to amplify marginalized voices and foster unity through authentic storytelling.

More info: Trailer | Website | Instagram

Orest Leere and His Marvelous, Mysterious, Malicious Empathy Machine, Jeff Smith, (Toronto, Ontario) [Sci-fi | Horror] 10:00

A dark fairy tale about a man who has isolated himself from the world in his gothic tower. He has created an "Empathy Machine" that allows him to steal memories from his victims, because Orest has none of his own.

Jeff Smith is an independent filmmaker and set designer working out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Jeff’s entry into the film world began as an apprentice to make-up artist Gordon J. Smith (no relation), sculpting bullet wounds for Natural Born Killers and casting animal molds for Legends of the Fall. Following that, Jeff studied filmmaking at Toronto Metropolitan University where he gravitated towards art direction and production design. Since then, he has been designing sets on such productions as Pacific Rim, Downsizing, The Boys and Station Eleven, while sporadically creating his own shorts

More info: IMDB | Instagram

Blue Room, Nicholas Waters, (Hamilton, Ontario) [Drama | Romance] 10:07

When an aspiring actress asks her partner--an acting teacher--for help with a potentially career-changing self-tape, the imbalance in their own relationship comes to the fore.

Nicholas Waters is a graduate of McGill University’s English Literature Program, has directed, co-written, and co-produced three short films: THE CASTRATIONISTS (Toronto Independent Film Festival, 2023), That‚Äôs Too Much (2024), and BLUE ROOM.

More info: Website

Crabsassin, Studio S222, (Toronto, Ontario) [Animation | Comedy| Drama] 1:05

A stormy night at the docks, a killer is out for his target…

This short animation was produced by 14 student 3D artists from Sheridan College, working together to bring a comedy drama film to life.

Strangers, Leah Doz, (Toronto, Ontario) [Drama] 13:42

After missing their bus on a cold winter night, a young girl confronts the limits of her mother's love.

Leah Doz is a Canadian actor and filmmaker originally from Edmonton, Alberta, currently based in Toronto. STRANGERS is her first auteur project and won the Grand Jury Prize and Future of Film is Female Prize at the Nitehawk Shorts Festival in Brooklyn. Her short film TIPS was licensed for broadcast in Canada after premiering at the Canadian Film Festival, and won Best Comedy at Caribbean Tales International Film Festival and Best Actress at the Great Canadian Comedy Film Festival.

As an actor, she can be seen in Grace Glowicki's award-winning sophomore feature DEAD LOVER, which premiered at Sundance, SXSW, and Rotterdam. She is a Dora and My Entertainment World award-winning actor, and has performed on Canada’s major stages and in New York. On television, she is known for her acting work in the Canadian Screen Award nominated series NEW EDEN (Crave Original), SCHITT'S CREEK (Netflix/CBC), and STRAYS (CBC), where she was also a contributing writer in the series' development room. She is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada, and fellow of the Black Screen Office, Reelworld Screen Institute, and Women in the Director's Chair. She is in development on her first feature with support from the Canada Council for the Arts.

More info: Trailer | Instagram

The Renfrew County Killing, Quentin Ferrant, (Renfrew, Ontario) [Drama] 7:30

A woman driving through rural Ontario commits a hit and run and gets caught by a local man.

Quentin Ferrant is an award winning screenwriter and director working at ECCE Media House, a leading production company in Ontario, Canada.

He graduated from Humber College's Film and Television Production Program in 2021 with two award-winning shorts and the Meridian Artist's Scholarship in Screenwriting. He is currently developing his first feature film, scheduled for production in 2026, as well as producing web series and spec scripts. Quentin's mission is to tell engaging and original stories that respect the craft of movie making and reflect the transcendental qualities of truth, beauty and goodness.

More info: Trailer | Website | Facebook

Image Whisperers, Antoine Greco, (Quebec City, Quebec) [Animation | Documentary] * 18:05 (French with English subtitles)

Image whisperers (Souffler des images) is a short documentary that explores the experience of Yvan Tessier, a visually impaired individual, in an art museum.

Accompanied by a museum guide, he discovers the artworks through detailed and sensitive descriptions, creating a mental image as faithful as possible. The film captures the unique interaction between these two individuals, highlighting the power of words, the bond that forms, and the challenges they overcome together.

Image Whisperers celebrates human resilience and offers a touching reflection on how art can transcend sensory limitations while promoting inclusion and diversity.

Antoine Greco, 27, is a filmmaker from Quebec City. He studied cinema at Cegep Garneau, where he developed skills in directing and visual storytelling. After gaining experience in the field of animated filmmaking, he now works for the Quebec-based animation production company 10e Avenue. He recently completed his first short documentary, Souffler des images, which explores access to art for visually impaired individuals and addresses themes such as resilience and cultural inclusion. Antoine is drawn to human stories and strives to offer an authentic perspective through his work.

More info: Letterboxd

The Human Under the Bed, Euan O’Leary, (Quebec City, Quebec) [Short ] 10:00

AJ, a little monster awake past their bedtime, has made a terrifying discovery: there's a human under their bed! But humans, it turns out, aren't actually all that scary. In fact, this one seems to have a lot in common with AJ. There's just one thing that sets them apart. AJ is in a hurry to grow up and enjoy all the freedoms of adulthood. The human, on the other hand, is nostalgic and yearns to go back to the comforting embrace of his childhood.

Euan O'Leary is a writer and director with a passion for the sincere, the imperfect, the under-appreciated and the offbeat. She thrives in comedy, and has cultivated a unique voice consistent across her body of work.

This Isn’t How I Pictured It, Charles Burroughs, (Montreal, Quebec) [Comedy] 29:57

A young aspiring model has a very, very bad day, and starts to reconsider her career choice in the fashion industry.

Charles Burroughs is a Montreal-based film director celebrated for his distinctive comedic voice and sharp storytelling. Specializing in humor and absurdity, Charles has directed numerous award-winning campaigns, earning accolades such as a Cannes Lion, ADCC, and Marketing Awards. His fashion films have been screened at over 25 international festivals, with several earning features in Vogue.

While these accolades are gratifying, Charles finds his greatest pride in his global filmmaking experiences, having worked on sets across the UK, Ukraine, the U.S., and Portugal. His latest project, This Isn’t How I Pictured It, a dark comedy, marks an exciting evolution in his career as he transitions from commercials to narrative fiction. Through sharp wit and bold visuals, Charles continues to explore character-driven stories that resonate with audiences worldwide.

More info: Trailer | Instagram

Happy Birthday, Catherine Marois, (Montreal, Quebec) [Short] * 18:33 (French with English subtitles)

Struggling with anxiety, a young woman opens up about her perception of human relationships.

Catherine Marois decided to follow her passion for cinema by venturing into screenwriting after studying and practicing as a lawyer for several years. Today, she is making the leap to directing with her first film, Happy Birthday.

Daddy’s Boy, Tom Peters, (Ottawa, Ontario) [Short] 13:11

Jason's struggle with addiction is put on hold when his worst nightmare becomes reality. Now, he must save his son from certain death.

Tom Peters began his career as a video producer for a commercial production company in Ottawa, Canada. After directing three short films, producing ten, and contributing to countless others, Tom joined forces with three multi-talented creatives to launch their multimedia label, "Monkey Buziness," dedicated to promoting authentic, artist-centric art.

More info: Instagram

Thereby Hangs a Tale, Aaron Yeger, (Toronto, Ontario) [Drama] 13:10

Thereby Hangs a Tale confronts women’s mental health and generational trauma through an intimate personal story. Set in either present day…or 1989, it uses non-linear storytelling to examine the unreliable nature of memory and oral history. Anne, (Morgan Kohan, Sullivan's Crossing) interviews her enigmatic grandmother Mary (Rosemary Dunsmore, Orphan Black) to learn more about her life. What begins as an earnest conversation between a young woman and her grandmother evolves into a surreal journey of self-discovery. Anne lays out the “facts” she does know about her grandmother which are depicted through whimsical animation. Mary was a young religious woman who became a mother of 11 children—she also suffered from severe mental illness. Discussing her grandmother’s struggle leads Anne to have a panic attack, exposing her own mental health challenges. To soothe herself, Anne escapes into happy childhood memories. These wistful flashbacks reveal that Mary died decades earlier, and this whole conversation is actually a fantasy. Anne concludes her “interview” with a new hopeful perspective. Just as she is more than her anxiety, Mary was more than her trauma. Although Anne is still haunted by unanswered questions, she’s able to see her memories of her grandmother as a precious gift. Thereby Hangs a Tale was produced with the support of a generous grant from the Canada Council for the Arts.

The Dinner Party, Jaye Lodhia, Steven Chau, (Toronto, Ontario) [Short] 9:04

A young woman nervously prepares to host a dinner party. Too busy being focused on perfection, she isn't prepared for what happens when her guests arrive.

Jaye Lodhia, Steven Chau - From sharing crayons in kindergarten to now sharing a director's chair — our childhood bond turned into a reel partnership. Based in Toronto, Ontario.

More info: Trailer

Dancing with Time (Danser avec le temps), Marie Lavorel, Tamar Tembeck, Paul Tom (Montreal, Quebec) [Documentary] * 22:00 (English and French with English subtitles)

Dancing with Time / Danser avec le temps is a bilingual short documentary (22 min) featuring four Montreal dancer-choreographers facing the challenge of aging. Erin Flynn (40s), José Navas (50s), Louise Bédard (60s) and Paul-André Fortier (70s) talk about how they deal with their changing bodies and the demands of the artistic world. As they answer the question "As an artist, what have you gained with age?", we discover how they deal with the challenges of aging with kindness, humility and creativity.

Through the testimonies of the protagonists, we observe the strengths that age can bring to these movement artists. Without denying the grief and adaptations they have faced, they tell us about the gains they have made with the recognition and growing acceptance of the fragility of their bodies. They deal with themes that go beyond the limits of aging, to reach subjects relevant to artistic practice more broadly: care of the body and physical limitations; benevolence towards oneself and others; the pleasure of dancing; the relationship with the public and the performing arts milieu; the mastery of one’s art; as well as confidence, humility and its opposite. What binds us to their stories are their gains in patience, compassion, and love, as well as the urgency to live and create that seem to assert themselves with the passage of time.

Marie Lavorel (Ph.d) is a researcher, curator, author and documentary filmmaker. Her transdisciplinary research focuses on media writing about sensitive memories, contemporary art, oral history, interactive devices, contemporary dance and the notion of time in the humanities and the arts. She also focuses on digital and interactive forms of mediatization of knowledge that aim to renew our ways of listening, and participates actively in projects in oral history, digital humanities and performing arts. Associate researcher-creator at COHDS (Concordia), she works on several research-creation projects where listening, multiple temporalities, the transmission of sensitive memories and the imaginary are at the heart of a reflection on our ways of listening to the Other, weaving links and creative processes.

Tamar Tembeck, PhD, is an art historian whose research engages with visual cultures of illness and medicine, hospital art practices, as well as performance and media studies. She has a professional background in the performing arts and develops projects as an independent curator. Since 2018, she is artistic director of the artist-run centre OBORO in Montreal.

Paul Tom is a filmmaker specializing in animation and documentary films. He is also a professional editor and a cultural mediation trainer for projects in various communities. Born to Cambodian parents in a refugee camp in Thailand, his favourite themes are: identity building, family relationships and everything related to the intimate side of human being. His films, such as Alone (2021) and Baggage (2017) have been selected in some forty festivals around the world and won several prizes.

More info: Trailer | Website

Hatch, Alireza Kazemipour, Panta Mosleh (Vancouver, British Columbia) [Drama] 10:57

An Afghan refugee boy hides with his mother inside a moving water tanker trying to cross the border to safety. Losing his mother in the process, NAAJI forever tries to find a way to relive his last memory of her.

Alireza Kazemipour, Iranian-Canadian filmmaker, with 2-decades of experience as a screenwriter in Iran. He holds a master's in Cinema studies and has directed award-winning shorts including The Gold Teeth (2022) and Split Ends (2022), recognized in over 150 film festivals worldwide, championing social justice, women's rights, and immigrant issues.

Panta Mosleh is a Queer Middle Eastern-West Asian-Canadian Director, Writer, Producer who splits her time between Vancouver and LA. Currently working as a TV movie director, she has directed for A&E, Lifetime and TF1. Panta currently has two tv series in development; one scripted and one unscripted. She has three Thriller TV movies optioned. She is currently working on a documentary feature and a virtual production shoot. Panta hopes to make her own feature film someday.

More info: Trailer | IMDB | Instagram

Christopher & the Bug, Vanessa Esteves, Kevin Micallef, (Toronto, Ontario) [Animation | Drama] 12:07

A grouchy old owl learns a big lesson about friendship when a small bug moves into his house.

Vanessa Esteves is an accomplished writer, director, executive producer, and content creator, with a proven track record in the children’s entertainment industry, Vanessa has creatively overseen a wide range of projects across all genres. Most recently, she directed, wrote and produced the award winning short film Christopher & the Bug and co-created and was the showrunner on the animated series Super Wish, further solidifying her reputation for producing engaging and innovative content. Her leadership and creative vision have helped shape numerous successful children’s programs in the world of animation and family entertainment.

More info: Trailer | Instagram