Runaway - Cordell Barker

Award-winning animator Cordell Barker brings us this zany and sumptuously animated tale about a reckless train ride. Gleeful passengers cavort to the jaunty jazz score of Benoît Charest, oblivious to trouble ahead. But when the driver disappears and a madcap scramble for fuel ensues, this careless ride turns darkly funny, becoming a cynical, and prescient, metaphor for our modern world.

Pointless Film - Peter Wellington

Canadians’ awkward inability to haggle is humorously played out in this comedic short film. Through give-and-take dialogue, Oliver Dennis and Noam Jenkins sell their performances as relentless negotiators. In the end, one questions if anyone really wins when it comes to the purchase of a used futon.

Man v. Minivan - Spencer Maybee

Shane’s future brother-in-law thinks a visit to a strip club is the best way for Shane to start his wedding day. Upon receiving the pre-nuptial gift of a minivan from his in-laws and a series of questions from an unlikely source, the groom is led to a comedic case of cold feet. Great performances and sharp writing deliver new life to a familiar formula in this wedding farce.

Soap - Dusty Mancinelli

Eileen is an unhappily married stay-at-home mom with a muscled lover on the side. After a surprise twist ruins an afternoon tryst, her simple solution for the predicament hits a few snags. With a nod to the Coen brothers, and nostalgically set in the eighties, Soap uses dark humour to relay its tale of a woman forced to take control of her life.

Homeland Security - Isaac Cravit

Concerned about the fidelity of his wife, customs agent Phil takes out his frustration on a group of young ladies heading south of the border for a bachelorette party. This dark comedy reveals the ills of paranoia in an age when everything can seem suspect.

The Island - Trevor Anderson

Where should all the gays go? To an island, says a homophobic piece of “fan mail” written to Trevor Anderson, an independent gay filmmaker living in Alberta. Trudging through the snow, Anderson ironically muses that perhaps a “fantasy island” for gay people isn’t such a bad idea. Through colourful animations, he imagines a world free from discrimination.

Deadman - Chelsea McMullan

In the desert landscape of Deadman Creek, British Columbia, modern cowboy Matt Sandvoss is determined to resurrect the wild west by constructing a “ghost town.” Meanwhile, a First Nations resident, Gerald Carter, is equally committed to another vision of the west based on long-held Native traditions. Keenly observed and suffused with irony, this elegant documentary surveys a profound confrontation of ideologies.