fish in barrel - Randall Okita

Following the intricate and ethereal dream landscape he created in Machine with Wishbone, Randall Okita continues to demonstrate a keen ability to craft sculptural cinema that absorbs the viewer into a diaphanous world. In a film overflowing with symbolic imagery, dark undertones of a young man’s self-destruction are made beautiful through Okita’s water compositions.

Unlocked - Mio Adilman

Anger-management issues and a domineering mother fill B’s life with constant frustration. Add to this the inconvenience he endures when his bike is repeatedly double-locked by careless cyclists, and one gets the feeling that B is reaching a breaking point. Mio Adilman creatively constructs an entertaining and revealing character study, highlighting the ills and joys of urban life on two wheels.

IKWÉ - Caroline Monnet

IKWÉ (meaning “woman” in Algonquin) is a visually fluid experimental film centred on the internal dialogue between a young woman and the teachings of her grandmother, the moon. Referencing ancestral traditions of oral storytelling, the narrative unfolds in both French and Cree as two generations form a bridge between the natural and modern worlds.

Life Begins - Émile Proulx-Cloutier

Joseph is entering adolescence. Mathieu, his older brother, stagnates in a menial job. They rarely interact. One night, their home is broken into and their father’s gun stolen, setting off a sequence of actions that test the family’s fabric. A story of the profound bond between brothers, this affecting drama unfolds with subtle and confident precision.

Edge of the Desert - Lea Nakonechny

In a small Saskatchewan prairie town, two teenaged girls, one shy and awkward and the other more confident, are picked up at the local burger joint by a couple of guys who work the oil rigs. Heading out to the Great Sandhills, a desert-like area that stretches as far as the eye can see, they split into pairs, revealing their inner selves against the backdrop of a breathtakingly barren landscape.

Record - Dylan Reibling

On an idyllic Saturday afternoon, a sidewalk record sale becomes the unexpected site of an emotional reckoning when three fellow countrymen are confronted by their past in an unusual way. Capturing this moment on a city street corner in vibrant detail, Reibling creates a clever and charming portrait of the power of music.

Vs. - Ben Bruhmuller

In this elaborate stop-motion animated film, Ben Bruhmuller deftly evokes the sweep of a man’s life through the rounds of a boxing match. Through a striking layering process complemented by exquisitely sculpted figures, family and personal moments are pulled into focus then disappear as the boxer advances from a young man to a lonely elder.