The Tape, Matt Austin, ON, 5’ World Premiere

When a Toronto man (Julian Richings) digs through his attic for a VHS, he encounters a 21st century problem: how does he play it? If technology is quickly discarded and upgraded, a memory cannot be allowed to get the same treatment.

The Genius from Quintino, Johnny Ma, ON, 14’ North American Premiere

Ricardo is a mechanic in a poor suburb near Rio de Janeiro. Known by locals for his uncanny ability to fix anything, his reputation brings a curious young boy with a broken toy to his doorstep. Confronted by a past he doesn’t remember and a child looking for more than a mechanic, Ricardo realizes there may be limits to what he can repair.

I’m Beginning to Miss, You Sakay Ottawa, ON, 3’ Toronto Premiere

When Pinaskin Ottawa disappeared from Manawan, Quebec, no one saw him leave. His brother struggles to not lose hope; looking for clues and continuing his search. Stark images of a winter landscape scattered with fragments of human existence emphasize this poetic and chilling tale of loss.

Aubade (L’Aubade), Carla Susanto, ON, 2’ World Premiere

Engravings from century-old medical textbooks become an animated backdrop to a man’s loving goodbye during his final moments. The fleeting flicker of the monochromatic images resonates with the narrator’s quickening journey as he transitions from one world to another.

Barefoot, Danis Goulet, ON, 11’ World Premiere

This coming-of-age tale follows 16-year-old Alyssa, a young Cree girl whose plans to be a mom are challenged by reality. Assured direction and keen insight deliver a powerful depiction of the pressures youth face in isolated communities and their attempts to take control of their lives.

Old Growth, Tess Girard, ON, 5’ World Premiere

In the frigid isolation of winter, an elderly man braves the elements to hew his cord with nothing but an axe and a wheelbarrow. What first appears as a landscape study soon becomes an elegy for nature’s sacrifice to fuel man’s existence.

Let the Daylight into the Swamp, Jeffrey St. Jules, ON, 35’ World Premiere

The St.Judes origins in the lumber camps of northern Ontario lead to a splintered family and a spotted history filled with questions and half answers. With a mix of animation, re-enactments and archival evidence, Jeffrey St. Jules assembles a three-part 3-D documentary collage that explores the consequences of parents who make the difficult decision to give up their children.