A bereft widow inherits a 5-acre homestead in the desert. As she struggles to forget her past and build a new life for herself in this isolating and unrelenting landscape, she starts to believe someone (or something) is tormenting her.

Her childhood stuffed bunny, Claude, watches his owner navigate her turbulent love life as an adult trans-woman.

"Claude" is a window into the life of Her, a trans woman struggling with connection. We meet Her as she prepares for a date, addressing an unseen figure in her room as she gets ready. When she leaves, it's revealed that she's been speaking to her stuffed rabbit Claude, the constant in her life and the one who sees her completely and in her most vulnerable moments. What ensues is a mix of the mundane and the turbulent, the pieces of her life that can only be seen by Claude in her bedroom. From emotional hangovers and crippling isolation to tender video calls with her mother who lives far away. Enter boyish Him, presumably a lover from Her past. As he slips back easily into Her life, watching their seemingly comfortable rapport, Claude witnesses his owner try to balance life, pleasure, and even violence. Never seeing anyone’s face besides Claude’s unanimated one, the audience is invited to really lean in and pay attention to a woman and a story that often goes untold.

A group of queer friends get together for a cozy dinner party. Their fun and fellowship is interrupted by a time traveling soldier from the future. The soldier informs Danny that he has been found guilty of “war crimes” and has been sentenced to death. But the assassination attempt is foiled by a second soldier, who refers to Danny as “Commander” before disappearing to wherever he came from. Left with a dead body and limited information, the group of friends must decide if Danny is a future hero, or a future dictator.

Gloria is a working, single, Mexican mother of two teenagers, a son, and a daughter, living in the U.S. When she decides one morning that she and her daughter, Paola, will start yet another juice cleanse she read about, she is met with resistance. Between her usual fajas (shape-wear), diet pills, and juices, Gloria will be forced to confront how her insecurities might be affecting her and her daughter.

Their friendship is in danger. Can they save it before it's too late?

Two young migrant women die in obscure circumstances involving repressive bodies from the Chilean state. Talking from beyond, Joanne and Beatriz tell us about their decision to migrate, their hopes, and their motherhood dreams. But also about how the country they arrived in transformed into a boxing ring that cornered and threatened them until death. Has something changed in 44 years?

When Damien and Evie find an unfamiliar sock in their laundry, their relationship takes a deadly turn.

"Mira's Eyes" was created by Mona Fattali, a Syrian refugee woman living in Lebanon, as part of organisation Makani's feminist film making project "Film For Freedom". Mona has created a film about how work has helped her find strength, despite the death of her son, her displacement, and the severe injury of her daughter. This project was funded by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives.

Intimidated after moving to the city to go to university, a rez Indian explores his new world by making choices that test his values and push his boundaries, sometimes against his family and friends wishes.

LOGLINE: Frustrated by how they are treated, a group of disabled individuals challenge the narrative, and barriers, that society has placed upon them.

Explore the bizarre world of a local NYC bodega owner as she attempts to rid herself of the family business against her fathers wishes, all in hopes to achieve her wildest dreams. Mo Brown stars in the series 'Mo Brown's Bodega', where her father gifts her a bodega, thrusting her into the everyday high-jinx at the shop, but she really has dreams of being an Entertainer.

Brown's dreams cause her to get creative in her life as we explore her world through the intensified situations that lead to the most absurd actions. Brown takes us on a journey where she navigates the city through extreme personalities, while trying to follow her dreams and keep her Bodega successful, with lots of laughs guaranteed. We dive into Mo's plans to change her life but the situations that arise makes her question her future as a Bodega owner. As Mo attempts to save her Bodega, life begins to spiral with each episode, taking us through relatable themed life lessons and intensified situations with recurring hosting segments. Each episode shows Mo overcoming a challenge that has her close enough to quit, but still wanting to maintain responsibilities as an adult in Brooklyn.

Season 2 Episode 01 (Pilot)

Rigoberta finds a sofa on the street and decides to take it home, not only to discover such a surprise, the sofa that is actually a thing eating monster with a world of its own, the world of lost objects.

Anne an office cleaner, finishes work late one evening to be pursued and harassed by a man at the bus stop.

Logical and socially inadequate, alien explorer, Lex, is assigned to study the human race from a sociological perspective, a mission way outside her comfort zone. To make matters worse, she’s teamed up with the erratic and emotive, Xalax; her complete opposite.

Sugar is a twisted dark drama that dives down the rabbit hole of choice and stares into the looking glass of power and the world’s oldest, most dangerous game: sex.

Following the lives of three professional Sex Workers, disturbing truths arise that intertwine their paths forcing them into friendship. While unraveling a series of disappearances from within their community, they find themselves caught between the glamorous and gritty world of sex work. Faced with mixed reflections of their reality and how it’s perceived, they realize that everything in this world is a choice.

Smile4Kime is a timely character-driven short documentary that uses animation and live action footage to explore the taboo topics of sexual violence, trauma, and mental health through the perspectives of two Black women. The film's story unfolds as a conversation between the two protagonists, the director (Elena) and Kime, best friends who commune with each other through Elena’s spiritual practice after Kime’s untimely death. The narrative arc of the film foregoes traditional linear modes of storytelling and instead throws viewers into different spaces and times. In flashbacks, we hear Kime reflect on her experience with trauma, depression and sexual assault. The movement between the past and present happens through Elena's altar, and is inspired by her spiritual practice of Puerto Rican Espiritismo. Through it we are transported into the past, to spiritual and dream worlds, and future moments that were never realized. Animation becomes the creative tool by which the altar — and Kime — comes alive. Memory and interactions with Kime’s spirit allow the audience to bear witness to Elena's grieving process as she attempts to come to terms with her own trauma and mental health challenges. By the end of the film, we arrive at a new beginning; one where Kime’s and Elena's friendship has transformed, and even in Kime's death, they continue to help each other grow stronger.

Based on Thai folklore- Mae Nak, a husband returns home from deployment to his wife and infant child, unaware of a sad secret about what happened to them while he was away.

Documentary by Ida Does about anti-racism pioneer Philomena Essed, who wrote a groundbreaking book on everyday racism forty years ago. Despite the controversy the book stirred at the time, it has since been regarded as the definitive anti-racism reference in the years that followed. The documentary highlights the ongoing commitment of Philomena Essed. Is the book still relevant after all these years?

About this documentary
Forty years ago, Philomena Essed wrote the controversial book 'Everyday Racism'' Her work remains just as pertinent in today's discourse on racism. Essed herself and allies such as Gloria Wekker, Marion Bloem, Princess Irene, Anja Meulenbelt, and Hellen Felter reflect on the debate of the past and draw connections to the present. For instance, recently, Sohra, Lakiescha, and Veronika, students in their early twenties, successfully took the lead as activists to integrate discussions on racism and discrimination into education. What qualities does it take to address this issue as a female scholar and pioneer, and what motivates one to persist with it for decades? What wisdom does Essed impart to the younger generation, and what wisdom do the youth return to her?

After burglars ransacked her mother’s childhood home, Frankie must help her mom clean up the mess, but since the loss of her father, Frankie and her mother struggle to get along. Now, faced with so many reminders of the past, the two must find a way to navigate a world where they only have each other.

Rom-com gone wrong

Blaire hasn’t seen Will since the assault, but she’s known his every move. Her own paranoia lures her a little too close, when she’s spotted by an old friend and pulled into the morning hours of Will’s dying party. In the test of who will break first, Blaire must find a way out before her obsessive tracking is revealed, and Will searches for a way to keep her quiet about the truth.

Based on the inspiring, true story of Melony Armstrong, a mother who works at a shelter for battered women decides to start a natural hair braiding business to achieve financial independence for herself and others. To do so she must overcome unexpected obstacles imposed by a powerful cartel and the state of Mississippi.

The Stardust Motel follows Della Baker, a junior reporter who is determined to prove herself in the cutthroat industry of investigative journalism. She and a senior reporter travel to a desolate motel to cover a story on the dying motel industry. Della painstakingly goes along with the initial report, but shifts gears in hopes of investigating a pattern of strange disappearances among local women. Her explorations uncover some odd going-on at the motel, and she presses further with her investigation despite pushback from her increasingly agitated and scornful colleague. Della’s undying curiosity draws her into the dark depths of the motel, revealing a horrifying truth.

Wendy's invite to an exclusive birthday picnic is a recipe for disaster when her homemade cake melts away her last chance for friendship.

In two intertwining stories on Pigalle’s boulevard, an aging trans sex worker sets out to win a beauty pageant; while an emotionally abused waitress tries to revitalize her relationship.

After an intense trip, Anya’s anxiety subsides just enough for her to make an egregious, poorly timed confession to her best friend, Taj.

Sister Wives is a multi-layered love story that tells the tale of young women living in a strict, fundamentalist, polygamous society in 2003 Utah, USA. Kaidence and Galilee find themselves bound to one another, under the same roof, in the same marriage, as they develop scary, new, exciting feelings for each other. In a harsh, regressive, watchful community where being queer is considered a cardinal sin, they begin having thoughts of leaving the only life they have ever known behind. Sister Wives will offer a vital perspective to the canon of coming-out films; at its core, it is a story of female friendship, of allyship, a story of exploration, both physical and psychological, as together they find the courage to dream in tandem, of a world beyond the walls.

In a coming-of-age story set in 1979, a tween girl must couple skate with a boy to keep from being chosen as the 7th grade “runt" -- a fate which would ruin her life forever.

Salma lost her hearing as a child. Being back in school has opened new doors for her. In the Borno and Yobe regions of Nigeria, thousands of girls are unable to go to school because of disruptions or displacement, or because girls’ education isn’t valued. “When I grow up, I want to be a teacher,” signs Salma. “I don’t think anything can stop me.” This film was a part of the Embedded Storytellers program at Plan International Canada. We work with in-country filmmakers to highlight participants in our projects. For this project, esteemed Nigerian filmmaker Ike Nnaebue acted as the mentor for young filmmaker Aimalohi Ojeamiren. The film was shot on an iPhone.

Logline
Vina is fading away, lost to dementia, but on a rare outing to the ocean, she finds herself and a chance for freedom.

Synopsis
78-year-old Vina is fading away in an aged care facility, her memories all but gone. The monotony of her existence is disrupted when her daughter and granddaughter take her on an outing to the ocean. Once submerged in the water, Vina's memories instantly return, along with a mysterious underwater girl visible only to her.

An 87-year old former Hollywood star overcomes tragedy and finds joy wallpapering Los Angeles homes with her best friend, almost 60 years her junior. Together, they spread love, light and inspiration wherever they go.

Jane, a newly single and jobless Brooklynite *literally* stumbles upon a mysterious book that catapults her into a dizzying quest of self-discovery.

After unexplained manifestations occur on her dreaded birthday, Jane sets off on a bizarre adventure to find the author of the book. The serendipitous journey leads her to a remarkable mystic, challenging her to confront her unresolved grief and finally move forward…

From Director Eden Alexis Martinez (After Closing) and first-time filmmaker, Sam Gray (Actress, Writer, Producer) comes the whimsical comedy/drama, THE TOWER. Created by a cast and crew of diverse backgrounds, many of whom identify as women, non-binary and/or are part of the LGBTQIA+ community, THE TOWER explores both the light and dark of life in the search for meaning and healing.

The cast includes Uma Paranjpe (Life of Pi on Broadway) & Jordan Alexander (Awkwafina is Nora from Queens).

When Gayatri, 70s, confesses to having an extramarital affair, her world turns upside down. Nobody in her family wants to listen to what she has to say — except for her granddaughter Meera, a young woman who has a secret of her own.

A teenager struggles with her mother's bipolar disorder while her father tries to hold it all together.

A story of one woman's loss, transformation, and rebirth - a first installment in a 5-video series of stories threaded together for the release of Lauren Minear's second album "Chasing Daylight."

A fortune-cookie-head crumbles himself, piece by piece in order to keep devouring creatures out of his way...

A woman explores uncertainty in a new romance and reflects with her therapist, set against a metaphor of floating in the ocean.

A grieving woman's hope for marriage is reignited when the ghost of her dead fiancé appears.

Interweaving the rythyms of daily life on the ranch and wild horses on the range, "Beyond the Herd" tells the story of Mexican-American equestrians Amber and Isidro. Their kinship with mustangs echoes their own experiences with discrimination and 'otherness.' As resources dwindle for wild horses, their bond becomes a symbol of resilience, transforming once-wild mustangs into lifelong companions.

An impossible love story.

Sole Sista follows Chelsea, the sole Black girl in her high school who struggles with being understood and truly embraced by her friend group, especially when it comes to hair, causing her to lose control in her search for acceptance.

We spend the day with Darcine Thomas (Kyla Diane Kennedy), divorced and jobless, as she struggles to get back on her feet in post-pandemic Los Angeles. She plans to start a new business to help those living on the streets, and struggles to find her own new job, but hits obstacles at every turn. She ends her day in the most surprising – and tragic – of places.

In a future world where society is divided into color-coded zones, 17-year-old Naima Awadi lives in the impoverished Red Zone. This lower-class area is marked by scarcity and struggle, a stark contrast to the prosperous Gray Zone where the elite reside. The only way to ascend the societal ranks is by passing the Tinted Test, an exam designed to determine one's worth and potential for higher status.

Naima is a bright and determined girl who dreams of a better life for herself and her younger sister, Tamire. With a sickly handicapped mother , Naima has taken on the role of caregiver, for both her sister and mother. Despite the odds, Tamire has excelled in her studies, motivated by her love for Tamire and her desire to escape the Red Zone's oppressive grip.

The story unfolds over the course of a single, tension-filled day—the day before Naima is set to take the Tinted Test. As Naima goes about her day, we witness her anxiety and the lengths she will go to pass the test. Her journey is interwoven with moments of tenderness and connection with Tamire, who is both her greatest source of strength and her deepest worry.

"Tinted" is a gripping, emotional journey through a day in the life of a girl on the brink of a life-changing moment. It explores themes of familial love, societal inequality, and the indomitable human spirit, leaving audiences rooting for Naima's success and reflecting on the nature of merit and fairness in their own world.

Massoh, a 27-year-old Malian, is back at home for her annual holiday. She’s
thrilled to present her new French passport to her father. However, Baba doesn’t share his
daughter’s enthusiasm about this “sɛbɛn” (paper), a symbol of her dual nationality. He
therefore draws Massoh into a back-and-forth discussion in which they question each other
about patriotism, identity, and the difficult subject of homecoming for the diaspora.

Marla is the story of a woman who is isolated, anxious, and stuck in her life as a museum docent. One day, she takes a risk to follow her desire for texture -- discovering a new world and her ideal self.

A young queer girl is forced to learn the true meaning of self love and acceptance after an unfortunate event at her church.

Based on true events, "Superman Doesn't Steal" is a coming of age story, set during the 1970's Atlanta child murders- as seen through the eyes of 9 year old Harriet & her brother, who are fascinated with superheroes. However, when they experience a troubling series of events- the impact on their family leaves emotional scars and causes them both to grow up fast as they redefine their definitions of heroes, villains and yes- even Superman.

This short film music video hybrid is an exploration of the witch burnings and the dancing plagues of the 16th Century which swept across Europe like wildfire.

The film itself wanted to explore a surrealist take on these topics, as well as creating a realm for viewers to dive into, as it is færy’s debut single.

Liana Cornell and Tom Dream came together to explore this world, weaving magic throughout the film’s experience, coupled with the healing frequencies of the music itself, as well as mysterious symbolism linking back to real pagan practices performed by Liana’s matriarchal ancestors. It is an exploration of what it means to be feminine, regardless of gender.

It is a permission to be wild, to lose oneself in the chaos magic of the unknown and to answer the howling of our inner call to dance to our own blaze of individual heart fire we each contain. Shot in the moorland of Cornwall, Liana’s patriarchal ancestral lands, nature plays a large part in the creation of this world, as do the wonderful performers hired to encapsulate the witches and townspeople who seek to destroy them.

Yao lives on a narrowboat, making a living by sculpting clay. She has no friends, only passing ducks and geese for company. Where the life will 'drift' remains unknown. Thus, she dozes off during the day and stays awake at night, leading a state of chaos. One night, she encounters another insomniac by the riverbank. Will this meeting cause ripples in her life?

There is only one olive tree in the courtyard of the Dome of the Rock. The food source of the blackbird family who are living in this tree is the olives on the tree. One day, invading birds come from far away. They try to scare away the Blackbird family from the tree. Although invading birds repeatedly disturbing Blackbird’s nests, Blackbirds do not leave the tree and build nests over and over again. Invading birds collect all the olives from the tree and store them in their nests. Father blackbird buries an olive which he bought secretly under the tree, even though his family is about to die of starvation.

This short documentary delves into the life and work of Jaishri Abichandani, a pioneering artist and activist whose creations challenge social norms and amplify marginalized voices. Born in Mumbai and based in New York, Abichandani's work spans a wide range of media, including painting, sculpture, and photography. The film explores how her art is deeply intertwined with her commitment to feminism, anti-castism, and decolonization.

Through intimate interviews, archival footage, and a closer look at some of her most provocative pieces, the documentary reveals how Abichandani uses art as a powerful tool for resistance and transformation. It highlights her role in founding the South Asian Women's Creative Collective (SAWCC), a platform that has supported countless artists of color. As the film weaves through her journey, it reflects on the ways in which her work continues to inspire and ignite conversations on identity, power, and social justice.

Tasha is suffering from internal conflicts because of the stereotypes that society places on her, making her want to change the way she looks. Through several flashbacks Tasha is reminded of moments where her facial expressions were made fun of. To fix this Tasha decides to seek facial reconstruction surgery to alter her appearance to society’s standards: A Constantly Happy Black Girl.

In this docu-series hosted by Emmy-nominated Producer, Kareema Bee, a Black woman and artist explores her journey through self-love in dialogue with others.

With support fromThe Big We Foundation, The Self-Love Act will foster a space for wellness equity with introspective conversations that are not only relatable, but also serve as a call to action for the subjects featured in the series.

Inspired by “The Woman with Two Skins” of Southern Nigeria, the story follows Young Thang, a human girl living within The Community, a place where humans are forbidden; deemed dangerous and ugly. To blend in and survive, Young Thang’s guardians urge her to wear a second skin to transform her appearance. After the pressure to conform pushes Young Thang to the brink, she unknowingly puts her beloved guardians and The Community in peril. Can Young Thang find the courage to reveal her full self and save the very beings that discriminate and suppress her?

When an insecure, half Japanese woman's invited on a date to a traditional tea ceremony, her best friend's advice on how to avoid white-guys-with-Asian-fetishes threatens to ruin her love life and sanity.

Whilst spending the summer in New Orleans with her Manbo Aunt, BR finds herself in the spiritual family culture that her own mom desperately tried to distance them both from.

Ana, a young Filipina filmmaker, shoots a re-enactment of a fight she once had with her mother - a fight brought on by mutual refusals to communicate. Spurred on by the obsessive need for perfection, Ana “fixes” the fight by rewriting every veiled insult into a chance for forgiveness. As her perfect story diverges further from the reality of what happened, she begins to realise what her mom has been trying to say all along.

As a daughter grapples with her mother’s declining memory, she uncovers stories of a courageous and formidable journey... how the tenacity, dedication and perseverance of a few transformed the rights for all women in Canada.

Within the microscopic realm of a leaf, Water embarks on an improbable love story with Chloroplast with the duo struggle to overcome their differences. Battling to unify it triggers a transformative journey for the pair, and others around them

Two personal journeys intersect when a struggling young photographer is hired for a cheap last minute portrait gig. The unfolding photo session, while transient, leaves an indelible mark on both women.

After several unsuccessful attempts to complete a Captcha, feminist Lara sets out to answer the disturbing question of whether she's a robot.

A young woman find a mysteriously lit lantern alone in the forest.

Maya Carter, a teenage girl, is passionate about playing the piano, but her mother is pushing her to pursue her singing talent and become an R&B singer.

What even is Black Girl Magic? Well it's the miraculous alchemy Black women and girls synthesize from the adversity, abuse and subjugation they endure throughout their existence. Yaania Bell’s radically profound short documentary on the slutty social worker, @Nanagal_ and her sex positive, anti-patriarchal demonstrations, introduces audiences to a colorful reality of BIPOC sexual assault and domestic violence surivors. These brave young womyn are not cowering in the margins of society that they’ve been socially designated to. Instead, they are courageously marching in the streets and publicly communing together around their unified intentions for liberation and healing.

To announce the new 'Throwback Uniforms' created in collaboration with Nike, this short was created as an homage to the 90s. A one-shot movement from a 90s bedroom all the way through to an era-accurate Kingdome, the viewer follows the player in their new threads from start to finish. 8 total versions were made, for posting on specific platforms on release day.

Aurora enters the bathroom and locks the door, isolating herself from the outside screams. She tries to refrain her tears. Then she approaches the mirror, observes her reflection and a peace of her face falls off. She enters in the bathtub, notices something strange in the water, and this absorbs her.
Aurora is sumbmerged in deep waters and is immediatly tries to look for an exit. She sees a light projected from the depth and decides to swim to it and cross it.
Aurora reaches the other side and when she surfaces she appears on her bed from her childhood bedroom, but distorted and darker. Steps are heard, Aurora goes back terrified, the door is opened, she close her eyes, and when she opens them she encounters spiral stairs, screams and strong noises begin to sound, this makes her panic. Aurora goes down stairs, trips on and falls down into a deep and dark hole.
When she gets to the bottom she notices a terrifying version of herself that chases her, she realizes that within this creature she finds again, herself, but this time as a little girl, so she decides to fight to get her out of there. Aurora saves the girl and approaches her gently, they look and connect with each other, they embrace each other in a hug and the girl reintegrates into Aurora, her chest bursts letting out an intense stream of water that floods the place and brings her to the surface.
Aurora open her eyes crying in front of the mirror, she calms her breathing, and in that moment she notices a broken peace of the mirror on the lavatory, she takes it and returns it to its place, showing her complete and normal reflection. Finally she leaves the bathroom determined and calm with herself.

Tanaya Winder was raised on the Southern Ute reservation in Ignacio, CO. An enrolled member of the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe, her background includes Southern Ute, Pyramid Lake Paiute, Diné, and Black heritages. Winder’s poem “Extraction” comes to life in this short animated film by Ojibwe descedent Moira Villiard, exploring the roots of colonization in the murdered and missing Indigenous relatives epidemic, all while touching on shared community legacies of Indian boarding schools.

A meditation on love and loss, "Endless Summer" tells the story of a friendship (a true bond) that remains after death.

The visuals of the video toy with presence and absence, while the lyrics invoke central questions: 1. How do you honor a love that remains after the loved one is no longer physically there? 2. How do you resume your life course after loss?

The sounds of a conversation drift up to the floor above, with unexpected consequences for the one who overhears them.

A teen Black girl has to confront isolation and discrimination when she suddenly receives the ability to hear the thoughts of her white peers.

LOGLINE - Los Angeles – 2053: After a bloody civil war, women of color are captured and sterilized as a form of population control. Vida and a group of resistance fighters are getting ready to escape, but suddenly, one of their own is captured, and they’re forced to decide between saving themselves or saving her and risk getting captured.

Los Angeles, 2053 - Amid a world ravaged by climate change and a global food crisis, Los Angeles is a lawless, dystopian battleground. With no government to provide guidance, rogue militias have taken control, implementing a chilling strategy. They forcibly sterilize women they deem unfit for procreation, exploiting the chaos to manipulate the population.

At the center of this turmoil is Vida, a beacon of strength and compassion, who has become a leader among a group of women she now calls family. Vida has orchestrated an underground tunnel system, their ticket to escape the city and its horrors in just three days.

However, their plans crumble when Lexi, a cherished member of their group, is captured by their oppressive adversaries. Vida faces a heart-wrenching dilemma: rescue Lexi or ensure the safety of the group, which includes her only surviving relative, her sister Moni.

Moni, who has known only a world of fear and scarcity, has leaned on Vida and Lexi for support. Lexi's abduction shatters her world, unleashing an unexpected wellspring of courage and loyalty. Moni defies the group's consensus and embarks on a daring mission to rescue her friend.

As Vida risks everything to pursue Moni and Lexi, the fate of these remarkable women intertwines in an unrelenting struggle for survival, resilience, and the enduring power of human connection in the darkest of times.

Hadyia a pregnant eleven years old orphan escapes from her village after having been forced to marriage. She takes the road to freedom alone with her goat whose milk she will use to survive. Sometimes when she drinks the milk she feels her mum is talking to her.



Director’s Quote: In war and in poverty the first to be sacrificed are young girls. Sold as wives, as prostitutes, young girls are the first to be taken out of school and the last to be taken to a hospital.



"The Goat" is a captivating and thought-provoking film that we believe would be a valuable addition to your esteemed festival. Directed by the talented Ilaria Borelli, the film explores complex themes of human nature, resilience, and the indomitable spirit of the human soul. We are confident that its unique narrative and exceptional cinematography will resonate with both the festival's audience and the distinguished jury.

In late 2021, M on the Bund announced it would be closing its doors after twenty-three years. The restaurant had led a fine-dining renaissance in Shanghai, with flare, daring simplicity and a personal touch. Along the way, it had built a community of diners and artists, reinvigorated a neighbourhood, and defied the odds to outlive its competitors and imitators. In a city defined by change and rapid reinvention, it had become an institution.

Over the course of two months, we follow the team behind M on the Bund as they navigate the highs and lows of a restaurant in its final days, uncovering the memories, legacy and community it leaves in its wake.

At the heart of the story is Michelle Garnaut, a girl from Melbourne who became a towering figure in China. Straight-talking and driven, she challenged expectations and a male-dominated industry; a self-made woman who made waves with her unique sensibility and eye for business.

Her restaurant sat at the centre of Shanghai’s meteoric rise, a remarkable journey in China’s global city that reflects the changing geo-politics of the new millennium, and captures a vision of transnational community in challenging times.

This short is a punk interpretation of the classic, feminist short story “The Yellow Wallpaper”.  In another collaboration with artist America Jayne, this unsettling music video combines the practical effects of Nightmare on Elm Street with the real horror of being left alone with your thoughts.

On a college backpacking trip, a Chinese girl grapples with questions of identity after she finds herself at a crossroads between her Chinese classmate and her fear of being perceived as an outsider.

In the docu-short One Story at a Time, Celeste Lecesne candidly shares how he not only escaped the confines of homophobia but combatted it by finding the courage to share his truth with the world. In a seemingly fateful chain of events, an off-broadway solo-show becomes an Academy Award-winning film that ultimately inspires The Trevor Project, the largest suicide prevention lifeline for LGBTQIA+ youth. Now, 25 years later, countless lives have been saved, and Celeste stays the course, inspiring the next generation to have the bravery to claim their truth and continue to change the world, one story at a time.

Two fish collectors negotiate a deal for the infamous "Candiru," a fish notorious for swimming up urine streams and into urethras. When the deal falters, a showdown occurs.

Career-driven Maya Carlile is focused on landing a lead anchor role at her television network. Her world is upended when her husband Diego dies in a car accident, leaving her to manage life with Diego’s teenage daughter, Isabel, and deal with a work suspension. As Maya builds a bond with Isabel, she befriends Grace, a reclusive woman with a mysterious past. Explore this touching and captivating story of ambition, loss, and the transformative power of chosen family.

A 17th-year-old girl named Abilene Johnston must learn how to use her abilities before her 18th birthday. With the help of her grandmother and mother, she must understand her past before learning about her future. The three generations of women unpack the true meaning of magic, passion, and ancestry.

Through a conversation with photographer Winston Vargas, we explore the evolution of the Dominican community that migrated from one island to another. We witness through his gaze the peculiar experience of the diaspora in Washington Heights, but most importantly the effect of the community on its new environment. Apart from addressing Dominican identity, Winston confronts the difficulties of adapting, their resilience and the value of documenting and visually expressing their presence over the years.

Paula learns the hard way, regarding one of the golden rules to surviving a horror movie.

In this coming of age drama set in the mid-2000s, NOUR, 16, a Palestinian American girl, must rediscover her multicultural identity after years of repressing her background and growing up among western standards of beauty. Nour visits Palestine to attend a family wedding, meeting some of her relatives for the first time. On the morning of the ceremony, she begrudgingly accompanies her aunties to the salon to get ready. Guided by her aunt MONA who resents Nour's single father for leaving, Nour is overwhelmed among the new and eclectic mix of family members. She soon finds role models in her female relatives, who inspire her to embrace herself. In one morning, Nour navigates culture and belonging, finally accepting herself and her identity.

The last fluent speaker of the Mohegan language fights to preserve her culture and pass it down to the next generation, in an era when everyone has forgotten Mohegan people still exist.

What if you could walk into a story?

Welcome to an immersive experience that moves you—literally. EIGHTY THOUSAND STEPS is a first-of-its-kind embodied story that asks you to walk beside a refugee.

From CBC Radio-Canada and Stitch Media, a new trailblazing participatory app that marries form and content in an innovative twist. You power this story, one step at a time. Stop walking, and the story stops too. It only plays because of your commitment to keep going. Giving voice to the migrant experience, it is about women taking charge over their stories, across generations. Poignant and inspirational, it features original music, illustrations, and animations.

Follow creator Crystal Chan as you solve a mystery. The mystery unfurls through audio clues, including 3D sound. After walking, you unlock bonus interactions that help you solve the mystery, showing the real-life parallels behind the fantasy. When she unravels a fantastical fable filled with monsters and strange landscapes, you learn the shocking truth behind her grandmother’s escape from China.

A dysfunctional, Cuban-American family play their chances for the grand prize Powerball in hopes to better their lives, but they soon learn the real prize lies within them. A Miami Story told through the eyes of a multi-generational family whose problematic nature, hope for togetherness and dreams of success culminate on the night they risk it all and play to win.

After preparing for the State Championship game, Nevaeh works hard to ensure her team's success when she encounters her teammate Grace. Grace believes that throughout the night, Nevaeh plays aggressively, distorting Neveah's focus. Does the team win the State Championship Game, or does Nevaeh fumble under pressure?

On the eve of their Mob Boss father’s funeral, the three estranged Fusco sisters come together to fight for liberation amid the male-dominated landscape of 1970s New York. Izzy Fusco returns home after two decades with her partner, Malinda January, to find her benefactor, Uncle Rocco, at odds with her sisters, Maryanne and Toni. Izzy is quickly exposed to Rocco’s menacing nature and learns that he is after their family business and home. She must choose whether to stick by Rocco or band together with her sisters to survive and find a way out from under Rocco’s rule. “The Fuscos” provides a twist on beloved, classic 70s mob films, lending a voice to the unheard women of that generation.

A headstrong girl gets her period during class. With the lack of menstrual products at her school she makes it her mission to discreetly provide girls with the products they need. She and a friend have created a Pad Hustle without the school’s knowledge. Until she gets caught.

A 30 something year old lesbian from NYC, living in the shadow of her ex, documents a series of horrible dates as she tries to find the one.