Official Selections

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Inequality destroys everything

Commercial/Ads

In a world where resources should be for everyone, inequality has spiraled out of control. A privileged few consume voraciously, while the rest struggle to survive. Their greed is so insatiable that accumulation becomes mechanical, dehumanized, and ultimately destructive.

More than just unfair distribution, inequality is a force that threatens to consume everything. Through striking visuals and an anime-inspired aesthetic, this short film exposes the brutality of unchecked consumption and challenges us to rethink the future we are creating.

Deining

Tide

Narrative Short

On Saturday, NOLA (8) is picked up by her father KURT (45) from her football club to do something fun together. However, Nola's mother SADE (36) is not amused; Kurt is late for the umpteenth time. Nola quickly gives her father her homemade bracelet.

On their way to the sea, they stop at a petrol station. Nola sees her father flirting with two young women and when she opens Instagram, she sees her friends having fun at a birthday party.

Walking along the beach, Kurt asks her about her mother. When Nola tells him about her new boyfriend who taught her how to make sushi, Kurt is hurt. At the beach pavilion, he compliments the beautiful waitress SYLVIE (24). It annoys Nola and she wants him to stop flirting as promised. Kurt thinks Nola is being childish. Flirting is in his nature.
When Kurt keeps chatting endlessly with Sylvie without regard for his daughter. Nola sneaks out of the pavilion. When Kurt finally discovers her after a search, he is furious and points out her selfish behavior. Once they are back inside, Nola turns the tables and brutally teaches her father a lesson.

HOLD

Narrative Short

Virginia Campbell is simply trying to hold on to her beloved status quo when extenuating circumstances bring her adult daughter, Julia, back home. Personalities collide after a phone call propels mother and daughter to a moment of reckoning. On a morning that is both ordinary and extraordinary, Virginia and Julia's hands are forced as they must test the ties that bind. Starring Emmy and Tony Award Winning Actress, Debra Monk.

Bark

Narrative Short

He stole her heart. She stole his dog.

After a breakup, an obsessive woman steals her ex’s dog in a desperate attempt to reconnect. Bark twists love, revenge, and grief into a visually striking exploration of emotional chaos.

SOMETHING BLUE

Narrative Short

A bride, struggling with cold feet, finds herself at a crossroads moments before the ceremony.

DELIVERY

Narrative Short

Newly-qualified midwife Mary experiences the most physically and psychologically challenging night shift of her career as she oversees two life-and-death pregnancy cases.

Pavilhão

Documentary Short

Set in Rio de Janeiro, Aleksia wanders on a journey through time, unveiling the origins of samba and its emergence from resilience, joy, spirituality and resistance of her Afro-Brazilian community.

Eenie Meenie

Documentary Short

Black women of different backgrounds and ages recount the hand games of their childhood and explore the role it played in their experiences. Using a series of anecdotes Eenie Meenie covers the hand game as not only a means of play but as a source of cultural and historical preservation, fellowship and even coping within the Black community. Through this examination themes such as racism, misogynoir and the overall hardships that Black children, specifically girls face, are explored.

Letter from a stranger

Animated Short

"Letter from a Strange" is a short 2D animation that explores the delicate interplay between two colleagues working in a large library. Despite the absence of an apparent connection, the story highlights how their actions impact each other's mental health, subtly revealing the concept of "hidden violence" in contemporary society.

Eggshells

Animated Short

In this tense drama about abuse and addiction, a new mother is forced to hide some much-needed cash from her drug-addict husband, who will stop at nothing to get it. As the heated argument escalates, this young mother faces an impossible choice: submit to her husband’s rage or protect her child, as she cautiously considers how dark this exchange will become.

عايشه Aicha

Aicha

Narrative Short

A 17-year-old girl struggles with an emotionally distant mother as her life takes a tragic turn. The mother joins a mystic ceremony to face her grief and the lost bond with her daughter.

THEY CALL ME THE TATTOO WITCH

Documentary Short

In Hanoi, Vietnam, tattoo artist Tran Ngoc specializes in the rare and challenging art of tattooing over scars. Despite the social stigma surrounding tattoos in Vietnam, Ngoc empowers her clients, including breast cancer survivors and women with self-harm scars, to reclaim their bodies, demonstrating that her work is a profound act of compassion and resilience.

Happy Death Day

Narrative Short

A Dog Sky Films Production

Written by Shay Kuehlmann

Winner of the First Flights Fund with Goldfinch UK and shortlisted for the Shore Scripts Fund 2022

"When I die, I want to die like my grandmother: who died peacefully in her sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in her car"

What if everyone knew the exact moment they were going to die. What would you do on your last day alive? Mira happily prepares for her death day by throwing a party and spending her last moments doing exactly what she loves. A surreal comedy about embracing death and living life exactly the way you want to.

The Silent Canary

Narrative Short

When troubled Joy forms an unlikely bond with rebellious Kat and discovers who her new friend's secret boyfriend is, her own past trauma starts to resurface. She's faced with a difficult choice of either saving her friendship or saving her friend.

Me Porto Bonita

Narrative Short

Following a heartbreak two best friends embark on a day of refuge. What first started as a day of joyriding through the city quickly escalates into an adventure of revenge and exposed secrets.

Me Porto Bonita is a dramedy short film that explores the messy, unpredictable journey of being in your 20s. The story centers on Valentina and Lorena, two best friends navigating love, life, and relationships in Sacramento, CA.

After a painful breakup with her girlfriend, Valentina has been avoiding her best friend, Lorena. Concerned but determined to help, Lorena drags Valentina for a day of tacos, outfit shopping, and driving around town, blasting loud music. What starts as a lighthearted escape takes a sharp turn when their spontaneous adventure leads them to Valentina's ex, Elle, where the two friends hatch a plan for some revenge.

But beneath the fun and chaos, Lorena is hiding a secret: she’s fallen in love with Valentina. As the day unfolds, the tension between their friendship and Lorena’s unspoken feelings builds, threatening to change everything. It's a messy, chaotic day as relationships are pushed to the limit in this Sacramento heat adventure with themes of identity, friendship, heartbreak and the power of vulnerability.

Coming Out Polyamorous for Thanksgiving

Narrative Short

When polyamorous spouses Alex and Don introduce Don's partner Aly to his Southern parents on Thanksgiving, they must weigh biological family against their chosen one.

Based on Alex Alberto’s real life story as told in their memoir "Entwined," this unconventional holiday drama is brimming with humor, heartache, and uncompromising self-love.

Healing Ground

Documentary Short

HEALING GROUND is an experimental animated documentary that interrogates the colonial legacies embedded in archives through the lens of Black land stewards. Visually combining live-action footage, archival material, and custom AI-generated animation, the film reimagines archives as dynamic, living systems. Using a custom Generative Adversarial Network (GAN), HEALING GROUND creates evolving digital motifs centered on Afrocentric perspectives, challenging the exclusion of Black voices from AI and algorithmic technologies. These motifs, a visual metaphor for time travel, weave throughout the film, connecting past, present, and future, and highlighting the enduring relationship between Black communities and the land. Through this innovative blending of technology and documentary filmmaking, HEALING GROUND seeks to deconstruct static historical narratives, preserving and amplifying the stories of Black farmers in new and groundbreaking ways.

August & Ebony

Narrative Short

Four-month pregnant EBONY isn’t ready for this baby and a podcast about wild childbirth stories only heightens her anxieties. Her wife of 3-months, AUGUST, comforts and reassures her…and it almost works until JUSTIN, her best friend and hook-up-turned-father of her child, bursts into the house, armed with his binder of research. Determined to save these two wholly unprepared mothers-to- be, he invites himself to stay over—much to August’s dismay.

Reviewing Justin’s research only leads Ebony to a crisis of confidence, worsened when August and Justin clash. When Ebony asks for their help to create a birth plan, she’s ignored. She finally scolds August and Justin to work together for her and the baby.

The two rivals sheepishly put their rivalries aside to build a plan to get Ebony to the hospital and the thruple form a united front, choosing to weather this lifelong co-parenting journey together.

Before You

Narrative Short

Looking back on her first pregnancy, a woman navigates the echoes of a life-changing loss.

Before You follows a couple in the wake of a decision they never thought they’d have to make: ending a planned pregnancy. With restrained storytelling and emotional honesty, the film explores the intimate—and often invisible—grief of pregnancy loss. It reframes the narrative around abortion, moving beyond politics to illuminate the personal and complex truths of reproductive experience.

Starring Tony-nominated actress Tala Ashe, Before You speaks to the silent grief that touches countless families, offering space for empathy, reflection, and healing.

In Solidarity with Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc.

Fighting Giants

Narrative Short

Based on true events, Abi has arrived in Sierra Leone to help her mother, Mama Amy, search for her missing sister in Freetown. With every office visit, frustration mounts. When it's time for Abi to carry the weight of the two, both women realize that they are not on this journey alone.

Dating App Chronicles

Animated Short

Dating App Chronicles follows Lisha, a sharp, funny, and emotionally unraveling Black millennial whose life is upended when a new job relocates her from Toronto to Vancouver—just as her long-term boyfriend dumps her. Alone in a new city and grieving a future she thought was secure, Lisha finds herself holed up in her apartment, surviving on gin, fast food, and sadness.

After weeks of wallowing, her best friend arrives unannounced and drags her out for a much-needed night on the town. What starts as a fun and freeing evening takes an unexpected turn when Lisha connects with a magnetic woman named Jules. The night crackles with chemistry—and by morning, Lisha is left wondering if she’s ready for whatever comes next.

As the season unfolds, Lisha stumbles through different relationships and the quiet pain of being a Black woman trying to show up fully in spaces not built for her. From dealing with men who fetishize her to family members who struggle to understand her sexuality, Lisha masks the chaos with distractions. Convincing herself she is just having fun, beneath it all is a deeper struggle with identity, self-worth, and what it means to stop performing and start healing. Everyone has a breaking point, and Lisha is unknowingly approaching hers.

Chatter

Narrative Short

In the bustle of New York City, strangers Samia and Charlie share an unexpected connection. As their afternoon together unfolds in Central Park, their anxious, hopeful, and hilariously unfiltered inner voices reveal the witty chaos of their thoughts. As their chemistry becomes harder to ignore, will they follow their hearts, or let the chatter in their heads get in the way?

Ride or Die

Narrative Short

After Zoey makes a disturbing discovery involving her best friend Gaby, the two women must come together to control the situation while avoiding detection at their friend's engagement party. This dark comedy explores themes of power, control, and the complexity of female friendships, while asking the audience: how far would you go to protect a friend?

almost love.

Animated Short

Hazel has almost fallen in love... or so she thinks.

Ensolarada, by Rachel Reis

Music Videos

In a dystopian universe, Rachel is presented as a golden statue in an exhibition controlled by a charlatan who exploits her image for profit. Motionless, she is admired by an eager audience until, touched by sunlight, she awakens, breaking free from her golden shell. In her escape, she explores an unknown world and embarks on a journey of self-discovery, guided by her instincts and drawn by ancestral memories.

The final destination symbolizes her transformation and connection with all the experiences that shaped her journey.

TIMELESSNESS

Narrative Short

After seeking political asylum at the US border with Tijuana, a gifted Russian pianist's journey takes a tragic turn when she is detained in a U.S. processing center for immigrants. A hand injury during detention shatters her musical career, leading her to confront not only her physical pain but also the political forces that have upended her life.

Voices of the Academy

Documentary Short

Three professors explore the history, significance, and ongoing challenges of African American Vernacular English in education and the United States, reflecting on its cultural impact and the fight for linguistic acceptance.

Culture War

Student Film

On January 6th, 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis wages a war against "wokeness" and appoints six new members to New College of Florida's Board of Trustees, marking a shift in leadership at the small, progressive public school and flipping its world upside down for the college's community.

The consequences of the appointment are immediate, with the firing of the now former president, Patricia Okker, the abolishment of the diversity and inclusion office, the end of the gender studies major, the recruitment of student-athletes, and the diaspora of dozens of faculty members.

This case has gotten national and international attention. Governor DeSantis, at the time in the race to be the Republican representative in the next presidential election, has made himself directly attached to the events happening at this small liberal arts institution.

New College's situation represents the endless opportunities for
government control of public educational institutions and the many impacts on the local community.

Calamity Jane

Narrative Short

A former barrel racing champion, haunted by a tragic fall, must find the courage to ride again after forming an unexpected bond with a young woman who harbors a secret of her own.

Blood and Milk

Narrative Short

A day-dreaming New Orleans teenager must overcome her fraught post-Katrina realities to determine the future of her newborn baby.

The Errand

Narrative Short

On the precipice of a life-changing event, Hayley is faced with the cost of letting go as she struggles to complete the final errand that will close the door on her past and force her to embrace an uncertain future.

Dandelion

Narrative Short

In 1970s Los Angeles, rebellious queer teen MARGARET gets thrown out of yet another foster placement and finds herself in the company of a mysterious social worker who’s tasked with finding her a new home before the break of dawn. At odds and forced to travel the city together, Margaret realizes that running may not be her only option.

Yáamay: An Ode to Blooming

Narrative Short

Using original poetry as the foundation, we are taken through a journey examining what it means to be a contemporary California Indigenous woman. With a montage of modern, archival, and animatic visuals, this film becomes as dynamic and alive as the women telling their stories. These highs and lows, histories and dreams, questions and answers, all come together to pay homage to Indigenous women of the past, present, and future.

Fleeting Moments

Narrative Short

It is the day of a colleague’s leaving party at a care home. Linda, a 60 year old Ghanaian caregiver, encounters Karlene, her 34-year-old Jamaican colleague, hastily preparing in the women’s toilet. What begins as casual banter evolves into a profound exchange. As they share their stories and struggles, Linda and Karlene find common ground, realizing that despite their different backgrounds, they share similar hopes, fears, and aspirations. In this intimate encounter, Linda and Karlene discover unexpected depths within themselves, leading to a transformative journey towards acceptance, healing, and the embrace of their authentic selves.

Dark Orange

Animated Short

The story is about a young couple who seem to have a peaceful life, but their relationship has deep problems. The woman suffers from a one-sided emotional relationship and makes the last effort to improve it, but he ignores her feelings, has sex with her and treats her like a servant. She becomes disappointed and depressed. He believes that he is a feminist and a defender of
women’s rights. He criticizes physical violence and participates in the international Day of Violence against Women.

Lapeng

Narrative Short

Tiisetso has lived in the shadows of silence, her trauma buried to protect her family’s name. But when her abuser—a revered community elder—is honored in death, she reaches a breaking point. She confronts her mother, the abuser’s sister, demanding recognition, support, and truth. Set against the backdrop of a society where justice remains elusive for survivors, Lapeng is a powerful and intimate portrait of one woman’s fight to reclaim her voice and the painful choices she must face along the way.

Glitter

Student Film

Milo, and their punk best friend, Raven throw a Halloween party in the hopes of reconciling with Megan, Milo’s childhood friend. In an attempt to suppress their autistic traits, Milo's world turns into an overstimulating, anxiety ridden mess after they are confronted with Megan’s micro-aggressions. Milo is forced to confront their own internalized ableism if they truly want to live as their true self.

.fullstop.

Narrative Short

12-year-old Liv is the star of her middle school soccer team and its only girl. When she gets her period in the middle of playoffs, her best friends, Zora and Priya, have to help her find a pad so she can get back on the field and play. Along the way, they find an unlikely ally in a member of Liv’s all-male team.

Kanenon:we - Original Seeds

Documentary Short

Synopsis: Kanenon:we - Original Seeds carries viewers into the grassroots Indigenous seed sovereignty movement led by Haudenosaunee women. Prior to European contact there was a rich and vibrant diversity of foods, with women primarily responsible for caretaking of the seeds. Genocidal practices including, boarding schools, land theft, forced relocation, imposed religion and even food warfare contributed to a disconnection from our traditional foods and seeds. Indigenous seed keepers are vigilantly protecting the biodiversity of seeds under threat of Agro-Chemical Giants that currently control over sixty percent of seeds worldwide. As these Haudenosaunee women step back into their sacred responsibility as seed keepers they offer a powerful view of what is possible in Indigenous communities working towards food sovereignty.

Pa'Lante

Narrative Short

In a world of endless victories on the track, PA'LANTE tells the story of Afro-Latina twin siblings who dominate every race except the most elusive one: navigating the complexities of being human.

Ornamental Oriental

Student Film

This short film follows a subject through this revolutionary program or… de-programming. A film in three parts, through three therapy sessions and three core memories. We address each damaging narrative forced upon us as a collective and through radical honesty, we come to a reckoning.

The Woman in the Wardrobe

Narrative Short

The Woman in the Wardrobe burrows under Nadiya’s skin, and captures the spirit of birth from her point of view.
We meet Nadiya at the final stages of her solo labour, where she has locked herself in her family wardrobe with a key that resides on a necklace around her sternum. Small embers of the brutal outside world stream through the open slats of the darkened wardrobe.

The wardrobe is a tiny pocket of happiness in the centre of a genocide. It harbours a moment of feminine power and facilitates an internally epic transformation. The space gifts what is taken away in war, it holds new life and a glimpse of a hopeful future beyond the conflict.
The wardrobe is a womb, a cradle, a portal to safety. It fiercely protects Nadiya and her newborn.

About 800 women die every day from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth – an estimated 500 of these deaths are in countries with humanitarian crises and conflicts.
Source: UNFPA

We are partnered with the United Nations (UNFPA) to fundraise for Clean delivery kits to be sent to labouring women in humanitarian crises and conflict.

Un bagage en trop

An excess baggage

Narrative Short

Sophie hides her unhappiness in the close-knit relationship she shares with her daughter, Lila. When Lila leaves for summer camp, Sophie's reality crumbles, and her anxieties resurface. She then tries to escape her loneliness by any means possible

I Wish I Were Pretty

Narrative Short

‘I Wish I Were Pretty’ explores how Korean beauty standards affect our protagonist’s ability to love herself. Monolidded, and therefore, “average,” Areum (“beautiful” in Korean) has always managed to deal with being compared to her gorgeous best friend, Jane (as in plain Jane). But when a man humiliates Areum in front of Jane, Areum has to finally face this long-festering wound or let it control her forever.

Me, Myself, You

Narrative Short

A celebrated musician with five million followers—
yet only before her does he vow to give it all up.
As love trembles between sacrifice and self-belief,
dreams blur into disillusionment.
In the end, will they lose each other,
or carry their solitude together toward something greater?

PRAYING MANTIS

Narrative Short

TENNESSEE 1865. A battered, starved soldier trudges through the dark woods. Suddenly, he spots a cabin in the distance, illuminated by the dim moonlight. He forces his way in, stumbling around looking for food. But then...CREAK. He whips his musket around to find a lone woman, standing petrified. The man flies towards her, knocking her down, fearful someone else is here. Another soldier perhaps. He runs upstairs to find someone in bed, but it's a younger woman. A pregnant younger woman. He drops his gun, there's no threat here. He tells the women he just wants a hot meal then he'll be on his way. A man's gotta eat after all. The terrified women stare at his musket, what choice do they have?

And Now I Lay Me Down

Narrative Short

Fading actress Celia Dalvi arranges her perfect day; it doesn't go as planned.

Beyond Survival

Documentary Feature

BEYOND SURVIVAL shines a light on the "Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act," a ground-breaking law that allows sentencing courts to consider the nuanced impact of abuse that contributed to a crime, providing for an alternative to mandatory minimums that perpetuate cycles of criminalization. Featuring survivors freed under the DVSJA law, survivors denied resentencing, campaign leaders, legislators, judges, and activists who spent 10 years advocating for and enacting the law in NY State, the film offers a powerful and consequential lens on the connection that must be made between domestic violence and criminal violence.

Swedish Death

Narrative Short

Caroline joins in the global tidying craze after her relationship falls apart and she is left alone in her house after her partner leaves. She tries to take control of her crumbling emotional life by ruthlessly culling a huge chunk of her belongings. However, fate catches her out when an extreme winter storm forces her to start burning her belongings to stay alive. As the storm goes on, she has precious little left to burn, and what she does have left is extremely meaningful to her.

Swedish Death is a modern parable, depicting the stunningly ordinary ways in which humans have come to destroy ourselves. Caroline, our protagonist, is an everywoman. She’s not evil, overly greedy or thoughtless. She’s just one woman, caught in the cycles of fads and consumption which have led mankind to our perilous present. At the end of the day, her personal journey is eclipsed by the unrelenting and non-negotiable forces of nature.

The Decision

Narrative Short

In this whimsical riff on the health class video we never knew we needed, an aging millennial wanders aimlessly through a city park when she is ambushed by her fertility fairy godmother who has come to remind her that time is running out.

One Day

Narrative Short

In a suburb just outside of the downtown core of Toronto, Ontario, an Indo-Caribbean Muslim teenager, Adeela, can’t help but fantasize her way through every part of her day. Adeela is secretly fiery, searching for her confidence amongst the emotionally limiting environments she feels she has no control over. In her daydreams, Adeela explores her desires to be seen and heard as the stylish, artsy, justice-seeking young woman she anxiously wants to be. Hesitant to radiate that confidence in real life, she seeks inspiration from an outspoken classmate and comes to learn that she is the only one capable of giving herself the push she needs. Adeela becomes changed in one day, simply by imagining what could be.

BLACK ROSE

Narrative Short

A former MMA fighter gets a second shot at her dream career, but she must choose between her family and her destiny.

Blackout

Narrative Short

In the fluorescent-lit purgatory, subterranean maze of New York City's subway, Maya Rodriguez teeters on the brink—both of a platform and a personal crossroads. Burdened with a duffel bag that defies abandonment, she unravels a mystery darker than the tunnels themselves. This short film delves into the shadows we carry, the specters we confront, and the pivotal moments that define us. Set against the city's relentless pulse, it challenges viewers to peer into their own concealed depths and question: what haunts us beneath the surface?

The Golden Boy

Narrative Short

It’s Michael’s last week in nursery and he still hasn’t spoken an intelligible word in class. He’s been isolated for being a disturbance to his peers and his teacher worries his inability to communicate in front of others will mean he won’t get the chance to take part in the end of year assembly. When Lizzy – a stubborn teenager, and his older sister – hears of this, she refuses to believe her brother is incapable, and sets out to prove that high support needs isn’t a weakness but a door to a world beyond anyone’s understanding.

Forward Is a Pace

Documentary Short

Forward Is a Pace is an inspiring look at the inaugural Every Woman's Marathon, a race for women, from the perspective of five participants. More than a running story, it’s a celebration of resilience, purpose, and the strength found in movement. From first-time runners to seasoned athletes, these women challenge outdated definitions of what it means to be a runner—proving that pace is personal, and progress is powerful.

Boneless 180

Documentary Short

Dayna Doles, one of few Black girls in a wealthy Detroit suburb, grows a deep love for skateboarding. Ostracized, she meets pro-skater Christiana Smith and begins to unlock her true potential.

Walk of Generations

Student Film

A young artist at a thrift store discovers a magical pair of Dr. Martens that connect her to the boots' previous owners.

Shallow End

Narrative Short

Twenty-something year old Agatha comes home after a lengthy stay in rehab, a shattered person. In her small town, everything seems to remind her of the life she once had and the people she held dear before it all went wrong.
She especially misses her best friend, Maggie, but they haven’t spoken in months. Finally home, Agatha hopes to reconnect and establish a sense of normalcy… but all is silent when she reaches out. As she sinks into a routine, she finds that relics of her friendship are everywhere. Her mother, Ellie, scared to hurt her fragile daughter, lets her be, but watches her sink into a state of sorrow and confusion.
This story, told largely in flashbacks, is about dealing with loss and accepting the reality of the present. It’s a story about friendship, forgiveness, and the growing pains that come with leaving our childhood behind.

WHEN EVERYTHING WAS BLUE

Narrative Short

A heartfelt drama that unfolds through the intimate lens of a home video camera. It tells the story of Luke, a firefighter, and his family, as they navigate the heartbreaking aftermath of September 11th. Capturing the family's everyday moments, juxtaposed against the backdrop of Luke's declining health due to 9/11-related illnesses, the film immerses us in the love, grief, and strength of a family as they confront a system that chooses to ignore the ongoing challenges of a tragedy that continues to shape their lives.

The Soul Trader

Web Series

Coral Chase isn't your typical assassin. She's the only one in the world with the power to steal souls from the young which she sells to elderly elites so they can extend their lives. She's cornered the market for years. But after a lifetime of servicing the sick whims of the wealthy, Coral is done. One last big hit and she's over and out, and able to retire with her 12-year-old son somewhere warm and safe. With a new target acquired at a hefty price tag, she embarks on her final 'soul tapping' mission. But there's a snag. The target is not alone...and Coral isn't the only one in the apartment with murder in mind.

As Long as We Can

Documentary Short

AS LONG AS WE CAN captures a day-in-the-life of an Arizona reproductive health clinic trying to navigate the turbulent aftermath of the 2022 Dobbs decision. As the entire abortion care system struggles to figure out what is now legal and what is not, extra poignancy was thrown onto this particular clinic by an Arizona Supreme Court decision to uphold an 1864 law criminalizing all abortions.

But the film also captures the warmth, courage, and sheer bustle of a clinic trying to simply stay open and serve its clients. In a moment dizzying with opinions on women who seek abortions—and the people who care for them—AS LONG AS WE CAN brings us their voices. The voices of people in the path of a hurricane upending the lives of women all over the nation.

Stick Bug

Narrative Short

This coming of age film is about a moment in time between longtime friends and tumultuous flames Rose and Alex, who meet each other for a camping trip in the woods. Overnight the pair navigates their undeniable chemistry while struggling to break their patterns of avoiding their relationship and running from themselves.

This film explores the bittersweet experience of being moments away from togetherness, every second teetering on the edge of what could be, if only the right words were said.

The Almost Adults

Narrative Short

The Almost Adults is coming of age story, in which Sofia, a nine-year-old child, is mysteriously replaced by a twenty something version of herself. Her sister Charlotte and her friend Joaquim are going to help her survive in the adult world, where, flowered with clever worlds, strange laws such as the “leave-it-alone”, “do not look in each other’s eyes” and “do not speak your mind” exist.

Up and Down the River

Narrative Short

As the Revolutionary War brews in 1700s Connecticut, all the Mohegan men decide to fight alongside the colonists, but it had always been the Mohegan women who decided these matters. As more and more change appears to be on its way, the Mohegan women fear how many more rights might be taken away.
(This film was honors Samuel Ashbow Jr. the first Native soldier to die in the Revolutionary War, and the sacrifices of all our Mohegan soldiers)

Bridge (Sub Eng)

Narrative Short

BRIDGE, a young receptionist working at a healthcare practice, grapples with heartbreak, motherhood and a crumbling healthcare system. Locked into a disconnected routine, when she picks up the phone to a mum struggling with anxiety (Kirsty), they discover a shared past and form an unlikely bond. While enthralled in this intimate conversation, Bridget must deal with the demands of her work, including tending to an elderly woman with dementia, which ultimately gives her a sense of hope

Betty Bird Goes to War

Narrative Short

"Betty Bird Goes to War" is a narrative short about an artist confronting the internalized wounds of shame and self-blame that mar her life decades after the end of her violently abusive marriage. Through the mystical midnight hours, as she paints a portrait of a woman fighting desperately for her life, Betty has a shocking encounter with her younger self that, by morning, will transform both the painting and her sense of herself.

"Betty Bird" is a story of courage, resilience, and the healing power of art.

The Man Outside

Documentary Short

A young woman’s life turns into a nightmare when she realises her ex-boyfriend is stalking her. As his actions grow increasingly menacing, she turns to the Police, only to discover that Aotearoa's legal system is unable to protect her due to the absence of anti-stalking laws. Left with no official support, she and her flatmates are thrust into a harrowing real-life thriller, where they must rely on each other to confront a threat that grows more dangerous with every passing day.

Saint Vegas

Narrative Short

A young woman, Anastasia, escapes far from home to work as a non-sexual escort in Las Vegas following the loss of her mother. On one particular night she meets an older woman who tests her emotional boundaries and opens the floodgates to Anastasia’s grief, forcing her to face everything she has left behind.

Connection

Documentary Feature

This film portrays the fear of a woman being left alone and the men in her life, such as her husband, brother, and lover, making decisions for her life. Eventually, the woman reaches a point where she believes she must build her life on her own efforts.

EXPERIENCE

Animated Short

An actress battles feelings of anxiety and self-doubt while preparing for an audition with a particularly poignant script.

Clay Remembers

Documentary Short

Clay Remembers is a short documentary that follows the personal journeys of Claire, Natasha, and Susan, members of YWCA Toronto’s Inspirations Studio, a ceramics program for women and gender-diverse people who have experienced marginalization. The Studio offers more than creative space. It provides community, income opportunities, and a path toward healing.

Through intimate interviews and poetic visuals, the film reveals how clay, a material that remembers every touch and impression, becomes a vehicle for growth, self-expression, and recovery. As each participant molds their work, they reflect on the ways creativity has helped them rebuild their lives with strength and purpose.

Clay Remembers offers an intimate glimpse into a supportive creative community, and the ways art can foster confidence, connection, and meaningful change.

Shoot Your Shot

Narrative Short

Logline:
A single mother’s everyday routine turns into a fight for her life when an aggressive encounter on the South Side of Chicago spirals out of control.

Overview:
This short film follows JaBria Spears, a hard-working waitress and single mother, as she races through the bustling streets of Chicago’s South Side to pick up her daughter from daycare. Exhausted but determined, JaBria’s path is interrupted when she crosses paths with a local crew hanging out on the block. What begins as unwanted attention from one of the guys quickly escalates into a tense and dangerous confrontation.

As JaBria attempts to brush off Devontae—a persistent and increasingly hostile member of the group—her personal boundaries are ignored and her safety is threatened. A phone call from her daughter’s daycare only heightens the urgency of her situation. When JaBria finally stands her ground, Devontae’s fragile ego erupts into violence with irreversible consequences.

This film is a raw, unflinching portrait of the everyday threats women—particularly Black women—face simply by existing in public spaces. Through JaBria’s story, we explore themes of misogyny, resilience, and the unseen toll of survival in marginalized communities.

Hermanos

Narrative Short

HERMANOS tells the story of Santino and Tomás, brothers who flee Mexico with their mother seeking refuge after the murder of their father. Separated from each other and their mother, they are detained at the U.S. border. When an unlikely opportunity to escape presents itself, the brothers risk everything to protect each other and stay alive as they cross Texas on foot.
Inspired by true events, this film was written and directed by award-winning filmmaker, Rachel Layne McDonald. Starring Jorge A. Jimenez (NARCOS, QUEEN OF THE SOUTH) and Grant Harvey (ANIMAL KINGDOM, THE CROSSING, THUMPER). Introducing Seth Gutiérrez and Carlos Sanchez.

DEFENDERS OF THE TYRRHENIAN SEA

Narrative Short

In the aftermath of filming Defenders of the Tyrrhenian Sea, actress Coralie finds herself in an ADR booth, tasked with delivering an emotional farewell to the lead character, played by Gaetano. Struggling to tap into the depth of feeling necessary for the scene, Coralie is haunted by memories of Gaetano, who tragically passed away before the film's completion. As she grapples with her grief and the profound loss of their relationship, Coralie ultimately discovers a way to say goodbye—transforming her personal heartache into the very essence that brings the scene to life.

Impossible Journey

Animated Short

The journey of two storks on an ordinary workday reveals the urgent crisis in maternal health care in the United States. One stork has a relatively safe trip to deliver her baby, while the other faces significant dangers, risking her life; each obstacle serves as a metaphor for various forms of violence or obstetric complications. Throughout her journey, the protagonist visually deconstructs herself, just as she does the idealization of motherhood. A layer of reality begins to take over the screen through experimental manual painting. Upon reaching the maternity ward, the stark difference between the two storks becomes clear: the one who barely survived is the one delivering a Black baby.

Laissez-moi danser

Just let me dance

Narrative Short

Ange and Julia return to the Corsican village where they grew up for the first time in ten years. They face the delicate task of telling their mother, Mado, who suffers from early-onset Alzheimer’s, about her move to a nursing home. But Mado, now full of spirit and vibrant personality, has every intention of deciding her own future…

i want to go to moscow

Narrative Short

Mara is a disillusioned actor dealing with the terror of time. When she’s thrown into a classroom of kids rehearsing a Disneyfied version of Chekhov's THREE SISTERS — her favorite play about existential longing — she swan dives into her own crisis of aging, nostalgia, and the loss of childhood dreams.

FLIGHT 182

Narrative Short

Tagline: Before 9/11. Before Lockerbie.

Synopsis: As his mother's final days slip away, a devoted husband faces an impossible choice: risk everything to see her one last time or heed warnings from a separatist group seeking revenge against the government. Based on true events, FLIGHT 182 is a heart-wrenching drama about a family's emotional struggle with love, duty, and the paralyzing fear of a homeland ravaged by political unrest. Air India Flight 182 marked the deadliest act of aviation terrorism before 9/11 and this year marks the 40th anniversary.

Executive Producers: Emmy-winner Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife), President of the Academy Janet Yang, CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) and David Thies (producer of The Peanut Butter Falcon).

Velo Love

Animated Short

This dialogue-free stop-motion film tells the story of two bicycles that fall in love while parked outside a café, where their riders stop each morning for coffee. They realize that, to stay together, they must get their humans to fall in love. Despite missteps and obstacles, they keep trying.

Dating Positive (+) - S1E2 "The Truth"

Web Series

Reeling from her diagnosis, Sigourney questions what really happened the night she got infected. As her confusion turns to anger, she confronts the situation head-on, forcing hidden truths to the surface and beginning her path toward healing.

C.O.M.A.

Narrative Short

Bambi can’t poop. She’s a Brooklyn mom and has the clogs, PTA job and pelvic floor therapist to prove it. And no matter how many visualizations she does, her bowels are failing. Her daughter is being bullied at school and her husband is obsessed with LEGO sets. But maybe revenge will finally get her going.

Before Morning

Narrative Short

Julia is newly alone on a ranch in South Texas. Although she knows the property well, it feels unfamiliar today. She tries her best to manage it by herself, but buckles under the pressure.

Night falls fast, and the ranch becomes more alive and dangerous. In the safety of her home, more alone than ever, Julia allows herself to imagine something different. But only for a moment. She knows she has to go back outside.

STIGMA

Narrative Short

During the Covid-19 lockdown, "Stigma" explores the emotional impact on Bochra, a young woman living alone in France. Through webcam exchanges with her parents in Tunisia, Bochra struggles with painful memories and a dark past. Confronted with solitude in her Parisian apartment, she faces shadows of her past, gradually revealing a deeply buried trauma. The film delves into themes of resilience, the importance of family bonds, and the quest for self in an isolated world, leading to a poignant revelation.

The (M) Factor: Shredding the Silence of Menopause

Documentary Feature

A silent epidemic affects millions of American women, resulting in billions in lost wages, upended careers, family disruptions, and emotional chaos.
The M Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause confronts the neglected menopause crisis, challenging societal and medical shortcomings, and advocating for a revolutionary approach to women's health in America where she’s prepared for midlife.

Period

Narrative Short

Joey, a young trans man, is forced to party at a cis girl bar he'd never attend on his own as he waits for his girlfriend to arrive with a bachelorette party. After an unfortunate sneeze, Joey realizes with disdain that he started his period. He makes the difficult decision to retrieve the products he needs as quickly as possible from the women's restroom, hoping the coast is clear.
However, as he turns to leave, tampon in hand, he hears two partygoers approaching the door. He panics, retreats, and hides in an empty stall. Once Joey is inside, we can only see what he is capable of viewing from within the stall itself, watching the heels of these two women clicking around on the floor and flashing glimpses of them through the cracks in the door.
As he unwillingly overhears more about the girls' situation, their harmless chatter turns into a violent fight, and Joey must make his presence known or watch two drunk girls slaughter each other. Joey must take a stand to ensure the safety of those who surround him, but also make the decision to come out of hiding and protect himself. In a triumphant yet chaotic finish, a moment of dysphoria turns into catharsis, and he leaves the bar a changed man. See the world through Joey's eyes as he navigates a world that struggles to understand him.

HONK

Narrative Short

Olivia, disoriented, finds herself lost in the woods. Her old friend Merc appears. As they reconnect, old wounds, new pains, and questions resurface, and they float together in their brief encounter. A fleeting meditation.

Birth Controlled

Animated Short

In a world where fertility is the premise of a game show, we follow the journey of a pregnant woman whose body is subject to the whims of an elitist audience. They have the power to vote on every decision regarding her pregnancy, decisions that will ultimately determine life or death.

Lola Mama Nanay

Narrative Short

A young woman returns home from her grandmother’s funeral. As her day unfolds, she begins to feel the magnitude of her grief when a spirit transports her through moments from her childhood. In every simple thing she does - cooking, watching TV, even brushing her hair, her Lola (Grandmother in Tagalog) is with her.

The Grief Counselor

Narrative Short

An army veteran turned counselor must reconcile her grief or succumb to an addiction fueled existence meant to numb the guilt of lying to her husband.

Let It Flow

Narrative Short

While on a romantic holiday in the remote countryside with Anwar, Kat wakes up to her worst nightmare - her monster period is coming. Amidst the creeping dread and escalating tension, the couple's bond is tested.

My Years of Fear and Trembling

Student Film

After the publication of her debut novel, young novelist Alina Wang is pulled back to her mother Michelle’s house to clean out her old bedroom. Alina is hesitant, with a book reading in a few days and the fact that her mother knows nothing about it.

As Alina navigates their strained relationship, old struggles and resentments resurface and Alina is thrown back into her unstable childhood. Through dream-like sequences, the film explores the emotional weight of Alina's relationship with her mother.

Tensions culminate in a confrontation when Michelle discovers the contents of Alina’s novel and they come into conflict over how the book portrays her upbringing. Forced to confront her mother in person over the truth in their past, the film ends with Alina finally realising the faith in herself to let her mother go.

Women of Honey and Water

Documentary Short

"Women of Honey and Water" is a documentary short film that explores the lives of two women on the island of Taiwan, whose existence is deeply intertwined with both the sea and the land. Surfers and beekeepers, they share an intimate connection with nature that goes beyond the physical, a dance of respect and transcendence. Through their voices, we embark on a sensory journey through their community in Taiwan, where the wind caresses the water and bees dance in the air. This is a tribute to their island, a love song to the harmony between the human and the natural world, a reminder that the true bond with the world around us lies in reverence and care for the elements that sustain us.

You Were Dead Yesterday

Narrative Short

At the height of a zombie apocalypse, one family discovers that the outbreak that is destroying their community is a conspiracy led by the federal government.

Bench Seats

Narrative Short

Bench Seats explores how the patterns of the past echo into the present and how we reflect the stories of our parents. The film follows Dani, a woman at an emotional crossroads after an argument with her wife, Erin. When a song on the radio jolts her memory back to the summer of 1989, Dani recalls riding shotgun in her mom’s oversized Buick, navigating the complexities of her parents’ recent divorce and her mother’s struggle to rebuild their lives. Through a series of nostalgic vignettes, we see young Dani’s world unfold and transform as she grapples with change, independence, and the weight of unspoken worries. In the present, Dani catches her 9-year-old son’s concerned gaze in the rearview mirror, recognizing in him the same shadow of uncertainty she once carried. In that moment, she sees how the patterns of the past echo into the present, prompting her to reconcile with Erin and show their son that love endures—even through conflict.

Kirpik

Eyelash

Animated Short

A little girl grows up under the eyelashes of a big eye… A story about loss, grief and transformation…

Elsa

Narrative Short

Elsa ﬁnds her life under threat, as an act of passion becomes an act of war.

Set in Oslo in 1945, during the Nazi occupation of Norway, this short drama navigates a tense romantic triangle between a Norwegian Civilian, her adoring neighbour and a German soldier.
ELSA based on true events, explores how bodies, hearts and sexual integrity can be turned into battlefields. As our three characters yearn for connection amidst global chaos, their private acts take on national significance.