2023 Festival

Director: Victor Cesca

Mat Johns and Christ Lane

Daniel Maurer

Piret Sigus, Silja Saarepuu

Ted Hardy-Carnac

Chengxian Quan

Ahmed Taha

Victor Hugo Martín Caballaro

Rifka Lodeizen

Pixel Commando and Mateo Balestriero

Bernat Gras

Sandra Rachel Hurd

Director: Aleisha Anderson
Nomination: Best Special and Visual Effects

After suffering a global, catastrophic event; the world is on the verge of extinction. Attempts to engineer humanity have dulled its sanctity, choking out new life. While clinging to their last hope, a group of survivors wander the wasteland, confronted by a dying world that can no longer sustain them. Some believe that their final hope to rebuild waits for them, that it is their duty to continue; while others believe that the last chapter has already been written.

Director: Ken Hegan

During a deadly future pandemic, reality stars Todd and Emily race to save her mom’s life while chased by reality TV camera drones and vicious snipers.

Director: Barri Cohen

Filmmaker Barri Cohen leads part detective story, part social history in UNLOVED – HURONIA’S FORGOTTEN CHILDREN as she uncovers the truth about Alfie and Louis, her two long-dead half-brothers. They were institutionalized at the Huronia Regional Centre in Orillia in the 1950s, with one brother unceremoniously buried in secret in an unmarked grave as a small child. Their lives were cut short, but their story stands as a microcosm of the immense tragedy of the Western World’s 20th-century disastrous treatment of intellectually disabled children and youth. Through the interwoven narratives of a POV family story with critical institution survivors, a question preoccupies the film: how do we allow ourselves to dehumanize the most vulnerable people in our care?

Director: David Feehan

In this short sci-fi comedy, a young man struggles to prove his own humanity after he finds himself unable to tick the definitive “I’m not a robot” box in an online CAPTCHA test.

Director: Miles Benson
Nomination: Best Screenplay

Jerkwater follows a ticket agent named BAILEY with a past of sexual exploration and gender dysphoria. He desperately wants to leave and escape the small-mindedness of his town, but is terrified of change. He gets stranded at his train station with six individuals during a blizzard on Thanksgiving. Bailey is stuck with his vindictive ex-girlfriend (MADISON), a homeless anarchist black male (TYLER), a female sex worker (HOPE), a sage and worldly barista (CURTIS), a trans female (LOUISA), and a racist white male security guard (NICK).

Director: Emilio González

After a bad breakup, Romulo takes us through all of his past relationships.

Director: Ryan Gordon Taylor

A mockumentary about an alien coming to Langara and falling in love with a human.

Director: Victor Cesca
Nomination: Best Overall Sound

Guy, a pianist passionate about his music, sees his life turned upside down when the church where he officiates takes in a mysterious little girl. A true piano virtuoso, the child prodigy will soon steal the show. A duel of egos then begins.

Director: Julia Le Bras-Juarez, Emmie Marriere, Marianne Fourmanoit, Laura Techer, Louise-Marie Rousselie, Jean Delamarre, Alexis Prost

On his way for his important job interview, Noah runs out of gas. Left with no alernative, he has no choice but to embark with Katia, a tornado chaser.

Director: Grete Suarez
Nomination: Best Editing

A radio repairman hikes up a mountain to fix the repeater tower. A simple task turns into an arduous journey when he encounters a string of strange occurrences that forces him to face a painful truth in his life.

Director: NATALIE BRUIJNS
Nomination: Best Performance

On the day of her abortion, Dana looks for her own way to come to terms with her decision.

Director: GUILLAUME LEVIL & NICOLAS PABAN

Working at the office during the day, taking care of his father at night: Peter is a simple and endearing bachelor, and this is his routine. For the past few weeks, he has been chatting online with a young woman. One day, she asks for his help.

Director: Herminio Cardiel
Nomination: Best Cinematography, Best Performance

Ogre is the nickname the kids use to insult the high school janitor. He just wants to go as unnoticed as possible, but sometimes there are kids who tense him too much.

Director: Andrew Francis Dunning

A politician finds out he has a long lost sister during a routine background check. Will he want to reconnect or will she be a liability?

Director: Rawd Almsoud
Nomination: Best Documentary

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, certain media outlets sparked a new conversation when they compared refugees from Ukraine with those from third world countries, and questioned their civility. The Uncivilized documentary follows the lives of 4 Syrian refugees in Calgary, Canada and uncovers their journey and growth, shedding light on their accomplishments in their new found home.

Director: Ted Hardy-Carnac
Nomination: Best Screenplay

Emilie is struggling in life. After numerous unsuccessful interviews, the lively but clumsy 30 year-old finds herself under a great deal of social pressure and fears to lose her home. Naturally she has high hopes when she is called in for a new interview, but in this future society that plays by slightly different rules, nothing goes as planned.

Director: Giorgio Testi

While Stefano Accorsi is about to rehearses Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” in the theatre, he suddenly finds himself in the dark, empty space. The doors are locked, the collaborators all disappeared. What is happening? He doesn’t have time to figure it out that the scenery changes again: Stefano is now on the stage with Colin Firth. They are both wearing stage clothes, ready to begin. They interact under a poetic moonlight, a simple yet exhaustive atmosphere surrounds them. Until the spell is broken: we are back to the present, once again Stefano finds himself surrounded by people, working in the theatre. He smiles. Whatever happened, the theater is alive, stronger than any closing.

Director: Fatemeh Askarpour, Elyas Askarpour

Two trans people fall in love with each other and because of the taboo of this love, they hide it in their workplace, and make a date in a hotel.

Director: Chantelle Marie Anderson

A woman’s exploration of her Métis identity; the quieting of her inner voice saying she’s not ‘Indigenous enough’.

Director: Sergi Marti Maltas
Nomination: Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Overall Sound

Ramon Riera is taking a well-deserved bath when his cell phone suddenly rings. On the other side of the line is Clara, a girl who insistently tries to sell him life insurance.

Director: Michelle Bossy

On a tumultuous wedding day, five women prepare to walk down the aisle while a teenage bridesmaid probes about what really happens on the wedding night. A subversive and political take on the rom-com genre that reveals the disturbing truth behind one bride’s pre-nuptial cold feet.

Director: Arthur Fanget
Nomination: Best Special and Visual Effects, Best Art Dec

1917, on the desert battlefront of a war for resources, Marcel is assigned a crucial message for the french trenches.

Director: Daniel Maurer
Nomination: Best Documentary

The second wave of Covid significantly increased mortality in hospitals. What does this mean for the work of Mathieu, employed in the morgue of a regional hospital center? How does he relate to these people whose souls have recently left their bodies?

Director: Jo Ingabire Moys
Nomination: Best Picture, Best Cinematography

1994, Rwanda. As the civil war rages, Bazigaga takes in a father and daughter hunted by the militia.

Director: Dan Nicholls

Tom has escaped to the cabin to kill himself but the unexpected arrival of his two brothers throws a wrench into his suicide.

Director: MIRIAM, Alejandro Sánchez Porras

‘Not For Sale’ follows corner shop owner Daisy and her employees, who concoct a fake art sale in order to scam the ruthless CEO of the supermarket chain that drove them out of business.

Director: Jonelle Belcourt

A fun girl’s night in is turned upside down when a late-night phone call alerts a group of friends that one of their roommates is alone and in danger but how can they help her when they don’t know how to find her?

Director: Michelle D’Alessandro Hatt

The bold new girl at school inspires three classmates to follow her down a blissful path of self-realization, where they stumble upon a dark truth that forever galvanizes their friendship. Made with an all-female crew.

Director: Stephen Broekhuizen
Nomination: Best Performance

A man who feels he is near the end stumbles upon a counselling office with the light still on he takes it as a sign and sets forth trying to get help.

Director: Clément Del Negro, Charlotte Fargier, Héloïse Neveu, Camille Souchard, Nalini Bashin, Mikko Petremand, Matthias Bourgeuil
Nomination: Best Animation

A young bee must overcome her condition if she is to survive the DESTRUCTIVE HORNET that has invaded her hive. This adventure allows us to discover the dark side of a colony that is utopian at first glance. The film also explores the world of bees in more depth, with a story that highlights the fear of the unknown, of the dark, of claustrophobia, pushed in that by a macro camera which follows the character, in an alternative and frightening documented universe.

Director: Noelle Duddridge
Nomination: Best Documentary

As a young child of the 1920’s, Len sustained serious injuries from a dynamite blast cap. As a young adult, despite his disability, he enlisted in the fight against the Germans in World War II. Adventures and near deaths ensue, after he finds himself in the cockpit of a Spitfire.

Director: Daniel Christophersen
Nomination: Best Art Dec

John’s peaceful flight home after another long work week is ruined when he meets the mysterious Victoria, who’s planning on ending her life by, well, jumping from the plane somehow. Forced to try and save her life, John consequently finds himself questioning if what he really needs to be doing is saving his own.

Director: Mat Johns
Nomination: Best Picture, Best Cinematography

Rabia and Maddie, a pupil and teacher, form a friendship under the unlikeliest of circumstances.

Director: Jacob Froese, Riley Gaboury
Nomination: Best Editing

After the tragic overdose of famed rockstar Apollo, the Detective learns of a lost song that could lead him to the dead rockstar’s murderer.

Director: Fawn Lenna

Computy teaches Mikey about the internet!

Director: Ariel Hansen

On Halloween a group of wannabe witches conjure up more than they bargained for during their dumb supper.

Director: Chengxian Quan
Nomination: Best Editing

In order to let his assassination targets die with satisfaction and no regrets, an OCD killer likes to cook a fine meal for his victims before the final step. One day the killer received a new mission, and what he didn’t expect was that he walked into the house of a picky foodie who is also a ferocious cannibal…

Director: David Sainz

The lonely janitor of a vacation apartment complex finds the body of a girl floating in the pool.

Director: Gabriel Auclair-Doucet

Elsa is looking to buy herself a house salesman. Two new participants will need to overcome challenges to determinate the chosen one.

Director: Ivan Villamel
Nomination: Best Special and Visual Effects, Best Overall Sound

Maria is the new teacher who arrives at an old religious school. On her first day, she will have to teach a group of rebellious kids who are part of a punishment class. An unexpected event will turn the classroom into a real hell.

Director: Remco Polman

Camouflage is a dystopian thriller in which we follow the story of office clerk Amouf. Amouf desperately tries to hold his life together while the world around him gets darker and darker, following the rise of De Jager. This flamboyant and highly intimidating creature is a hate-instigating vigilante, who has sworn to systematically prosecute certain groups and Amouf is not a brave character. Will he be strong enough to resist?

Director: Adam Gaudreault

Things take a dramatic turn when a strange man takes the stage at an open mic night.

Director: Piret Sigus, Silja Saarepuu
Nomination: Best Animation

The film’s story is based on the Slavic folktale, which has been told for ages by the peasants point of view. The film shows story from underground angle – giving overview what really happened while peasants were engaged in the cultivation of vegetables. Also about property, collaboration and betrayal.

Director: Aziliz Le Clainche, Camille Nasarre, Jing Qian, Juliette Barraux, Emma Plumey, Lucile Arnaud, Solène Cauchie

In a post-apocalyptic universe, Bob and his dog Pasha survive in a wasteland. They are hungry, thirsty and tired. When suddenly, they see a city in the distance!

Director: Isabella Helen Bosmos

A timid Cloud-Shepherd, Synne, protectively watches over his flock of sheep before a Thunder-Wolf appears behind the clouds to wreak havoc. In the chaos of the Thunder-Wolf’s appearance, Synne’s lamb is chased towards earth. Synne follows his lamb down to earth. Lightning pelts the ground and ignites a forest fire causing Synne to lose his arm and his lamb’s ribbon. Annike bleats in the distance which snaps him out of his trance. He ignites a stick and uses this as a weapon to destroy the Thunder-Wolf. Synne releases Annike back to her flock upon the clouds, and he remains on earth.

Director: Ekaterina Ulyanova

The story of a mysterious monster-thief who stole the forester’s pants.

Director: Kostya Tyoschin

A story of unfiltered imagination: When the galaxy is threatened by a poison dragon snake, the Alien Space Hero must traverse through unknown lands to heal the dragons heart and save the day.

Director: Fabián Molinaro

On a lovely autumn morning, Nico, an 8-year-old energetic boy who has the ability to fold all objects as if they were made of paper, happily collects all the things he loves about his house while preparing himself for a life-changing voyage.

Director: Blaze Ballantyne

A story of a dog named Diego and his loving owner, John. They share their days together until the day John falls ill in his old age. That evening John and Diego are visited by the Grim Reaper. Diego fights to protect his owner’s life, only to be stopped by John accepting that it is his time to go. John and Diego say their goodbyes before john is guided into the afterlife leaving Diego behind.

Director: Mai Vu
Nomination: Best Animation

Linh is a Vietnamese mother who lives with her son in America. When her father visits and insists on cooking a traditional Vietnamese meal, Linh is confronted with the past and culture she left behind.

Director: Carla Lugo

A Tiger follows his dreams of becoming a pilot with past encouragement from his Mum- only she is not there anymore to see him fulfill his dreams.

Director: Ahmed Dahroug

Moussa, a young French teacher at a school in Cairo, takes his cat with him on his last day on the job. Moussa will leave teaching and go study acting in France. Then Mousa takes his cat to an animal shelter and finally decides on leaving the cat there. Is Mousa leaving only his cat, before he departs to pursue his passion. Or does he have to leave something else, he loves very much?

Director: Karim Shohdy

In a world doomed by conflict, a war group enters an unknown time and an unknown place. They are trying to discover the if their wars are any good and whether they are going out again into the world.

Director: Tarek El Sherbeny

Hazem is distraught after his family secrets are made public when his mother decides to expose his late father’s sexual affairs during his funeral rites.

Director: Manar Tawhied Elzohery

It’s about two people with disabilities to prove that human being power secret is on his soul. Human strength is not measured by IQ or doctors opinions.

Director: Medhat Saleh Anes

Ragya is a widow who suffers from loneliness. After a long absence she is surprised by a visit from her daughter.

Director: Sondos Shabayek

On a street in Berlin, Sara joins her boyfriend Tarek in a line to view a flat. Sara just came from the gynecologist; she is 10 weeks pregnant. Tarek starts discussing marriage plans, after all an Egyptian couple they have no choice but to marry. But Sara who has left Cairo in search of free life struggles to accept that they should ignore all their problems as a couple and rush to marry for the baby. When she fails to stop Tarek’s excited planning, she breaks the news; that she already had an abortion. Miles away from home, Sara is still battling the demons of her patriarchal society that are mirrored in her relationship with Tarek.

Director: Menna Ibrahim Hagag

Director: Mohamed Elbadry
Nomination: Best Art Dec

The film’s events are inspired by Van Gogh’s painting Potato Eaters, and it revolves around two families of underprivileged families who share one residence, the first family is father, the mother, and the child, and the second family is a woman and her husband. They have just one Potato tray for every day. Will they live together in peace, or will poverty eradicate all virtues?

Director: Elizeta Pylioti

Magenta is a 360 VR & Binaural Dance video that is created so that you experience time and feelings differently. What colour do you look at more? What do you feel when looking at it? How does your body react? Allow yourself to feel. Release your trapped emotions. Feel the Magenta.

A group of crime fighting children must find out what happened to a friend’s favourite pencil crayons.

Director: Leandro Todyruik

A deep dive into the abandoned tunnels beneath my Highschool, consisting of history, interviews, and a group of curious students who manage to sneak in.

Director: Stacie Hansen

Director: MJ Hansen

Visual poetry about Time and humanity’s relationship with him.

Director: Sandra Rachel Hurd

After an accident resulting in the death of their friend Carl, Cameron and Charlie have to put their minds together to hide the-not quite dead-body.

Director: Kiyan Karimaghaei, Wynn Brown, Zachary Schawn

A detective investigates a bar and grill for clues about missing people.

Wed, May 31 4:00PM

Meet an industry expert and find out how you can start your passion of creating video games. Christopher is an educator and game industry veteran with over 20 years experience as an award-winning writer and game designer on games like the Crash Bandicoot series and Simpsons Hit & Run.

This workshop is brought to you by Vancouver Film School.

Fri June 2, 5:00PM

Meet the team that created Father of Nations, this year’s opening film as they share their experience with creating the film and working in the film industry in Alberta.

Sat June 3, 4:30PM

Learn from one of the best on how to expand the world you are creating for your film. Tihemme Gagnon has been a member of Vancouver Film School’s faculty for 14 years, and teaches in both the screenwriting and film production departments.

This workshop is brought to you by Vancouver Film School.

Sun June 4, 5:00pm

When you create a video of the newest TikTok dance trend are you a filmmaker? We have a panel of experts to chat about just that.

Join Dave Elder (on YouTube as Triforcefilms), Jade Koch (on TikTok as lifeofjadeee), and Samantha Istance (the content creator for the Diamond Valley Chamber) as we discuss this topic. We will also chat about how they earn a living from content creation and some tips to take your posts to the next level.