Thanks for another great year everyone!
We just wrapped up our seventh annual Festival, including in-person film events for all audience types, workshops with industry professionals, the screening of our Zooom Youth films and the ever-popular 48-Hour Filmmaking Challenge!
As an international festival we got to see incredible films from around the world. There was a country highlight where we saw Egyptian films and were fed authentic Egyptian food and there was even dancers live in the theater! From food trucks and lunchtime comedy shorts, to incredibly touching animations – our creativity cups were over-flowing with inspiration.
– Aleisha Anderson, 2023 – Father of Nations
It’s an amazing festival, run by some great people. I loved that they put an emphasis on the films screening on the big screen in a real theatre with the smell of popcorn and the buzz of excitement in the air.
– Noelle Duddridge, 2023
Award Winners

Fortissimo
Audience Choice
Director: Victor Cesca

Inertia
Best Picture
Mat Johns and Christ Lane

The Beyond
Best Documentary
Daniel Maurer

The Turnip
Best Animation
Piret Sigus, Silja Saarepuu

A world free of crisis
Best Screenplay
Ted Hardy-Carnac

The Cannibal’s Last Meal
Best Editing
Chengxian Quan

Potato
Best Art Dec
Ahmed Taha

Ogre
Best Cinematography
Victor Hugo Martín Caballaro

SEAHORSE
Best Performance
Rifka Lodeizen

Mirage
Best Special and Visual Effects
Pixel Commando and Mateo Balestriero

The Bathtub
Best Overall Sound
Bernat Gras

Operation Carl
Best Youth Film
Sandra Rachel Hurd
Feature Films
Father of Nations
Canada
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.
Outrunners
Canada
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.
Unloved: Huronia’s Forgotten Children
Canada
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?
General Reels
CAPTCHA
Canada
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.
Jerkwater
Okotoks
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).
Rómulo
Spain
Director: Emilio González
After a bad breakup, Romulo takes us through all of his past relationships.
Love on Earth
Canada
Director: Ryan Gordon Taylor
A mockumentary about an alien coming to Langara and falling in love with a human.
Fortissimo
France
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.
Synchrony
France
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.
The Repeater
Australia
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.
SEAHORSE
Netherlands
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.
PRINCESS OF JERUSALEM
France
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.
Ogre
Spain
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.
Family Secrets
Okotoks
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?
Uncivilized
Canada
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.
A world free of crisis
France
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.
Chiusi fuori
Italy
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.
The Aquarium
Iran
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.
Kaashkitamaashoo
Canada
Director: Chantelle Marie Anderson
A woman’s exploration of her Métis identity; the quieting of her inner voice saying she’s not ‘Indigenous enough’.
The Bathtub
Spain
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.
Something New
United States
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.
Mirage
France
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.
The Beyond
Switzerland
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?
Bazigaga
France
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.
That's Life
Canada
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.
Not for sale
United Kingdom
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.
My Roommate Makayla
Canada
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?
Brave Little Army
Canada
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.
Good to talk
Ireland
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.
Tear Off
France
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.
Len & His Spitfire
Canada
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.
Final Call
United Kingdom
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.
Inertia
United Kingdom
Director: Mat Johns
Nomination: Best Picture, Best Cinematography
Rabia and Maddie, a pupil and teacher, form a friendship under the unlikeliest of circumstances.
The Devil Has All The Best Tunes
Okotoks
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.
TwistedReels
Mikey's Cubby
Canada
Director: Fawn Lenna
Computy teaches Mikey about the internet!
Damned Supper
Canada
Director: Ariel Hansen
On Halloween a group of wannabe witches conjure up more than they bargained for during their dumb supper.
The Cannibal’s Last Meal
China
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…
Cold Girl
Spain
Director: David Sainz
The lonely janitor of a vacation apartment complex finds the body of a girl floating in the pool.
Watercraft
Canada
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.
La Nueva
Spain
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.
CAMOUFLAGE
Netherlands
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?
A Man Walks Into a Bar
Canada
Director: Adam Gaudreault
Things take a dramatic turn when a strange man takes the stage at an open mic night.
Saturday Morning Cartoons
The Turnip
Estonia
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.
Apocalypse Dog
France
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!
Counting Sheep
South Africa
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.
Tatt
Russia
Director: Ekaterina Ulyanova
The story of a mysterious monster-thief who stole the forester’s pants.
Project Imagination
Canada
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.
Papirola
Spain
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.
Stay
South Africa
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.
Spring Roll Dream
United Kingdom
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.
SOARIN'
Canada
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.
Country Highlight: Egypt
An international festival is all about celebrating other cultures. This collection celebrates Egyptian film directors, Egyptian films and films about Egypt.
Made possible with the help of
Last Day
Egypt
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?
A Ticket To Hell
Egypt
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.
He's Dead Now
Egypt
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.
soul will
Egypt
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.
Ragya
Egypt
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.
She said No
Germany
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.
Objects in The Mirror are Closer Than They Appear
Egypt
Director: Menna Ibrahim Hagag
Potato
Egypt
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?
VR Lounge
Magenta
United Kingdom
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.
Zooom Youth Films
The Super ACPPL
Okotoks
A group of crime fighting children must find out what happened to a friend’s favourite pencil crayons.
Underneath Western High
Okotoks
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.
Bystander
Okotoks
Director: Stacie Hansen
The Key To The Heart Of Time
Okotoks
Director: MJ Hansen
Visual poetry about Time and humanity’s relationship with him.
Operation Carl
Okotoks
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.
On The Rocks
Okotoks
Director: Kiyan Karimaghaei, Wynn Brown, Zachary Schawn
A detective investigates a bar and grill for clues about missing people.
Festival Workshops
ONLINE: How to Get into Video Game Design
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.
Meet the Filmmakers: Father of Nations
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.
Worldbuilding in Your Screenplay
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.
Panel: Is Social Media Filmmaking?
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.