Canada

The Backwoodsman

The tale of an Ontario folk song, and the truth it still tells.

Red Fever (Opening Night Film)

Red Fever follows Cree co-director Neil Diamond on his journey to find out why the world is so fascinated with the stereotypical imagery of Native people that is all over pop culture.

Opening Night festivities begin at 6PM with a catered pre-show reception downstairs in Showplace’s Cogeco Studio. At 7PM on the main stage ReFrame and celebrated artist Alice Olsen Williams will officially open the 2025 festival. Following the screening of Red Fever, director Catherine Bainbridge and producer Ernest Webb, co-founders of Rezolution Pictures, will join audiences for a livestreamed Q&A. The evening will end with live musical performances by Missy Knott (Singing Wild Rice Girl) and James Mixemong.

Words Left Unspoken

After avoiding speaking at all costs for over two decades, Joze Piranian, who has a severe stutter, decides to confront his fears, by travelling back to his home country, Lebanon, and holding the conversations he never dared to have before with his family. He hopes to finally make peace with his stutter and become the man he’s always wanted himself to be.

Two individuals are holding hands against a sunset backdrop with a field of tall grasses. The sun is low on the horizon, silhouetting the figures and creating a warm glow that outlines their joined hands. The image captures a moment of connection or partnership in a serene, natural setting.

For the Little Girl who Dances from the South

“I will not abandon you, like the systems abandoned me.”
Knott’s powerful voice explores her relationship with her identity and culture as she blooms into who she is becoming. This film demonstrates the growing strength of Knott’s Anishnaabe identity.

PANEL: Wshkiigmong Dibaajmownan/Curve Lake Storytelling

This image shows a behind-the-scenes view of a video production set. A video camera is in the foreground, focused on a person who is backlit against a large screen displaying colourful, stylized imagery resembling a landscape. The person's silhouette is also visible on the screen, indicating they might be performing or presenting. Monitors attached to the camera display the same image, allowing the crew to see what is being captured.

Janelle Niles: Inconvenient

Janelle Niles is a Black, Mi’kmaw, two-spirited woman from Sipekne’katik First Nation in Nova Scotia and a stand-up comedian. Despite a tumultuous upbringing, Janelle embraces her biracial experience and queer identity, using stand-up to usher in a new era of inclusive, Canadian comedy.

An image of a person wearing a top hat, glasses, and black and white scarf. To their left is a red tickle trunk with flowers painted onto it. The trunk is full of colourful clothes spilling over the edge. The person has on a fantastical black top, making it seem like they have six arms with white gloves covering the hands. In the background are shelves full of stuffed animals and other toys.

Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make Believe

Based on the life and career of legendary Canadian children’s entertainer Ernie Coombs—or, as he is more commonly known by millions of fans, Mr. Dressup, this documentary celebrates the origins and history of one of Canada’s most beloved CBC children shows, which enriched the lives of five generations. This film celebrates the expansiveness of gender, and has special connections to the Nogojiwanong community.

Guest in attendance, Q&A with Greg Floyd.

A minimalist artistic illustration depicting a series of wavy, horizontal lines against a dark blue background, representing hills. Scattered across the hills are simple, triangular shapes that suggest trees. Above this tranquil scene, there are multiple round shapes with a textured appearance, representing moons or celestial bodies. The use of light greenish-yellow for these elements creates a striking contrast with the dark background, giving the impression of a night scene. The composition is serene, with a whimsical or dreamlike quality.

There Are Hierarchies of Grief

Smokii Sumac reflects on the wisdom and strength of bereaved mothers, as he is faced with the grief of waking up to a changed world–the day after Donald Trump was elected as President of the United States. There have been mornings worse than this one.

A composite image with a double exposure effect. In the foreground, a translucent image of a human hand holding a bunch of wildflowers with purple blooms is superimposed. Behind this, a rural landscape unfolds, featuring a field of golden-hued grass leading to rustic wooden buildings that appear to be barns or farmhouses. The background scene is in sharp focus, with clear blue skies above and the structures casting shadows on the grass, indicating sunlight coming from the left. The overall effect is ethereal and artistic, with the hand and flowers adding a touch of delicate human presence to the rugged countryside setting.

This is What the World Looks Like When You’re Gone

When we lose someone, the world ticks on just the same. But for those left behind everything is entirely changed. This is What the World Looks Like When You’re Gone is a beautifully made, contemplative look at love, loss and family.

Guest in attendance, Q&A with Steen Star

An aerial image that captures a striking natural contrast between a turquoise blue body of water and a greyish, textured landscape possibly of sand or silt. In the water, a small figure in a kayak, provides a sense of scale, emphasizing the vastness of the surroundings. The water's vibrant hue suggests it may be rich in minerals or glacially fed, while the sinuous patterns in the grey area indicate the movement of water over time. The scene is serene and appears remote.

Losing Blue

What does it mean to lose a colour? Losing Blue is a cinematic poem about what it means to lose the otherworldly blues of ancient mountain lakes, now fading due to climate change. This short documentary gently asks what it might mean to forget that the ethereal blues of these lakes ever existed.

A promotional image for a documentary described as a participatory exploration of Ontario's Basic Income Pilot. The image features a wall with several photographs of individuals holding signs, and a person on a stepladder placing or adjusting one of the pictures. The wall also includes laurels indicating the film's selection for various festivals. Additionally, there's a symbol for the International Motion Picture Awards. The setting appears to be an exhibition or a public area.

A Human Picture

Centred on Ontario’s short-lived, but transformational Basic Income Pilot, this documentary sparks curiosity, fosters understanding, and encourages open dialogue about the transformative potential of basic income by combining emotional narratives, real-life impact stories, expert insights and creative visuals.

Following the film, join us for Panel: Impact of Basic Income.

A BMX rider is captured mid-air performing a stunt, with their body horizontal to the ground and legs kicked out to the side, above a yellow bicycle. The bike's reflection is visible on the wet surface below. The shot is set against an urban park backdrop with historical buildings, bare trees, and a clear blue sky. Onlookers are seen in the distance. The low angle of the photograph emphasizes the height of the jump and the skill of the rider.

The Engine Inside

The Engine Inside tells the stories of six everyday people from all over the globe who reveal the unique power of the bicycle to change lives and build a better world. Through their stories, the film uncovers the often-overlooked potential of this 200-year-old machine, exploring its impact on a wide range of global issues such as physical and mental health, socioeconomic inequality and climate change.

A person wearing a cap, glasses, and a cross necklace is seated beside a large figure in a bear costume. The bear figure is standing on two legs, with one arm raised and the other extended forward, displaying claws. Both figures are set against a blue-tinted backdrop with silhouetted foliage, creating a surreal, nocturnal scene.

A Bear Named Jesus

At Aunty Gladys’ funeral, Archer Pechawis heard a tap on the window — it was a bear named Jesus. This film is an allegory for religious interference, with an aching yet humorous look at estrangement, and mourning for the loss of someone still living.

The interior of a vehicle with three individuals, captured seemingly from a dashboard camera. The face of the person in the front passenger seat is pixelated for privacy. In the back seat, one individual is leaning forward, looking at a map spread out over the center armrest, while another person in the back appears to be looking down, partially obscured from view. The individual examining the map has a beard and wears a dark jacket. The setting seems to be during the day, as daylight is visible through the car windows.

Manufacturing The Threat

Manufacturing the Threat is a thrilling and emotional film, which examines a deeply disturbing episode in Canadian history when an impoverished couple was coerced by undercover law enforcement agents into carrying out a terrorist bombing. Further, viewers learn that this case is far from unique in the context of Canadian intelligence.

Guests in attendance, Q&A with Amy Miller

A black and white photograph of two individuals at a dining table, one of whom is in focus. The person in focus is seated and looking contemplatively to the side, not directly engaging with the other person, who appears to be gesturing with their hand to their head. Above the table hangs a pendant lamp, casting a soft light on the scene. The table has a few items on it, including a clear pitcher, a martini glass, and some drinking glasses, suggesting a social or dining setting. The mood is reflective, with attention drawn to the expressions and body language that suggest a serious or intimate conversation.

Halves & Doubles

Despite the close bond between Adam and her sibling Khadija, there is trauma unspoken between them. In this short documentary, the two hold a conversation where they attempt to find mutual understanding through the winding road of expressing emotions.

The image is a composite with a layered visual effect. In the foreground, there is a semi-transparent overlay of a person's head and upper torso. The person has short hair, wears glasses, and is looking slightly to the right. The background is a dramatic scene with a fiery explosion near the bottom and lightning in the upper right corner against a dark, stormy sky. Overlaid text at the bottom of the image reads: "There are brilliant flashes of red, yellow and azure blue in the reaches of my grey matter." The overall effect is surreal, suggesting a dynamic and possibly tumultuous inner state.

Winding Our Way Home

Winding Our Way Home explores a journey of creating short films with women who live with Brain Injuries. It is about their experiences of living with invisible disabilities, their sense of belonging and identity.

Guests in attendance, Q&A with Melissa Addison-Webster

Canada

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