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An adult and a child are walking hand in hand down a dusty rural path. The adult is wearing a white t-shirt with a logo, khaki pants, a cap, and sunglasses, and is carrying a backpack and a camera. The child is dressed in a striped school uniform and carrying a lollipop. In the background, there is a vehicle driving behind them. Beyond the vehicle stretches a landscape of rolling hills and sparse vegetation under a clear sky suggesting a warm, dry climate.

Sarura. The future is an unknown place

At the gates of the Negev desert, a group of young Palestinians fight against the Israeli military occupation. The “Youth of Sumud” – youth of steadfast perseverance – try to return to their people the land that was taken from their families, restructuring the ancient cave village of Sarura. They face aggression with nonviolent action, defending themselves from rifles with their video cameras.

Guest in attendance, Q&A with Nicola Zambelli

Three individuals are standing in a triangle for what appears to be a knighting ceremony. One person is turned away from the camera, showing only their back. On top of their shoulder lays the end of a sword, held by the person across from them. That person is standing with a serious demeanor, dressed in a biker-style vest with various patches. The third person stands to the right of the biker, staring at the sword with a focused expression.

Praying For Armageddon

The Countdown to Armageddon has begun. As biblical prophecy fuels political power, American Evangelicals threaten U.S. democracy and push for the Apocalypse in the Middle East. With close-quarters journalism, this feature documentary takes a deep dive into power and policy, and investigates the dangerous consequences of a fusion between Evangelical Christianity and American politics.

The image is a monochrome photograph of a child's hands interacting with magnets. The hands are small with youthful features, suggesting the person's young age. The magnets on the fingertips have attracted iron filings, which have clustered around the poles of the magnets, creating a visual display of the magnetic field lines. The activity seems to be an exploratory or educational play with the principles of magnetism.

Iron Butterflies

On July 17, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down by Russian forces over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board. The attack was immediately questioned and obscured by the Russian government and media. As evidence piled up, the reality only became more shocking and incredible.

A swimmer is resting at the edge of a swimming pool, wearing a white swim cap with "R.O.T. MARDINI" printed on it alongside the Olympic rings and a logo for the brand "arena". The swimmer is leaning their arms on the poolside and has their face turned to one side, looking thoughtful or focused. Water droplets are visible on the swimmer's cap, indicating recent activity in the pool. The pool water has a bright blue color, which suggests an indoor setting with good lighting.

Long Distance Swimmer – Sara Mardini

Sara Mardini, once a competitive swimmer in Syria, became Europe’s most celebrated refugee after saving 18 people’s lives. After working as a rescue volunteer in the Mediterranean, she is accused of people smuggling and faces a 25-year prison sentence. We follow her fight for justice and journey of self-discovery against the backdrop of Europe’s refugee ‘crisis’.

The photo shows the lower half of an individual walking with the aid of a prosthetic leg. The person is wearing shorts, a single black sock, and black shoes. The flooring is a smooth, reflective surface, and there are handrails alongside, suggesting a rehabilitation facility or a space designed for physical therapy. The focus on the prosthetic leg highlights themes of mobility, recovery, and adaptive technology.

Fitting

Fitting explores the relationship between the director, an amputee, and her prosthetist during the making of a prosthetic leg. It demystifies an unfamiliar space and asks what it means to create an extension to someone else’s body, questioning prejudice widely seen within our society’s consideration of body image.

In a dimly lit pub, a group of people are gathered, some sitting and some standing. The focus is on a person playing a banjo in the center, surrounded by onlookers who are attentively listening or waiting their turn to perform. The mood is casual and communal, typical of an informal music session. The image is monochromatic, which adds a timeless and candid feel to the scene.

North Circular

Those in power write the history. Those who struggle write the songs. North Circular is a documentary musical that travels the length of Dublin’s North Circular Road, from the Phoenix Park to Dublin Port, exploring the history, music and streetscapes of a street that links some of the country’s most beloved and infamous places.

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.

Close-up of the left side of a person's face, focusing on a clear blue eye. The image captures detailed textures such as skin and eyelashes, with the rest of the face softly out of focus. The background is indistinct, providing a neutral setting that highlights the eye.

Clean

One woman’s love letter and final goodbye to heroin, as she attempts to come off the synthetic opiates that have kept her clean for the past six years. This short documentary attempts to reframe some of the stigmas of addiction, and poses the following question: what does it mean to be ‘clean’?

A group of people dressed in casual attire is gathered outdoors holding a banner that reads, "Women for Life on Earth Peace March '81". The banner features symbols of peace and the Earth. The setting is a sunny day with trees and open skies in the background.

Sew to Say

Thalia is an artist, banner-maker, and one of the original marchers and founders of a women-only peace camp against nuclear weapons. In this film, Thalia shares the untold story of the longest feminist protest in British history, and reflects on how collective action changed the lives of the women of Greenham Common and inspired several generations.

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.

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