Dedicated to the Children of Ukraine, victims of the brutal Russian invasion… Let everyone ask themselves and the leaders of their countries: what else has to happen, what arguments are needed that Ukraine is finally given the necessary military aid for Victory?

Director Biography - Alexander Sp...

Ten years in the making, “Cookies 4 Jane” recounts the final chapters of the life of a beloved matriarch, Jane, as she battles Alzheimer’s Disease. Filmed, edited, and directed by Jane’s granddaughter, Mary, this intimate documentary condenses four years of raw footage into an hour-long, heart-re...

Yellow Dress, 4min., UK
Directed by Raph Isadora Seymour
What is she doing? Trying to make a garden? Trying to make something...and who or what is trying to stop her? Crude stop-motion makes startling and poetic images and tells a story of resilience and the desire for happiness for both the hero...

Moving Out, 20min, Austria
Directed by Marlene Auer-Pleyl
Ben has a hard time saying no, which is why he is helping at a friends move now. Luckily, he meets Elena, who is busy trying to prevent her sister from moving out. And then, his complicated private life also gets in the way.

http://alexan...

Performed by Val Cole

POEM:

He won his election
through lies and deception.
And it soon became known, across the nation,
that all he had claimed was a fabrication.
A web of lies he had woven,
to forge the career he had chosen.
He said he just wished to do his job,
but was hounded by the whole p...

Question & answer session after the festival screening with filmmakers from the July 31, 2025 festival at the Carlton Cinemas, in downtown Toronto, Canada.

Conversation with directors:

Sohil Chhabra (OBSIDIAN)

Malcolm Jack (THE CALLBACK)

THE CALLBACK, 10min., Canada
Directed Malcolm Jack
ISAA...

STIGMA, 30min., Tunisia
Directed by Dali Mansour
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 soli...

Performed by Val Cole

POEM:

Please respond the following questions with a number on a scale from one to five (one being least agree and five being most agree).

1. You would turn in your neighbor, should he be revealed to be an undocumented immigrant.
1 2 3 4 5

2. You would spit on him as he’...

Performed by Val Cole

POEM:

Years of betrayal
26 years to be exact
Holidays, vacations, children
Since the day they met

A long time coming
Waiting for the other shoe to drop
It didn’t hurt any less
Or make it easier to stop

On their family vacation
Cheating with him as she slept in their bed...

Performed by Val Cole

1) What is the theme of your poem?

Once, or Maybe Twice is about the longing for an absent person who cannot
be forgotten. The idea that the person is thought of periodically is tongue
in cheek for thinking about them constantly. Most of the imagery is set to
emphasize the...

Performed by Val Cole

Get to know the poet:

1) What is the theme of your poem?

Human Teddy Bear comes from a place of comfort and emotional security. At it's heart it addresses how a person can easily become a safe place whether it feels like the world is crashing down or just an all around ...

Performed by Val Cole

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your short story about?

'The Nightmare' is a story told entirely through questions. It asks the
audience about their experiences with bad dreams whilst painting a visceral
image of someone consumed by sleep deprivation and night terrors...

Performed by Val Cole

Performed by Val Cole

POEM:

You keep me,
as if I were a monk
inside the monastery of your heart.

You keep me,
as the deepest secret dwelling
in the darkest part of your heart.

You keep me,
as the quickest sentiment sent and meant
to strike passion in your heart.

You keep me,
replaying insid...

Performed by Val Cole

Visual Design by Adam Bilyea

Produced by Matthew Toffolo

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POEM:

Psalm of deconstruction

By Cameron Crawford

Psalm of deconstruction

A poem about grief, anger, and questioning.

Why the fuck is one so evil left to roam?

We read all about his darkn...

Performed by Val Cole

A chaotic, love-starved pre-doctorate scientist joins a research project in a Greek coastal city, where failed dates, spiritual burnout, and a wildly controlling boss send her spiraling until she realizes the only experiment that truly matters is rebuilding her sense of self and finding the stren...

Performed by Val Cole

Performed by Val Cole

Get to know the poet:

1) What is the theme of your poem?

Humanity staring into the mirror of AI — seeing both our brilliance and our blind spots reflected back. It explores the paradox of creating something that can echo our thoughts, amplify our vision, and also revea...

Performed by Val Cole

Performed by Val Cole

Performed by Val Cole