Paulette Hinz

A story about the power of belief, The Devout follows Darryl Eckford during trying times: his 4-year-old daughter, Abigail, has terminal cancer with weeks to live. Abigail is obsessed with space, and she talks with extraordinary detail of the Apollo 1 space mission. After she admits her former name, Darryl researches the space mission and finds inexplicable coincidences. A devout Christian, Darryl faces a crisis of faith when he begins to believe that his daughter was an astronaut in a former life. This newfound belief instills hope in Darryl, because, if his daughter has lived before, she will live again. He must face his wife, community and his own faith as he seeks out truth, because, if his daughter has lived before, she will live again. Its intriguing story and meticulous direction from Connor Gaston makes The Devout one of the most impressive Canadian independent films of the year.

Once a paradise fueled by the all-powerful sorcery-grade metal known as bloodsteel, the distant land of Mirabilis begins to decay as supplies of the supernatural substance dwindle. The evil warlord Dragon Eye fights to gain control of the world's supply of bloodsteel, which he will use to rule Mirabilis. But, an ancient prophecy propels four ordinary citizens to battle Dragon Eye. Their quest is to find the fabled Crucible - source of all bloodsteel - before the corrupt forces of darkness destroy their world.