The Boys in the Band: Something Personal

What advantage does space travel bring to mankind? A father and his son search for answers during a walk in the forest.

This short film tells the deeply personal and emotional journey of a father who made the life-altering decision to immigrate to Canada from Congo with his family. Narrated from his perspective, it dives into the challenges and obstacles he faced while fleeing his home country.

Inspired by the powerful true story of the Igbo Landing of 1803, where a group of enslaved Africans chose the ocean over slavery. This poetic film follows African freediver Tatiana Mendes as she confronts her own inner turmoil beneath the surface. Through the discipline of freediving, she dives into more than just water. She descends into inherited trauma, ancestral memory, and the quiet violence of modern life.

The 8th short film as part of the Magica series dealing with pre-cinema. Fictionalised documentary about Emile Reynau who invented the praxinoscope and its system of central mirrors. He then projects his paper strips into the projection praxinoscope before creating the Théâtre Optique, presented at the Musée Grévin. The perforated strips are fragile and often break. The show is cancelled. Reynaud tries to apply photography to his praxinoscope, but without success. Desperate and ruined, he throws his strips into the Seine. Only two survived.

The 2nd short film as part of the Magica series dealing with pre-cinema. In the 18th and 19th centuries, optical views were shown in optical boxes with magnifying lenses. The showmen organised a real spectacle, with a barker, music and sound effects. The views played with light (transparencies, perforations). A series of engravings shows the public's enthusiasm for these shows. The second part of the film is a reconstruction of such a show. First, there are views of Paris, Venice, Constantinople and Versailles, followed by various disasters: plague, floods, fires and shipwrecks.

The mourning has passed, it is not time to lament, but to celebrate, to wait for the rituals to work and for our dead to come, but how will they know the way if it is increasingly diffused?

This short documentary delves into the last week of training camp for Jean Pascal, ex-light heavyweight world champion at 41, who aspires to become the best in his category again.

The 6th short film as part of the Magica series dealing with pre-cinema. Featuring demonstrations of magic lanterns by children.

Garnetta Cromwell, a blues and soul musician of african descent has a lifelongdream of becoming a professional blues singer. Even though she had temporary deafness atthe ripe age of 5 from lying on the floor and putting her ear to the speaker so she could listen toAretha Franklin’s voice, she didn't see it as an obstacle but instead as a revelation that singingis her calling. Garnetta wants the world to hear her voice. She wants to promote and inspire theyounger generation of blues artists regardless of their race or gender. But as we all know, theworld always has something different planned for us.

Two long-time friends, Makahi and Yannick, reflect on their respective journeys as artists in different disciplines—visual arts and music production. The two delve into their experiences as young Black artists in Ottawa, sharing insights into their paths and creative growth.

Nestled in Parkdale, Toronto, West Lodge Apartments stands as a testament to endurance and hardship. This film delves into the lives within these walls, from the battles of disrepair and crime to the inspiring solidarity in the face of adversity. Built in 1964, follows the journey of West Lodge's transformation from a symbol of struggle to a beacon of hope, as residents and new investments reshape their shared future.

Exiled after Haiti’s political struggles of the 90s, Mikerlande—a former activist and now entrepreneur—rekindles memories of resilience and commitment. Through griot, she shares a story of struggle, legacy, and strength, bridging past and present to preserve her heritage.

Dans un Souffle traces Belgian figure skater Nina Pinzarrone's fragile yet unyielding pursuit of perfection. In blank and white, the audience is guided through fleeting shapes and expressions, exploring the quiet pain behind her graceful facade. Guided by Nina’s breath and silence, this documentary takes you on an ephemeral journey as she prepares for her first World Championship at the age of 17.

Garden of Des Moines is an intimate interview-style short film that follows drag performers in Iowa as they navigate the challenges of being queer in a conservative state. Through personal stories, the film explores the difficulties they face, from political pushback to societal pressures, while highlighting the joy, resilience, and freedom they find in drag. Set against Iowa's landscape, the film captures the vibrant, defiant beauty of queer expression flourishing in unexpected places

13-year-old Anderson Cefola documents his month-long grounding in 2018 with an old handheld camera he kept.

Entre lo doloroso y lo inalcanzable

Interweaving the personal and the collective, this film follows the echoes of a painful past—the burning of Kurdish villages in 1990s Turkey—and explores how these memories, captured through a family album, ripple across generations.

Two men, an aged farmer and his deaf-mute son, live in a remote area, isolated from civilization. Though sharing the same roof, problems, and sorrows they remain very distant from one another. Their attempts at conversation turn to misunderstanding if not conflict. Father thinks his son is abnormal and childish. Son sees his father as insensitive and crude. Can the two men find their way into understanding one another?

A detailed demonstration of how a conventional family home is built.

In the haunting stillness of post-Soviet suburbia, a lone man walks with purpose — toward the river. With each heavy step across the gray, lifeless field, he carries not only his own weight, but the burdens of an entire generation. He does not speak. He does not turn back. We do not know his name. But we know where he’s going. The River awaits. A meditation on isolation, purpose, and the absurdity of existence, "Идущий к реке" captures the Slavic soul in a single low-res frame. What started as a simple clip from a local Russian TV segment became a viral icon of stoicism, despair, and meme-worthy introspection.