LINEUP OF FILMS:

FIRST ACT PROGRAM

SUPER SPECIAL, 12min., New Zealand, Drama | Directed by Ashley Williams

In the midst of her first period, a quiet resilient young girl must choose between a surprise for her beloved little brother or buying pads for herself.

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BARE IT ALL, 7min., Documentary/Experimental | Directed by Iyin Landre

After experiencing a shocking tragedy, Lynette struggled for more than 10 years with an addiction, self-doubt, and debilitating negative thoughts, until she finally learned to love herself again.

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OMA, 9min., Latvia, Comedy Drama | Directed by Monika Ivonne

A Latvian grandmother visits her daughter in America, where she encounters surreal scenes of life in Los Angeles.

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1814 FROST FAIR, 4min., UK, Drama | Directed by Julia Fullerton-Batten

In 1814, thousands flocked onto the thick ice to witness and enjoy an impromptu mix of festival, circus, and street show. Tents were erected and makeshift markets quickly emerged as innkeepers and tradespeople eagerly made the most of this temporary frozen wonder.

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YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY, 7min., Canada, Drama | Directed by Hollie Olenik

A middle-aged woman makes a last-ditch effort to sell her eye-sore car to an optimistic teenage rocker. This goes smoothly until they find a time capsule of forgotten items from her youth. Bonding over discovered similar interests, they try to grapple the generational gap, nostalgia, and envy of each other’s lives. During the encounter, the woman begins to second guess her decision to sell the car.

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LILI, 8min., USA, Drama | Directed by Yfke van Berckelaer

Lili (Lisa Smit – Netflix’s Ares) knows she has to nail this audition. The Man (Derek de Lint – Soldier of Orange/The Unbearable Lightness of Being) she auditions for, knows this too. Thus starts an uncomfortable cat and mouse game in this single-shot #metoo horror, about power, the misuse of power and female empowerment.

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LAUNDRY, 3min., Canada, Experimental | Directed by Emily DeBackere

Laundry is a meditative short that speaks of the battle between innocence and corruption. Set against a rural backdrop, the film brings into focus the destructive impact sexual assault can have on the mental capacity of a human being. Paralleling the event with mundane activities, the short aims to articulate the fact that this type of trauma seeps into everything one does, and will continue to negatively impact her being on a existential level.

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CHICKEN, 5min., UK, Drama | Directed by PAULA C. FRIAS

Every day is the same. Or is it?

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AILIN ON THE MOON, 5min., Argentina, Animation | Directed by Claudia Ruiz

Working, shopping, cooking, cleaning, ironing, taking care of Ailín: that is the routine of 40-year-old-mother, Vilma, overwhelmed by fatigue. 4-year-old Ailín is just looking to play and demands the attention of a restless girl. But on one day, she causes the emotional outbreak of her mother. The routine that led them astray must be broken so that they can meet again.

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A BLOODY MESS, 10min., Canada, Drama/Family | Directed by Asis Sethi

Varsha is a young South Asian girl who battles against her family’s traditional beliefs surrounding menstruation, which comes with rules prohibiting her from having an open dialogue with her father about periods. Since she was a child, Varsha has been told that while periods are normal, there are certain things she cannot do while menstruating, which manifests in Varsha’s mental suffocation. This film depicts Varsha’s internal struggle as she tries to strike a balance between respecting her family and her own individual autonomy.

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GLAD YOU’RE HERE, 10min., Canada, Documentary | Directed by Lisa Kannakko

Engaging themes of love and betrayal, hope, belonging and place, Glad You’re Here documents my nineteen–year journey through building a family life, seeing it suffer the damage of mental illness, grief and separation, and then rebuilding with empathy. A story about an extreme moment of crisis has turned into a documentary that deals not just with the subjective but with the important issue of spousal abuse.

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LIT, 5min., USA, Romance/Comedy | Directed by Sarah Schuessler

Two childhood friends agree to “get lit” and sleep together on New Year’s Eve.

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NEW YEAR’S EVE DINNER, 22min., China, Thriller/Fantasy | Directed by Xinwen Zhang

Most humans think of livestock only as food to be eaten. No matter what emotions or desires animals feel, they experience no freedoms from birth to death. In future, it is possible that animals become the masters. This film takes a look at the hopes and despairs that humans experience when the destiny between an animals and human existence is flipped.