The following program contains some of the country’s best dramatic short work. An Indigenous dance film bridges a gap between cinema and live theatre, a quiet restaurant worker has a moment of connection and a young woman rides a wave of emotion while getting her eyes checked are a handful of the stories you can expect…

A SOFT TOUCH (d. Heather Young)

Ellen, an 81 year old woman living in seniors housing and facing health challenges, is persuaded to lend a friend some money. When the friend then disappears, Ellen is forced to make a heartbreaking decision.

DISH PIT (d. Anna Hopkins)

A former chef turned reclusive dishwasher decides to cook a meal once the restaurant closes for the night. As he settles in after-hours for what he thinks will be a solitary experience, he quickly realizes he’s not alone.

NO MATTER THE WEATHER / BEAU TEMPS (d. Florence Lafond)

After Renée, 83, breaks her ankle, her granddaughter Florence steps in as her caregiver; an intimate reflection on aging, love, grief, and the heartbreaking awareness that their time together is slipping away.

ONE OR TWO (d. Lief Ramsaran)

Tobi struggles to get through a routine eye exam as memories of her controlling ex-girlfriend come into focus for the first time.

PIDIKWE (RUMBLE) (d. Caroline Monnet)

Featuring Indigenous women of various generations, this film integrates traditional and contemporary dance in an audiovisual whirlwind that straddles the border between film and performance, somewhere between the past and the future.

SEA STAR (d. Tyler Mckenzie Evans)

An older black man partakes in his first swimming lesson while battling with his own hardships beneath the surface.

Programmer: Christian Kelley

Total Running Time: 77 minutes

Lief Ramsaran, director