FILM PROGRAM
DAY ONE - JULY 18th
*Premiere Status*
World Premiere (WP), North American Premiere (NAP), Canadian Premiere (CP), Ontario Premiere (OP, Toronto Premiere (TP).
7:00 PM
OPENING CEREMONY
MOTHERS & SUCH
(Shorts and Gala Feature)
Total running time: 3 HOURS 46 MINUTES.
Followed by audience Q & A.
Opening Night $25
Two One Two: Deux Un Deux
Directed by Shira Avni
Two One Two by award-winning filmmaker Shira Avni combines shimmering clay on glass animation with personal archives in this deeply intimate, experimental documentary love letter to motherhood, parenting on the spectrum, and two headed monsters everywhere.
(04:10, Animation/ Experimental/ Documentary, Montreal, Quebec, 2023)
Something Else
Directed by Martha Treves
Faced with the sudden disappearance of her beloved Shadow, Judith calls upon her estranged daughter Lily to return home and help her with the search but when Judith gets a devastating call from a local farmer, Lily is forced to face up to her mother’s grief and come to terms with her own.
(14:30, Drama, United Kingdom, NAP)
The Moon
Shows the Way
Directed by Sezimai Mairambek kyzy
and Uuljan Zainidinov
A day in the small village of Kyzyl-Korgon passes quietly as 18-year-old Akylai rushes to school. Since childhood, she has dreamed of freedom, of the big city. When her parents announce matchmakers will come for Akylai, an event occurs that will forever change the life of the entire family. The Moon Shows the Way was produced as part of the "Alternativa Teen Lab", a laboratory that helps teenagers talk about complex and pressing issues through cinematography.
(19:40, Drama, Kyrgyzstan, 2023, WP)
One for Sorrow,
Two for Joy
Directed by Ana Yang
The second-child policy has been passed and Qin Ling finds herself pregnant and pressured to have the child in hopes of a boy, who will pass on the family line. Her daughter Yimeng, 16, concerned for her mother’s wellbeing, rebels when she receives visitations from a little boy who she believes is her unborn brother.
(19:40, Experimental Drama, China, 2022, CP)
GALA FEATURE PRESENTATION
Katie’s Mom
Directed by Tyrrell Shaffner
A recent divorcee's holiday celebration with her adult children derails when she falls for her daughter's charming new boyfriend. A comedy influenced by "The Graduate" told from the perspective of a protagonist inspired by Mrs. Robinson. Katie’s Mom is loosely based on co-writer, producer, Meryl Branch-McTiernan’s ex-boyfriend, who had an affair with a recently divorced mother while simultaneously dating her college-aged daughter. Dina Meyer as Nancy Rosenfeld delivers a nuanced and compelling performance. The on-screen chemistry between Meyer and Aaron Domingue (Alex Rojas) sizzles. This love triangle represents an extreme example of that battle between logic and passion. A real treat as Tyrrell handles this taboo twist with eloquence and grace. Starring Dina Meyer, Julia Tolchin, Jason Wiles, Colin Bates and Shannon Dee.
(01:53:00, Dramedy, United States, 2023, CP)
