2026 Short Film Competition

SINKING – Canadian Live-Action Category
Directed by Matt Sturrock; Drama, 10:10 min. (Canada);
Starring: Laura C Page

A recent widow sets out to fix her clogged sink, while grappling with the unexpected grief the process unearths. 

 

VIDEO OF HER SURPRISE – Local Category
Directed by Thomas Stubbington; Thriller, 5 min. (Canada)

A woman receives a mysterious package containing a disturbing VHS tape. 

 

THE ESSENCE OF A MEMORY – International Category
Directed by: Daniel Fes; Drama, 3:46 min. (France);
Language: French with English subtitles

The Essence of a Memory is about a toxic relationship and the memories we dance around with after the break up. Finding the good in the time spent and remembering them in the light they once were.

 

WHEN THE CURTAIN FALLS – Canadian Animation Category
Directed by Venya Aggarwal; Animation, 2:49 min. (Canada)

How high of a tightrope are you willing to walk? About to perform his last show, Mirth the clown tells the twisted tale of his journey to fame. He recalls the night his partner’s betrayal led him down a dark path, revealing a secret he had been hiding in order to become the greatest clown in the world. 

 

HUNTED – International Category
Directed by Darko Kokić; Thriller/Sci-fi, 2:26 min. (Croatia)

When technology advances, maybe it’s time to run. Late at night. Home alone. An evening like any other. Until the hunt begins. Blending thriller, horror, and science fiction, Hunted shows how advanced technology in the wrong hands can turn an ordinary evening into a nightmare. 

 

PALM READING – Canadian High School Category
Directed by Hana Nour-Eldin; Experimental, 2:06 min. (Canada)

A first date unfolds between two strangers; the camera fixed entirely on their hands. As the night goes on, the contrast between what is said and what is shown begins to reveal a deeper tension. 

 

ROAD TRIP PLAYLIST – Local Category
Directed by Tyler Hodkinson, Ryan Starfire, Andrew Blair; Comedy, 3:10 min. (Canada)

Two friends are setting off on a road trip, but something about the playlist seems off. 

 

SACRED SPACE – Canadian Live-Action Category
Written by Yemie Sonuga; Directed by Aisha Evelyna; Satirical Comedy, 7:52 min. (Canada)

Journalism student Teni is sharp and a little skeptical. She lands a job at a Guru-lead studio to write about the human experience and starts an anonymous social media account to expose the studio’s questionable nature. Sacred Space is a satirical comedy that asks: What does our humanity cost when spirituality is monetized? 

 

MS. HOPELESS ROMANTIC – Canadian High School Category
Directed by Hana Nour-Eldin, Liliana Occhipinti; Drama, 1:41 min. (Canada)

Ms. Hopeless Romantic is a manifestation of the romanticization of “the chase.” She’s a hopeless romantic, yes, but she’s hopelessly in love with herself. 

 

CHANGE – Canadian High School Category
Directed by Hanna Burak; Drama, 4:59 min. (Canada)

Bo, a former archangel, has been demoted to answering prayers, and she’s bitterly stuck answering a vague prayer from an apathetic teenage girl named Daisy. 

 

US AND THEM – International Category
Directed by India Anne Mitchell; Documentary/Student Short, 8 min. (USA)

When a 15-year-old filmmaker conducts the first youth-led in-depth interview with Ameca, the most expressive humanoid robot on Earth, the Q&A blossoms into an unexpected friendship that dissolves the boundary between silicon and soul. 

 

A CITY BUILT FOR CARS – Canadian High School Category
Directed by Vihaan Vyas; Documentary, 5:16 min. (Canada)

A call-to-action about Toronto’s car-centric culture and infrastructure, shown through the grueling physical challenge of walking for over 10 hours straight, to prove it. 

 

I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND – Canadian Animation Category
Directed by Conor Larsen, Zachary Kornblum; Animation, 2:21 min. (Canada)

In a dark movie theater, a young boy’s anxiety swells as he debates making the first move—until a small act of courage speaks louder than words.

 

UNDER MY BREATH – Canadian High School Category
Directed by Charlotte Elizabeth Emond; Horror/Psychological, 7:33 min. (Canada)

Cassie, a 16-year-old girl, is dealing with strange occurrences centered around her best friend Maisy, who she hasn’t heard from in days. As the strange events continue, Cassie begins to question what happened to Maisy and why these things are happening to her. What Cassie doesn’t realize is that she may be closer to the truth than she thinks.

 

PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION – Canadian Live-Action Category
Directed by Josiah Dyck; Drama, 8 min. (Canada)

After a night out, a young couple’s ride home turns into a brutal reckoning when buried resentments and long-avoided truths finally erupt.

 

THE LIQUIDATORS – Canadian Live-Action Category
Directed by John Daniel; Comedy/Drama, 9 min. (Canada)

Two men dispose of a body while sharing their most intimate feelings about one another.

 

THIS JUST IN(VASION) – Canadian Animation Category
Directed by Ava Ireland; Sci-Fi/Comedy/Animation, 2:25 min. (Canada)

As an alien spacecraft descends upon the city, an eager young reporter is on the scene, interviewing a cast of colourful characters.

 

LET HIM EAT KETCHUP – Canadian High School Category
Directed by Jack Steinhart; Comedy, 5 min. (Canada)

A loyal young knight sets out on a treacherous journey to fulfill his friend’s dying wish – and find him a tomato.

 

DEAF ROOMMATE – Local Category
Directed by David Levy; Dark Comedy/Thriller Satire, 5 min. (Canada)

Convinced his roommate is faking a hearing disability to avoid him, a paranoid man goes to unhinged lengths to catch him in the lie.

 

ROBOCAT – Canadian High School Category
Directed by Robyn Mallory; Animation, 3:20 min. (Canada)

A needy lab cat causes an accident that unleashes a twisted experiment onto the lab’s scientist. Now to save his owner the cat must wear a robotic suit to fight the monster and save the scientist.

 

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