Joey Schweitzer - 24
NY, USA

“A deeply empathetic and effective character study, director Joey Schweitzer’s New Lives absolutely stunned me. Manusha’s (Weronika Wozniak) emotional journey navigating the trauma of her past while confronting the pressures of assimilation is handled with such respect and nuance. I can’t wait to see what Schweitzer makes next.”

Centerpiece

Ella Greenwood - 21
UK

“An unflinching look at the repercussions of a relationship with a power imbalance, I was immediately drawn into the world that director Ella Greenwood masterfully creates. Meticulously choreographed and shot, this short feels like a filmmaking feat.”

Closing Night

Gordy De St. Jeor - 21
CA, USA

“Director Gordy De St. Jeor has made a film that will keep you appropriately on the edge of your seat as you cruise down Uneasy Street! I thoroughly enjoyed the atmospheric worldbuilding, stellar performances, and experimentation with the genre that will keep you guessing until the very end.”

Uneasy Street

Yvette Sin - 23, Nikita Zhang - 23
Canada

“Who doesn’t love a dynamic duo? Directors Yvette Sin and Nikita Zhang perfectly capture the big feelings involved with growing older, and introduce us to a grandmother/grandson pair for the ages in this coming of age classic.”

Young & Restless

Jennifer Fan Jiang - 22
Canada

“I’ve been thinking about the climactic conversation in this film for months; I was absolutely riveted by Angel Lo’s performance as Jean, a young protagonist grappling with her relationship to both her faith and her mother. This is a film that will stick with me for a long time.“

Parental Instincts