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Pay-What-You-Can

× This performance of Don’t Give Up on Me, Dad will be filmed. Depending on your seat selection, you may appear in this production. If you do not wish to be filmed on camera, please identify yourself to the filmmakers or crew. Subject to the above, all individuals in this area implicitly consent to the use of their image, their voice or their likeness, without compensation, in the National Film Board of Canada and Odd Sock Films co-production currently entitled: I WILL NOT FORGET YOU and release the National Film Board of Canada and Odd Sock Films from any liability in connection with such usage. This production will be distributed in all media now known or hereafter devised, in the world and in perpetuity. Your cooperation is appreciated.

× This is a Live Streamed Performance. The live stream will open an hour before showtime.

The performance will begin at 8pm NL time.

7:30pm AST

6:30pm EST

3:30pm PST

Please adjust for your time zone.

Live Streamed performances are viewed through this site (tickets.lspuhall.ca) and you must login. If you have purchased a ticket from us in the past, you do not need to sign up for a new account, but you will need to click “Forgot My Password” when signing in for the first time. If it is your first time buying a ticket from us, you may select “Create New Account”. All patrons will need to reset their password in order to use our new system. For more help, click and follow the instructions on how to change your password.

× Mirror Mirror: Short films on growth and self-reflection Presented by College of the North Atlantic

Tickle Cove Pond Director: Ian Foster . Music: Kevin Blackmore . Producer: Eric West . Newfoundland & Labrador . 4 mins

A short animated film featuring a log hauler and his beloved horse based on the song by Mark Walker (1846-1924), with gorgeous animation from local animator Khamadi Ojiambo.

Demon Box Director: Sean Wainsteim . Ontario . 14 mins

After multiple festival rejections, a director revises his intensely personal short film about generational trauma, the Holocaust, and suicide, transforming it into a painful, blunt and funny analysis of the both the film and of his life.

The Door Director / Writer: Peter Collins . Newfoundland & Labrador . 5 mins

Struggling to deal with the loss of her husband, Mary, played by the talented Kimberley Drake, has not yet been able to enter the room in which he took his own life. After hearing tormenting voices and strange noises coming from inside, Mary must confront reality and open The Door.

End of the Line Director: Nicola Heidi Hawkins . Newfoundland & Labrador . 5 mins

End of the Line features music by Jessie Montgomery performed by Duo Concertante paired with visuals depicting one person’s journey from lockdown in a city to finding solace in natural landscapes.

Guardians Director: Minerva Marie Navasca . Ontario . 6 mins

On a dark walk home, a young woman calls her loved ones to protect her from the threat of violence. This doc from Sheridan student Minerva Marie Navasca is a meditation on fear, and on the burden of responsibility placed on women and girls to protect themselves against unseen threats at all times, from all places, and especially at night.

Brother Director: Mahdie Mohammadi . Iran . 8 mins

During the last months of the Iranian revolution in 1978, escaping opposition soldiers were hunted, but one soldier finds support in a chance meeting.

September 7, 2012 Directors / Writers: Ashley Amminson MacDonald & Dominique Jean . Newfoundland & Labrador . 13 mins

On September 7, 2012, Ashley MacDonald was sexually assaulted. In this powerful first time film, she talks to strangers about what that same day looked like in their own lives. What were they doing? What happened to them? The result is a documentary about processing trauma, and the power of openness and connection to help us heal. Content Warning: discussion of sexual assault/cancer

Not Fit Director: Paul Colbourne . Producers: Paul Colbourne and Darrell Simms . Newfoundland & Labrador . 26 mins

Darrell Simms is a wise and eloquent gay man in his mid-50s, but for more than 30 years his life has been dominated by an addiction to cocaine. In this documentary he gives director Paul Colbourne unfiltered access to his experience as an addict living on the margins in St. John’s. Content Warning: graphic drug use

Post-Screening Q&A in the Second Space Featuring Nancy Dahn (NL), Ashley Amminson MacDonald (NL), Minerva Marie Navasca (ON), Sean Wainsteim (ON), and Eric West (NL) ~30 minutes

× Tragedy Plus Time: Short comedies with a pinch of the absurd Presented by the Newfoundland Independent Filmmakers Co-op (NIFCO)

Meet the Creatures Director / Writer / Producer: Veronica Dymond . Newfoundland & Labrador . 4 mins

A mother isn’t sure she can accept her daughter’s new paramour in this animated short originally created for last year’s Nickel Sci-Fi Challenge. St. John’s comedian Veronica Dymond made this one, so you know it’s funny and a little bit weird.

Spiricom Directors / Writers: Rubén H. Pérez & Carmen Nogueroles . Spain . 14 mins

After a woman loses her husband to a heart attack she begins to suspect his death may not have been from natural causes. With the help of a device that allows the dead to answer yes or no questions, Violetta interrogates her husband for the truth.

Watercraft Director / Writer / Producer: Gabriel Auclair-Doucet . Québec . 4 mins

Elsa is looking to hire a realtor and pits two potential agents against one another in a series of challenges. Montreal director Auclair-Doucet’s motto is “stay weird” and you'll see here he’s doubled down on his mission.

Time Traveling Through Time Director / Writer: Ryan Ward . Manitoba . 14 mins

A wannabe film director becomes embroiled in a battle against the laws of time and space when his attempt to recreate the iconic photograph-only time travel film, La Jetée, spirals out of control. A wonderfully weird film.

Chimeras Director: Jean-Philippe Dagenais . Québec . 9 mins

A germaphobe struggling with obsessive-compulsive disorder attempts to manage his fears, but things get complicated when a new virus comes to town.

CAPTCHA Director / Writer / Producer: David Feehan . Alberta/NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR . 9 mins

A young man struggles to prove his own humanity after he finds himself unable to tick the “I’m not a robot” box in an online CAPTCHA test. A hilarious short that drives home the mystery of what makes us human.

Dead Wife Club Director: Shara Desiree King . Writer: Amanda Bulman . Producer: Ashley Knight . Newfoundland & Labrador . 14 mins

A funny and moving short about a man attending a bereavement counseling meeting who says he’s angry with his dead wife —sparking a debate and a series of flashbacks that looks at the complexities of love. Featuring great performances from an ensemble cast, including the legendary Andy Jones, this film was created through NIFCO's Picture Start program. And an early version of this script was made as part of our 2021 Nickel Script Writing Challenge!

Stationheads Director / Writer: Stu Gamble . Hungary . 18 mins

A stylish short comedy about three overeducated twenty-somethings working a dead-end job at a gas station whose futures are grim. But when a group of bank robbers turn up fresh from a heist and fresh out of fuel, things suddenly get interesting.



Post-Screening Q&A in the Second Space ~30 minutes Hosted by Featuring Veronica Dymond (NL), David Feehan (AB)

× Echoes in Time: Films on memory and history Presented by Alt Hotel.

Circle of Truth Director / Writer / Producer: Nicola Hawkins . Newfoundland & Labrador . 13 mins

Snapshots in time show a lone man — Hawkins’ husband — as he builds, tends and harvests a circular garden enriched by the bounty of seaweed and fish that he gathers from the shore. “The interplay of one man and the plants and animals around him is my story and my metaphor for the inescapable circles that direct our lives,” says Hawkins.

Night Director / Writer: Ahmad Saleh . Palestine/Germany . 16 mins

A hooded figure looks down on a city ravaged by war, granting peace and sleep to frightened people living in hiding. But a mother searching for her daughter refuses to rest until her child is found. Gorgeous animation and story that, while heartbreaking, fills you with a unique stillness. Content Warning: child death

Attar of Roses Director / Writer: Bridget A. Ricketts . Newfoundland & Labrador . 8 mins

A man returns home to attend the funeral of a past love. When he receives a package she left for him, it takes him down a road of long-forgotten memories and a classic haunting romance. Made through the First Time Filmmaker Program from NIFCO.

Elfreda Director / Writer / Producer: Rhonda Buckley . Newfoundland & Labrador . 17 mins

Nora, originally from of Harbour Grace, is consumed with solving the murder of Elfreda Pike, a young woman brutally killed in 1870 in her hometown. She returns to Newfoundland on the hunt for clues that will solve Elfreda’s murder — and finally give her a voice 150 years later.

Closed to the Light Director / Writer / Producer: Nicola Piovesan . Italy . 10 mins

This powerful short freezes time just before an firing squad execution in Italy in the summer of 1944. An impressively-choreographed long-shot takes us through the story of the day, revealing moments of violence, fear, and regret.

The Little Church That Could Director: James Newhook . Producers: Peter Buckle & Keith Bonnell . Newfoundland & Labrador . 13 mins

In the largely Catholic town of Placentia, St. Luke’s Anglican Church is a survivor. A look at how the church and town has changed over the years, and the timeless importance of community spaces in Newfoundland.

Post-Screening Q&A in the Second Space Featuring Rhonda Buckley (NL), Nicola Hawkins (NL), James Newhook (NL), and Bridget A. Ricketts (NL)~30min

× Life at the Crossroads: Short films about choices that define

Eternal Return Director: Nicola Heidi Hawkins . Newfoundland & Labrador . 8 mins

Newfoundland violin and piano classical team Duo Concertante perform a moving piece by Dawn Avery, and director Nicola Hawkins accompanies with striking mixed media imagery.

A Night in the Cósmico Directors: Luis de Val & Diego Herrero . Spain . 18 mins

A law student is in his room, unable to study for an exam he knows he’s going to fail. So? He heads to a bar with a plan to drink a coffee to double down and focus. Great performances and dialogue here make for a delightful film that explores instant gratification and the liberating feeling of letting go.

Shards Director / Writer / Producer: Henrik Dahlbring . Sweden . 12 mins

After their father’s suicide attempt, adult siblings Maja and Maximilian meet to clean their father’s house before his discharge from hospital. A deeply personal film by Swedish filmmaker Henrik Dahlbring that blends live action and animation, and shows the different reactions to trauma and the rifts that can happen because of it. We’re proud to host the international debut of this moving, understated short. Content Warning: discussion of suicide

How She Didn’t Die Director: Antonio Tibaldi . Switzerland . 27 mins

This is one powerful, beautiful, complicated film. A mysterious woman has set a life-changing plan in motion—but she needs a stranger’s help to make it happen. She meets a young man and makes him a disturbing offer. Can she convince him to accept? Making this was a labour of love for Swiss director Antonio Tibaldi, and it's sure to be one of the most-talked-about films at this year's festival. Content Warning: graphic violence/suicide

× Horrors Unknown Terrifying shorts about the darkness within and without. Presented by Quidi Vidi Brewery

Viewer Discretion Advised: This collection includes films with disturbing content including scenes of violence, child abduction and death.

The Taste In Your Mouth Director / Writer: Jake Delaney . Producer: Robert Gains . Newfoundland & Labrador . 5 mins

A suspect in a child abduction case is questioned by a cop, and when things take an unexpected turn it becomes clear that the next victim could be minutes away. This film doesn’t use creatures or the fantastic to terrify you, just the suggestion of an all-too-human darkness.

Malakout Director / Writer: Farnoosh Abedi . Iran . 11 mins

After the death of his wife a musician makes a dark deal, trading away his hands and his ability to play the piano to bring her back to life. But the hands he receives as replacement, they have a mind of their own. Fantastic animation and detailed, expressive models make this film a riveting retelling of the 1924 silent horror classic The Hands of Orlac.

Enter the Room Director / Writer: Harry Waldman . USA . 15 mins

Jeremy is brand new to the city, so his brother agrees to give him a place to stay as he settles in. Their different personalities stir up conflict and tension, and an unresolved past trauma reveals itself. Suddenly the line between Brian’s reality and his worst fears aren’t so clear. A claustrophobic pscyhological drama with tension that ratchets up scene by scene.

The Bloody Family Director / Writer: Amir Karami . Iran . 14 mins

In a mysterious old house, a young girl has not left her dark room for years. When a social worker enters the house to save the girl’s life it suddenly becomes clear why she’s been locked away. A wonderfully creepy film from Iranian filmmaker Amir Karami with excellent set design and makeup effects.

Ariane’s Baby Director / Writer: Mahée Merica . United Kingdom . 23 minutes

Ariane is a lonely woman who craves love after a history of abusive relationships. The birth of her child represents a chance to start everything anew and form her own happy family —but she worries about not being up to the task.

Stigmate Directors: Sélim Atmane, Hugo Barral . France . 30 mins

France, 1350. In the midst of the Black Plague, a monk returns to a monastery after a long pilgrimage. As he struggles to readjust and find his place, an intruder breaks into the monastery, and he discovers — all too late — that a new evil has followed him back.

× What the Darkness Cannot Extinguish: The Storytelling Madness of Clifford George Director: Kenneth J. Harvey . Newfoundland & Labrador . ~75 mins

A feature-length documentary celebrating the life and work of Trinity Bay artist and storyteller Clifford George. As a visual artist, George’s work ranges from painting signs to his signature colourful coastal paintings, and his beloved work eventually led to him becoming a medical artist with the Health Science Centres. As a storyteller, he’s widely renowned as a true Newfoundland original and a wealth of folklore knowledge—casting a spell on you with every word he speaks. Director Kenneth J. Harvey is a master of the Newfoundland biographical documentary, so you know this one is essential viewing.

Also screening:

The Lady at Number 16 Director: James Newhook . Writers: James Newhook, Dale Jarvis . Producers: Peter Buckle, Keith Bonnell

Two sailors help a lady in need get back into her house, but when they return later they discover things were not quite what they seemed. Based on a story by Dale Jarvis, this film has a charming ghost story style.

Free Fall Director: Nicola Heidi Hawkins . Producers: Nancy Dahn, Timothy Steeves . Newfoundland & Labrador . 14 mins

Newfoundland’s Duo Concertante perform the Juno-nominated classical composition “Coeur À Coeur” by Canada’s Alice Ping Yee Ho. This piece is conceived as an imaginary conversation between two voices: exchanging inner thoughts, and it pairs beautifully with the footage of northern gannets at Cape St. Mary’s.

Post-Screening Q&A in the Second Space Featuring Kenneth J. Harvey (NL) ~30min

× Quiet Strength: Six short films on courage

Reste Director / Writer: Ginger Le Pêcheur . Québec . 7 mins

On a summer morning, 6-year-old Chichou plays by herself in an apartment filled with remnants of violence. Reste shows the resilience of Chichou’s imagination despite being surrounded by a complicated reality. The film is powerful and restrained, and features an excellent performance from the young lead, Maëllya Gauvin. Content Warning: evidence of violence

Roadmarks Director: Brandon McKnight . Ontario . 15 mins

Against his better judgment and the wishes of his partner, Kory returns to street-fighting to raise money for his daughter’s music school. The combination of expertly-choreographed fight sequences and great character work helps make this short from Toronto director Brandon McKnight a special one.

Mosaic Director / Writer: Myriam Vaudry . New Brunswick . 8 mins

Director Myriam Vaudry of New Brunswick was born with a rare genetic condition that affects her bones and weakens her skin. It also affects her self esteem. In this short film she joins forces with a visual artist to help her not only come to accept the body she has, but to celebrate its unique beauty.

For Roy Director / Writer: Vivian Cheung . British Columbia . 12 mins

This story, inspired by Vancouver director Vivian Cheung’s own experience of losing her father at a young age, features an imaginative young girl who sets out to fold a thousand cranes while her father is in hospice. Although the film revolves around dying, it’s really a film about growing up in a hospital or hospice setting — including the joys and oddities. Content Warning: end-of-life/cancer

Lanterns Flicker Director / Writer / Producer: Yoni Collins . Ontario . 14 mins

A Canadian veteran who served in Afghanistan turns to music to help him in his battle with PTSD and to raise awareness of veteran suicide and mental health. A deeply important conversation, expertly navigated by emerging director Yoni Collins. Content Warning: disc. of suicide/PTSD

Her Home Director / Writer: Julien Hardy-Cardinal . Quebec . 27 mins

An unexpected friendship blossoms when a 65-year-old woman moves in with a younger man. When she confesses she is recently widowed, her roommate helps her process her grief. A beautiful short, told with humour and warmth, about the power of unexpected friendships.

Post-Screening Q&A in the Second Space Featuring Vivian Cheung (BC), Yoni Collins (ON)

× Better Together: Beautiful human connections Presented by Classic Hits Coast 101.1

Hedgehog Dilemma Director / Writer / Producer: Shan Leigh Pomeroy . Newfoundland & Labrador . 2 mins

Poor hedgehogs! In cold weather they huddle together for warmth but their pointy spines prevent them from getting too close. A quick animated collage music video from talented local animator and musician Shan Pomeroy.

Feeling the Apocalypse Director: Chen Sing Yap . Ontario . 7 mins

Struggling with his own climate anxiety and grief, psychotherapist Anderson Todd thinks about what it means to live in a world that's dying.

Young People, Old People & Nothing in Between Director / Writer / Producer: Parida Tantiwasadakran . USA . 20 mins

7-year-old Juice has one mission: to help Grandma Lovely retain as many memories as possible to halt her early-onset dementia. A heartwarming film about a beautiful intergenerational friendship.

A Love Letter to Léopold L. Foulem Director / Writer / Producer: Renée Blanchar . New Brunswick . 52 mins

Filmmaker Renée Blanchar writes a cinematic love letter to ceramist Léopold L. Foulem, an extraordinary artist and a figure intimately linked to her own childhood and artistic awakening. This film is a lovely representation of how dearly artists treasure those who inspire them.



Post-Screening Q&A in the Second Space Featuring Parida Tantiwasadakran (USA) and Chen Sing Yap (ON)

× Hearts Illuminated: Short films on love and loss Presented by CBC NL

Our Secret Director / Writer: Ryan Ward . USA . 8 mins

As a young girl dreams about life, the universe and everything, she discovers the power of connection and the potential of the human mind.

Kiss ‘n’ Ride Director / Writer / Producer: Olivia Jensen . USA . 8 mins

An animated film that will give you butterflies! On her way home from a lovely café date, a woman finds reminders of her date in every little thing. She falls in love with the Chicago winter night around her, and dreams of the date ending differently.

First Position Director / Writer / Producer: Mallory Clarke . Newfoundland & Labrador . 5 mins

A person who hates all their clothes struggles to decide what to wear to a house party. When later they see their ex-it’s-complicated with a new partner, it triggers a nascent lifestyle change. Director Mallory Clarke used their experience telling great stories on stage to inform this strong debut film through the First Time Filmmaker Program by NIFCO.

to my next lover Director / Producer: Kieran Charnock . New Zealand . 4 mins

Based on a poem by the same name by New Zealand writer Paula Harris, this four minute film is blocked with powerful images depicting a whirlwind romance that has yet to happen and is destined to not end well.

Grown in Darkness Director / Writer: Devin Shears . Producer: Anna Wheeler . Newfoundland & Labrador . 17 mins

Henry lives alone on his farm growing rhubarb in a dark cellar. “Rhubarb grows better in the dark,” he says. “It reaches up, looking for the light that isn’t there, and so the stalks grow longer, and sweeter.” When his friend Emmanuel arrives to collect the harvest, together they spend the days exploring the limits of their relationship. Featuring impressive, understated performances from Andy Jones and Lawrence Barry, this short is simply beautiful.

Sampo Director: Marziyeh Riahi . Iran . 13 mins

Struggling to make ends meet, a single mother caters the funerals and weddings of the rich. But her daughter has different ideas about her mother’s job.

Mother’s Skin Director / Writer / Producer: Leah Johnston . Nova Scotia . 20 mins

A neglected six-year-old girl struggles to cope with her mother's depression and her father's alcoholic rage. At night, violence erupts around her and threatens to tear her family apart. But when the girl discovers a hidden secret in their home, her dysfunctional world takes on a strange new meaning. A haunting and darkly poetic film.

Content warning: domestic abuse / attempted suicide

Post-Screening Q&A in the Second Space Featuring Rhiannon Morgan (NL)

× What the Darkness Cannot Extinguish: The Storytelling Madness of Clifford George Director: Kenneth J. Harvey . Newfoundland & Labrador . ~75 mins

A feature-length documentary celebrating the life and work of Trinity Bay artist and storyteller Clifford George. As a visual artist, George’s work ranges from painting signs to his signature colourful coastal paintings, and his beloved work eventually led to him becoming a medical artist with the Health Science Centres. As a storyteller, he’s widely renowned as a true Newfoundland original and a wealth of folklore knowledge—casting a spell on you with every word he speaks. Director Kenneth J. Harvey is a master of the Newfoundland biographical documentary, so you know this one is essential viewing.

Also screening:

The Lady at Number 16 Director: James Newhook . Writers: James Newhook, Dale Jarvis . Producers: Peter Buckle, Keith Bonnell

Two sailors help a lady in need get back into her house, but when they return later they discover things were not quite what they seemed. Based on a story by Dale Jarvis, this film has a charming ghost story style.

Free Fall Director: Nicola Heidi Hawkins . Producers: Nancy Dahn, Timothy Steeves . Newfoundland & Labrador . 14 mins

Newfoundland’s Duo Concertante perform the Juno-nominated classical composition “Coeur À Coeur” by Canada’s Alice Ping Yee Ho. This piece is conceived as an imaginary conversation between two voices: exchanging inner thoughts, and it pairs beautifully with the footage of northern gannets at Cape St. Mary’s.