The Word

In Kaayla Whachell and Hayley Gray's tender drama Send the Rain, a young Okinawan-Canadian attempts to evacuate her stubborn grandmother from a wildfire zone, forcing both women to confront family history, responsibility, and the pull of home.

The Difficult Bride follows Zaineen, a young woman preparing for her marriage. Through a blend of feminist social commentary, psychological horror, and surreal imagery, the film explores female desire, fear, and the weight of societal expectations.

A Bit of Light follows a doctor who plans to end his life following his arrest and the closure of his practice. The film ultimately asks what might reconnect a person to life when faith in institutions, work, and the future have been exhausted.

Seventeen-year-old Sara is hiding a big secret during her school trip, but when she witnesses the sexual assault of her best friend, her secret becomes impossible to hide. Kosara Mitić shines a light on the most volatile corners of the teenage experience.

In this tender, compassionate drama, we see the hardships endured by a young girl adopted in the early 1980s during China’s one-child policy. As a teenager in the 90s, she’s still fighting to find a sense of belonging and assert her worth.

Innu poet Joséphine Bacon and filmmaker Kim O’Bomsawin weave poetry and observation in Nitassinan, a lyrical portrait of the Innu people’s enduring bond with their ancestral land.