Raine Mateo, Simon Baker, Christian Sloan, Emmett Hanly
Canada
2022
In English and Ojibwe with English subtitles
Graphic Violence
Featured in:
VIFF Short Forum: Program 5
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Short Forum 4: Immanence: A Life
You don’t have to look far; life is beautiful!
A Fire There
Winner of the Special Jury Award at Visions du Réel, A Fire There follows three teenage friends in rural Georgia as adulthood arrives. Marlene Edoyan’s finely observed film redefines coming of age as something slower and more quietly rebellious.
Image: © Nemesis Films F3M
Clubfoot
An adopted teen and his friend coerce a younger adoptee to go for a drive out to the countryside — but things turn violent. With a fragmented structure and unresolved questions, Clubfoot reflects the uncertainty and isolation that often follow adoption.
Smudge the Blades
This rousing hockey drama centres on the Treaty 6 Blades, a team of Indigenous youth on a quest for redemption. Blessed with a terrific cast, this is a crowd-pleaser in which victory is about much more than winning the game.
Congo Boy
Congo Boy is a deeply moving coming-of-age drama about Robert, a 17-year-old Congolese refugee in the Central African Republic balancing school, odd jobs, and the care of his four younger siblings — while dreaming of success as a musician.
Image: © 2026 MAKONGO FILMS UNITÉ KIRIPIFILMS KARTA FILM CANAL
Credits
Executive Producer
Erin Mussolum, Paul Armstrong, Tailai Sun
Producer
PoChun Chen
Screenwriter
Kenny Welsh
Cinematography
Hongyin Zhu
Editor
Diego De La Torre
Production Design
V Wen
Original Music
Eva Pekarova
Director
Kenny Welsh
Kenny Welsh is an Indigenous filmmaker based in Vancouver. Having grown up in the Yukon, he draws inspiration from the isolating winters to tell stories of human connection and communication. Since graduating with a Bachelor’s in Film from Emily Carr University, he has been reconnecting with his Indigenous heritage through filmmaking.



