Watch the Film: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/watch-eosphere
A grieving scientist struggles to accept help from his robotic creation; which is trying to address the cause of his guilt.
Directed by Kolton Alexander Nowaczynski
https://www.instagram.com/eospherefilm/
Director Statement
I love creating and telling simple narratives with complex characters that expose our perfect imperfections.
Directed by Loken Charon
Cast: Gareth Rees, Raresh DiMofte, Soleil Kovács
https://www.loganjfilms.com/
https://www.instagram.com/logan.charron/
After killing his bride on the night of their wedding, a deranged man must come to terms with his guilt.
https://www.instagram.com/brandon.wickson
Directed by Brandon Wickson
Directed by Alexander Nonaka Galant
At a showing of a rental apartment, a young woman stumbles upon a gruesome mystery while taking pictures with her phone.
Review by Parker Jesse Chase:
The film opens with Natalie (Cynthia Galant) visiting an apartment that checks all the boxes for her dream rental, but this seemingly perfect scenario spirals into terror as her phone camera reveals a sinister mystery.
First & Last wastes no time immersing us in the action. Natalie’s excitement is palpable as she captures pictures of the apartment to share with a friend. It’s through this casual act she uncovers something chilling—a bloodstain visible only through her phone. This clever use of the camera as a window into a hidden reality drives the tension, offering a fresh spin on a classic horror trope.
Writer-director Alexander Nonaka Galant’s storytelling effectively layers suspense, from the trail of blood leading to a closed bathroom door to the climactic reveal behind the shower curtain. The gruesome discovery of the homeowner’s body, followed by a ghostly confrontation, feels both shocking and inevitable. Carmen Gillespie’s portrayal of Avira, the ghost unaware of her death, adds a haunting yet tragically human dimension. Her line, “It looks like you’ve seen a ghost,” punctuates the film with dark irony, cementing its eerie tone.
The foreshadowing in the film is subtle yet clever. The phone acts as a metaphorical mirror, reflecting the hidden truths of the crime scene. Everyday elements—a hopeful apartment hunt, casual photos, and the excitement of sharing a potential home with a friend—set the stage for the unfolding horror. Details like a restraining order buried among lease applications hint at the darker backstory, while the music composition intensifies the growing dread.
While First & Last effectively builds tension and delivers an intriguing premise, it doesn’t aim to break new ground. Its execution is solid, but it doesn’t reinvent the genre, its clever use of visual and narrative elements makes it a worthwhile watch. Still, in its brief runtime, the film manages to craft a satisfying story arc with strong pacing and atmosphere, leaving the audience to question, what exactly happened to Avira?
HEARING FILMS a eight minute documentary coming to us from Toronto Canada, by director Arsen Martyrosian, is a film following one man and his life-long love of movies, despite his visual impairment. Losing his vision early in childhood, Joe remains a movie fan, relying on descriptive video to experience his films the way one might experience an audio book. HEARING FILMS reminds us that we are all able.
One of the best things about HEARING FILMS, other than the excellent production quality and the loveable hero- is the reminder that cinema is for everyone. It is not exclusive to people who can see. As our hero recounts to us, films make him feel joy, feel happy, feel sad- he is not denied the emotional experience, simply because he hears the story instead of seeing it. A film the reminds us of the ability in everyone, and the resilience of those in the face of adversity, HEARING FILMS is a bright, upbeat story about an incredible man with an incredible passion for movies.
Review by Kierston Drier
Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video of the Short Film:
| HEARING FILMS, 8min., Canada, Documentary Directed by Arsen Martyrosian A story of visually impaired film enthusiast Joe Sidarose, that questions the perception of film as a visual medium and exposes the way descriptive cinema influences audience. CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film! |
This sweet and comical eight-minute Canadian web series comes follows one Alpha female and her sweet shy friend Terri as they navigate a meet-cute gone awry. After utterly bombing trying to get a cute guy’s attention by “accidentally on purpose” stealing his hat, Amber convinces her friend that she needs to end her long distance relationship and join her for a girls’ Night.
What is most enjoyable about this comedy, is the character-chemistry that carries the show. The antics are just slightly over the top for the modern millennial and the result is like looking into a funhouse-mirror version of a 20-somethings Instagram account.
Big, bright, loud and awkward this piece is still relatable to all ages. Although this piece is certainly about millennials, every generation can relate to wanting to bust free of the “modern humans” rutt and break the mould of their own life. Join the ride with COOL GIRLS and watch them take on the world- one crazy hurdle at a time.
Review by Kierston Drier
Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video of the Short Film:
COOL GIRLS “HOW TO THROW A GIRLS NIGHT OUT”, 8min., Canada, TV WEB SERIES/Comedy
Directed by Laura Commisso, Sarah Campbell
After a tragic “breakup” with her love interest, James, Amber convinces Terri to end her long distance relationship with Tom. In turn, the two decide to throw an emergency girls night. Amber preps Terri for the occasion.
CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!
This five-minute comic web series hailing out of Canada from director Eugene Smirch tells the stories of two underprepared adults who revile in their inability to handle their lives. After spending their paychecks on drugs and party hats, the girls team up for some quick cash and taking on a gig to kill a man- but they have no idea how to go about it.
Part glitter, part puke and part gleeful comic train-wreck, HEINOUS GIRLS boasts hilarious comic performances. Hold on to your hat and keep your hands and arms inside the vehicle, because these women are on a wild. The best part about HEINOUS GIRLS, is that, as a web series, the fun never has to stop.
Review by Kierston Drier
Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video of the Short Film:
| HEINOUS GIRLS, 5min., Canada, TV WEB SERIES/Comedy Directed by Eugene SmirchTwo ladies join a gang to excuse their already erratic behaviour. CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film! |
With bold cinematic choices and a strong narrative voice, SUNLIGHT OVER WATER tells the story of the tumultuous friendships between high schoolers Merit and Julien. Their friendship already heavily laced with sexual tension, Julien makes a sexual overture to Merit, who accepts, but is then confused when Julien is distant, cold and even aggressive afterwards.
Painfully relatable and authentic, this piece captures the fragile rollercoaster that is adolescence, offset by the compounded pain of loving in vain. A fascinating dive into the world of young, confusing love, where tempers burn and passion paves the way for dramatic self discovery, SUNLIGHT OVER WATER offers no easy answers to the problems growing up creates. Perhaps that is what makes this film so appealing- it takes you into Merit’s world, while leaving Juliens’ unknowable- the way Julien appears to Merit. A compelling look into young love and the experiences that shape us into the people we become, SUNLIGHT OVER WATER is a beautiful and intense short.
by Kierston Drier
WATCH the Audience FEEDBACK Video:
SUNLIGHT OVER WATER, 15min., Canada, LGBT/Drama
Directed by Jesse Gotfrit
High-schooler Merit discovers his sexuality through a tumultuous relationship with his friend Julien.
CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!
Bright, fun and full of eye-catching pop-culture, POST NO BILLS, a five minute Canadian animation adventure from director Robin Hays, details the heroic journey of a small anthropomorphized Noodle-Box who comes to life from his advertisement poster. Falling in love with with the beautiful humanoid-fortune cookie a few posters away, our hero must journey across several other poster-advertisements to meet his dream girl/cookie. His journey turns deadly though, went the Urban wall all the advertisement posters are stapled to begins to get painted over.
POST NO BILLS is bright, with action and adventure in every frame. Highly polished, with a clean glossy feel to it, this is a joyful romp that will leave the viewer smiling from first scene to last. What makes POST NO BILLS special though, is that it also packs in a deeper message for the viewer. The film alone is bright enough, colorful enough and action-packed enough to be enjoyable. It is the ‘Cherry on top” of this film that adds that extra jolt of satisfaction. It is a message found as our hero completes his journey- that the sweetest things in life are uncovered in the lengths we’ll go to for love.
Review by Kierston Drier
| POST NO BILLS, 5min, Canada, Animation/Adventure Directed by Robin HaysOn an urban city wall plastered with posters Noodle Boy must make his way through a series of obstacles and challenges in order to save his crush, Miss Fortune from the city’s clean up crew. CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film! |
Played at the August 2017 DOCUMENTARY Short Film Festival
by Kierston Drier
This special part 1 of March Sweater, follows two seniors, Peter and Vincent, who shared their lives together as a married couple, and become caregivers to Peter’s 95-year-old mother. A fascinating peer into at a community from an often-overlooked angle, Peter and Vincent talk about their lives together and the various lessons they learn through loving each other.
From their meeting, to their courtship and through to their marriage of cohabitation, they address the major areas of their world- compromise and sacrifice, but also the love that makes it so very worth it. “I don’t want to think about life without Vincent,” a notable line from Peter that seems to distill the depth of their feelings. For anyone who has ever loved another person, they are, as a couple, instantly relatable.
This film sparkles. Peter and Vincent are easy to love. Peter’s laugh is infectious and warm and Vincent’s’ kindness and compassion are clear in every word. The March Sweater, PART 1 is a testament to true love ability to transcend any obstacle, culture, society, age. They are proof for any skeptic- love always wins.
| THE MARCH SWEATER – PART 1: THE CARETAKERS, 8min, Canada, LGBT, Documentary Directed by Cory AshworthLGBTQ2+ seniors speaking of life, love and the wisdom that comes with growing older. CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film! |
Festival Reviews 