In a charming stop-motion animation, Archie, a shepherd from the Babastacula Crew, discovers a magical portal in his nature world and excitedly shows it to his friends. They choose Aspen to explore the human world beyond the portal. However, as they try to keep him tethered with a rope, Aspen gets trapped and can’t find his way back home. Two brave members of the Babastacula Crew embark on a daring rescue mission to save him from being turned into a decorative item on a human shelf. Created by 11-year-old Lenka Lye, this delightful short film features a cast of 12 unique characters made from wool, polymer clay, and hot glue, highlighting her talent for crafting cute and whimsical creations.

When an art student returns home for Christmas, his hopes for a happy holiday are dashed by his mother’s strange behaviour.

Simon’s journey to filmmaking is rooted in his diverse creative background and deep engagement with the art world. Originally from Toronto and having lived in St. Catharines during his teenage years, he earned a BFA in Fine Art focused on painting and drawing, followed by a BA in Visual Arts and an MA in Art History from NSCAD and UBC, respectively. His debut film, For Christ’s Sake, which he wrote, directed, and produced, draws inspiration from a childhood event in St. Catharines.

A short video of a travelling dj setting up and playing music in the wild with original soundtrack by DJ Marinko. The film is built on the footage recorded at the 2023 Mighty Niagara Film Festival which was screened at the Landmark Cinemas as a teaser for the festival.

Laurel Minnes and Brett Bendo play roommates with some bottled up feelings.

Erica Sherwood is an award-winning actress and filmmaker who has appeared in several plays, feature and short films, television shows, music videos, and commercials. She is trained in improvisation, scene study, and Meisner technique.

Rodrigo, struggling with imposter syndrome, accepts a commission from the mysterious Damien. Overwhelmed by deadlines, he secretly uses AI to finish his work. When exposed, Rodrigo turns to expressing his true emotions on canvas, creating a haunting piece that brings his inner turmoil to life.

Director Celeste Skye Ruiz was born and raised in Oakville. She attended Sheridan College and graduated from the visual arts program. At the age of 19, she moved to St. Catharines  to attend Niagara College, majoring in film and broadcasting. Celeste is an up-and-coming director and writer; her main focus at this time is writing and directing short films. This film is her directorial debut.

This video art piece reflects my experience with borderline personality disorder (BPD), a recent diagnosis. In this piece, I explore key symptoms like having a favorite person (fp), identity struggles, and dissociation. My goal is to humanize the parts of myself I once felt embarrassed about, while fostering empathy and understanding for those unfamiliar with BPD. Healing isn’t linear, but I believe that art can comfort our past selves and help open conversations about mental health with compassion.

My name is Diana Barrientos-Irigoyen. I am a first generation immigrant to two Peruvian parents. Art and culture has always been a foundational part of my upbringing. My parents have always been very adamant on sharing the beauty that lies within the spaces outside of the Western Gaze. 

Set in the future following the third cultural collapse. An aspiring Haudenosaunee artist receives an invitation to an exclusive dinner. Not knowing what to expect, the evening delves into a game with extremely dire consequences. An Indigenous short film centred around the fetishization of Indigenous cultures and current threads in “public” art spaces.

As a majority Indigenous collective of artists, we are dedicated to evolving our collective methods for modern artistic storytelling and film production. We aim to consistently refine our organizational frameworks and narrative techniques, creating inclusive and mindful environments that authentically depict Indigenous communities within mainstream contexts. Through previous work experience and current work, the Collective has strengthened our abilities to connect with project partners, conduct pre-production planning; coordinating shoot logistics; and, developed collaborative post-production skills including audio and video editing. We regularly work with First Nations communities, who commission us to produce diverse educational, creative, instructional, and storytelling videos. In our projects, we prioritize extensive consultation with Indigenous community members to ensure their voices are authentically represented in our final products.