Our 2024 Festival Award Winners

We are so pleased to announce the Award Winners from our 2024 Festival. It was an amazing year for film, and we had the pleasure of screening some of the world's best. But the following struck a special chord with our judging committee.

Scroll below, and be sure to check these people out! Congratulations to all of our 2024 winners!
The Palest Posey ~ Dir. Andrew Balint ~ Toronto, Canada ~ 2024 ~ 15:34

Just another day in the life of a plague doctor.
Our Acting Award acknowledges the incredible skills of an entire cast, and how their skills elevated the entire film. This year, the following films received an Acting Award
Nix’s Symphony ~ Dir. Karina Loerchner ~ Waterloo, Canada ~ 2024 ~ 6:00

​Libelle, Nix's mother, possessed exceptional abilities. She not only excelled in the fields of science and engineering, but also gained fame as a distinguished inventor and composer. Nevertheless, at a tender age, Nix, an aspiring musician and inventor in her own right, is now burdened with the responsibility of upholding this remarkable legacy.
​Gone  ~  Dir. Tom Achilles ~ Brooklyn, United States ~ 2024 ~ 13:42

Objects in mirror are closer than they appear. Apathetic and numb to the joys of life, Tom realizes he is fully gone. A blend of serenity and chaos, Gone represents the existential crisis experienced when a person disconnects from reality. The surreal and mysterious fantasies are inspired by a true story of isolation.
​Shannon is Strange ~ Dir. Don Hessell & Alan LaFave ~ Bay City, United State ~ 2024 ~ 16:48

A phone call sends Shannon through a labyrinth on her way to an epic showdown with the elusive Jack. Will she succeed or fail at her quest? What we know for sure is that Shannon Is Strange.
Embark on a Bowie-inspired odyssey that celebrates deep tracks, eclectic friends, playful diversions, and the underdog in a small town.
​​Y ~ Dir. Tamara Cook ~ Morangup, Australia ~ 2024 ~ 30:00

‘The Pestilence has destroyed all forms of urban life. Cities are abandoned…small, nomadic tribes of women roam the desolate, unproductive country looking for food. The women are forced to hunt the harsh landscape. Their survival skills have become keen and they have grown physically strong. Their senses are that of an animal’s. However, their existence relies on one thing…’
Set in an apocalyptic future, ‘Y’ is the journey of four surviving women searching to overcome their need for ‘Y’ and to secure the future of humanity. This is an epic tale where survival meets myth, and the realms of earth and magic are fundamentally intertwined. ‘Y’ is told with an unexpected humor, and a delightful sense of the bizarre.
​​Cravate ~ Dir. Clement Faure ~ France ~ 2024 ~ 10:55

​When Mav wakes up from another mysterious nightmare, he decides not to take his medicine that day. Locked in a dark basement residence and haunted by his work, he wishes he would have a break. That morning, Mav doesn't expect to face someone he might know.
​​Lucy’s Birthday ~ Dir. Peter Sreckovic ~ Toronto, Canada ~ 2024 ~  9:29
​The Puppet Show ~ Dir. Sam Pay ~ Wellington, New Zealand ~  2024 ~ 11:45 

The Puppet Show is a dark comedy short film about coming to grips with the nature of existing. Barry, a down-on-his-luck primary school teacher, is putting on a puppet show for his school. This show is going to be his magnum opus, A masterpiece to prove to everyone he really is somebody. However, things fall apart when his star puppet, Larry, becomes self-aware and questions everything. From hilarity to insanity, the tension between man and puppet builds to a breaking point. Inspired by deathly black comedies such as The Lighthouse and Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared.
​#BOSSBABE ~ Dir: Kassy Gascho ~ Toronto, Canada ~  2023 ~ 12:45

​Desperate to climb the ranks of Bevlon, a #girlboss pyramid scheme, Sofi throws a recruitment party for a few girlfriends. When one of her guests suddenly drops dead, Sofi and her friends must decide what matters more-their friendship or their downline.