La Traction des Poles 

(Magnetic Harvest)

DIRECTED MARINE LEVÉEL (FRANCE)

France’s New Rurals, a group of young, ambitious workers who are electing to live in the picturesque pastures of France’s countryside, take center stage in this love story between a farmer whose prized breeding hog has escaped and his close friend who has returned from a long stint abroad. (Trailer not available.)

Moutons, Loup et Tasses de Thé 

(Sheep, Wolf & A Cup Of Tea)

DIRECTED MARION LACOURT (FRANCE)

At night, while family members indulge in curious rituals before sleeping, a child invokes a wolf from the bottom of a box hidden under his bed. Disturbing sheep then besieges the door of his bedroom… (Trailer here).

Sous l’écorce

DIRECTED ÉVE-CHEMS DE BROUWER (FRANCE)

It’s summertime, by the Mediterranean Sea. Garance joins her sister to look after her children. But for a few months now, something alters her appearance. Close to the water and the waves, she meets again with a man that she once knew. (Trailer not available.)

#3 normandy lane

DIRECTED BRENDA STRONG (U.S.)

Army wife and young mother Sarah Winston’s life is inextricably altered when a series of visitors arrive on her doorstep. The short film “#3 Normandy Lane” is written by John Farmanesh-Bocca and is the directorial debut of Brenda Strong, whose acting credits include “Desperate Housewives,” “Supergirl,” Seinfeld,” and “13 Reasons Why.” (Trailer Not Available)

BLOOD & GLORY

DIRECTED SATINDER KAUR (U.S.)

“Blood and Glory” is a drama about the friendship between two homeless veterans living on the streets of Los Angeles. Jackie, a dreamer and a hustler trying to get her life back on track, takes care of her battle buddy Rosa, who suffers from debilitating PTSD. The two confront adversity, discrimination, and even Mother Nature itself in their attempt to find work and get through the day. Written and directed by Satinder Kaur, a U.S. Army veteran. Watch trailer.

DOM

DIRECTED MERYL JONES WILLIAMS & JANE STILES (U.S.)

When Dom teases Beth to join her on her daily drug route, she tags along happy to spend the day biking through old New York City haunts with a long-lost sister. Drawn back to each other, they avoid going home, even if it means rupturing an unspoken truth that lies between them. Watch trailer here.

HALWA

DIRECTED GAYATRI BAJPAI & NIRAV BHAKTA (U.S.)

On the eve of her wedding anniversary, empty-nester Sujata Chopra attempts to find some joy in her broken marriage, until she learns about the passing of her childhood companion’s spouse on Facebook. Having been disconnected from this woman for over 30 years over a misunderstanding, Sujata finds the courage to reach out to send her condolences. They reconnect, sparking friction when Sujata’s controlling husband, Dr. Chopra, finds out.

THE SHALLOW END

DIRECTED CYNTHIA SILVER (U.S.)

A group of teenaged girls jockey for power in the savage summer society of a community swimming pool during the summer of 1984 in this coming-of-age film about navigating the treacherous waters of adolescence and social pressures. Watch Trailer.

THE SPIRIT SEAM

DIRECTED ASHLEY GERST (U.S.)

This film combines a mixture of animation mediums to tell the story of a little girl, Pollywog, and her Pap-Paw. Located in an Appalachian coal-mining town in the 1950s, the film takes the audience through the daily life of both characters where they experience the simple pleasures of rural Appalachian life: catching fireflies, fishing, catching frogs, and birthdays. Pap-Paw and Pollywog inseparable until illness threatens to fracture their small family. Watch Trailer.

TUMBLING TOWARDS HOME

DIRECTOR: IMELDA O’REILLY (IRELAND)

An Irish immigrant moves to New York in 1989 to study acting. Actor and writer Malcolm Adams works through his grief from the passing of his mother and of his friend and fellow actor, Philip Seymour Hoffman. (Trailer not available).

UNSPOKEN CODE

DIRECTOR: JENNIFER SCHWERIN (U.S./CHINA)

A female Artificial Intelligence robot finds herself caught between developing her own AI to its full potential and her coding, which programs her to please, with devastating consequences. Designed for sophisticated tasks, she aspires to develop past expectations but is thwarted by her human host, who pushes her buttons. Watch Trailer.

OSHKIKISHIKAW

DIRECTOR: JULES KOOSTACHIN (CANADA)

Twelve-year-old identical twins Tapwewin “Truth” and Pawaken “Totem” cut their hair for the very first time in a coming-of-age ceremony. In Cree culture, and in many Indigenous communities across Turtle Island, hair represents a sacred connection to AsKi, the Earth. Growing the hair is a manifestation of the growth of spirit. Director Jules Arita Koostachin is a documentary filmmaker and the twins’ mother. Watch Trailer.

RED SNOW

DIRECTOR: MARIE CLEMENTS (CANADA)

Dylan, a Gwich’in soldier from the Canadian Arctic, is caught in an ambush in Kandahar, Afghanistan. His capture and interrogation by a Taliban Commander releases a cache of memories connected to the love and death of his Inuit cousin, Asana, and binds him closer to a Pashtun family as they escape across treacherous landscapes and through a blizzard that becomes their key to survival. 

CONCERNING CONTRACEPTON

DIRECTOR: SANDY JEGLUM (UNITED KINGDOM

“Concerning Contraception” is a short documentary that reveals what we know, and more importantly what we don’t, about the mood side effects of hormonal contraception. (Trailer not available).

F*CK BOY MANIFESTO

DIRECTOR: GRACIELA GARCIA (U.S.)

Alex, a young woman in college, fights to understand college romance, and how to cope with boys who too often disappoint. As she wades through cigarette smoke, tiny hats, Carhartt jackets, and false promises, Alex turns to you, her audience, to help her understand how to navigate this tricky landscape.

VARIABLES

DIRECTOR: SABINA VAJRACA (U.S.)

In the middle of the Bosnian War, a teenage math-wiz is given a way out of the bloodshed when his math club gets an invitation to compete at the 1995 International Math Olympiad in Canada.

Watch Trailer.

GUARDIAN

DIRECTOR: COURTNEY QUIRIN (CANADA)

“Guardian” chronicles the work of wildlife stewards amid sweeping legislative rollbacks of environmental protections in Canada. Part hermit, part biologist, Guardians live on boats, fulltime, in one of the last pristine frontiers of the world to monitor salmon, the backbone of the ecosystem, economy, and culture along British Columbia’s coast. Watch Trailer.

QUEEN OF HEARTS

DIRECTOR: DEBORAH SHAFFER (U.S.)

At 88, trailblazing artist Audrey Flack is a provocateur and a rebel, an example, and an inspiration. Now, she returns to her canvas for the first time in decades, revealing her longtime struggles as an artist and mother to find her rightful place in the art world. “Queen of Hearts” is a moving portrait of a woman who is still testing, still experimenting, still searching. (Trailer not available)