While drastically different in tone and content these two films come from the same director Sheona McDonald.

When a child reveals who they truly are on the inside, how does a parent set aside their own expectations to help them become their most authentic self? Set against the crystalline Northern landscape of Yellowknife, Sheona McDonald’s new documentary, Into Light, captures a season of change as a mother and child navigate the complexities of gender identity together. The film offers one family’s unique perspective on learning how to accept, honour and support one another during a time of intimate personal growth and transition. Seemingly simple items—a sparkly silver dress, hair barrettes—lead to a more complex navigation of name and gender markers. Elemental changes—winter into spring, darkness into light—parallel this extraordinary journey. The return of brighter days uncovers a confident and social little girl with an encyclopedic knowledge of dinosaurs, a deep love of animals, and a parent who fully embraces this magical person. Festival NoteSheona McDonald, director of Into Light is also the director of the feature-length documentary Dead Man’s Switch: A Crypto Mystery, about the death of Gerald Cotten, founder of the QuadrigaCX Cryptocurrency exchange, which has also been selected for the 2022 Belleville Downtown Docfest. Awards and Nominations Seattle Queer Film Festival, United States (2021), Jury Award for Best Short FilmDocsMX – Festival Internacional de Cine Documental de la Ciudad de México, Mexico 2021, Jury Award in the Fragments category Set against the crystalline Northern landscape of Yellowknife, Sheona McDonald’s new documentary, Into Light, captures a season of change as a mother and child navigate the complexities of gender identity together. Content warning: The experiences of transitioning gender identity may be triggering for some audience members. Trans Lifeline| Canada WideThis Hotline is a peer support phone service run by trans people for our trans and questioning peers. Call us if you need someone trans to talk to, even if you’re not in crisis or if you’re not sure you’re trans. The Hotline is open 24/7, but operating at reduced capacity. We have operators guaranteed to be on call from: 2pm PT/5pm ET – 10pm PT/1am ETCall 1 (877) 330-6366

Into Light

A mother embarks on a journey of acceptance and joy while supporting her child's gender transition in this heartfelt portrayal of single parenting and navigating the complexities surrounding gender and consent.

This feature about the short life and mysterious death of Canadian born, former Belleville resident, U of T student, QuadrigaCX CEO, Gerald (Gerry) Cotten. To this day the losses of millions of dollars continue to be unresolved, with far fewer answers than questions, this film uses re-enactment, first person interviews, live action and animation, to describe the almost mundane and the unequivocally outrageous facts of the last five years of Gerry’s life. Against the backdrop of the largely unregulated and often criminal world of cryptocurrency, Dead Man's Switch tells a story, where no one involved agrees on what exactly transpired, and where their assets have ultimately‘Gone’ – leaving the viewer continually surprised and continually asking ‘How could this happen?’ “‘Dead Man’s Switch: A Crypto Mystery’ Review: A Staggering Scam?” Glenn Kenny, New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/23/movies/dead-mans-switch-a-crypto-mystery-review.html “Sheona McDonald’s latest documentary Dead Man’s Switch a crypto mystery examines the rise and fall of the crypto giant to better understand how such a large sum of money could be loss in the digital ether.” Courtney Small, POV Magazinehttps://povmagazine.com/review-dead-mans-switch-a-crypto-mystery/ Proudly supported by Jason Wood –&nbsp;<a href="https://www.leaveittojandt.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Leave it to J&amp;T Property Maintenance</a>

Dead Man's Switch: A Crypto Mystery

A riveting cryptocurrency thriller unravels the story of a Canadian blockchain wizard who mysteriously died on his honeymoon in India and the fate of his investors' $200 million. Did it vanish into the digital void or does it remain locked away in password-protected accounts?

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Sheona McDonald's Into Light & Dead Man's Switch: A Crypto Mystery

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