What is held in the heart drives these touching, silly, and strange stories of grief, friendship, connection, and.... the trash bin. These shorts programs may differentiate from the shorts programs presented at our in-person festival screenings due to the various geoblocking restraints on each film.

cadéwašteya (Nakota: with a good heart) is meant as a form of prayer which draws its medicine from the teachings of the sacred circle. This experimental reel evokes meditative reflection on love and healing. Nadine Arpin is a member of the Michif Two-Spirit Local. They are a filmmaker, multimedia digital creative, mentor, and curator living and producing work in Sioux Lookout, Ontario

cadèwašteya

During the mystical period of Taŋkha, three friends receive a mysterious prediction from a fortune teller, unleashing strange events. As curiosity turns to fear, they must solve the riddle. Alexander Moruo is a filmmaker dedicated to sharing Indigenous stories and culture through animation. Markel Martynov is a professional animator with many years of experience in creating animation for the film, television, and game industries.

Tankha

Manaia, a young woman caught between expectation and self-acceptance, finds herself confronting her repressed sexuality when a chance reunion with her first love stirs old feelings. Giselle Ilaoa is an emerging filmmaker with a deep passion for telling stories that positively represent her Pasifika and Māori communities.

O Alofa Nei, O Alofa Nā (Love Me, Love You)

A widow’s message in a bottle washes up into the hands of an unexpected reader. Sophie Hampson is a recently graduated Aotearoa-based filmmaker whose work is grounded in Indigenous practice.

Washed Up

A woman at a data collection agency creates ad recommendations based on people’s trash and finds herself drawn to a man through his garbage. Kenny Welsh is an Ontario-born, Yukon-raised, and Vancouver-based Indigenous writer, director, and editor. His work explores themes of human connection, identity, and philosophy across the genres of horror, comedy, and satire.

Love Is Trash

North America

Short Film Program:  Matters of the Heart 

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Please note that not all films screened during the in-person Festival will be available online. Online Festival works are subject to location geoblocking and distribution rights. Access to online screenings starts on Monday, June 8, 2026 at 10:00 AM ET and ends Sunday, June 14, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET; this cutoff applies to all forms of access, including online single tickets purchased after June 11, 2026 (which is the last day to purchase for a guaranteed 72-hour access window).

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