At a house party a middle-aged woman sits in the bathroom in silence. Primarily a portrait of the woman, the film offers us with a moment that is deliberately constructed to raise more questions than it answers. Director: Valerie Knill • Germany

Director Gabriel Auclair-Doucet, whose motto is “stay weird”, presents the story of Jean-Guy, who is madly in love with Brigitte, his new inflatable doll. Unfortunately, he is totally unprepared for the wicked things that lie ahead. Director: Gabriel Auclair-Doucet • Quebec

An encounter with an old flame turns a man’s search for connection into a life-altering experience — and not for the better. Exploring desire and the boundaries of consent, this film unreservedly depicts how a moment can have lasting, horrific effects. Director: Petrus van Staden • South Africa

Following his release from prison, Joe is trying to right the wrongs in his life. Determined to avoid disappointing his daughter as he has so many times before, he takes a slight step outside the lines only to find that there’s no way back. Director: Anastacia Hopkins • Writer/Producer: Trudy Lake-Mullins • Newfoundland and Labrador

A poem by Paula Harris is brought to life with a matter-of-fact tone that reflects how many of us manage to keep going when facing disappointment. Sometimes scars are left behind, but once we recognize and accept that things don’t always turn out the way we’d like, we can move on. Director: William Cho • New Zealand

A girl wakes up in the middle of the night to the sounds of her father’s angry voice. As she creeps out of her room to find out more, she sees him hurling accusations and threats in her mother’s direction while she silently sits there. Tension escalates as we anticipate a horrible conclusion. Director: Reza Javanshir, Saied Hatam khani • Iran

A surprisingly dark stop-motion animation about the relationship between an artist and his medium. A sculptor literally struggles with the clay he works with, eventually realising that in order to make something new he has to collaborate. But, when that collaboration ends, one of them loses their freedom. Director: Mohsen Salehi Fard • Iran

Young Sarah's mother is grappling with challenges to her mental health and her father is increasingly pressured at work. Influenced by the darker and more uncomfortable elements of relationships in modern times, this is a film about what goes on behind closed doors in what seems like a perfect home. Director: Oliver McDermid-Perring • United Kingdom

Relations between Josh and Emma have been strained lately, and considering all of the time Josh spends skateboarding with his new buddy Daniel, things don’t look like they’re about to improve any time soon. Director: Nathan Dunphy • Producers: Matthew MacDonald and Nathan Dunphy • Newfoundland and Labrador

There’s no disputing Canadian painter Donna Ibing’s gifts as an artist, and her nudes have been accepted with great enthusiasm. Or, rather, some of them. Unfortunately, Donna prefers to paint male nudes, which presents a problem: the penis. With pieces entitled “Trip Dyck”, “Rod & Reel”, “Handful”, and the brilliant “Erection”, artist Donna uses humour to mitigate our problem with the organ. Director: Christopher McLeod • Ontario