In this documentary, Mariola Wawrzusiak-Borcz scours post-industrial areas in search of scrap metal. Back at her studio, she welds it into compelling, terrifying sculptures of animals, androids, and children affected by war. Despite a painful hand condition, she perseveres with her passion to create art and her mission to keep us from becoming indifferent to the world we live in. Director: Rafal Malecki • Poland

Hernan Leal has reached the pinnacle of success in the business world and led an inspiring life, but still feels unfulfilled until he chooses to embrace a long-suppressed childhood dream. Told with superb, often breathtaking animation, this short is sure to have us reflecting on roads not taken and paths into the future. Directors: Santiago Aguilera, Gabriel Monreal • Chile

Cape Breton Island’s Willie Francis Fraser reflects on the stories he heard in his youth, his relationship to the Gaelic language, and his extraordinary experience of receiving dance lessons in his dreams. Director: Todd Fraser • New Brunswick

A woman living in a small Newfoundland town labours all day on land while she awaits her husband’s return from the sea. While she longs to be out on the water as well, she is expected to be anchored to their home, where her work is solitary and unseen. As she goes through her tasks — "feminine" and "masculine" alike — she comes to realise she has everything she needs to be free. Director/Writer: Jamie Miller • Producer: Kerri Oakey • Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland-born Tim Myles’ semi-autobiographical story about losing his mother in 2013 is a love letter to her, his Mi’kmaq heritage, and all those years of mourning. Myles’ story gently reminds us to not bear the weight of grief on our own, and inspires a sense of triumph that “we can move forward, because we have to, and we owe ourselves that.” Director: Tim Myles • Ontario

A young immigrant from Laos who learned to fight in refugee camps is forced to give up his boxing career after sustaining a brain injury. To help him make ends meet his sister enlists him to work at her nail salon. However the salon reveals itself to be an equally toxic female "ring" where competition for clients and exposure to hazardous chemicals present new, familiar challenges. Director: Marlene Goldman • Ontario