Chef Leah Janzen, program chef at Kitchen 541 Eatery and Exchange in the downtown core of Hamilton, Ontario has made it a life mission to provide a place for anyone in need of food, shelter or warmth within the poverty-stricken community. She sets out to accomplish this by serving first-class food made with love and quality ingredients in the hopes to change the way people view what it means to sit at the table and feel like you belong.

541: A Place For The Community

Ajax - certified facility dog (and good boy) - is the newest addition to the Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services team where he works hard alongside his peers to promote wellness and fight societal stigmas.

Pawsitive Impact

Locked in a brig, a selfish pirate dishonestly offers brotherhood to a mistreated cook in exchange for helping in his escape, only to learn the true meaning of his offer as their plan goes awry.

Dagwood's Brig

In this heartwarmingly honest documentary, general machinist, Amanda Cosmo, shares the difficult journey that led her to becoming a woman in the trades. Being born to addicts, Amanda and her sister were raised in the foster care system before being adopted by a couple who dropped everything to take them in. Despite the caring parents, she still faced her own demons with struggles with addiction and finding her priorities, always searching for a sense of belonging. It took Amanda hitting rock bottom to realize who truly loves her and finally look forward, rather than back.

Cosmo

“De-escalate” presents a first-person experience with mental crises and police escalated violence. Writer and spoken word artist Michelle Hillyard shares her personal experience through slam poetry. The first-person perspective humanizes this issue that is often defined by statistics and news reports. It reduces misconceptions about mental illness and inspires viewers to think about their own feelings and thoughts about the subject. The film’s striking visual style blends animation and a live action slam poetry performance to show the multifaceted flash points between stigma and fear. It illuminates widespread biases and beliefs that lead people to interpret mental and emotional crisis as a criminal or threatening behaviour. The film balances the issue of escalated violence by raising awareness of the challenges faced by police and other first-responders and encouraging viewers to think of alternate services when seeking help.

Deescalate

A quick-witted paperboy in 80s suburbia must navigate bullies and deadbeat customers in order to collect enough cash to fix his guitar and perform at his crush's birthday party.

The Paperboy

A lonely young man discovers the world of online adult video models. In the end he must decide whether it's real love or just an online fantasy.

Online

Based off of Stephen King's original tale, "Willa" is a fan favourite — a horror story with heart. David is stranded on a train in the middle of nowhere, suddenly unable to locate his fiancée, Willa. No one has seen her but they all warn him to stay put because the train should be moving any minute. David refuses to believe that everything is fine as he's accosted by eerie and unexplained phenomenons. His search for Willa gradually leads him away from the stranded train and he discovers her wandering in the wilderness! David implores Willa to return to the safety of the train. She refuses, and Dave is forced to face what they have both suspected all along — that he and his fellow passengers did not survive 'the accident'. As for Willa, her fate has yet to be sealed. First responders are in the process of reviving her, forcing the couple to choose between letting Willa perish in order to stay together, or saving Willa and existing apart.

Willa

Mute details the emotional and physical destruction that follows a middle aged woman after she learns of her husband's infidelity. Mute is based on the short story of the same name by Stephen King, acquired through his Dollar Baby program for emerging filmmakers.

Mute

The story of a young girl growing up.

Backseat

A young Syrian sister and brother, separated during the civil war, have a chance to be reunited years later through the power of poetry, persistence and friendship.

I Am Here

A hitman takes on contracts to help pay his wife's hospital bills.

The Day of Hitman

LOCAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL (in partnership with Sheridan Alumni)Short films from Oakville and surrounding communities. Q&amp;A with Amalia Williamson/Matt Long (I am Here), Corey Mayne (Willa), ConstanceHilton (Mute), Courtenay Lazorka (Online), Cathleen MacDonald (Deescalate) Sarah Gonyea (Cosmo), Mark Brombacher (The Paperboy), Amanda Wright and Gabriel Dinardo, Co-Directors (541: A Place for the Community), Alec J Macri (Dagwood’s Brig)

Local Shorts Showcase Q&A

Local Shorts Showcase

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