The Ottawa Youth Film Festival

Red

Directed by Colin Ziraldo

Ottawa, Canada. 

In a shadow-soaked room, a lone detective steps into the lion’s den and comes face to face with a mysterious woman in red. The encounter forces him to question what his own righteousness is really worth.

This film was created during the Pop-Up Film School, presented by Hot Shoe Productions, Sol One Arts Inc. and part of Strange New Works. 

Friday August 8: Opening Block- Get Tickets

All Falls Downs

Directed by Benjamin Shimwa

Ottawa, Canada. 

Inspired by true events, « All Falls Down » is a poignant film that follows Tanya Wilkins, a Black high school senior, as she navigates the complexities of family, friendships, and personal struggles while confronting the harsh realities of life’s uncertainties.

Friday August 8: Opening Block- Get Tickets

The Sands of Time

Directed by Nana Boncano Haidara

Ottawa, Canada. 

Anaya, an international student, navigates life alone in a new apartment, finding healing and discovering that home is built through love, memories, and connections.

Saturday August 9- Block A - Get Tickets

Sing to the Wind

Directed by Yaffa Aboudib Husseini

Ottawa, Canada. 

Orphaned and displaced from their home in Gaza City, two brothers must find their way to a "safe zone" to survive. Forced to grow up much too fast, the boys confront pain and loss on their tragic path along the shoreline. "Sing to the Wind" is a short, 2D animated film that tells the story of perseverance through the eyes of a child, and the resilience of a people in the face of ceaseless brutality.

Saturday August 9- Block B - Get Tickets

Group Project

Directed by Charlotte Winter

Calgary, Alberta, Canada. 

Two teenage witches must work together on a group project for their incantations class, but their attempts at potion-making don't quite go as planned.

Saturday August 9- Block A - Get Tickets

Man / Meteorite

Directed by Stephen Haring

Torbay, Newfoundland, Canada. 

The short story of a man and a meteorite.

Saturday August 9- Block A - Get Tickets

Erich's New Shirt

Directed by Chris Szabo

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

After receiving a shirt in the mail that wasn't what he thought it was, lovable idiot Erich is forced to visit the Shirt Dealer, an eccentric and dangerous fashion guru who only sells to those he deems worthy.

Saturday August 9- Block B - Get Tickets

Beyond Blue - A Fashion Short Film

Directed by Wendley Pierre

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Beyond Blue explores the concepts of tranquility & self-reflection through fashion & music.

Saturday August 9- Block A - Get Tickets

The Conversation

Directed by Hailey Brittain.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Charlie has a conversation with her sister, Sid, before they go their separate ways.

Saturday August 9- Block A - Get Tickets

Leave me alone

Directed by Aiden Fitzgerald

Gatineau, Quebec, Canada.

On September 20th, 2023, millions of Canadians gathered across the country to protest against transgender people's rights to transition. The impact these protests had on the community will never be forgotten.

Saturday August 9- Block B - Get Tickets

Anatomy of a Goal: Starboy

Directed by Kenneth Joe-Ezigbo

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Zim comes home after his latest game in panic, searching for Melu. Confused and shocked by the depressive state of Melu’s living space - it finally dawns on Zim just how much Melu has been putting up a front and struggling in silence.

Friday August 8: Opening Block- Get Tickets

I'll Love You Forever

Directed by Sarah Hartmann

Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Carolin is experiencing survivor's guilt after the recent passing of her father. After losing the gift of a locket that he had given her, the guilt increases as she feels lost within herself.

Saturday August 9- Block B - Get Tickets

Inside Voice

Directed by Bruce Li

Barrie, Ontario, Canada.

Matthew and Nora stay in the library to study after school every day. Every day, an imaginary voice tells Matthew that he should go talk to Nora, and he always suppresses it. One day, he actually does it goes horribly wrong, but it turns out it was not that bad later.

Saturday August 9- Block A - Get Tickets

Nice Girl

Directed by Sofiia Brook

Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The man that a people pleasing college student just went on a date with, shows up at her apartment wanting to charge his phone, but slowly takes control of her space while she struggles to say no.

Content warning: Film contains mature themes and implied violence

Saturday August 9- Block B - Get Tickets

A Fool's Mate

Directed by Megan Tolmie

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

An overconfident gentleman challenges a mysterious grandmaster to a showdown game of chess where after lots of strategy and some fancy footwork, more than just the better player is revealed.

Saturday August 9- Block A - Get Tickets

Isabel

Directed by Liv Quinn

Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Disoriented by the sudden passing of his best friend, Beck must grapple with how to finish his teenage years alone and find resolve beyond grief.

Saturday August 9- Block B - Get Tickets

Threads of Longing

Directed by Humeyra Erdogan

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Set over the course of a single night, THREADS OF LONGING interlaces four distinct narratives unfolding between dusk and dawn. Through evocative visuals and introspective monologues, the film delves into the universal themes of longing, displacement, and the search for belonging. Each story offers a glimpse into the lives of individuals grappling with feelings of being stuck, yearning for connection, and seeking a sense of self. As the night progresses, these separate journeys subtly intersect, highlighting the shared human experience and reminding viewers that, even in solitude, they are not alone.​

Friday August 8: Opening Block- Get Tickets

The Last Call

Directed by Kat Farrell

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

A weary paramedic arrives home after his exhausting night shift.

When he gets a call he was dreading, a dispatcher asking him to
come back in for one more shift, he must face his duty one final time.

Content warning for brief violence & blood/gore.

Saturday August 9- Block B - Get Tickets

Daddy's Boy

Directed by Tom Peters

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Jason's struggle with addiction is put on hold when his worst nightmare becomes reality. Now, he must save his son from certain death.

Saturday August 9- Block B - Get Tickets

Moribund

Directed by Reece Early

Greely, Ontario, Canada.

After narrowly avoiding a car crash, John is haunted by visions of a gaunt man in a decomposing suit.

Saturday August 9- Block B - Get Tickets

They Never Truly Leave Us

Directed by Mariana Gómez Bonilla

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

A film about how our family members, dead or alive, never truly leave us.

Friday August 8: Opening Block- Get Tickets

Late Bloomer

Directed by Beatrice Villadelgado

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

A heartfelt exploration of self-acceptance with one’s sexuality and finding your place in the world whether it’s within the queer community, among friends and family, or on the road as a capable adult.

Saturday August 9- Block A - Get Tickets

One To Five Minutes

Directed by Kelsea MacKay

Havelock, Ontario, Canada.

A struggling young professional's internal conflict about whether or not she wants to bring children into a world with an uncertain future becomes real when she thinks she might be pregnant.

Saturday August 9- Block A - Get Tickets

Down Bad

Directed by Catie Thorne

Canada.

Down Bad tells the story of a young woman on a quest for love who feels fated for loneliness until she meets the girl of her dreams: an SNL freak.

Saturday August 9- Block A - Get Tickets

Finsta

Directed by Emilie Azevedo

Gatineau, Quebec, Canada.

It’s 2023, attention is the new currency, and we’re all acting on a platform where everyone else's life is perfect. FINSTA is a short documentary about secondary Instagram accounts, online performativity and surveillance capitalism.

Saturday August 9- Block A - Get Tickets

Across the Table

Directed by Sara Mihailescu

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

A little kid and his grandmother, both outliers at a dinner party, find a sense of belonging in one another.

Saturday August 9- Block A - Get Tickets

Mine

Directed by Esabella Anna Karena Strickland

Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Two friends quickly realize the gorgeous necklace they got for free may have come with a cost far more than they were ever expecting...

Saturday August 9- Block A - Get Tickets

Bytowne

Directed by Zachary Chabot

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Two strangers come together for an afternoon and connect despite not speaking the same language.

Saturday August 9- Block A - Get Tickets