Shorts Program: Out of the Past
3:00PM, OCT 25
Seven talented filmmakers explore the past in these six separate, sharply directed films. Starting with The Other Stuff, Bernard Gray tells the complicated story of a 30-year-old Black man and the uncle who raised him. Next, in Contiguity, Sammy Mohamed examines the harsh realities of the criminalization of young Black men. In Strangers, Leah Doz explores a childhood memory with a confrontation between a young girl and her mom, stranded at a bus stop on a cold winter night. Filmmaker Ian Singh Bawa delivers a moving film about grief, depression, and how men deal with emotions in My Son Went Quiet. With their film Hatch, directing duo Alireza Kazemipour and Panta Mosleh tackle the lingering effects of trauma on an Afghan refugee boy. Finally, in Amir Zargara’s A Good Day Will Come, a professional wrestler must make a difficult choice between remaining silent or using his platform to stand against tyranny.
—Richard B Pierre
Ian Bawa is a filmmaker from Winnipeg, Manitoba. He's best known for his films Offline, The Champ, Imitations, and Tapeworm. His film Strong Son premiered at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival. A Reelworld E20 Program alum, Ian is currently adapting Strong Son into a feature film, set to shoot in the fall of 2024.
My Son Went Quiet
14 Minutes
English
Canada
After the death of his wife, a South Asian father and his son begin seeing a shadow around the walls of their home, who the son believes to be his mother.
Directed by
Ian Bawa
Amir Zargara is an Iranian-Canadian writer/director whose immigrant journey and stutter influence his filmmaking. Starting with Become the Wounded in 2021, his work explores moral complexities and has been recognized at festivals like Amnesty, Hollyshorts, and Nashville. His work has been featured on The Black List and he has participated in the 2024 Berlinale EFM Fiction Toolbox Program and the 2024 Reykjavík International Film Festival Talent Lab.
A Good Day Will Come
23 Minutes
Persian
Turkey
Arash is a professional wrestler with dreams of representing his country and winning gold medals. The country is in turmoil and its people are suffering. Arash must decide between using his platform to stand up to tyranny, or put his head down and remain silent.
Directed by
Amir Zargara
Leah Doz is a Canadian filmmaker and actor. Her films have screened at festivals internationally, and her short ‘tips’ was licensed for Canadian broadcasting. 'Strangers' is her first auteur project. She is a Reelworld Emerging 20 alumna, a graduate of the National Theatre School, and a founding member of the Gracemoon Arts Company in New York.
Strangers
14 Minutes
English
Canada
After missing their bus on a cold winter night, a young girl confronts the limits of her mother's love.
Directed by
Leah Doz
Sammy Mohamed is a Black writer and filmmaker from Ottawa, Ontario. Born in Somalia, he immigrated in the early '90s. Inspired by his writer parents, he pursued a passion for storytelling, studied scriptwriting at Algonquin College, and made the award-winning short film Pierre St. Denis.
Contiguity
14 Minutes
English
Canada
Abdullah, a part-time student and full-time security guard, is implicated in a drug sting by his cousin Latif. Now at the mercy of the court, his freedom and immigration status in Canada are in jeopardy.
Directed by
Sammy Mohamed
Bernard, a talented writer/director, is crafting a legacy through captivating storytelling and original characters, making him one of the filmmakers to watch. His rapidly expanding portfolio exemplifies his commitment to powerful narratives that resonate with audiences.
The Other Stuff
14 Minutes
English
Canada
After a breakthrough moment during couples therapy, Winston, a 30-year-old black man, must confront his uncle about their abusive relationship.
Directed by
Bernard Gray
ALIREZA KAZEMIPOUR
Alireza Kazemipour, Iranian-Canadian filmmaker, with 2-decades of experience as a screenwriter in Iran. He holds a master's in Cinema studies and has directed award-winning shorts including The Gold Teeth (2022) and Split Ends (2022), recognized in over 150 film festivals worldwide, championing social justice, women's rights, and immigrant issues.
PANTA MOSLEH
Panta Mosleh is a Queer Middle Eastern-West Asian-Canadian Director, Writer, Producer who splits her time between Vancouver and LA. Currently working as a TV movie director, she has directed for A&E, Lifetime, TF1, NBC Peacock and Hallmark. Panta currently has two tv series in development; one scripted and one unscripted. She has three Thriller TV movies optioned. She is recently wrapped her documentary feature and a virtual production shoot. She is currently working on her first ever 3.5M dollar tv movie. Panta hopes to make her own theatrical feature film someday.
Hatch
11 Minutes
English, Arabic
Canada
An Afghan refugee boy hides with his mother inside a moving water tanker trying to cross the border to safety. Losing his mother in the process, NAAJI forever tries to find a way to relive his last memory of her.