SHORTS FOR BREAKFAST: DOCS

Come in, sit down, grab a coffee and enjoy 8 of our best documentary short films, for breakfast! Coffee provided by Coffee Bureau!

BALANCE - Directed by Luiza Corora | 2024 | 21 min | Canada 

Confronted by the past and the challenges of exile, a 12-year-old Ukrainian gymnast who has resettled in Montreal after fleeing war strives to rebuild her identity and sense of belonging.

HANDWOVEN - Directed by Mason Cazalet, Mihika Das, Dasha Levin, Matthew Wisdom | 2024 | 9 min | India/ Ireland/Mexico/USA

A lyrical portrait of Nikyle Begay, a nonbinary shepherd and weaver working to preserve their way of life through the traditional art of weaving.

YOU PLAY TOO MUCH - Directed by Rob Shaw | 2025 | 13 min | USA

Sometimes funny, sometimes sad, YOU PLAY TOO MUCH is a series of stop-motion animated vignettes about friendship, bullies, and the rules of the schoolyard. Fred Armisen narrates these coming-of-age stories based on the life of director Rob Shaw.

STICKMAN: ART FOR THE REBEL SOUL - Directed by Kalyn Edworthy | 2025 | 2 min | Canada

A hard and fast micro documentary about the power of art and music, featuring the legendary Alberta painter Stickman.

A BEAUTIFUL RESISTANCE - Directed by Lachlan Ross | 2025 | 15 min | Canada

Canadian activist painter Kyle Scheurmann paddles through endangered forests on Vancouver Island, using bold artwork to spotlight a largely unseen environmental crisis.

PORTRAITS - Directed by Quan Luong | 2026 | 8 min | Canada

PORTRAITS is an intimate look into the life of Hung, a sketch artist in the middle of a bustling night market in Da Nang, Vietnam. With two charcoal pencils and masterful skills, he captures the essence of his subjects within minutes.

MOOKIE, MO, AND ME - Directed by Ryan McInerney | 2025 | 12 mins | USA

MOOKIE, MO, AND ME is a stunning visual documentary of a man and his dog enjoying their morning routine—a 600 metre open ocean swim. Accompanied by an audible introspective and philosophical storytelling of trauma, nature, loss, and love.

I WANTED TO HEAR YOUR VOICE - Directed by James Pellerito | 2025 | 12 min | USA

Through recorded voicemails, we follow the struggles of a son caring for his mother with severe dementia. 

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