School Program Grades 7-8

Nov 20 9:30 am to 11:00 am |
Nov 21 9:30 am to 11:00 am

This program explores narratives of individuals and communities at the brink of a turning-point. Factors such as racism, gender and socio-economic status all shape the way in which they understand their place in the world, and they learn through their choices how to ultimately gain agency in their lives.

The High Bridge

Year: 2019
Genre: Drama, Short
Country: USA
Language: English
Length: 10 min

A Bronx teenager reluctantly confronts fatherhood when his young daughter must visit her doctor.

Directed by

Benedict Campbell

Benedict Campbell is a writer and director focused on short and feature length dramatic fiction. His interest in filmmaking grew from photography and he studied film & television at New York University. Benedict is a recipient of the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship in Playwriting/Screenwriting and received the 2019 BRIO award from the Bronx Council on the Arts. He is a member of The Bronx Filmmakers Collective and was a Teaching Artist at Ghetto Film School.

Mahalia Melts in the Rain

Year: 2018
Genre: Drama, Short
Country: Canada
Language: English
Length: 11 min

Mahalia, a timid 9-year-old black girl, feels different from the other girls in her ballet class. Hoping to boost her confidence, her mother brings her to a hair salon to get her hair straightened for the very first time.

Directed by

Emilie Mannering and Carmine Pierre-Dufour

Emilie Mannering’s first short film Star (2015) won several national and international awards. In 2016, she directed the feminist web-series Les Brutes. In 2017, she was selected by the TIFF Talent Lab and co-directed her second short film Mahalia Melts In the Rain. She is currently working on writing her first feature film, Tous Mes Premiers Amours.

After completing a master’s degree in Television, Radio, and Film at Syracuse University, Carmine Pierre-Dufour secured an internship at Focus Features in Los Angeles. Perfectly bilingual, she adapted episodes of Web Therapy for TV5 Québec. She also wrote and co-directed the short film Mahalia Melts in the Rain.

Firebird

Year: 2019
Genre: Drama, Short
Country: USA
Language: English
Length: 14 min

An Asian-American artist loses her identity as she navigates her way through a social-media driven world.

Directed by

Mimi Lee

Mimi Lee is a Chinese American filmmaker from San Jose, California. She loves directing and producing creative content in film and VR, and explores the world of visual storytelling through her work in narratives, commercials, and music videos.

Silvia in the Waves

Year: 2017
Genre: Drama, Short
Country: Canada
Language: French
Audio: English Subtitles
Length: 13 min

Noa struggles to honor the identity of his recently deceased parent while his mother tries to uphold the appearance of a conventional family.

Directed by

Gio Olmos

Born in Mexico City, Gio Olmos immigrated to Montreal in 2006. Their work earned them a merit scholarship Concordia University’s film production program. During their studies, they received several production grants; their second short, Silvia in the Waves (2017) still circulates in festivals with more than 40 selections.

Idle No More

Year: 2017
Genre: Expiremental, Short
Country: Canada
Language: English
Length: 5 min

Heather Archibald was a social activist and foster care child who passed away. Her strong words are honoured in this film, demanding a change in the attitude of the law concerning Indigenous people in Canada.

Directed by

Ginger Cote

Ginger is Algonquin from Kitigan Zibi. She’s a mother of three, a student at Carelton University and does promotions for the Cairos Blanket Exercise. Ginger’s films are a way to promote Heather Archibald’s poems dealing with Indiginous issues through out.

Worst Student Ever

Year: 2018
Genre: Documentary, Short
Country: Canada
Language: English
Length: 17 min

Through the eyes of Randell Adjei, we understand the gravity of the issues facing Scarborough youth today. Amidst gun violence, poverty, and stigmatization, we see resilience through community, art, and a passion for change.

Directed by

Danica "Dizzy" Ricamara

Danica is a filmmaker and creative director. Facing the challenges of growing up in priority neighborhoods she recognized the importance of uplifting miss voices and highlighting the issues of community. In 2018 at 24 years old, she exceled at POV 3rd Street, a 6-month media training program and directed her first short documentary.