Friday, May 23 - Screening Room A - Gallagher Centre
09:00 AM - Our Last Day As Kids (21:13m)
YFF25 – Short Subject Fiction
A coming-of-age story set in the mid-2000s underground music scene, that follows quiet and naive punk, Casey, as he tries to piece together the broken memories recorded on his camcorder.
Director: Dylan Hryciuk
09:40 AM - Healing Hearts (14:30m)
YFF25 Nominee - Short Subject Non-Fiction
Healing Hearts tells the story of Nicole Redvers, a Deninu K’ue First Nation, Associate Professor and AIWF Co-Founder, along with two Elders Council co-leads, who created the Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories in Canada. Through ancestral wisdom, Indigenous teachings, the Northern Lights, Spirits, the Land and Love, we explore and reconnect with ourselves through the values of these Indigenous peoples; where healing and culture intertwine in harmony. Nicole embodies “you are love” in this vignette by highlighting the love and intergenerational strength that lives in everyone.
Director: Amy Belling
10:10 AM – Poos (04:35m)
YFF25 Nominee - Children’s/Youth Productions
Poos is an animated adventure of Thumper the cat exploring her home and elements of Blackfoot culture.
Director: Celestine Twigg
10:30 AM - RecoverED: A Documentary Film About Eating Disorder Recovery (50:47m)
YFF25 Nominee - Mental Health, Ruth Shaw Award (Best of Saskatchewan), Kathleen Shannon Award
RecoverED is a compelling documentary that explores the journey of recovery from disordered eating through powerful personal stories of resilience. The film highlights the vital role of community support and the transformative power of hope in healing. It delves into the physical, emotional, and psychological challenges faced by individuals battling eating disorders, shedding light on the multifaceted nature of recovery. RecoverED aims to inspire those struggling and to raise awareness about the recovery process, underscoring that with the right support, perseverance, and resources, recovery is possible.
Director: Tyler Anderson
11:35 AM - Last Manitoba Meal (15:00m)
YFF25 Nominee - Community Television Productions
If you could have just one last meal here in Manitoba, what kind of local dishes would be on your menu? How about a Fat Boy from Dairy Whip, baby back ribs from the Silver Heights restaurant, fresh Manitoba grown corn, Mitzi’s chicken fingers and your grandma’s famous strawberry-rhubarb pie? Or what about steamed shrimp dumplings from Kum Koon Garden, a BDI Goog Special, fresh beet salad from your Uncle Jim’s garden, and a T-bone steak from Rae & Jerry’s Steakhouse? With so many mouth-watering culinary opportunities in Manitoba to choose from, the combinations for decadent and delicious meals is endless! In Last Manitoba Meal, host, foodie, magician, and aspiring chef Cary Tardi is on a mission to curate and create spectacular personalized meals worthy of being the last meal for some of Manitoba’s most fascinating people!
Director: Jeff Newman
12:10 PM - The Canadian Dream (08:48m)
YFF25 Nominee - Emerging Filmmaker, Multicultural, Kathleen Shannon Award
A migrant farmer’s quest for a better life in Canada unfolds through his own words and from his daughter’s perspective in this poignant family portrait. The film exposes the harsh exploitation and dismal working conditions Ontario’s migrant farm workers endure, while at the same time celebrating the resilience of the human spirit as it is manifested in one man’s battle for justice.
Director: Ilse Moreno
12:35 PM – Boutique (20:40m)
YFF25 Nominee - Short Subject - Fiction (Over 15 mins)
On the night of the Taliban's arrival in Kabul a young woman makes decisions on how to survive her fragile future.
Director: Brishkay Ahmed
01:10 PM - Secret History: Women Warriors - EP 208 "Ladies First" (22:21m)
YFF25 Nominee - Documentary Series, Indigenous Award
During a family outing, a T’lingit woman and her family stumble upon gold prompting a claim staked in her husband’s name. Her traditional ways of knowing prove essential in ensuring the family's survival as they mine their way to riches but her newfound lifestyle starts to crumble when the evils of money start to creep in.
Director: Julian Black Antelope
01:50 PM - Balls, Brains, & a Wallet: Conversations with W. Brett Wilson (35:33m)
YFF25 Nominee - Documentary History & Biography
A raw insider look at the personal and professional life of Saskatchewan born entrepreneur W. Brett Wilson.
Director: Tara Mewis
02:40 PM - Pieces Within (14:52m)
YFF25 Nominee - Mental Health, Outstanding Colour Grading
A poet's muse calls on his inner child to save their relationship.
Director: Sam Luk
03:10 PM - The Crown and Indigenous People: Residential Schools (27:16m)
YFF25 Nominee – Series, Research
Documentary series examining the relationship between the British Crown (Canada) and Canada's Indigenous people.
Director: Cary Ciesielski
04:00 PM - Flat Out Food (22:30m)
YFF25 – Documentary Series
In its fourth season, Flat Out Food embarks on another field-to-plate adventure! Host Jenn Sharp continues her journey, searching for the most unique and delicious uses of simple, local ingredients.
From the field to the orchard to the plate, food brings people together and connects us in a way that few things can. While traveling across Saskatchewan, Jenn meets passionate farmers, creative entrepreneurs, and talented chefs who take humble ingredients to incredible places.
Director: Adrian Halter
Friday, May 23 - Screening Room A - Gallgher Centre
04:40 PM - Better Late Than Never (01:00m)
YFF25 – Short Subject Non-Fiction
Better Late Than Never provides a small glimpse into Ande’s transition as a mature trans man. The images symbolize the frustration of numerous forms required to update identification documents, medical and physical challenges to overcome, to finally revealing that age is irrelevant to becoming ourselves.
Director: Ande Brown
Friday, May 23 - Ravine Room - Gallagher Centre
09:00 AM - Revolutions That Changed History (00:52m)
YFF25 Nominee – Documentary History & Biography
Though history has long lionised its great leaders, being an elite wasn’t all glory and prosperity. Power is far from absolute, and allegiance, always conditional. Uncover the gripping histories behind the battles the old world wrestled. Fought between those set on maintaining the old ways and those seeking to overthrow them.
Director: Daniel Oron
10:15 AM - Stories of the North - Season 3 (07:15)
YFF25 Nominee - Children's/Youth Productions
A series of short Indigenous language-based stories featuring common events and themes of the North being passed in the traditional oral story-telling manner from an elder to a child.
Director: Bo Shingoose
10:45 AM - Trailblazing: The Matt Hadley Story (27:00m)
YFF25 Nominee - Documentary POV (Point of View)
After a life-altering accident shatters his world, former elite mountain biker and trail builder, Matt Hadley, faces the ultimate test of resilience. With his career and passions on the line, Matt embarks on an extraordinary journey to rebuild his life and defy the odds. This inspiring story explores the power of determination, community, and the human spirit in the face of unimaginable challenges.
Director: Kim Logan
11:30 AM - Henderson (11:06m)
YFF25 Nominee - Emerging Filmmaker
A weekend holiday in Vegas turns sour for Ally when she wakes up in a hotel room in Henderson with no recollection of how she got there. With no phone, no memory and not a familiar face in sight, will she make it back in time for her friend's wedding?
Director: Lori Watt
12:20 PM - Voices of Freedom (44:08m)
YFF25 Nominee - Documentary POV (Point of View)
"Voices of Freedom" is an insight into the creative process of a young woman who is trying to create something bigger than war and show the world that Ukraine and Ukrainians still matter.
Director: Sam Karney
01:20 PM - Driver's Licence (24:30m)
YFF25 Nominee - Ruth Shaw Award (Best of Saskatchewan)
An elderly man must navigate a major life transition after a series of driving mishaps results in a loss of licence.
Directors: Lynette Piper, Karla Weber
02:05 PM - Another Day's Past (53:43m)
YFF25 Nominee - Community Television Productions, Ruth Shaw Award (Best of Saskatchewan)
Amid the rising threat of Hitler, a courageous group from Saskatchewan answered the call to arms. Their remarkable stories highlight the resilience required to combat oppression across land, sea, and sky. At the same time, women on the home front played a vital role, offering essential support that enabled those in battle to continue their fight for freedom.
Director: Matthew Hood
03:15 PM - Play It Loud! (58:53m)
YFF25 Nominee - Documentary Arts/Culture, Director-Non-Fiction, Research
The film reveals a social and cultural migration that made Canada a mecca for Jamaican music, recognized around the world, but little heralded at home. This story is told through the life, music, struggles and triumphs of beloved Jamaican Canadian singer Jay Douglas.
Director: Graeme Mathieson
04:30 PM - Big Small Town (31:28m)
YFF25 Nominee - Community Television Productions
Big Small Town is an absurdly funny sketch comedy show, based in small town Manitoba - each short sketch is filled with highly produced off-the-wall humour featuring the best of prairie comedians. From sentient self-checkout machines to Halloween funerals, each sketch is a hilarious adventure with comedians like Kevin McDonald, Jane Testar, Quinn Greene, and more..
Director: Taylor Brown
Saturday, May 24 - Screening Room A - Gallagher Centre
09:00 AM Why Am I - Season 6 (07:30M)
YFF25 Nominee Children's/Youth Productions
Why? It’s a question every child asks as they explore the fascinating new world around them. Believe it or not, this curiosity is no different in the animal kingdom! Lily the bison and Otis the Otter love helping curious critters answer their questions and make friends along the way!
Director: Adrian Dean
09:30 AM Lilly Visit the Hospital (06:33m)
YFF25 Nominee - Children's/Youth Productions
Lilly, a 12' tall orange Monster takes her friend Fluffle to visit patients in a hospital. What could go wrong?
Directors: Medina Dennie, Ocean Demuth, Zaiyah Dennie, Sol Demuth, Xstine Cook, Heather Cook
09:55 AM Judith Jacquie Grace (30:00m)
YFF25 Nominee - Documentary POV (Point of View)
Three women recount their experiences with menopause against a backdrop that hints at the history of misogyny that silenced its discourse, yet is about to face a dramatic turning point in medicine.
Directors: C Hudson Hwang, Amy Belling
10:45 AM John's First Tattoo (09:59m)
YFF25 Nominee Student Productions
John adjourns from his mundane life in order to get his first tattoo. His walk-in takes a turn when the parlour he visits promises more than just ink on skin.
Director: Jett Kowalchuk
11:10 AM UnTapped (22:09m)
YFF25 Nominee Short Subject - Non-Fiction
A successful and thoughtful grassroots Saskatchewan program that is creating more inclusive and diverse workplaces.
Director: Jennifer Jellicoe
11:50 AM To Kill A Dictator (48:00m)
YFF25 Nominee Documentary History & Biography, Research
In stories motivated by obsession, hatred, politics, and fanaticism, covert plots and dark conspiracies take shape. For decades, the details of these plans, hatched to put an end to tyranny, have remained virtually unknown. Now, we go behind closed doors to meet the rebels, revolutionaries, and intelligence operatives tasked with undertaking these ruthless takedowns. What was their rationale for bloodshed? From unchecked rises to power, to homegrown genocide, and worse -- what did these dictators do to inspire murderous intentions?
Director: Daniel Oron
12:50 PM Relationship Remix (44:00m)
YFF25 Nominee Documentary POV (Point of View)
In Relationship Remix, three married couples from Manitoba, each in a mixed relationship, sit down for heartfelt interviews that provide a deep dive into their lives. One of the couples, a rare and inspiring Jamaican-Pakistani pair, has been married for 16 years and raised four children. We explore how their distinct cultures, traditions, food, family dynamics, and music shape their everyday experience while navigating the unique challenges of living in Western Canada.
Director: Jacob Markham
Saturday, May 24 - Ravine Room- Gallgher Centre
09:35 AM - Persistence of Vision (18:52m)
YFF25 Nominee – Short Subject - Non-Fiction
For Thomas Edison, the creation of the motion picture camera was strictly business. For his young assistant, W.K.L. Dickson, it was much more. It was his destiny. This short historical documentary examines how the first motion picture camera in America came to be. Through Edison’s power and W.K.L. Dickson’s ambition they changed the way we view the world.
Director: John Marsonet
10:10 AM - Going Native (22:00m)
YFF25 Nominee - Documentary Series, Indigenous
Celebrated humorist and author Drew Hayden Taylor explores new aspects of Native life, examining stereotypes and traditions while discovering cool new ways Indigenous people shape their culture in the 21st century. In Season 3, Drew goes global.
Directors: Sam Karney, Andrew Wiens, Kurt Spenrath, Paul Kemp
11:00 AM - The Wounds Within: An Endometriosis Story (51:18m)
YFF25 Nominee - Documentary POV (Point of View), Emerging Filmmaker
"The Wounds Within: An Endometriosis Story" follows the filmmaker’s journey of attaining diagnosis and treatment after 25 years—a journey that ended with infertility and changed the course of her future. From the first signs that something was wrong, to finally receiving proper surgical care, the film explores the physical and emotional toll and aftermath of a disease that ravages the body and alters life plans.
Director: Lora Brovold
12:10 PM – Brotherly (08:43m)
YFF25 Nominee - Short Subject - Fiction (15 Mins & Under), Multicultural, Director Fiction
A deeply personal film inspired by true events, "Brotherly" follows two brothers grappling with mental illness and the complexities of euthanasia. When one brother makes a life-altering decision, the other must confront his own beliefs and navigate the emotional turmoil of their shared journey.
Director: Gavin Seal
12:35 PM - 7TH GEN - Curtis Howson (22:00m
YFF25 Nominee - Documentary History & Biography
7TH GEN celebrates young Indigenous leaders from across the country who are honouring their culture and making a tremendous impact despite the obstacles they’ve faced.
Curtis Howson, Métis and Ojibwe, is a role model as an actor, community youth worker, and business owner who is devoted to learning his culture.
Director: Dinae Robinson
Saturday, May 24 - Tower Theatre- Downtown
2:45 PM Dance With Me (22:53m)
YFF25 Nominee - Community Television Productions
Dance With Me explores how the tradition of square dancing on PEI is making a come back.
Director: Charlotte Engel
3:20 PM Sounds & Pressure: Reggae in a Foreign Land(15:00m)
YFF25 Nominee Documentary Series, Director Non-Fiction
Sounds & Pressure: Reggae in a Foreign Land follows the journeys of these icons. Through rare archives and infectious beats, this captivating five-part anthology series takes you from Kingston to Kensington Market to see and hear how reggae made roots in Canada against all odds.
Directors: Graeme Mathieson, Chris Flanagan
3:40 PM Spiritbox - Perfect Soul (04:00m)
YFF25 Nominee - Performing Arts & Entertainment, Ruth Shaw Award (Best of Saskatchewan)
In this music video for Spiritbox's single "Perfect Soul," a soul tries to understand her murder.
Director: Dylan Hryciuk
4:00 PM Nebuchadnezzar (15:29m)
YFF25 Nominee - Student Productions
Following a shocking, on-air disturbance, a curious Stage Manager begins to suspect that something is deeply off about the talk show she works for, and its eccentric host.
Director: Samuel Ogunremi
4:30 PM Miss Juwanna deWitt (11:19m)
YFF25 Nominee - Documentary Arts/Culture
At 77 years old, Miss Juwanna deWitt is one of the oldest regularly performing drag artists in the country. She's on a mission to build bridges and deliver a message about overcoming fear.
Director: Lucius Dechausay