In Her Gaze: Shorts Program

This series of shorts focuses on stories of a diverse array of women and the connections to sexuality, history, and autonomy.

Kenopsia- dir. Maneet Shergill/Canada/14:50/2023 Kenopsia is a film about the life cycle of a Green Room Couch and the fear of a normally busy room becoming empty. Through the life cycle of the Green Room Couch, we also follow the Life Cycle of the Students and Actors that use the Green Room and said Couch through several generations.

In Between dir. Christie Pawluch/Canada/13:39/2023 In Between tells the story of Blake, who lives a happy heteronormative life with her long time partner, Eric. After some vivid unexpected dreams, she gets a visit from a love from her past life, Adeline, who shows up to her home from across the world. If your past showed up on your doorstep… what would you do?

He Loves Me Until He Hates Me – dir. Vivek Shraya/Canada/12:00/2023 Taking inspiration from such 90’s classics like The Bodyguard and erotic thrillers, “He Loves Me Until He Hates Me” creates a meaningful (and playful) look at the unpredictability of masculinity–how it can fluctuate in insidious ways within a relationship, how one can be worn down in this type of power dynamic, and worse, how that can turn into lateral violence towards other women.

Tete a Tete – dir. Florence Sobieski/Canada/25:00/2023 Though they seem to have little in common, a famous lesbian comedian with strong ties to Toronto’s LGBTQ2S+ community and a high-profile corporate lawyer well-established in New York City discover they share a similar fear of losing their status over living their true identity.This Canadian bilingual short film shot in Toronto explores themes of sexual identity, biphobia and social facades.

Dear Vanessa- dir. Roku Jingwen Long/USA/13:00//2023 Amidst a night of heartache and longing, two Asian girls, Lucy and Vanessa seize an opportunity to get closer through laughter, tears, and shared dreams. As their connection deepens, Lucy must navigate her hidden feelings toward Vanessa while exploring the possibility of a profound and unexpected love. Along the way, Lucy reveals her desire to create a story about their journey, and the film becomes the realization of her deepest aspirations.

September 10th – dir. Tasneem Nanji/Canada/15:10/2023 Two queer Muslim Women, one in Toronto one in New York, navigate love, family, and connection the night before 9-11.

When There Were Trees-dir. Shahin Gorgani/Iran/21:50/2023 Azar (82), a former actress, learns of the passing of her lover. With the help of a traveling theater troupe, she embarks on a journey to find the woman she was forced to leave because of society’s taboos. Her journey allows her to reflect on her past and her regrets, but instead of death, it brings her life.

Tides of Connection – dir. Terra Kalena Graber & Maya Westra/Canada/3:35/2023 Two teenagers have deep conversation through a message in a bottle and overtime develop feelings for each other.

Community Sponsors: The Ban Righ Foundation & The Beaver Lodge