Director: Easton Michael Goodwin

In a world gripped by witch hunts, a fringe cult is convinced that two teenagers are demons hiding in human form. Shot in a single, unbroken five-minute take, Forever Outcast centers on a pastor's count down to the midnight execution.

Easton Goodwin is an inspiring young actor and filmmaker who started his career in theatre. Performing at The Astor Theatre in Liverpool, it guided his way to film. Beginning with an interest in horror movies, he began to make his own short films with local friends. He received his first lead role in the proof of concept short film "Escape The Usual" Directed by Colby Conrad, from there it has just been a dream come true. Easton's "Past Echoes", a short film based on his childhood experience, was selected for the AIFF Kids 2025 Youth Competition, where it tied for the People's Choice Award Winner.

Directors: Phoenix Fost, Ria Uppal

Nothing goes to plan in this mockumentary where four high schoolers form a band.

Director: Reighlyn Penashue

Partridges are a common food source for Innu First Nation People in Labrador, especially in Sheshatshiu. Filmed by Innu youth Reighlyn Penashue and Karlianna Pokue, with help from emerging filmmakers Heidi Atter and Charlie Pye-Strowbridge, this documentary captures a cultural workshop at the Manishan Nui Gull Island Gathering, which includes cleaning partridges.

Reighlyn Penashue is a 13-year old from a small community called Sheshatshiu, Labrador. She is very passionate about snapping memorable moments of the innu people, the land, the stories that come with it, and just the presence of being around the whole community. She has had an interest in photography, film making for the past 2 years with the teachings and skills from Heidi Atter. She’s very kind, and really challenges herself to try new things. 

Director: Gregory Joseph Fisher

When a robbery occurs, the police race to stop the criminals in this creative LEGO stop-motion animation.

My name is Gregory and I am 10 years old. I enjoy making short films as I get to express myself in different ways. I love to draw and write my own stories.

Directors: Kevin Ge, Andreas Shepard-Martinez

In this ambitious drama directed by Kevin Ge and Andreas Shepard-Martinez, a writer finishes his manuscript and begins to struggle to distinguish reality from fiction.

Kevin: I was born in Beijing and moved to Halifax in 2023. After moving here, I discovered my interest in media arts. My school’s media arts class inspired me to create my first real film, which became the starting point of my filmmaking journey. This film is my second work. I made it together with my friend Andreas, and we put a lot of passion into it. I truly enjoyed the process, and I hope to continue making films in the future. (The Decision, 2025 Youth Competition Finalist)

Andreas: I was born in Toronto and moved to Halifax in 2017. I discovered my passion for film in a media class. In 2025, Kevin and I made a film that won two awards at our school's film gala and was nominated in the Youth Alternative Film Festival. Then we made another film in 2026. Overall, we have lots of fun making films.

Director: Austin Marks

In this intimate documentary, cheese maker Ciro Comencini keeps alive a craft passed down through generations.

Austin Marks is an 18-year old aspiring filmmaker from Halifax with experience in acting, directing, writing, camera work, and editing. His narrative film The Perfect Wrap was a finalist at the AIFF Kids 2025 Youth Competition. He is passionate about storytelling and creating films that connect with audiences through strong visuals and creative ideas. Austin is motivated to continue developing his skills and gain more experience in the film industry. 

Director: Duncan MacMaster

A girl in high school has no clue what she wants to do after graduation. However, during a math test she gets bored and her imagination shows her lots of ideas. 

Duncan is 15 years old and lives in Antigonish. He’s in grade 9, loves to run, drum and make movies with his sisters and friends. He directed, wrote and shot this film with friends from school, along with editing and drumming for the score. 

Director: Finn Paster

After losing his best friend Lennon, teenager Finn spirals into a grief-fueled belief that Lennon was abducted by aliens. In deadpan therapy sessions, both wearing tinfoil hats, Finn begins to confront his refusal to accept the loss. When he finally removes the hat, the line between acceptance and surrender blurs, as Finn appears to be abducted himself, reuniting with Lennon among the stars.

Finn is a 16-year-old filmmaker and musician from Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Finn has always had a passion for the arts, and loves expressing ideas in new and creative ways: in film, art, or song. They are constantly working on something new, whether it be personal projects or helping peers create their own. His film Welcome to Our Planet was selected as a AIFF Kids Youth Competition 2024 Finalist, and was awarded an Honourable Mention for Best Fiction Film.

Director: Lina Li

From practices and competitions, to meaningful friendships, this intimate documentary highlights the dedication and hard work it takes to be a competitive artistic swimmer.

Director Lina Li is a Grade 9 student-athlete on the Nova Scotia national stream of artistic swimming. She has a strong connection with her team and a deep passion for filmmaking.

Directors: Charlotte Chadwick, Alyssa Campbell

Off to Neverland offers a behind-the-scenes look of a local youth theatre, and showcases the lasting impact it has had on participants.

Both directors are 15 years old and in grade nine. Charlotte has taken part in many theatre based activities which have grown her love for the theatre. They are beyond excited to share this film with you and hope you enjoy.

Director: Cara Mary Howard

Director Cara Mary Howard sits down with Hideout Studio owner, Brian Power to discover what it takes to work behind-the-scenes as a professional sound mixer and post production supervisor.

Directors: Danika Sirois Wallace, Alexi Arsenault

A young woman lives in a state of terminal stasis. She is hunted by "The Beast", not a creature of myth, but a rotting manifestation of her own potential. She must confront the ultimate human horror: the realization that she has become a bystander in her own life. The Weight of Tomorrow is a psychological exploration of the paralysis caused by chronic procrastination and the quiet, structural rot of a life left unlived.

Danika and Alexi are multidisciplinary artists from Boutouche, NB, united by a shared passion for storytelling and collaboration.

Danika is a writer, actress, and visual painter whose work spans playwriting, literature, performance, and expressive visual art. She is drawn to emotionally layered narratives and is passionate about creating opportunities for others.

Alexi is an artist at heart with a strong instinct for cinematography and visual storytelling, along with a growing interest in voice acting. His creative strength lies in capturing mood, framing emotion through the lens, and bringing stories to life visually.

Together, they co-directed a short film that blends their complementary talents; Danika’s writing, ideas, and narrative direction with Alexi’s visual composition and camera work. Their collaboration reflects a unified artistic vision built on trust, experimentation, and a shared desire to create meaningful, visually driven stories.

Director: Emma Garland

Two friends are pushed to their limits when they discover they’re holding the very last lollipop left in the world.

Emma (age 13) is an actress from New Brunswick, who has starred in the award winning short film "A better place" in which she was nominated for best actress at two international film festivals. She was also featured in a Kent Building Supplies tv commercial and several other short films. "Sucker!" is the second short film that Emma has written and directed.

Director: Christos Giannou

In this playful comedy from director Christos Giannou a multitasking young man is surprised to discover a bizarre hidden talent.

Director: Mikelle MacDonald

Filmmaker Mikelle MacDonald mixes archival footage and interviews with her grandparents and family members in this personal documentary about a family who left everything for a new life in Canada.

Mikelle is a grade 9 student, who lives in Halifax with her mother, father, four sisters, and dog Baillie. Mikelle also enjoys competitive soccer, and golf, as well as performing on stage in traditional Lebanese dance performances. 

Director: Tim Wu

In this striking visual portrait of the worlds that shaped him, filmmaker Tim Wu delivers a deeply personal and affecting new work.