SARI'S MOTHER
James Longley / Seattle
In SARI'S MOTHER, filmed in Iraq over a period of one year, Longley (GAZA STRIP, IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS) follows a courageous mother as she struggles to get medical help for her 10-year-old son, Sari, who is dying of AIDS. An intimate, revealing portrait, SARI uncovers an aspect of life in Iraq that few outside the country have witnessed (21 mins.)

NO BIKINI
Claudia Morgado Escanilla / Vancouver BC
"I had a sex change once, when I was six or seven years old." The opening line of No Bikini introduces us to a young girl who defies convention during her summer swim class. Filled with humour, this film is less about defining one’s gender than it is about discovering personal strength. (8 mins.)

MORRIS
Adam Locke-Norton, Ryan Warren Smith, Nathan Fielder / Vancouver
Well into his eighties, Morris decides it’s time to come out of the closet. (6 mins.)

PORTRAIT #2 TROJAN
Vanessa Renwick / Portland OR
A looming icon of the Columbia River Gorge—either a throwback to or preview of a nuclear age—gets its stoic comeuppance in this requiem for a heavyweight. (5 mins.)

POTL: THE PENGUIN ON THE LEFT
Rick Guinan / Portland OR
On an ice flow where a penguin's life is subject to a walrus' appetite, a gun makes a difference. (3.5 mins.)

ALL BROKE UP
Mark O'Connell / Seattle
Masterful manipulation of archival footage weaves an indictment of justifications for torture and for the complacency of those standing by. (4 mins.)

SOMETIMES
Scott Amos / Victoria BC
This reflection on the unintended dystopia of life is short, and, in its own way, sorta sweet. (30 sec.)

OPERATION FISH
Jeff Riley / Portland
A child’s goldfish is abducted and an agent is dispatched to rescue it. (10.5 mins)

BY MODERN MEASURE
Matthew Lessner / Nehalem OR
Two young Americans meet outside a Taco Bell in this stylish spree right out of the French New Wave. (6 mins.)

PATTERNS 3
Jamie Travis / Vancouver
In the vibrant split-screen musical finale to THE PATTERNS TRILOGY, Pauline and Michael reveal through songs the nature of their enigmatic relationship. (18.5 mins.)