Andrew Scott teams up with Redbreast Whiskey

Film: Brief Somebodies

Director Name: Andy Reid

Bio: Andy Reid is a filmmaker and actor based in Toronto whose work often combines the mundane and absurd. He is an alumnus of Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Image Arts and the Canadian Film Centre Directors’ Lab. His past shorts are “Your Mother and I” and “Testing”.

Synopsis: Joel is a filmmaker-actor making a semi-autobiographical feature. Calvin is an actor hired to sexually assault him on screen. During rehearsals, the two form a connection they’ll be forced to reconfigure once filming begins in this meta exploration of the spaces artists create between artificial and real — and what it’s like to briefly live within them.

Film: Sweetbriar

Director Name: Danny Rivera

Bio: Danny Rivera is a queer Latino filmmaker from Texas and a Fulbright scholar. He is currently a staff writer on the CBS comedy, Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage. He has worked with Warner Bros, Starz, Fifth Season and Hillman Grad, among others. He wrote the short film “Dreamer”, which was an Outfest selection.

Synopsis: A woman wakes up to a call from her son. They don’t see each other much anymore. He is going to be in town and asks if he can spend the night at her house. She excitedly agrees, and begins preparing the home for her son’s arrival. It is the day in the life of a single mother, taking pride in her home. When her son finally arrives, he finds her asleep. In a kind of role reversal, he covers her in a blanket. With this small act, the son takes care of his mother.

Film: I’m The Most Racist Person I Know

Director Name: Leela Varghese

Bio: Leela (she/her) is a writer, director, and musical comedian known for creating joyful, impactful queer stories spotlighting cultural diversity in Australia. She co-wrote/directed her debut feature, “Lesbian Space Princess”, Panorama section of the Berlinale 2025, developed through South Australia Film Corporation’s Film Lab: New Voices initiative.

Synopsis: When a romantic gesture towards a bartender backfires, Lali unexpectedly finds herself offered a pity date by another bartender, Ana. What starts as an awkward encounter turns into a genuine connection as they bond over shared experiences as women of color. As they grow closer, Lali finds herself falling for Ana. But when the conversation takes an unexpected turn, Lali must confront her prejudices towards Ana and… herself.

Film: One Day This Kid

Director Name: Alexander Farah

Bio: Alexander Farah is an Afghan-Canadian writer, director and editor whose projects have screened at Berlinale, Telluride, and Clermont-Ferrand. Alex wrote and directed the music video “Meet You At The Light”, which won both Grand Jury and Audience Choice Awards at SXSW in 2022. His most recent film “One Day This Kid” premiered at TIFF in 2024.

Synopsis: One Day This Kid” depicts a deftly-composed array of small yet pivotal moments that depict Hamed, a first-generation Afghan-Canadian man, as he takes steps toward establishing an identity of his own while always conscious of his father’s shadow. The film is inspired by the late David Wojnarowicz’ prolific queer text “Untitled (One Day This Kid…)”, a photo-collage from 1990 that shares the tragic story of a young boy growing up in a society that rejects him at all costs.

Film: Entre Tormentas

Director Name: Fran Zayas

Bio: Alexander Farah is an Afghan-Canadian writer, director and editor whose projects have screened at Berlinale, Telluride, and Clermont-Ferrand. Alex wrote and directed the music video “Meet You At The Light”, which won both Grand Jury and Audience Choice Awards at SXSW in 2022. His most recent film “One Day This Kid” premiered at TIFF in 2024.

Synopsis: One Day This Kid” depicts a deftly-composed array of small yet pivotal moments that depict Hamed, a first-generation Afghan-Canadian man, as he takes steps toward establishing an identity of his own while always conscious of his father’s shadow. The film is inspired by the late David Wojnarowicz’ prolific queer text “Untitled (One Day This Kid…)”, a photo-collage from 1990 that shares the tragic story of a young boy growing up in a society that rejects him at all costs.

Film: Nervous Energy

Director Name: Eve Liu

Bio: Eve Liu is a Chinese Australian filmmaker living and working in New York. A recent MFA graduate of NYU Tisch, she was a Willard T.C. Johnson fellow. Her thesis short film “Nervous Energy” was executive produced by Spike Lee.

Synopsis: On the cusp of success/failure, two unhinged female filmmakers decide to break up with their boyfriends, and for once, make a bold decision with their lives.