Festival In-School

Subjects: English, Language, Sociology, Human Development, Civics, Psychology

Izzy is bad at hockey but loves to play. Austin is a pro gardener but not that great at painting. Akash conquered his fears and learned to swim. Kristen is no pro gamer but that doesn’t stop her from trying to beat the boss. This whimsical series of short films is all about the joy of having a hobby - and being bad at it! Each subject talks about the community, confidence, and joy they've found in doing something just for fun.

Subjects: Environmental Science, Media Arts, Challenge & Change, World Issues, Social Studies, Anthropology, Psychology, and Sociology, English, Language

In the spring of 2005, acclaimed National Geographic photographer James Balog was dispatched to the Arctic on a tricky assignment: to capture images that tell the story of the Earth’s changing climate. At the time, Balog was skeptical. Even if human-caused climate change is real, can we correct it? But what he saw on that first trip was too compelling to dispute. Balog had to act and so created the Extreme Ice Survey, a multi-year project that would, through time-lapse photography, document dramatic changes to numerous glaciers around the world. With stunning cinematography and access to never before seen areas of the Arctic, Chasing Ice documents Balog’s incredible journey to provide incontrovertible proof—at great risk to his own health—that our planet is in crisis and what we do to it matters.

Subjects: Environmental Science, Science, Social Studies, Indigenous, Geography, Challenge and Change, Politics, Anthropology, Sociology, and Psychology, Canadian Issues

Two passionate filmmakers connect with activists, Indigenous leaders, and renowned scientists to understand the fate of the endangered southern resident orca and find solutions to our most pressing environmental threats.

Subjects: English, Art, Law, Equity, Gender Studies, Challenge and Change, Politics, World Issues, Anthropology, Psychology and Sociology, Media Studies

As the first woman to win the prestigious Journalistic Distinction in Caricature, Doaa el-Adl is a force for change in the male-dominated world of Egyptian political cartoonists. A rebellious critic of patriarchy, she faces daily critique, censorship, intimidation, and death threats for her art. Egyptian director Nada Riyadh brings el-Adl‘s most famous works to life in a creative and exciting mix of documentary, cartoon, and animation. A vibrant and courageous exposé of violence against women that pushes the boundaries of freedom of expression in an often restrictive society, el-Adl uses her talent to advocate for the rights of women, and to inspire and change society.

Subjects: Environmental Science, Technology, Challenge and Change, Science, Civics, Robotics, Geography, English, Social Studies

Conservation biologist Tim Shields sees urgency in the field and finds that traditional conservation practices are lacking when it comes to saving desert tortoise populations from ravens. He goes rogue, employing an arsenal of lasers, exploding model turtles, drones and desert rovers as a means of protecting the tortoise's dwindling numbers. Eileen Arandiga.

Subjects: Equity, Physical Education, Human Development, Gender Studies, English, Social Studies, Anthropology, Sociology, and Psychology

First Down is a gripping documentary that profiles an underdog team in America’s first all-girls tackle football league. This band of misfits and outcasts compete for the title while tackling their struggles both on and off the field. Told through their own voices and lead by coach Crys Sacco, this film is a snapshot in time -- an up-close look at the personal issues affecting these young women as they work hard to break barriers and show that girls deserve the chance to play tackle football, America's favorite sport...for men.

Subjects: Equity, Gender Issues, Media Arts, English, Challenge and Change, Sociology

She was a face on the magazines and now she represents the top Black models in the industry. Meet Bethann Hardison, the person behind the face and icon, telling her story the way she sees it. Sharing the director’s chair with Frédéric Tcheng, Hardison takes us backstage, into her life and the impact she’s had in the ever-so-trendy fashion industry. In this document of her 50-year career, we witness how one model-turned-agent has the influence and drive to produce the thriving careers of Tyson Beckford, Naomi Campbell and Iman, among many others. An activist in her own right, Hardison proves that Black faces and culture are more than just a moment, and advocates for racial justice in an ultra-competitive world. Samah Ali.

Subjects: Canadian Issues, Equity, Media Arts, Business, English, Politics, Canadian History, Anthropology, Sociology, and Psychology, Challenge and Change

Spanning across three generations, Union Street chronicles the ongoing effects of racism, displacement and the cultural erasure of African Canadians, while examining the systemic mechanisms that destroyed Vancouver’s historic Black community in the 60s. Train porters, speakeasies, juke joints and a thriving community all existed in the Black neighborhood; and so did musicians like Jimi Hendrix, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. The reverberations of this thriving community are still felt, and in the face of adversity a new generation of Black Vancouverites work to rebuild, facilitate Black joy, and redefine what it means to be African-Canadian.

*All bookings of Union Street will be accompanied by the Citizen Minutes short film Militant Mother. Militant Mother provides a closer look at one of the stories addressed in Union Street.