Keywords: Relationships, trauma, addictions, isolation, terminal mental illness, grief

Featured artists: TK Workman, Gavin Seal, Serena McCarroll, Ace Kazkayasi, Andrea Thompson, Brian Demoskoff, Ishaa Vinod, Zan Redcrow, Emmanuel Teji

Our annual short film program celebrating films by Workman Arts’ member artists! 

“Poetic Proclamations’’ features nine films exploring a wide palette of creations including documentary, fiction, animation, spoken word and 360-degree cinema. An all-encompassing range of poetic, personal and transformational expressions that not only disrupt common narratives around mental health they also embody the connections of what it means to connect, critique and commiserate in a mad world.

Featuring artists: Amreen Kullar, Genesis Bovas, Imogen Lister, Jonathan Bent-Ford, Jessi Elgood, Jessica Wu, Leo Dean

For the ninth consecutive year, If You Ask Me (IYAM) has supported emerging filmmakers with lived mental health and/or addiction experiences to create new short films. This year’s program features shorts by filmmakers from across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). These new films were developed from July – September 2025 under the guidance of Robin Riad, along with IYAM alumnus Esteban Powell serving as mentor. Equipment rentals and facilities were generously provided by our community sponsor and partner, LIFT.

KEYWORDS: Rehab, insurance fraud, addiction, recovery

Shot over the course of three years, Shuffle follows three individuals whose lives depend not on getting into addiction treatment, but on getting out alive, and in the process, shines a light on the insurance-fueled cycle of rehabilitation fraud spreading across the USA. With the filmmaker serving as narrator, and using his own experience as a roadmap, these personal stories provide an upsetting framework for a more public investigation with the help of an FBI informant, an insurance analyst and the former Director of a Philadelphia-based treatment facility. Shuffle unravels a web of public policy and private interest preying on a desperate population for the sake of profits.

KEYWORDS: Trauma, family, PTSD

This brand-new feature, directed by Tanushree Das and Saumyananda Sahi, delves into the ramifications of one family’s intense experience with mental health.

It follows Maya, a multitasking mother who lives in Kolkata with her husband, Sundar, and their teenage son, Debu. She juggles three jobs as the family’s primary breadwinner, while also dealing with ostracization and neighbourhood rumours about Sundar, an unemployed ex-soldier suffering from PTSD. Debu is often left as his father’s primary caregiver, and the young man valiantly copes with feelings of affection and embarrassment in the face of his father’s daily struggles. After her husband disappears, Maya must fight to hold her family together in the face of an unexpected murder investigation and an unknown and very uncertain future.

With highly engaging lead performances and a fresh perspective on both trauma and caregiving, Shadowbox is a poignant yet tense film that exposes prejudice and peels back the layers of obligation, love, and the complexities of relationships. 

WITH SHORT FILM ——— Adieu Ugarit —— Samy Benammar | 2025 | Quebec/Canada | Documentary  | 15 minutes

“In 2012, Mohamed had seen his best friend shot dead by an armed militia on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria; the blood spilled in the lake contaminated his memory. Ten years on, the reflections on the Laurentian waters revive Mohamed’s trauma. I ask him if he’d like to dredge up the memories, repair the pain by retreating for a few days to the most distressing calm he can find. He talks about death, immigration and anger. We wonder how and why we should recount this story.” – Samy Benammar

KEYWORDS: Internet culture, houselessness, addiction, systemic racism

#skoden tells the story of Pernell Bad Arm, the Blackfoot man behind the infamous “Skoden” meme. What started out as a social media post to bond Indigenous people across Turtle Island over rez slang and relatable uncle material opened our eyes to something much more: a man whose life on the streets became a mockery to some and a figure of Indigenous empowerment to others but was most beloved by those who knew him personally. Damien Eagle Bear’s heartfelt and compassionate documentary humanizes the man behind the image, sharing stories from Pernell’s family and friends about his life and struggles, and serves as an anecdote to a bigger issue — the harsh reality of street life for many Indigenous people living in urban centres across so-called Canada.

WITH SHORT FILM ——— The Fourth World Problems Collective—— Kira Doxator | 2024 | Canada | Fiction | 7 minutes | English

On a cold Toronto night, a tight-knit collective of friends embark on an unusual mission—tapping maple trees in their neighborhood. A simple act becomes a reflection on belonging and tradition.

Kira Doxtator is an Anishinaabe, Oneida, and Dakota filmmaker exploring Indigiqueer identities, land relationships, and Indigenous futurisms through impactful storytelling and industry advocacy.

Please join us at our first Rendezvous spoken word and open mic event as part of our Shine ; Together year!

We are excited to feature esteemed writers Ghadeer Elghafri and Kelly Rose Pflug-Back – see their biography and contact details below! The event will also feature open mic from Workman Arts writers each sharing 5 minutes of writing with our audience – sign up for the open mic begins at 1:30 PM and continues until the 12 slots are filled. Tickets are available at the door or in advance – pay what you can and no one turned away!

This event follows the Workman Arts short film program. 

Any questions please contact info@workmanarts.com.

GENRE: Experimental Fiction (feature)
TYPE: FILM | IN-PERSON
KEYWORDS: Rehabilitation, Addiction, Recovery, Hybrid film

Bionico (Manuel Raposo) and his closest pal Calvita (El Napo) live their lives on the wild side, driven by their insatiable desire to get high, no matter the cost. Early on in the film, Bionico decides to turn his life around. He’s a romantic at heart, and he wants to clean up his act before the love of his life La Flaca (Ana Minier) completes rehab. To begin this new phase of life, he must find a job, buy an engagement ring, and find a nicer place to live. But making life-changing plans is easier said than done, as Bionico struggles to detox while facing an endless parade of temptations.

WITH SHORT FILM ——— CHRYSTALLID —— Esteban Powell | 2023 | Canada, Mexico | Experimental documentary | 7 minutes | Spanish with English subtitles

GENRE: Documentary (feature)
TYPE: FILM | IN-PERSON
KEYWORDS: Addiction, Recovery, Music, Documentary

Opening Performance: Contemporary Dance | We Lost You A Long Time Ago | Nicole Decsey Dance Projects | 2023 | 25 minutes

GENRE: Short films
TYPE: FILM | IN-PERSON
Featuring artists: Cai Bell-Jerome, Noor Gatih, Gulzar, Mio Muyoboke, Katrina Rodriguez, Kurtis Watson, Sydney Waters

For the eighth consecutive year, If You Ask Me (IYAM) has supported emerging filmmakers with lived mental health and/or addiction experiences to create new short films. This year’s program features shorts by filmmakers from across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). These new films were developed from July – September 2024 under the guidance of Robin Riad, along with IYAM alumnus Esteban Powell serving as mentor. Equipment rentals and facilities were generously provided by our community sponsor and partner, LIFT. 

GENRE: Documentary + Fiction (shorts)
TYPE: FILM | IN-PERSON

Join us for a program of short films from recent editions of the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival (SMHAF). Stick around afterward for discussions with staff from the festival who will talk about the films and share how the SMHAF is organized.  This year’s Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival takes place across Scotland from 10 – 27 October 2024, exploring the theme of ‘In/Visible’. You can learn more at www.mhfestival.com.