Spotlight: Forest City Film Festival 2025

From Detroit, Michigan, to Hamilton, Ontario, 18-year-old Dean Youngblood leaves his father and brother to join the Hamilton Mustangs. For his entire life, Dean has been trained by his father to be a tough hockey player, one who takes shit from no one. From his fathers lifelong coaching, Dean has been molded to be a young man who never backs down from a brawl, both on and off the ice.

His loose temper begins to cause problems for his game, and tensions rise between him and his new coach at the Mustangs. Dean’s first instinct is to stay on the offensive, solving his issues with a fist to the face. As he soon learns, his father’s approach to the game with violence may cost him his future.

Featuring: Oluniké Adeliyi, Evan Buliung, Shawn Doyle, Allan Hawco, Dylan Hawco, Ashton James, Joris Jarsky, Emidio Lopes, Donald MacLean Jr. Alexandra McDonald, Ty Neckar, Henri Picard, Tamara Podemski, Matt Wells

Premieres Saturday, October 25 at 4:30 p.m.

After Matt is separated from his wife and unborn child amidst a global outbreak that leads to a zombie apocalypse, he is soon faced with escaping the military and navigating new and sudden dire circumstances in an attempt to reunite with his family.

Matt receives a message from his wife claiming that she is seeking safety in a remote family cabin, but when Matt and his two companions arrive, they find it deserted. As they work to utilize the shelter and resources and form a system of survival, their isolation causes psychological and emotional strain, making collaboration and motivation difficult.

Featuring: Joel Ballanger

Premieres Saturday, October 25 at 9:15 p.m.

A story of friendship, resilience and survival, Nika & Madison follows two young Indigenous women’s fight against a system plagued by injustice.

Visiting the reserve following her newfound life in the big city, Madison is met with a cold shoulder from childhood best friend Nika. But when Madison finds herself at the hands of a predatory police officer, she narrowly escapes with the help of Nika, albeit with dangerous consequences. Fleeing from the scene of the crime, the two are faced with a tough decision to make, and a chance to mend what’s been broken.

Featuring: Star Slade, Ellyn Jade, Amanda Brugel, Shawn Doyle, Billy Merasty, Gail Maurice, David Reale, Thomas-Dylan Cook, Jennifer Podemski

Premieres Saturday, November 1 at 12:15 p.m.

After being fired from her finance job in New York City, Misha goes back to her hometown of London, ON. Upon return, her father thrusts her into running his hostel, leaving her with a hilariously chaotic work environment that may or may not involve five dead raccoons.

Featuring: Natalia Gracious, Carlos Albornoz, Jean Yoon, Izaak Smith, Sean Cullen, Ali Hassan, Christian C V Smith

Shorts Program: Forest City Frames; Premieres Wednesday, October 29 at 4:15 p.m.

Struggling between a deportation notice, a boss who won’t pay up, love, and thoughts of his family back home, Sukhi struggles to find his way in Canada.

Featuring: Siddharth Sharma, Alexandra Floras-Matic, Al Mukadam, Watson Rose, Ali Hassan, Mark Taylor, Brennan Martin
Shorts Program: Against the Tide; Premieres Sunday, November 2 at 10 a.m.

When martial law is declared in 1980s Poland, a single mother stands at the frontlines of the Solidarity Movement. Against an oppressive government, Ewa is determined to provide her son with a better future.

Featuring: Ewa Wolniczek, Taylor Wint

Shorts Program: Against the Tide; Premieres Sunday, November 2 at 10 a.m.

In this ode to understudies everywhere, renowned Canadian theatre veteran Tom Rooney plays an understudy actor who receives a call that he must go on last-minute to replace the star of a major stage production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

Featuring: Mia SwamiNathan, Maria Vacratsis

Shorts Program: Future Trailblazers; Premieres Tuesday, October 28 at 12 p.m.

Spanning from the 1950s to modern day, a woman bakes a cake as a quiet but defiant act of self expression, confronting challenges to her autonomy.

Featuring: Leah Magdalen

Shorts Program: Collection of Curiosities; Premieres Sunday, October 26 at 10 a.m.

Racewalkers follows a struggling racewalking coach and a washed-up MLB player who form an unexpected alliance when presented with the opportunity to take on the world of racewalking at a higher level than ever before.

Featuring: Robbie Amell, Ryan Blakely, Greg Bryk, Kevin Claydon, Rebekah Miskin, Phil Moniz, Jessica Salguiero; Stunt Coordinator: Don Stockford

Premieres Sunday, October 26 at 4 p.m.

Canadian teenager Aryan has been working his entire life to become a fighting champion. He trains excessively and puts his job above everything else. But his girlfriend, Eden, has other plans that may threaten his idea of happiness. Aryan must learn to consider the needs of others before he loses them for good. Twenty-two year old American Zavier quit university to fight professionally, but an accident leaves his knee damaged. Now Zavier is unemployed with no way of paying for school or his surgery. After reaching an all-time low, he discovers a way to make quick cash fast—a mixed martial arts tournament. But Zavier will have to overcome obstacles if he wants to make it professionally. Aryan and Zavier train separately for the same tournament with very different methods. Only one can be the winner, but which one has what it takes?

Featuring: George St-Pierre, Dempsey Bryk, Amir Bageria; Stunt Coordinator: Wayne Wells

Premieres Sunday, October 26 at 8:45 p.m.

Struggling salesman Joe “Magic” Magidon is promised infomercial stardom that could change his life forever. The Magic Chop is set to make waves with Joe’s aggressive, pushy, and raunchy schtik – that’s just part of the act! But wait… something’s not quite right about Joe.

Featuring: Rachel Cucheron, Allain Lupien, Cynthia Crofoot

Shorts Program: Collection of Curiosities; Premieres Sunday, October 26 at 10 a.m.

In a world where lab-grown humans are the norm, detectives Vern and O’Conner are tasked with investigating the mysterious death of an unidentified subject. As their case unravels, hidden motives become revealed and the violent nature of the “natural-borns” are exposed.

Featuring: Dianne Aguilar, Michael Lipka, Kym Wyatt McKenzie

Shorts Program: Digital Dreamers; Premieres Thursday, October 30 at 4 p.m.

A swordfighter in a world full of monsters and magic attempts to get rid of a cursed amulet that will not leave his side, in this remake of the ’80s fantasy adventure. Wherever Deathstalker goes, death follows. After coming across a battlefield littered with the corpses of fallen warriors, Deathstalker picks up an amulet from a corpse, soon finding that regardless of how hard he tries to get rid of it, the amulet continues to appear in his pocket. Consulting a witch in the woods, Deathstalker finds that this is no simple curse that has fallen upon him, and goes on a quest to cleanse himself, finding the fate of the land hanging in the balance in the process.

Featuring: Christina Orjalo, Nicholas Rice; Stunt Coordinator: Tony Chung

Premieres Friday, October 31 at 8:45 p.m.

Twins Lily and Sam are determined to uncover the truth behind their mother’s untimely death and her connection to the supernatural while living with their father on a remote homestead in 1931 Oregon.

Featuring: Clare Coulter, Patricia Phillips, Martin Julien; Stunt Coordinator: Billy Oliver

Premieres Saturday, October 25 at 12:15 p.m.

After a woman wakes to find her partner speaking gibberish, she tries to reconnect to him without words to determine if her future happiness is with him or without.

Featuring: Jennifer De Lucia, Daniel Stolfi, Miguel Rivas, Harmeet Bhati

Shorts Program: Collection of Curiosities; Premieres Sunday, October 26 at 10 a.m.