Hardcore

Cairo Calling

February 2005 •English

Ahmed is in for the shock of his life when his mother calls from Cairo to announce her imminent visit to Montreal . He has to clean up his act to get ready for her arrival. He convinces his entourage to play along for the duration of her stay, telling them that the visit is a short one. But Mother has other plans... She is a woman on a mission and is ready to stay for as long as it takes for her to see it through. In fact, she has an open ticket! Ahmed's patience as well as his friends' will be severely tested as his mother tries to bring her old world values into their lives. But she too will get tested when she realizes the true meaning of the old saying : be careful what you wish for, it may just come true...

Terminal

June 2013 •German

George, stoic and overprotective, travels to Zurich with his daughter Rachel. One is planning physician-assisted suicide; the other has just one day left to intervene.

Echo

September 2023 •English

A reframing of the classic tale of Narcissus, the director draws on snippets of conversation with a trusted friend to muse on gender and identity. Just as shimmers are difficult to grasp as knowable entities, so does the concept of a gendered self feel unknowable except through reflection. Is it Narcissus that Echo truly longs for, or simply the Knowing he possesses when gazing upon himself?

On the Hunt

February 2017 •French

Twenty-year-old Anaïs works with her father on a farm that is struggling to keep operating. When their fertilizer distribution machine, borrowed from the farming cooperative, is stolen, Anaïs reacts, and fights in order to continue working, and to keep her father, on the brink of giving up and selling their farm, afloat. She also grows closer with a seasonal worker who she suspects is behind the robbery.

Die Lizenz

January 2017 •German

After two years of waiting, Adam and Ellas first part of the application for a „licence to procreate“ has been successfully reviewed. To complete the process, the request is followed up with an obligatory and final interview in the intimacy of their home. Their fate is now in the hands of the government clerk Gudrun Paschke.

The Third One

March 2014 •Spanish

After meeting in a chat room, Fede (22) arrives at a downtown building to have an intimate encounter with a gay couple older than him. As the night unfolds, Fede has an intense and telling experience. The next morning finds him different, as if suddenly he had found a new possible way to love.

Flow

January 2011 •English

An odd young woman paralyzed by severe OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), discovers dance as way to deal with her rituals.

Bubble Gummed Girl

April 2018 •German

Emma is addicted to chewing gum and in the middle of puberty, but doesn't really want to admit it. She doesn't want to do anything with her sandpit friend Lasse other than swinging, playing with her father's railroad world and chewing gum - nothing should change. But Lasse suddenly has a girlfriend and, even worse, he's also interested in sex.

Fuego Fatuo

March 2022 •Spanish

Noé receives a call announcing that they have found a woman who is most likely his daughter who disappeared 15 years ago.

Sunflower Nicky

Invalid date •English

Eight year old Nicolas dreams of owning a Nikki doll, but when his dream becomes a reality it sends a shift through his home as his parents grapple with their beliefs of how their young son should express himself.

Caleb

July 2015 •English

A boy steps out of a 3D printer to meet his maker...

Elephant

May 2023 •Polish

Bartek lives in a village in the Podhale region, where he runs a small farm and takes care of his lonely and possessive mother. One day he meets Dawid, a slightly older man who comes to visit his family after many years of absence. Affection quickly develops between the two, followed by desire that Bartek suppressed for years.

Wei Baba

September 2024 •English

A woman introduces her Chinese dad to her American Jewish boyfriend and manipulates their language barrier to keep everyone happy.

Turning Point

May 2017 •English

A teen begins to rebel against his over protective father and friend after being pushed to his turning point.

Caramel

November 2020 •English

A teenager comes to terms with his place in the world when he learns of his mother’s immoral past the day before his grandfather’s funeral.

Johann Strauß an der schönen blauen Donau

November 1913 •German

Traces

March 2014 •English

A young woman, captured on CCTV on a night out, describes her readiness for whatever fate has in store for her.

A Psychic Mom

September 1993 •English

A psychic suburban mother--with an affinity for Doris Day films--begins a spiritual journey beyond the confines of her neighborhood and failed nuclear family experience.

American Beauty

September 1999 •English

Lester Burnham, a depressed suburban father in a mid-life crisis, decides to turn his hectic life around after developing an infatuation with his daughter's attractive friend.

Le dernier voyage

June 2023 •French

Maodo returns to his home in Nouakchott after a long trip. He resumes his old job as a traveling merchant to support his family. One night, the young family man returns late, which deeply worries his wife and son, who wander around the city looking for his whereabouts.