A spotlight on short documentaries. From intimate portraits to powerful social reflections, this program celebrates filmmakers who turn real life into compelling cinema.
PAUL THE DOWSER:
Opening a Portal to the 5th Dimension
Kire Paputts | Canada | 2023 | 22m
Join Paul The Dowser as he opens a portal to the 5th dimension and interacts with the entities that come through it.
Kire Paputts is a lover of cinema, animals, fitness, garage sales, and Olive Garden. He is an award-winning Canadian producer/director whose films center around outsider culture. People and characters on the fringes whose voices are often silenced or overlooked. His company Made By Other People was started in 2014 and is a boutique film production company that strives to create high-quality and bold entertainment no matter the scope of project or size of budget.
THE INVISIBLE HIPPO OF GRIEF:
AN ADOPTION STORY
Donna Szőke | 2025 | 18m
This film investigates the Canadian Baby Scoop Adoption Era (1945-1985) during which over 400,000 newborns were placed through closed adoption to new families. Most “birth mothers” were aged 15 to 19, and most lived in Canadian government-funded maternity group homes run by religious orders where they were enculturated into silence and compliance.
History reveals the babies were taken—the first mothers did not give informed consent. First mothers were often subject to neglect, abuse, and dangerous medical procedures. The Canadian Baby Scoop Adoption Era directly involved at least 1.8 million Canadians—including infants, birth parents, and adoptive parents—yet the era remains largely a secret tidal wave of births, a missing chapter of Canadian history. The federal government has refused to apologize for their part in this era, despite Senate recommendation in 2018. This project does not address the Indigenous “60’s Scoop”.
Donna Szőke’s artworks investigate ideas of immanence, embodied perception, the fluidity of lived experience, and non-visual knowledge. Her work circulates as video art, animation, installation, publications, and public art. She has shown in Canada, the United States, France, Germany, Hungary, Croatia, Cuba, Turkey, UAE, and South Korea. She is an Associate Professor of Visual Arts and received the Faculty of Humanities Award for Excellence in Research and Creative Activity at Brock University (Canada) in 2017. She teaches video art and honours visual art studio practice. Her students are glorious creatures of their own creation.
Check out MNFF 2025’s Media Artist Spotlight: Donna Szőke.
A PLACE TO HOPE
Daniel Mateo Carpio Santa Cruz | 2024 | 18m
A Place To Hope explores the emotional and social realities refugees face from war and persecution, portraying their stories with profound empathy and urgency. It is distinguished by its emotional depth and addresses societal issues through an intimate, human lens.
Daniel Mateo Carpio Santa Cruz is a Peruvian filmmaker currently based in Canada. At 23 years old, he has spent the past three years pursuing his passion for storytelling through the Broadcasting – Radio, Television, and Film program at Niagara College. Since childhood, Daniel has been fascinated by the power of narrative to inspire and move audiences. His decision to leave his family and homeland to study film abroad was challenging and transformative, a step he views as essential to fulfilling his artistic ambitions. In 2024, he directed his debut short documentary, A Place to Hope, as his thesis project.
ADAM’S APPLE
Lex Van Es and Celeste Skye Ruiz | 2025 | 12m
Adam’s Apples is a short documentary following Adam, the passionate owner of Fonthill Family Fruit Farm, as he transitions from conventional to organic apple farming. Faced with financial strain, changing consumer demands, and the unpredictability of nature, Adam remains committed to ethical, sustainable practices.
Lex van Es is a graduate of the Niagara College TV and Film Production Program. After entering the broadcasting program at Niagara College, he found his strengths in Assistant Directing, Editing, and Grip work. Adam's Apples is Lex's directorial debut.
Celeste Skye Ruiz is a filmmaker, visual storyteller, and Niagara College graduate, with a background in Visual Arts from Sheridan. Her work blends thoughtful narratives with strong visual design, often exploring themes of identity, sustainability, and connection.
HAUS
Anthony Arcuri | 2025 | 6m
HAUS follows drag king St. John Boy and their Haus of The Holy Spirit, as they try to create a space for up-and-coming artists in Hamilton’s queer/alternative scene.
Anthony Arcuri is a Canadian filmmaker based out of the Niagara Region.