INDIEWRAP

In Liquor Bank, writer-director Marcellus Cox follows a former Marine whose relapse just before a year of sobriety leads to a difficult encounter with his sponsor. Inspired by Eddie Mohler’s real-life experiences, the short draws on extensive conversations with veterans and people in recovery, as well as Cox’s own relationship with alcohol. We spoke with the filmmaker about finding honesty in his characters, creating tension within a confined space, and the importance of letting others show up for us.

Adapted from Nicholas Gurewitch’s wordless graphic novel, A Little Death transforms the Grim Reaper into the centre of an unexpectedly tender story about parenthood, mentorship, and learning to let another generation find its own way. Directed by Leto Meade and Jonathan Rockefeller, the hand-drawn animated short combines gothic imagery, dark comedy, intricate printmaking textures, and rare bursts of colour to create a world that feels both macabre and deeply human.

In Last Stand at Butte City, writer-director Natalie Schwan turns the familiar language of the Western inward. Set against the vast landscapes of 1880 Montana, the short follows Charlotte, an isolated rancher whose fight to save her homestead from the advancing railroad forces her to confront decades of buried grief.