‘Elliot’ (doc) (Matthew Bauckman and Jaret Belliveau dir.) The bizarre story of Elliot “White Lightning” Scott, who plans on becoming Canada’s first action hero with his low-budget karate epic, Blood Fight.This surreal documentary captures two years in the lives of a passionate amateur filmmaker, his supportive partner Linda Lum, and their cast and crew of outrageous dreamers – all striving to achieve success. Jaret Belliveau has a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the film.

‘Huntington’s Dance’ (most compelling personal journey) (Chris Furbee dir.) The story of one man’s reckoning with his family’s brutal, hereditary disease: Huntington’s Disease. This first person account brings the viewer intimately into their lives. We see his denial, his mother’s death, his grappling with being tested and his eventual diagnosis. His path from caretaker, to victim to activist is tracked in a unique diary fashion over the course of 18 years.

Special Awards:

‘The Greggs’ (spirit of slamdance) (Bruce Bundy, Nigel DeFriez, Rob Malone, Kira Pearson, Alex Mechanik, Jessie Levandov, Jonathan Rosenblit dir.) The esoteric and secluded group responsible for the creation of the world’s standardized tests must find a way to adapt when their way of life is threatened by dissent within their ranks.

‘Sometimes I Dream I’m Flying’ (Blackmagic design cinematography award) (Aneta Popiel-Machnicka dir.) Weronika is a young, outstandingly talented dancer. Since she was ten years old ballet has been her entire life, day in day out, striving for excellence. Weronika’s private life, pain, loneliness and exhaustion remain somewhere in the background, brushed aside, until she suffers a serious injury just two days before a performance that is vital to her career, at the Berlin Opera.

‘Love Steaks’ (Slamdance Trailer Competition Grand Prize) (Jakob Lass dir.) A luxury hotel. Steaks frizzle, muffintops getting massaged. Clemens (rare) joins the wellness area as a rookie. Lara (well-done) needs to assert herself in the kitchen pack. The elevator brings the two of them together. Hanging in dependence. They encounter each other, until they clash.

– Donal O’Connor