The Nickel Independent Film Festival will continue its over two-decades of celebrating and nurturing Newfoundland and Labrador’s independent film culture with its 2026 run, taking place at LSPU Hall from June 22–28.
This year’s program features a curated selection of the top local and international feature films, documentaries, and short films, alongside free panel discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities for filmmakers, storytellers, and film enthusiasts across St. John’s.
Below is a brief overview of this year’s screenings.
‘Hangshore:’ Monday, June 22 at 7:00 p.m. | SOLD OUT
Hangshore (2026)
Director: Justin Oakey
Run-time: 87 minutes
Winner of Best Feature at Fog Fest and recipient of the DGC Ontario Award for Best Director at the Canadian Film Festival.
History’s Headlines (2026)
Director: Jeff Lewis
Run-time: 17 minutes
Uiksaringitara or ‘Wrong Husband:’ Tuesday, June 23 at 7:00 p.m. | 1 film
Director: Zacharias Kunuk
Run-time: 100 minutes
Winner of Best Canadian Film at TIFF 2025.
‘A little Tenderness:’ Wednesday, June 24 at 7:00 p.m. | 7 shorts
Bad News Go to Therapy (2026)
Director: Jana Gillis
Run-time: 6 minutes
The Dress (2026)
Director: Lynn Panting
Run-time: 8 minutes
Kid Me Not (2026)
Director: Nathalie Javault
Run-time: 6 minutes
Candles (2026)
Director: Kwame Lestrade
Run-time: 13 minutes
Last Love Letter (2026)
Director: Rhonda Buckley
Run-time: 6 minutes
Jazz Infernal (2026)
Director: Will Niava
Run-time: 16 minutes
Intercambio (2026)
Director: Amaia Yoldi
Run-time: 14 minutes
‘Love, Almost:’ Thursday, June 25 at 7:00 p.m. | 5 shorts
Sawdust (2026)
Director: Ashley Neary
Run-time: 9 minutes
My Plastic Mother (2026)
Director: Amar Haikal
Run-time: 19 minutes
Recipient of the Grand Jury Prize at Fickerfest; qualified for the 2027 Oscars race.
Julian and the Wind (2026)
Director: Connor Jessup
Run-time: 15 minutes
Second Place (2026)
Director: Andrea Dunne
Run-time: 15 minutes
Casi Septiembre (2026)
Director: LUCÍA G. Romero
Run-time: 30 minutes
‘The Darkest Timeline:’ Thursday, June 25 at 10:00 p.m. | 7 shorts
(For Once I Dreamed of You) (2026)
Director: Kate Solar
Run-time: 6 minutes
Black Hole (2026)
Director: Brianna Russell
Run-time: 12 minutes
And I Would Be Beautiful (2026)
Director: Mathilde george
Run-time: 10 minutes
Volcelest (2026)
Director: Eric Briche
Run-time: 15 minutes
Flickers (2026)
Director: Alexa Jane Jerrett
Run-time: 6 minutes
Coyotes (2026)
Director: Said Zagha
Run-time: 20 minutes
Selected for the 2025 Berlinale Shorts competition.
The Spectacle (2026)
Director: BÁLINT KENYERES
Run-time: 17 minutes
Competited at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.
‘DIY Sci-Fi Screening:’ Friday, June 26 at 7:00 p.m.
Showcases the results of the ten-day challenge to create a sci-fi short film and have it shown at the Nickel Festival.
‘Things Get Weird:’ Friday, June 26 at 10:00 p.m. | 7 shorts
Radio Hell (2026)
Director: Bart K Pierson
Run-time: 13 minutes
Technophobic (2026)
Director: Michael Peers & Yasmine Majchrzak
Run-time: 8 minutes
Finger Guns (2026)
Director: David Feehan
Run-time: 10 minutes
An Interview with the Devil (2026)
Director: Peter Collins
Run-time: 16 minutes
Luz Diabla (2026)
Director: Gervasio Canda, Paula Boffo, & Patricio Plaza
Run-time: 11 minutes
Oliver (2026)
Director: Andrew Strickland
Run-time: 13 minutes
Pimple (2026)
Director: Fernando Alle
Run-time: 4 minutes
‘People’s History:’ Saturday, June 27 at 2:30 p.m. | 6 documentaries
If They’re Not Dead, They’re Still Alive (2026)
Director: MAÏKA HEARSON
Run-time: 10 minutes
The Lines She Carries (2026)
Director: Crystal Martin
Run-time: 11 minutes
No Matter the Weather (2026)
Director: Florence Lafond
Run-time: 15 minutes
Free Fish (2026)
Director: Bisan Owda
Run-time: 23 minutes
Motel Grand-Pré (2026)
Director: Calvin Liu
Run-time: 15 minutes
Winner of the Canadian Society of Cinematographers Award and Air Canada Best Short Film Award.
Lorraine (2026)
Director: Allison Basha & David Gosine
Run-time: 15 minutes
‘Hope After All:’ Saturday, June 27 at 7:00 p.m. | 6 shorts
Balconada (2026)
Director: Iva Tokmakchieva
Run-time: 8 minutes
Sydney (2026)
Director: Grant Earl Macintosh
Run-time: 17 minutes
We Were the Scenery (2026)
Director: Christopher Radcliff
Run-time: 15 minutes
Recipient of the Short FIlm Jury Award at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
The Muse (2026)
Director: Wanda Nolan
Run-time: 18 minutes
Sulaimani (2026)
Director: Vinnoe Ann Bose
Run-time: 20 minutes
Pique-Nique (2026)
Director: JÉRÉMY GAGNON
Run-time: 9 minutes
‘Labrador in Focus:’ Sunday, June 28 at 2:30 p.m. | 6 shorts
Note: these short films are to screen at The Rooms.
Rocks (2024)
Director: Students of Sheshatshiu Innu School
Run-time: 6 minutes
Talent Show (2024)
Director: Students of Mealy Mountain Collegiate
Run-time: 7 minutes
Stagefright (2026)
Director: Adam Hill
Run-time: 14 minutes
Partridge Cleaning (2026)
Director: Arctic Moss Studios
Run-time: 5 minutes
Lydia Campbell (2026)
Director: Them Days
Run-time: 13 minutes
The Labrador Creative Arts Festival (2026)
Director: Amanda Bulman & RODRIGO IÑIGUEZ
Run-time: 60 minutes
‘Striking Out the Boys:’ Sunday, June 28 at 7:00 p.m. | 3 films
Me and the Spaceman (2026)
Director: Eric William Elliot
Run-time: 14 minutes
Le Tour De Canada (2026)
Director: John Hollands
Run-time: 6 minutes
Striking Out the Boys (2026) | **WORLD PREMIER**
Director: Kelly Meadus
Run-time: 70 minutes
Film tickets are ‘pay what you can’ with a $10 minimum. Festival passes are available for $60 and allow viewers to reserve tickets for any screening. Tickets and passes can be purchased in-person at the LSPU Hall box office or online on the Nickel Festival website.
