CK International Film Festival

Chatham-Kent International Film Festival (CKIFF)

This marks the 8th Annual Chatham-Kent International Film Festival. This year we have films from local film makers (Chatham-Kent, London and Windsor) as well as China, Palestine, Iran, Italy, Mexica, Poland, South Korea and more. At the CKIFF you can travel the world through film at a fraction of the cost of traveling.

Screenings will be showed in both the Kiwanis Theatre and Studio One (Chatham Cultural Centre). Please follow posted signage.

There will be an Awards Ceremony at the Kiwanis Theatre on Sunday, November 8th at 8:30pm. FREE to attend. No pass required.

Each day sold separately. There will be no single movie blocks.

CKIFF Passes

Friday, November 6th Pass: $12.00 (Includes both the 7:00pm and 9:30pm film showing at the Kiwanis Theatre – showings listed below)
Saturday, November 7th Pass: $24.00 (Includes the 12:00pm, 2:30pm, 6:00pm and 9:00pm showings at Studio One and Kiwanis Theatre – showings listed below)
Sunday, November 8th Pass: $18.00 (Includes the 12:00pm, 2:30pm, and 6:00pm showings at the Kiwanis Theatre – showings listed below)
Weekend Pass: $45.00 (Includes all film blocks for all 3 days)

CKIFF Showings Schedule

Friday, November 6, 2026

Block 1 (Kiwanis Theatre) – 7:00pm

1. Hockey Mom – Canada – 6 min – Melissa, a perpetually distracted working mom, shows up to her 14 year old daughter Ava’s hockey game having forgotten the one thing that matters most: Ava’s goalie stick. With the game about to start and her daughter already humiliated, Melissa has to find a way to make it right – before she loses more than just the game
2. The Ropes – Canada – 18 min – ‘The Ropes’ is a heartwarming underdog comedy about a small-town family’s fight to reclaim their backyard after losing it in a backyard wrestling match.
3. Half Unseen – Islamic Republic of Iran – 11 min – My mother was sure she was going to have twins, but then she just gave birth to me. Of course, everyone except herself knew we weren’t going to be twins, but my mother always believed what she wanted, not what was… and I ended up being an only twin, or a twin with an only son, or something along those lines.
4. The Nook – Canada – 10 min – With their credit cards maxed out and no hope of paying their ever-increasing rent, roommates Jenny and Jane decide to sublet a sliver of space in their cramped downtown apartment — a space they lovingly call “the nook.” But when a string of unusually eccentric characters apply, they realize that city living may mean giving up the peaceful sense of normalcy they once knew.
5. Behind the Castle Doors: The Origin of The Hilarious House of Frightenstein – Canada – 1 hr 5 min – When the Markowitz brothers pitched their idea for a “pseudo-horror” TV show for kids, they promised a celebrity would be a part of it. Vincent Price. A contract was signed for 130 hour-long episodes, but there was one problem. They didn’t know Vincent!

Block 2 (Kiwanis Theatre) – 9:30pm

1. Inspiration in White – Canada – 10 min – A struggling comic book artist has trouble coming up with a new idea and the clock is ticking, but a mysterious encounter leads him to self discovery.
2. The Ride – Canada – 10 min – A late-night drive has Sean and Louis reflecting on their journey through surrogacy.
3. A Night With Nathan – Canada – 1 hr 39 min – A womanizing alcoholic and the son of one of his flings become unlikely friends over the course of one night that may change both of them forever.

Saturday, November 7, 2026

Chatham-Kent Youth Film Awards (Studio One, Chatham Cultural Centre): 9:30am FREE admission (ticket required – get at door or www.cktickets.com)

Youth Film Line-up

1. Immigrant – This film is an animation about a woman who is forced to be an immigrant due to her love for her country and family.
2. A Knock at the Door – A fun movie night with friends takes a terrifying turn
   when everyone hears a knock at the door.
3. The Hunted – A hiker gets separated from his friends and is suddenly attacked by zombies.
4. I.R.D. – B.I.R.D conveys the story of a man, who like all conspiracists, walks a thin line between surrendering to a torrent of false notions and the possibility of discovering the truth.
5. The Last I Missed
6. How I Met Your Father
7. Tick
8. Holding On To Xiao
9. Skin – In a silent bedroom lit by her phone, a teenager’s thoughts reveal the quiet damage of comparing herself to filtered lives on social media.
10. Finding Rhythm – Amid the pressure of his band’s debut performance, a drummer strains to keep time and rhythm under the scrutiny of an unforgiving audience; only to lead to a profound realization that changes everything.
11. Revolution – After a simple command crosses a line, one boy becomes witness to a revolution that he never meant to start.
12. Primitive – In 2035, Iris uses her AI for everything. But when her AI runs out of battery, she’s left with… herself. Welcome to the future of helplessness.
13. Cooked – Armed only with his mom’s instructions, a clueless boy’s attempt to cook dinner is seasoned with chaos and served with a side of mayhem.
14. The Philosophers Stone – Short stop motion animated film
15. Rebirth
16. Stained
17. Melted
18. It’s All in the Eyes
19. A Night Without You – In the hours after a breakup, a boy breaks curfew and finds comfort in a stranger, knowing the night will end before the feeling does.
20. Home – A reserved college student reluctantly shares a deeply personal love story with his best friend, recounting a vibrant, complicated “relationship” that shaped his childhood and still tugs at his heart, forcing him to confront what he truly left behind.
21. Hotpot – At their first hotpot date, two high schoolers are pushed to their limits by language barriers, rising heat, and an evening that refuses to go smoothly.
22. Emilie

Block 3 (Studio One, Chatham Cultural Centre) – 12:00pm

1. Rusty Fish – Islamic Republic of Iran – 6 min – The story revolves around a hunter who relentlessly and without regard for the consequences of his behavior, destroys the environment around him. He not only hunts animals, but also, with a domineering spirit, disrupts the delicate balance of nature. In his view, nature is merely a resource for exploitation; lifeless, defenseless, and doomed to surrender.
2. Fantastic 4X2 – Italy – 17 min – Four strangers, each with a superpower, are sent without explanation to a small, sparsely populated town..
3. About My Mom – Turkey – 1 hr 30 min – Caner, who went to Germany to study at university, returns to Türkiye to attend the fifth anniversary commemoration of his mother’s death, and is greeted at the airport by his father Muharrem, whom he has not seen for a long time. Caner, who is going to set off on a long journey to the countryside of Türkiye to attend the commemoration where all the relatives will gather and perform religious rituals with his father, whom he sees as responsible for his mother’s death, enters into a fierce struggle with his father on this journey. In this journey, where the sociopolitical environment of the country forms the background, things will get even more complicated when Caner’s mother gets involved between the father and son on a dark night. A modern Oedipus Complex story…

Block 4 (Kiwanis Theatre) – 2:30pm

1. Don’t Mind Me – Canada – 7 min – A bands performance for a near-empty bar brings a couple together to share an intimate dance.
2. Face-Off – Canada – 10 min – A freezing night wraps around a neighborhood outdoor rink. Théo, 14, skates alone in circles, as if trying to outrun something that’s haunting him. Then, a presence emerges. His father. Words are exchanged, eyes meet. But beneath the surface, what unfolds goes far beyond appearances: regrets, silences, an unspoken need for answers. Théo carries a buildup of emotions he can no longer contain, and this night may well tip everything over. Nearby, Gabriel, his friend, watches the scene alongside his grandfather Paul, a silent witness to a moment that feels larger than life.
3. Adas Felesteen – State of Palestine – 8 min – “Palestine Lentils” is a documentary film that tells the story of a Palestinian chef and his role in using his hobby as a shield against the famine caused by the war on Gaza, preserving the spirit of resilience and hope within his community.
4. Hell – United States of America – 5 min – A place where dreams are real, wishes come true, and everything is always awful for everyone. The first installment of the Hard Times anthology, Hell, follows the patriarch of a dying farm on the outskirts of Ash Harbor as he is methodically ground down by the machinery of despair. What begins as endurance curdles into something far more existential, a portrait of collapse told through dust, labor, and silence.
5. Thinking Beyond the Market: A Film About Genuinely Affordable Housing – Canada – 1 hr 26 min – Housing is one of the biggest challenges facing our country and one of the most hotly debated issues. Everyone’s talking about it, but we aren’t always asking the right questions. Instead of focusing on how much housing we need, we also need to look at what kind of housing and for whom? There are genuine solutions to the housing crisis. But while many are already happening, they are often hiding in plain sight. Join Dr Brian Doucet, Planning Professor at the University of Waterloo, as he goes coast-to-coast to uncover some of the project, policies and programs that are already making a difference across Canada..

Block 5 (Kiwanis Theatre) – 6:00pm

1. Cicadas – Canada – 4 min – The official music video for “Cicadas” by Becca Bartlett.
2. Eyes in the Woods – Canada – 15 min – An OUTtv Original Series. Deep in the woods, Sam and Brooklyn grapple with two vastly different secrets. One that feels inevitable. One that is too strange to ignore. As fractured histories, park rangers, and the pull of the unknown converge, they must decide whether to fear what waits in the dark unknown, or embrace it as the only truth left to trust.
3. Therion – Canada – 9 min – A secluded lakeside cottage in the woods becomes the stage for a chilling transformation, as an unseen darkness within its lone occupant begins to surface.
4. Freshman – China, United Kingdom – 25 min – Wang Xiang, a passionate police academy freshman, interns at a police station in an unfamiliar city, eager to pursue his dream of catching criminals. However, an unpredictable journey is about to begin…
5. code:\BlackOut – Canada – 13 min – When John and Emma move into their new house, John discovers mysterious digital secrets, hidden in their garage. But who’s and why? A sci-fi thriller proof-of-concept about the duality of old and new technology and where society fits in between.
6. A Civil, Civil Servant – United States of America – 37 min – ​A veteran civil servant takes on greater and greater roles as his colleagues are terminated leading him to a final confrontation with the occupant of the Oval Office.

Block 6 (Kiwanis Theatre) – 9:00pm

1. What’s Kept Inside – Mexico – 18 min – Karla (15) juggles the weight of caring for her sick father, her neurodivergent younger brother, and keeping their home afloat. But when a chance to stop the daily bullying her brother faces presents itself, she decides it’s time to act.
2. Time Eater – Canada – 13 min – A grandmother suffering from undiagnosed dementia has her home invaded while she’s babysitting her granddaughter.
3. Head Like A Hole – Canada – 1 hr 32 min – In financial dire straits, a man accepts a strange, high-paying job where he must take up residence in a home and measure a hole in the wall of the basement to determine whether or not it’s growing. Head Like A Hole is a raw, no-budget outsider film crafted with pure DIY spirit. Shot in just seven days, this film showcases the director’s relentless creativity, handling everything from lighting and cinematography to editing and VFX. With only a location sound recordist joining him behind the scenes, this movie is a must-see for anyone who craves the sheer audacity and grit of no-budget regional genre film making.

Sunday, November 8, 2026

Block 7 (Studio One) – 12:00pm

1. Carp Fear – Canada – 12 min – Carp Fear takes audiences on a journey to discover the most detrimental threat to the Great Lakes: Invasive Carp. Through interviewing anglers, biologists, and members of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Carp Fear uncovers this threat, and teaches audiences what they can do to prevent it.
2. You Say We Aren’t Objects – Canada – 12 min – A collection of anonymously shared stories detailing women’s experiences of sexualization, showcasing that it may not be every man,’ but it is every woman.     Content Advisory: Sexual Content – Descriptions of sexual assault and harassment
3. Brampton Batman – Canada – 8 min – Dressed as a real-life version of the dark knight, Brampton Batman has patrolled the city’s streets for over a decade. A man on a mission, he adopted the Batman persona as a way to give back to the community, bringing joy and inspiration where it’s often needed most. What started as simple acts of goodwill, has turned into something much bigger—transforming him into a local legend and a figurehead of hope. This documentary explores the origins of his career and explores what it means to be a hero in the modern world. Through archival footage, studio interviews, and street interviews, his journey is highlighted in a way that emphasizes the importance of community. At its core, this documentary aims to tell the story of how Brampton Batman has left a positive effect on his community by simply being himself.
4. From The Ashes – Canada – 18 min – Set against the backdrop of Hamilton’s firefighting community, “From the Ashes” highlights the women who step into the heat. Weaving together candid interviews and immersive footage, this short film reveals the grit, resilience, and camaraderie of female firefighters while challenging outdated perceptions and sparking vital conversations.
5. Canoe Carry Me Home – Canada – 44 min – ​When Indigenous filmmaker Derek Sands discovers his great-great-grandfather Austin Sands’ century-old dugout canoe in a museum collection, he returns home to Walpole Island First Nation to rebuild it with his community. What begins as a search for a family heirloom becomes a powerful journey of cultural renewal, inter generational healing, and bringing a story home.

Block 8 (Studio One) – 2:30pm

1. Genius vs Genius – Canada – 11 min – ​Two teenage rivals compete in a Robo-Clash competition. During the final face-off, their bots go rogue, and they’re forced to work together and stop them.
2. Mary Ann – Canada – 7 min – MARY ANN is the remarkable story of a black abolitionist, teacher, lawyer, and the first woman to publish a newspaper in Canada. Called The Provincial Freeman, her newspaper advocated freedom and support to enslaved people escaping to Canada on the Underground Railroad. Mary Ann’s descendant, Michelle Robbins, Curator of Buxton National Historic Site and Museum, plays her in this film, one of three shorts from the Women Making History trilogy, about pioneering women from Canadian history.
3. New Midlife Disco – Canada – 3 min – New Midlife Disco depicts the “second act” of life for the new midlife generation, portraying individuals who once again step forward as the protagonists of their own stories. Rather than dwelling on nostalgia for youth, the film looks toward the present and the future, where they move forward with greater agency. Through music and movement, the video sings of dreams and hopes that continue to burn—affirming that life, even in midlife, remains a space for choice, desire, and becoming.
4. Entree – Canada – 4 min – Cheffrey gets home from a long day at work. He’s hungry, tired, and stubborn. He tries and tries to make something satisfying to eat, but can’t seem to get it right
5. Pressberry Chapter 0 – Forward – Canada – 15 min – Pressberry is an ongoing fantasy adventure presented as a weekly web series and digital audiobook, blending serialized storytelling with the accessibility of modern online entertainment. Each week, audiences return for a new chapter following a group of unlikely young heroes as they journey across a kingdom whose magical Aether Crystals have mysteriously begun to fail.
6. The Fairly Scary Chronicles – Canada – 7 min – Two teenagers, Hannah Gilmore and Kayla Walker, 16 years old aspire to be on the news for ghost hunting. What they find in the next place they go ghost hunting will shock them.
7. Apple Pie – Canada – 5 min – A couple decides whether or not to order Apple Pie at a diner.
8. Immortal Embrace – Canada – 7 min – ​Turned into a vampire against her will, 16-year-old Emily must navigate her new reality with the unwavering support of her single mother. Immortal Embrace is a poignant coming-of-age tale that explores identity, family, and the enduring strength of a mother-daughter bond amidst the challenges of the supernatural.
9. Tomorrow, Today – Canada – 5 min – A music video by Michael Zamanis
10. Maggot Pocket – Canada – 14 min – ​Russ arrives late to an art show, Lexi is annoyed, Talia is hiding plastic bugs on the art frames, and a mysterious figure appears and disappears in what should be a normal outing to an art show.
11. Arrival – Canada – 26 min – After her father’s passing, 11-year-old Ella bonds with a lifelike “sister” designed to heal her grief—but when her new playmate evolves beyond its purpose, their relationship turns into a chilling rivalry for talent, identity, and their mother’s love.

Block 9 (Kiwanis Theatre) – 6:00pm

1. Blind Cliffs – Canada – 14 min – A man rushes to find his missing daughter.
2. The Liars of Black Mountain – United States of America – 13 min – When a couple runs over a stranger’s dog, they compete for the moral high ground at any cost.
3. Two Sisters – Poland – 1 hr 32 min – Follows two sisters who set off from Poland to Ukraine to bring their wounded father home.