The Half
The Half unfolds in the darkness of a tennis stadium — a space built for competition, transformed here into a chamber of solitude. A young woman in a heavy wedding dress steps onto the court, ready to play. The dress itself is the first contradiction: a symbol of tradition, commitment, and the future society has already written for her, now weighing her down on an athletic field.
Kasra
When a disgruntled Iranian-Canadian mama's boy and his dead-beat mom embark on a heist to alleviate family debts, tensions boil over between them mid-robbery.
Like Friend, Like Deer
A wildlife ranger kills an illegal hunter during a confrontation. An officer hands him over to a village soldier-teacher who knows him and shares memories with him. Instead of taking him to the outpost, the soldier-teacher abandons him at a crossroads between the outpost and the border villages. Then, the wildlife ranger goes to the outpost and surrenders himself. The animation explores the connection and similarities between humans and nature.
Murmurs of the Balloon
Ahmad, a young boy who lives with his grandmother, wakes one morning to the murmur of strangers dressed in black filling their old house. Confused and frightened, Ahmad meets his new friend, Hera, who helps him search for his grandmother. He finds her lying motionless beneath a white sheet.
Summer Triangle
A young girl goes to the rooftop to find her cat and discovers a boy who is attempting suicide. She forces the boy to search for her cat with her in the last moments of his life.
The Burial of the Black Cat
An 11-year-old girl meets her sister, who has transitioned and is now her brother. Struggling to accept this, she makes him reenact scenes from their childhood to mend their bond.
Vital
A mother in Iran, considers selling her organs to save her daughter, while in the United States, a doctor faces ethical dilemmas to save his daughter, revealing the complexities of organ trade.
Warden
Zivar, a middle-aged woman, is the supervisor of a student dormitory. She reacts harshly when a student returns late to the dorm. In her solitude, she feels guilty and tries to improve the situation.
The 2026 edition of the Forest City Film Festival is Powered By London Hydro.
