When systems fail, who do we become? This powerful BC and Indigenous spotlight block confronts authority, legacy, masculinity, language, and survival. Through animation, urgent political storytelling, darkly playful narrative, and intimate documentary, these films examine the weight of history and the courage required when silence is no longer an option. Featured Films: Knitty Gritty (Canadian Premiere) — Directed by Hannah Mangione A tender animated short about grief and unexpected comfort when a young girl loses her late grandmother’s knitting needles. The 2400 — Directed by David Scott Titus Written and filmed in just 48 hours, this urgent dystopian short imagines a regime using drones to track and detain people with expired residency cards — a direct response to escalating immigration crackdowns in North America. Diamond Belly (Surrey Premiere) — Directed by Kyle D’Odorico When a dying grandfather insists his cancerous tumours are stolen diamonds from a long-forgotten heist, myth and memory collide in this gripping short. A finalist for MAMM 2025, featuring actors seen in FBI, Power, Shogun, and Murder in a Small Town. A Cree Approach (Surrey Premiere) — Directed by Tristin Greyeyes A deeply personal documentary tracing the legacy of Cree scholar Freda Ahenakew. Through language, family history, and generational divide, the film explores Indigenous sovereignty and the fight to reclaim what colonial systems attempted to erase. Together, these films ask urgent questions: What responsibility do we carry? What happens when power goes unchecked? How do communities respond when institutions do not? Panel: Between Silence and Responsibility 5:00 – 5:30 PM This timely conversation examines Indigenous sovereignty, cultural resilience, and the ethical weight of storytelling under systemic pressure. How do filmmakers navigate truth when the stakes are personal, political, and generational? This block is intense, intimate, and politically resonant — a must-see for audiences who care about justice, identity, and the power of film to challenge silence