Image+Nation
Bodyrebuilding

Bodyrebuilding

VIVEK SHRAYA | CANADA | 2025 | 10 MIN | ENGLISH

VIVEK SHRAYA | CANADA | 2025 | 10 MIN | ENGLISH

VIRTUALShortMADE AU CANADACOMPETITION

Synopsis

Vivek navigates the chronic pain caused by the pressures of advocating for diversity, finding healing and strength through weightlifting.

Filmmaker Bio

Vivek Shraya is a multidisciplinary artist whose work spans music, literature, visual art, theatre, TV, film, and fashion. A three-time Canadian Screen Award winner, Vivek created and wrote the CBC Gem Original Series How to Fail as a Popstar. She is also a Polaris Music Prize nominee and the author of the best-selling book I’m Afraid of Men.

Producer

The Polygon Gallery

Writer

Vivek Shraya

Image
Image
Image
Image

Also playing with

PosterShort
Supa Cottonelle[MADE AU CANADA]5 minutesThis programme includes 8 filmsMADE AU CANADA: STORIES WE TELL 86 minutes

A celebration of House Mother Cotton and her sisters during Vancouver's ballroom scene of the 2000s. A tribute to the pioneering Canadian LGBTQ+ community and its dazzling legacy.

PosterShort
Salma![MADE AU CANADA]7 minutesThis programme includes 8 filmsMADE AU CANADA: STORIES WE TELL 86 minutes

As Hadi is swept into a flood of childhood memories from Lebanon, he steps into the dreamlike whimsical world of Salma Zahore.

PosterShort
fastLOVE[MADE AU CANADA]16 minutesThis programme includes 8 filmsMADE AU CANADA: STORIES WE TELL 86 minutes

On New Year's Eve, a broke and restless young man is drawn into a risky encounter with a hustler's client at a hotel. After being assaulted and scammed, with no help from the staff, he must face the consequences of his choices.

PosterShort
The Ride10 minutesThis programme includes 8 filmsMADE AU CANADA: STORIES WE TELL 86 minutes

During a late-night drive, Sean and Louis reflect on their shared journey through surrogacy.

PosterShort
Pink Elephant[MADE AU CANADA]13 minutesThis programme includes 8 filmsMADE AU CANADA: STORIES WE TELL 86 minutes

A long-standing friendship faces tension over gender identity, but everything shifts when one friend receives life-changing news, transforming their bond and perspectives forever.

PosterShort
Queen Mother (Inang Reyna)[MADE AU CANADA]14 minutesThis programme includes 8 filmsMADE AU CANADA: STORIES WE TELL 86 minutes

When a mother visits her son, a drag performer, a night of raw confessions forces them to confront the unhealed wounds of their past.

PosterShort
ATLS[MADE AU CANADA]11 minutesThis programme includes 8 filmsMADE AU CANADA: STORIES WE TELL 86 minutes

In a dystopian future, two women flee exploitation and find love in a remote cabin, only to face relentless pursuit and a tragic fate.

PosterShort
Supa Cottonelle[MADE AU CANADA]5 minutesThis programme includes 8 filmsMADE AU CANADA: STORIES WE TELL 86 minutes

A celebration of House Mother Cotton and her sisters during Vancouver's ballroom scene of the 2000s. A tribute to the pioneering Canadian LGBTQ+ community and its dazzling legacy.

PosterShort
Salma![MADE AU CANADA]7 minutesThis programme includes 8 filmsMADE AU CANADA: STORIES WE TELL 86 minutes

As Hadi is swept into a flood of childhood memories from Lebanon, he steps into the dreamlike whimsical world of Salma Zahore.

PosterShort
fastLOVE[MADE AU CANADA]16 minutesThis programme includes 8 filmsMADE AU CANADA: STORIES WE TELL 86 minutes

On New Year's Eve, a broke and restless young man is drawn into a risky encounter with a hustler's client at a hotel. After being assaulted and scammed, with no help from the staff, he must face the consequences of his choices.

PosterShort
The Ride10 minutesThis programme includes 8 filmsMADE AU CANADA: STORIES WE TELL 86 minutes

During a late-night drive, Sean and Louis reflect on their shared journey through surrogacy.

PosterShort
Pink Elephant[MADE AU CANADA]13 minutesThis programme includes 8 filmsMADE AU CANADA: STORIES WE TELL 86 minutes

A long-standing friendship faces tension over gender identity, but everything shifts when one friend receives life-changing news, transforming their bond and perspectives forever.

PosterShort
Queen Mother (Inang Reyna)[MADE AU CANADA]14 minutesThis programme includes 8 filmsMADE AU CANADA: STORIES WE TELL 86 minutes

When a mother visits her son, a drag performer, a night of raw confessions forces them to confront the unhealed wounds of their past.

PosterShort
ATLS[MADE AU CANADA]11 minutesThis programme includes 8 filmsMADE AU CANADA: STORIES WE TELL 86 minutes

In a dystopian future, two women flee exploitation and find love in a remote cabin, only to face relentless pursuit and a tragic fate.

You might also like

PosterShort
Quinonia[MADE AU CANADA]6 minutes

When the church forces a choice between authenticity and acceptance, one person decides to carve out a new path.

PosterShort
Handsome Devil[COMPETITION]4 minutes

A 'sissy devil' explores the depths of internet intelligence by conducting an 'advanced search' on an outdated search engine. Meanwhile, a female artist sketches her destiny.

PosterDocumentaryVIRTUAL EXCLUSIVE
RISING THROUGH THE FRAY[COMPETITION]88 minutes

Uniting from across continents to bring representation to the sport they love, Indigenous Rising laces up their skates to claim their space on the roller derby track. Indigenous Rising is the first team in roller derby history to break the barriers of representing a single country at the Roller Derby World Cup—igniting a movement that pulsates throughout the sport and within each other. Rising Through the Fray follows the team as it welcomes a new generation of players determined to change the face of roller derby—an inclusive, female-empowering sport still lacking diversity. With a compassionate, candid lens, Courtney Montour weaves energetic on-track game play with tender moments in teammates’ daily lives as skaters from over 30 Indigenous Nations navigate and learn each other’s play styles at tournaments and find strength within each other to compete and skate onto the track with pride. Intimate portraits of teammates Sour Cherry, Krispy and Hawaiian Blaze reveal stories of displacement and disconnection from their culture and identities and the journey of finding belonging within team Indigenous Rising. Rising Through the Fray offers a poignant exploration of resiliency, healing and reconnection of a roller derby family with a bond that goes beyond sport.

PosterFeatureVIRTUAL EXCLUSIVE
IN ASHES (EN) [COMPETITION]82 minutes

DANISH • ENGLISH ST | With In Ashes, writer-director Ludvig Christian Næsted Poulsen grippingly toys with genre. He inflects one Danish collegian’s immersion in frantic hook-up culture amidst a relationship mysteriously ended with elements of psychological horror and the tension of a spy thriller. In 2017 Copenhagen, baby-faced Christian (Rex Leonard, a nervy knockout) is glued to his camera, determined to capture every giddy moment he spends with his long-distance boyfriend Aske (Lior Cohen). Flash forward to 2022 Aarhus, “the most wonderful city in the world,” and a scruffier Christian seems less than content. He interrogates his schoolmate’s perspective and confronts strangers over assumed slights. He’s plagued by an unspoken ailment. And Aske seems nowhere to be found. With each empty tryst, each hungrily inhaled cigarette, Christian descends into a type of madness. Or is it clarity? Aske’s reappearance, arriving with the jolt of a jump scare, may hold the key to that question, as desperation congeals into starry-eyed determination. For those drawn in by the enigmatic pull of All of Us Strangers, In Ashes will have you guessing ‘is this a romance or a tragedy’ until the very last second—perhaps, even, long after.

PosterDocumentaryVIRTUAL EXCLUSIVE
CELESTIAL QUEER: THE LIFE, WORK AND WONDER OF JAMES MACSWAIN[MADE AU CANADA]72 minutes

Celestial Queer celebrates James MacSwain, Nova Scotia's beloved and beguiling queer artist, animator and gay-rights activist who passed away this past September 2025. Born and raised in the “backwater” of Atlantic Canada, MacSwain has been making ground-breaking experimental films, animations and provocative art performances for more than half a century. A quietly outspoken feminist, naturalist, and gay rights activist, Celestial Queer introduces audiences to a charmingly obscure and prolific Canadian artist. Through a combination of playful verité and rarely seen footage from his archive, Celestial Queer accompanies MacSwain and a revolving cast of characters as he revisits everything from the sites of some of his most recognized works to the rocky tidal shores of Nova Scotia. The film also includes rarely-seen footage from the infamous 1984 rooftop ‘Phallus Performance’ during which MacSwain was almost both arrested and charged with obscenity. Jim’s effusive character, prolific work, and community organizing have inspired generations of artists to fearlessly be themselves. Celestial Queer now introduces audiences to one of Canada’s best kept secrets, an artist who is effortlessly charming, engagingly prolific, and subversive to his surrealist core.

PosterShort
Rosa's Flowers[MADE AU CANADA]18 minutes

In 1998 Indonesia, two girls promised to be friends forever. Twenty-five years later, a traumatic event resurfaces memories of their shared childhood.

PosterFeature
BEARCAVE (ARKOUDOTRYPA)[COMPETITION]128 minutes

Passionate, provocative, and powerful—it’s easy to see why Bearcave was awarded the Europa Cinema Label at the 2025 Venice Film Festival. Set in a fictional remote village in the Balkan Mountains of Greece, a love story between two lifelong friends unfolds—but will their relationship survive the call of womanhood? Argyro is a farm girl—hard-working, unpretentious, and wholesome while Anneta is … in a bit of trouble. Whisked away by her law enforcement beau (and carrying his child) Anneta’s move to the city threatens to sever her friendship with Argyro for good, but their understated glances from across the crowd at a party one night tells a different story. The whisper of sweet nothings and foggy windows in Argyro’s pickup truck soon fade to memory, leaving behind a cloud of confusion and heartbreak, that is—until Anneta’s side of the story unfolds. Set against a backdrop of sweeping landscapes, a mystical cave, and nettle bushes, Bearcave is a film that’s steeped in tradition, then abruptly subverted, and not only by a sapphic love story, but a hybrid soundscape of folkloric and contemporary music, as well as ethereal sequences of cinematographic magic.

PosterShort
Becoming Ruby[MADE AU CANADA]10 minutes

Becoming Ruby follows Ruby Chopstix, Canada’s first drag artist-in-residence, as they navigate the challenges of being an underrepresented drag performer while preparing a special showcase to highlight and create space for other queer BIPOC artists.

PosterDocumentary
PARADE: QUEER ACTS OF LOVE & RESISTANCE[MADE AU CANADA]96 minutes

Parade: Queer Acts of Love & Resistance captures pivotal moments that sparked Canada’s LGBTQ+ movement, honouring the activists and elders whose resistance led to the rights we have today. Through rarely seen archival footage and first-person accounts (including interviews with filmmakers John Greyson, Richard Fung and politician Sven Robinson, to name a few), audiences are brought to the frontlines of the struggle. From police raids to early drag shows, community organizing to the House of Commons—the complex history of the country’s diverse communities is brought to life. Key milestones illustrate the power of taking it into the streets and underscore how easily the rights we’ve fought for can be revoked, making the documentary essential viewing for all Canadians. Unflinching, bold, enraging, hopeful; Parade: Queer Acts of Love & Resistance is a vital new chapter in the queer canon.

PosterShort
Muses[COMPETITION]8 minutes

A dancer struggles to break free from the hold of his choreographer, now drawn to another. This silent film explores power, inspiration, and replacement within the LGBTQ+ dance community through body language and music.

PosterShort
Quinonia[MADE AU CANADA]6 minutes

When the church forces a choice between authenticity and acceptance, one person decides to carve out a new path.

PosterShort
Handsome Devil[COMPETITION]4 minutes

A 'sissy devil' explores the depths of internet intelligence by conducting an 'advanced search' on an outdated search engine. Meanwhile, a female artist sketches her destiny.

PosterDocumentaryVIRTUAL EXCLUSIVE
RISING THROUGH THE FRAY[COMPETITION]88 minutes

Uniting from across continents to bring representation to the sport they love, Indigenous Rising laces up their skates to claim their space on the roller derby track. Indigenous Rising is the first team in roller derby history to break the barriers of representing a single country at the Roller Derby World Cup—igniting a movement that pulsates throughout the sport and within each other. Rising Through the Fray follows the team as it welcomes a new generation of players determined to change the face of roller derby—an inclusive, female-empowering sport still lacking diversity. With a compassionate, candid lens, Courtney Montour weaves energetic on-track game play with tender moments in teammates’ daily lives as skaters from over 30 Indigenous Nations navigate and learn each other’s play styles at tournaments and find strength within each other to compete and skate onto the track with pride. Intimate portraits of teammates Sour Cherry, Krispy and Hawaiian Blaze reveal stories of displacement and disconnection from their culture and identities and the journey of finding belonging within team Indigenous Rising. Rising Through the Fray offers a poignant exploration of resiliency, healing and reconnection of a roller derby family with a bond that goes beyond sport.

PosterFeatureVIRTUAL EXCLUSIVE
IN ASHES (EN) [COMPETITION]82 minutes

DANISH • ENGLISH ST | With In Ashes, writer-director Ludvig Christian Næsted Poulsen grippingly toys with genre. He inflects one Danish collegian’s immersion in frantic hook-up culture amidst a relationship mysteriously ended with elements of psychological horror and the tension of a spy thriller. In 2017 Copenhagen, baby-faced Christian (Rex Leonard, a nervy knockout) is glued to his camera, determined to capture every giddy moment he spends with his long-distance boyfriend Aske (Lior Cohen). Flash forward to 2022 Aarhus, “the most wonderful city in the world,” and a scruffier Christian seems less than content. He interrogates his schoolmate’s perspective and confronts strangers over assumed slights. He’s plagued by an unspoken ailment. And Aske seems nowhere to be found. With each empty tryst, each hungrily inhaled cigarette, Christian descends into a type of madness. Or is it clarity? Aske’s reappearance, arriving with the jolt of a jump scare, may hold the key to that question, as desperation congeals into starry-eyed determination. For those drawn in by the enigmatic pull of All of Us Strangers, In Ashes will have you guessing ‘is this a romance or a tragedy’ until the very last second—perhaps, even, long after.

PosterDocumentaryVIRTUAL EXCLUSIVE
CELESTIAL QUEER: THE LIFE, WORK AND WONDER OF JAMES MACSWAIN[MADE AU CANADA]72 minutes

Celestial Queer celebrates James MacSwain, Nova Scotia's beloved and beguiling queer artist, animator and gay-rights activist who passed away this past September 2025. Born and raised in the “backwater” of Atlantic Canada, MacSwain has been making ground-breaking experimental films, animations and provocative art performances for more than half a century. A quietly outspoken feminist, naturalist, and gay rights activist, Celestial Queer introduces audiences to a charmingly obscure and prolific Canadian artist. Through a combination of playful verité and rarely seen footage from his archive, Celestial Queer accompanies MacSwain and a revolving cast of characters as he revisits everything from the sites of some of his most recognized works to the rocky tidal shores of Nova Scotia. The film also includes rarely-seen footage from the infamous 1984 rooftop ‘Phallus Performance’ during which MacSwain was almost both arrested and charged with obscenity. Jim’s effusive character, prolific work, and community organizing have inspired generations of artists to fearlessly be themselves. Celestial Queer now introduces audiences to one of Canada’s best kept secrets, an artist who is effortlessly charming, engagingly prolific, and subversive to his surrealist core.

PosterShort
Rosa's Flowers[MADE AU CANADA]18 minutes

In 1998 Indonesia, two girls promised to be friends forever. Twenty-five years later, a traumatic event resurfaces memories of their shared childhood.

PosterFeature
BEARCAVE (ARKOUDOTRYPA)[COMPETITION]128 minutes

Passionate, provocative, and powerful—it’s easy to see why Bearcave was awarded the Europa Cinema Label at the 2025 Venice Film Festival. Set in a fictional remote village in the Balkan Mountains of Greece, a love story between two lifelong friends unfolds—but will their relationship survive the call of womanhood? Argyro is a farm girl—hard-working, unpretentious, and wholesome while Anneta is … in a bit of trouble. Whisked away by her law enforcement beau (and carrying his child) Anneta’s move to the city threatens to sever her friendship with Argyro for good, but their understated glances from across the crowd at a party one night tells a different story. The whisper of sweet nothings and foggy windows in Argyro’s pickup truck soon fade to memory, leaving behind a cloud of confusion and heartbreak, that is—until Anneta’s side of the story unfolds. Set against a backdrop of sweeping landscapes, a mystical cave, and nettle bushes, Bearcave is a film that’s steeped in tradition, then abruptly subverted, and not only by a sapphic love story, but a hybrid soundscape of folkloric and contemporary music, as well as ethereal sequences of cinematographic magic.

PosterShort
Becoming Ruby[MADE AU CANADA]10 minutes

Becoming Ruby follows Ruby Chopstix, Canada’s first drag artist-in-residence, as they navigate the challenges of being an underrepresented drag performer while preparing a special showcase to highlight and create space for other queer BIPOC artists.

PosterDocumentary
PARADE: QUEER ACTS OF LOVE & RESISTANCE[MADE AU CANADA]96 minutes

Parade: Queer Acts of Love & Resistance captures pivotal moments that sparked Canada’s LGBTQ+ movement, honouring the activists and elders whose resistance led to the rights we have today. Through rarely seen archival footage and first-person accounts (including interviews with filmmakers John Greyson, Richard Fung and politician Sven Robinson, to name a few), audiences are brought to the frontlines of the struggle. From police raids to early drag shows, community organizing to the House of Commons—the complex history of the country’s diverse communities is brought to life. Key milestones illustrate the power of taking it into the streets and underscore how easily the rights we’ve fought for can be revoked, making the documentary essential viewing for all Canadians. Unflinching, bold, enraging, hopeful; Parade: Queer Acts of Love & Resistance is a vital new chapter in the queer canon.

PosterShort
Muses[COMPETITION]8 minutes

A dancer struggles to break free from the hold of his choreographer, now drawn to another. This silent film explores power, inspiration, and replacement within the LGBTQ+ dance community through body language and music.