Image+Nation
BURLESQUE

BURLESQUE

MAEGAN NADER + LÉA ST-DENIS | CANADA | 2025 | 7 MIN | FRENCH

MAEGAN NADER + LÉA ST-DENIS | CANADA | 2025 | 7 MIN | FRENCH

ShortI+N CONNEXE

Presented by

MILF FEST

Synopsis

Burlesque, a student documentary exploring the world of burlesque as a space for artistic expression and personal liberation, where performers channel their creativity and sensuality. Through their voices, they speak about the power of the stage to reconnect with their bodies and establish a deep connection with the audience. Burlesque is presented as a feminist, inclusive, and supportive environment, celebrating gender and body diversity. The action takes place at the Wiggle Room, located in Montreal. It is the only burlesque cabaret in Canada, known for its warm atmosphere and strong sense of community.

Filmmaker Bio

Maegan Nader and Léa St-Denis are film students at Collège Ahuntsic. Previously, as part of their academic program, they co-directed a silent short film, Fleur par âme (2024), and a short film shot on 8 mm, La maison sur la lune (2025), both available on YouTube. Together, their work explores themes of femininity, freedom, and sensuality. They are each currently working on their first solo short films, both set to be released in December.

Filmmaker Bio

PARTNERS

MILF FEST

Also playing with

PosterShort
SOLARIUM[I+N CONNEXE]9 minutesThis programme includes 7 filmsLA SOIRÉE ÉTUDIANTE86 minutes

Mona lives with two roommates in an apartment cut off from the outside world. Trapped in a daily routine of household chores and a strange ritual of nocturnal debauchery, the life on the other side of the window seems to be calling to her.

PosterShort
STUBBLE[I+N CONNEXE]13 minutesThis programme includes 7 filmsLA SOIRÉE ÉTUDIANTE86 minutes

“Stubble” is an experimental documentary, in which Emma asks people when do you wish to be soft, when do you long to be rough, and when are you both at the same time? Each scene is a fantasy the subjects are invited to play inside. While interviewees’ honest answers offer glimpses into their own inner worlds and contrasting experiences. Merging both the real life and staged aspects of the film.

PosterShort
FULGORA[I+N CONNEXE]10 minutesThis programme includes 7 filmsLA SOIRÉE ÉTUDIANTE86 minutes

Félix, a young actor in the midst of a personal reckoning, finds himself torn between the expectations of the public and the industry, and a deep unease at having to play yet another role that no longer reflects who he is. One night, an unexpected encounter shakes up his world. Drawn to the possibilities of a vibrant world where he could finally be himself, Félix faces a choice: continue performing a role that no longer belongs to him, or take a leap into the unknown to fully embrace his transformation toward a new identity.

PosterShort
FATAL TEMPTATION[I+N CONNEXE]13 minutesThis programme includes 7 filmsLA SOIRÉE ÉTUDIANTE86 minutes

As detective Evelyn Dubois arrests gangster Billy “the Devil” Dwayne, he gets shot in front of her. In her office with a blood stained shirt, a knock is heard on the door... Her client Liliane Wang comes to confirm the rumours circulating in town. But did she really come only for this reason?

PosterShort
EMBOÎTER LEURS PAS (RETRACING THEIR STEPS) [I+N CONNEXE]20 minutesThis programme includes 7 filmsLA SOIRÉE ÉTUDIANTE86 minutes

By opening forgotten boxes in the Montreal Gay Archive Center, fragments of history from the LGBTQIA2S+ community are rediscovered. Among them are Michael and René, the first gay couple to get married in Canada, Linda and Catherine, two owners of the lesbian bar Le Kiev, and Kimura, multidisciplinary artists of diverse origins. The portraits of these diverse characters bear witness to the diversity of Montreal's queer communities.

PosterShort
L’ART DU DERNIER SOIR [I+N CONNEXE]14 minutesThis programme includes 7 filmsLA SOIRÉE ÉTUDIANTE86 minutes

The director revisits a pivotal period of his life, marked by frequent one-night stands. By exploring the complexities of his sexual orientation and the dynamics of his interpersonal relationships, the film immerses us in the era of hook-ups, where fleeting intimacy and the search for identity intertwine.

PosterShort
SOLARIUM[I+N CONNEXE]9 minutesThis programme includes 7 filmsLA SOIRÉE ÉTUDIANTE86 minutes

Mona lives with two roommates in an apartment cut off from the outside world. Trapped in a daily routine of household chores and a strange ritual of nocturnal debauchery, the life on the other side of the window seems to be calling to her.

PosterShort
STUBBLE[I+N CONNEXE]13 minutesThis programme includes 7 filmsLA SOIRÉE ÉTUDIANTE86 minutes

“Stubble” is an experimental documentary, in which Emma asks people when do you wish to be soft, when do you long to be rough, and when are you both at the same time? Each scene is a fantasy the subjects are invited to play inside. While interviewees’ honest answers offer glimpses into their own inner worlds and contrasting experiences. Merging both the real life and staged aspects of the film.

PosterShort
FULGORA[I+N CONNEXE]10 minutesThis programme includes 7 filmsLA SOIRÉE ÉTUDIANTE86 minutes

Félix, a young actor in the midst of a personal reckoning, finds himself torn between the expectations of the public and the industry, and a deep unease at having to play yet another role that no longer reflects who he is. One night, an unexpected encounter shakes up his world. Drawn to the possibilities of a vibrant world where he could finally be himself, Félix faces a choice: continue performing a role that no longer belongs to him, or take a leap into the unknown to fully embrace his transformation toward a new identity.

PosterShort
FATAL TEMPTATION[I+N CONNEXE]13 minutesThis programme includes 7 filmsLA SOIRÉE ÉTUDIANTE86 minutes

As detective Evelyn Dubois arrests gangster Billy “the Devil” Dwayne, he gets shot in front of her. In her office with a blood stained shirt, a knock is heard on the door... Her client Liliane Wang comes to confirm the rumours circulating in town. But did she really come only for this reason?

PosterShort
EMBOÎTER LEURS PAS (RETRACING THEIR STEPS) [I+N CONNEXE]20 minutesThis programme includes 7 filmsLA SOIRÉE ÉTUDIANTE86 minutes

By opening forgotten boxes in the Montreal Gay Archive Center, fragments of history from the LGBTQIA2S+ community are rediscovered. Among them are Michael and René, the first gay couple to get married in Canada, Linda and Catherine, two owners of the lesbian bar Le Kiev, and Kimura, multidisciplinary artists of diverse origins. The portraits of these diverse characters bear witness to the diversity of Montreal's queer communities.

PosterShort
L’ART DU DERNIER SOIR [I+N CONNEXE]14 minutesThis programme includes 7 filmsLA SOIRÉE ÉTUDIANTE86 minutes

The director revisits a pivotal period of his life, marked by frequent one-night stands. By exploring the complexities of his sexual orientation and the dynamics of his interpersonal relationships, the film immerses us in the era of hook-ups, where fleeting intimacy and the search for identity intertwine.

You might also like

PosterShort
Chants d'amours[I+N CONNEXE]3 minutes

Chants d’amours is a powerful video work based on the appropriation of homophobic and transphobic slurs. By reinterpreting them, Lamathilde and her LGBTQ+ friends from Montreal transform stigma into poetic and political resistance, hoping to inspire more love, dignity, and resilience through words.

PosterShort
win-nip-egg[I+N CONNEXE]4 minutes

In a city where victims of colonial history and dominant narratives intersect, a voice begins to examine the erasure of women and minorities. Between “win,” « nip », and « egg », she plays with words and identities, scrutinizing the violence of bodies and discourse—a fragile and political visual gesture.

PosterShort
STUBBLE[I+N CONNEXE]13 minutes

“Stubble” is an experimental documentary, in which Emma asks people when do you wish to be soft, when do you long to be rough, and when are you both at the same time? Each scene is a fantasy the subjects are invited to play inside. While interviewees’ honest answers offer glimpses into their own inner worlds and contrasting experiences. Merging both the real life and staged aspects of the film.

PosterShort
The Trend[I+N CONNEXE]4 minutes

A remix of sounds and images from the Prelinger Archives that feature fashion trends.

PosterFeatureVIRTUAL EXCLUSIVE
STARWALKER[I+N CONNEXE]116 minutes

“Ladies and well … gender is a spectrum.” Eddie Starwalker aka Star (Dillan Chiblow) is an Oji-Cree call boy whose life takes a fateful turn when he meets handsome Levi (Jeffrey Michael Follis), then watches his drag show at the House of Borealis, awakening the call to his two-spirit identity. Corey Payette’s musical delivers dynamic performances with Indigenous storytelling and drumming songs craftfully weaved among themes of queer joy, resilience, and self-determination. Contrasted by the rainy climate and industrial scenes of East Vancouver, the campy magic of the fictional drag club—run by Mother Borealis (Stewart Adam McKensy)—burns bright with punchy numbers featuring its star, Star, learning how to apply make-up and shop for dresses, proud despite the scornful gaze of shopkeepers. Then, the stage lights give way to some of the darker shadows of drag life—from addiction, to backstage rivalry, to discrimination from the health care system—as tragedy strikes Star’s newfound home and he begins to collapse under the pressure. Faced with his past—namely, the trauma of racism—Star longs to reconnect with his roots, and also to learn, for the first time, what it means to show up for family.

PosterShort
Don't Ask Don't Tell Gay, Gay, Gay[I+N CONNEXE]1 minutes

I watch tv so you don't have to. Like the short description summaries that often accompany tv programs though an on-screen cable guide, Don't Ask Don't Tell Gay, Gay, Gay is a jump-cut/short-cut edit that summarizes the content of Season 4, episode 4 of Boston Legal. All excess footage has been removed to capture the mainstream reflection and tone of American discourse around DADT.

PosterShort
L’ART DU DERNIER SOIR [I+N CONNEXE]14 minutes

The director revisits a pivotal period of his life, marked by frequent one-night stands. By exploring the complexities of his sexual orientation and the dynamics of his interpersonal relationships, the film immerses us in the era of hook-ups, where fleeting intimacy and the search for identity intertwine.

PosterShort
TTT (Tㅌト)[I+N CONNEXE]4 minutes

After the 100th 'The Thursday Testo,' (TTT), the tri-linguistic references such as the Roman and Korean (Hangeul) alphabets and the Japanese syllabic (Katana) alphabet of the word TRANS on a comedy sketch by Kě.

PosterShort
oui mes noms (say my names)[I+N CONNEXE]2 minutes

say my names is a video that answers a frequently asked question...'but what is your name... really?' or 'but how do you want me to call you... which name?' So, after a few years of thinking, here is my answer in 100 words/100 second video.

PosterShort
The Job[I+N CONNEXE]14 minutes

An exploration of Canadian photographer John Phillips’ erotic archive, chronicling the impact of AIDS on his life and work for American gay magazines in the 1990s, at the dawn of the digital revolution. An intimate portrait of an artist and an industry on the verge of transformation.

PosterShort
Chants d'amours[I+N CONNEXE]3 minutes

Chants d’amours is a powerful video work based on the appropriation of homophobic and transphobic slurs. By reinterpreting them, Lamathilde and her LGBTQ+ friends from Montreal transform stigma into poetic and political resistance, hoping to inspire more love, dignity, and resilience through words.

PosterShort
win-nip-egg[I+N CONNEXE]4 minutes

In a city where victims of colonial history and dominant narratives intersect, a voice begins to examine the erasure of women and minorities. Between “win,” « nip », and « egg », she plays with words and identities, scrutinizing the violence of bodies and discourse—a fragile and political visual gesture.

PosterShort
STUBBLE[I+N CONNEXE]13 minutes

“Stubble” is an experimental documentary, in which Emma asks people when do you wish to be soft, when do you long to be rough, and when are you both at the same time? Each scene is a fantasy the subjects are invited to play inside. While interviewees’ honest answers offer glimpses into their own inner worlds and contrasting experiences. Merging both the real life and staged aspects of the film.

PosterShort
The Trend[I+N CONNEXE]4 minutes

A remix of sounds and images from the Prelinger Archives that feature fashion trends.

PosterFeatureVIRTUAL EXCLUSIVE
STARWALKER[I+N CONNEXE]116 minutes

“Ladies and well … gender is a spectrum.” Eddie Starwalker aka Star (Dillan Chiblow) is an Oji-Cree call boy whose life takes a fateful turn when he meets handsome Levi (Jeffrey Michael Follis), then watches his drag show at the House of Borealis, awakening the call to his two-spirit identity. Corey Payette’s musical delivers dynamic performances with Indigenous storytelling and drumming songs craftfully weaved among themes of queer joy, resilience, and self-determination. Contrasted by the rainy climate and industrial scenes of East Vancouver, the campy magic of the fictional drag club—run by Mother Borealis (Stewart Adam McKensy)—burns bright with punchy numbers featuring its star, Star, learning how to apply make-up and shop for dresses, proud despite the scornful gaze of shopkeepers. Then, the stage lights give way to some of the darker shadows of drag life—from addiction, to backstage rivalry, to discrimination from the health care system—as tragedy strikes Star’s newfound home and he begins to collapse under the pressure. Faced with his past—namely, the trauma of racism—Star longs to reconnect with his roots, and also to learn, for the first time, what it means to show up for family.

PosterShort
Don't Ask Don't Tell Gay, Gay, Gay[I+N CONNEXE]1 minutes

I watch tv so you don't have to. Like the short description summaries that often accompany tv programs though an on-screen cable guide, Don't Ask Don't Tell Gay, Gay, Gay is a jump-cut/short-cut edit that summarizes the content of Season 4, episode 4 of Boston Legal. All excess footage has been removed to capture the mainstream reflection and tone of American discourse around DADT.

PosterShort
L’ART DU DERNIER SOIR [I+N CONNEXE]14 minutes

The director revisits a pivotal period of his life, marked by frequent one-night stands. By exploring the complexities of his sexual orientation and the dynamics of his interpersonal relationships, the film immerses us in the era of hook-ups, where fleeting intimacy and the search for identity intertwine.

PosterShort
TTT (Tㅌト)[I+N CONNEXE]4 minutes

After the 100th 'The Thursday Testo,' (TTT), the tri-linguistic references such as the Roman and Korean (Hangeul) alphabets and the Japanese syllabic (Katana) alphabet of the word TRANS on a comedy sketch by Kě.

PosterShort
oui mes noms (say my names)[I+N CONNEXE]2 minutes

say my names is a video that answers a frequently asked question...'but what is your name... really?' or 'but how do you want me to call you... which name?' So, after a few years of thinking, here is my answer in 100 words/100 second video.

PosterShort
The Job[I+N CONNEXE]14 minutes

An exploration of Canadian photographer John Phillips’ erotic archive, chronicling the impact of AIDS on his life and work for American gay magazines in the 1990s, at the dawn of the digital revolution. An intimate portrait of an artist and an industry on the verge of transformation.