Image+Nation
NOT TODAY

NOT TODAY

AYESHA SHEIKH | CANADA | 2023 | 4 MIN | ENGLISH FST

FREE SCREENING !

AYESHA SHEIKH | CANADA | 2023 | 4 MIN | ENGLISH FST

ShortI+N CONNEXE

Synopsis

In this short horror-comedy film, two grieving drag queens are mourning the sudden loss of their beloved Drag Mother. While going over her things they stumble upon a mysterious VHS tape. As they press play; a chilling silhouette emerges, sparking an unexpected chain of events for the duo.

Filmmaker Bio

Ayesha Sheikh is a Canadian filmmaker whose work blends technical precision with poetic sensitivity. Since 2013, she has worked as an assistant director on blockbusters, auteur films, and international co-productions. A graduate of INIS’s Mixed Program, she honed her craft in documentary, fiction, and multi-camera TV variety. Her short film Not Today (RVQC 2024), documentary Parc-Ex au cœur de MTL (15+ festivals, Best Emerging Talent), and web series De mensonges et d’eau fraîche (Melbourne WebFest award) continue touring worldwide. As a BIPOC writer-director, she tells bold, distinctive stories exploring identity, social critique, and authentic human experiences.

Producer

PATRICK SAAD, AYESHA SHEIKH

Cinematographer

JEAN-MICHEL MARTIN

Also playing with

PosterShort
SANS FILTRE[I+N CONNEXE]8 minutesThis programme includes 8 filmsLA SOIRÉE KINO67 minutes

Stéphane’s sister attempts once more to convince him that he suffers from HIV/AIDS. This time, however, she has no intention of forcing him to go to a hospital. She has something different in mind...

PosterShort
ENTRE L’AUBE ET L’AURORE [I+N CONNEXE]14 minutesThis programme includes 8 filmsLA SOIRÉE KINO67 minutes

Through the game Final Fantasy XIV, we follow trans folks using the game to find a strong sense of community. They will discuss different topics related to gender, virtual life, identity and existing as a trans person.

PosterShort
JE SUIS [I+N CONNEXE]13 minutesThis programme includes 8 filmsLA SOIRÉE KINO67 minutes

Camille, at the bar, is in the process of reflecting on its identity. It feels cornered by its work, social norms and external expectations. But a dance performance combining drag artists, circassian.ne. s and other performeur.se. will shake its thinking: it is taken. By this new world that will allow it to drop its mask and discover itself personally.

PosterShort
HIKO[I+N CONNEXE]10 minutesThis programme includes 8 filmsLA SOIRÉE KINO67 minutes

Hiko, 11, runs away from a neighborhood party after a disagreement with his mother over his refusal to wear makeup. He stumbles upon a mysterious circus tent, where an unexpected encounter reshapes his perception of himself. This magical adventure compels him to face his choices and explore his own identity.

PosterShort
LES TEMPÉRAMENTS[I+N CONNEXE]10 minutesThis programme includes 8 filmsLA SOIRÉE KINO67 minutes

A literature teacher comes back to his apartment after having interrupted his class with seemingly no reason. He discovers his husband, with a bloody hammer in his hands, crying, next to a barely breathing girl, who seemed to have been hit in the head with the hammer.

PosterShort
LE DERNIER BAR LESBIEN [I+N CONNEXE]5 minutesThis programme includes 8 filmsLA SOIRÉE KINO67 minutes

The filmmaker, starting a documentary research, interviews clients from the Champs bar to understand the importance of lesbo-queer bars for the community.

PosterShort
UN FILM ORIGINAL[I+N CONNEXE]3 minutesThis programme includes 8 filmsLA SOIRÉE KINO67 minutes

Un film original is a very short comedy, a parody of American features from the 90's or 2000's, in the shape of a storyboard. Jane leaves her family to live her life. She meets someone who turns her life upside down. Her life will change forever. Or not. Or maybe a little.

PosterShort
SANS FILTRE[I+N CONNEXE]8 minutesThis programme includes 8 filmsLA SOIRÉE KINO67 minutes

Stéphane’s sister attempts once more to convince him that he suffers from HIV/AIDS. This time, however, she has no intention of forcing him to go to a hospital. She has something different in mind...

PosterShort
ENTRE L’AUBE ET L’AURORE [I+N CONNEXE]14 minutesThis programme includes 8 filmsLA SOIRÉE KINO67 minutes

Through the game Final Fantasy XIV, we follow trans folks using the game to find a strong sense of community. They will discuss different topics related to gender, virtual life, identity and existing as a trans person.

PosterShort
JE SUIS [I+N CONNEXE]13 minutesThis programme includes 8 filmsLA SOIRÉE KINO67 minutes

Camille, at the bar, is in the process of reflecting on its identity. It feels cornered by its work, social norms and external expectations. But a dance performance combining drag artists, circassian.ne. s and other performeur.se. will shake its thinking: it is taken. By this new world that will allow it to drop its mask and discover itself personally.

PosterShort
HIKO[I+N CONNEXE]10 minutesThis programme includes 8 filmsLA SOIRÉE KINO67 minutes

Hiko, 11, runs away from a neighborhood party after a disagreement with his mother over his refusal to wear makeup. He stumbles upon a mysterious circus tent, where an unexpected encounter reshapes his perception of himself. This magical adventure compels him to face his choices and explore his own identity.

PosterShort
LES TEMPÉRAMENTS[I+N CONNEXE]10 minutesThis programme includes 8 filmsLA SOIRÉE KINO67 minutes

A literature teacher comes back to his apartment after having interrupted his class with seemingly no reason. He discovers his husband, with a bloody hammer in his hands, crying, next to a barely breathing girl, who seemed to have been hit in the head with the hammer.

PosterShort
LE DERNIER BAR LESBIEN [I+N CONNEXE]5 minutesThis programme includes 8 filmsLA SOIRÉE KINO67 minutes

The filmmaker, starting a documentary research, interviews clients from the Champs bar to understand the importance of lesbo-queer bars for the community.

PosterShort
UN FILM ORIGINAL[I+N CONNEXE]3 minutesThis programme includes 8 filmsLA SOIRÉE KINO67 minutes

Un film original is a very short comedy, a parody of American features from the 90's or 2000's, in the shape of a storyboard. Jane leaves her family to live her life. She meets someone who turns her life upside down. Her life will change forever. Or not. Or maybe a little.

You might also like

PosterShort
A Spot in the Sun[I+N CONNEXE]13 minutes

An artist’s attempt to recreate experimental filmmaker Chris Marker’s Sans Soleil from memory. Working from fragments, the film weaves together into an engrossing narrative. It follows patterns of thought through material such as Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, WG Sebald’s The Rings of Saturn, Virginia Woolf’s The Waves, and combines it with personal, intimate footage, images of the Welsh landscape, San Francisco, and of course, Chris Marker’s favourite animal.

PosterShort
LES TEMPÉRAMENTS[I+N CONNEXE]10 minutes

A literature teacher comes back to his apartment after having interrupted his class with seemingly no reason. He discovers his husband, with a bloody hammer in his hands, crying, next to a barely breathing girl, who seemed to have been hit in the head with the hammer.

PosterShort
ENTRE L’AUBE ET L’AURORE [I+N CONNEXE]14 minutes

Through the game Final Fantasy XIV, we follow trans folks using the game to find a strong sense of community. They will discuss different topics related to gender, virtual life, identity and existing as a trans person.

PosterShort
The Space You Need[I+N CONNEXE]21 minutes

Frustrated sci-fi writer Julian is facing a slump in his relationship. So will his fiancé Leo's trip into orbit with the world's first ever low-cost alternative spaceline provide them with just the space they need to get back on track?

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.

PosterFeature
AT THE PLACE OF GHOSTS (SK+TE'KMUJUE'KATIK)[I+N x CMF SERIES]87 minutes

The dangers of the past come in many forms. Two estranged Mi’kmaw siblings confront old animosities in an ancient forest, both in desperate need of healing. In their quest to rid themselves of the lingering evil that haunts them, they encounter the trail of their ancestors—and of their former selves. Mise’l (Blake Alec Miranda) is working a grueling shift when the jukebox warbles to life and an ominous presence from their childhood reveals itself, still capable of inflicting its wounds. Desperate, they seek out their younger brother, Antle (Forrest Goodluck). A task that requires them to part from their supportive partner and return home after many years away. Begrudgingly, their brother agrees to the journey, worried for his daughter’s safety if he does nothing, and they set out on a time-spanning mission. Elders are consulted. Strange creatures stalk them. Kinship is tested. The two heading deeper and deeper into nature at its most nurturing, and most menacing. From Bretten Hannam, the Two-Spirit L'nu filmmaker behind 2021’s acclaimed Wildhood (Opening Film I+N34, 2021), this is a ghost story of the highest order—equal parts eerie and edifying, and utterly unforgettable.

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
EMBOÎTER LEURS PAS (RETRACING THEIR STEPS) [I+N CONNEXE]20 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
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
SANS FILTRE[I+N CONNEXE]8 minutes

Stéphane’s sister attempts once more to convince him that he suffers from HIV/AIDS. This time, however, she has no intention of forcing him to go to a hospital. She has something different in mind...

PosterShort
A Spot in the Sun[I+N CONNEXE]13 minutes

An artist’s attempt to recreate experimental filmmaker Chris Marker’s Sans Soleil from memory. Working from fragments, the film weaves together into an engrossing narrative. It follows patterns of thought through material such as Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, WG Sebald’s The Rings of Saturn, Virginia Woolf’s The Waves, and combines it with personal, intimate footage, images of the Welsh landscape, San Francisco, and of course, Chris Marker’s favourite animal.

PosterShort
LES TEMPÉRAMENTS[I+N CONNEXE]10 minutes

A literature teacher comes back to his apartment after having interrupted his class with seemingly no reason. He discovers his husband, with a bloody hammer in his hands, crying, next to a barely breathing girl, who seemed to have been hit in the head with the hammer.

PosterShort
ENTRE L’AUBE ET L’AURORE [I+N CONNEXE]14 minutes

Through the game Final Fantasy XIV, we follow trans folks using the game to find a strong sense of community. They will discuss different topics related to gender, virtual life, identity and existing as a trans person.

PosterShort
The Space You Need[I+N CONNEXE]21 minutes

Frustrated sci-fi writer Julian is facing a slump in his relationship. So will his fiancé Leo's trip into orbit with the world's first ever low-cost alternative spaceline provide them with just the space they need to get back on track?

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.

PosterFeature
AT THE PLACE OF GHOSTS (SK+TE'KMUJUE'KATIK)[I+N x CMF SERIES]87 minutes

The dangers of the past come in many forms. Two estranged Mi’kmaw siblings confront old animosities in an ancient forest, both in desperate need of healing. In their quest to rid themselves of the lingering evil that haunts them, they encounter the trail of their ancestors—and of their former selves. Mise’l (Blake Alec Miranda) is working a grueling shift when the jukebox warbles to life and an ominous presence from their childhood reveals itself, still capable of inflicting its wounds. Desperate, they seek out their younger brother, Antle (Forrest Goodluck). A task that requires them to part from their supportive partner and return home after many years away. Begrudgingly, their brother agrees to the journey, worried for his daughter’s safety if he does nothing, and they set out on a time-spanning mission. Elders are consulted. Strange creatures stalk them. Kinship is tested. The two heading deeper and deeper into nature at its most nurturing, and most menacing. From Bretten Hannam, the Two-Spirit L'nu filmmaker behind 2021’s acclaimed Wildhood (Opening Film I+N34, 2021), this is a ghost story of the highest order—equal parts eerie and edifying, and utterly unforgettable.

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
EMBOÎTER LEURS PAS (RETRACING THEIR STEPS) [I+N CONNEXE]20 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
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
SANS FILTRE[I+N CONNEXE]8 minutes

Stéphane’s sister attempts once more to convince him that he suffers from HIV/AIDS. This time, however, she has no intention of forcing him to go to a hospital. She has something different in mind...