The 21st Annual Hamilton Film Festival
$15+HST
HAMILTON FILM FESTIVAL OPENING NIGHT
October 16, 2026 8:00 PM
The 21st annual Hamilton Film Festival is here! Join us for our opening day. At 6pm - Gala Walk the red carpet, take some photos, and mingle with the filmmakers at the opening gala of the 21st Annual Hamilton Film Festival! You can also pick up your passes and purchase tickets for all shows. At 8pm - Local Shorts, 90m of movies plus a Q&A after the program. Various genres / Not Rated and some content may not be suitable for younger audiences. Please read the synopsis for each film.
LOCAL SHORTS!
Movies with a strong connection to the Hammer!
The Content Creator, 3min, Comedy, Richard O’Daiskey & Kim Madden, Hamilton - An ASMR content creator is just trying to make peaceful videos, but her clueless boyfriend keeps interrupting.
Dusk, 1m, Josh Kemp, Hamilton - When the trees go silent, run. When the trees speak to you, don't listen.
Ex-ercise, 6min, Lucy Sanci, Comedy, Hamilton - Two exes are tricked into the same mushroom-fueled "healing" session by their meddling friend and forced to work through their breakup inside a wildly escalating shared hallucination.
TwoFer, 5m, Comedy, Shelly J. Hong, Hamilton - When a depressed gambler and a hapless dentist encounter one another whilst running from the law, they must work together to devise their getaway.
Murder, She Toked, 10m, Mystery, Eric Michael McKenzie, Canada (Filmed in Hamilton) Murder, She Toked is a 10-minute mystery-comedy about best buds Hannah and Mel, who use an extrasensory stoner superpower to investigate the murder of a hip-hop mogul at his luxury weed lounge.
Swimmers, 13m, Drama, Ryan Nesbitt, Hamilton - Over his summer break, Marco signs up for a lifeguard training course, where he becomes entranced by his polar opposite, Xavier; a boy of mystery and unknown sexuality.
Tough Shit, 7m, Comedy, Kristin Booth, Canada (Cinematography by Hamilton’s Christoph Benfey) Motherhood is messy, unpredictable, and often downright absurd. That famous guide should never have been called What to Expect When You're Expecting—rather, Buckle Up Bitch Rough Waters Ahead.
Value Undetermined, 15m, Drama, Jess Blackwell, Hamilton - A routine evaluation takes a chilling turn when a people-pleasing sales agent realizes she's interviewing for more than just a job.
A Clockwriter, 7m, Horror, Jack Hourahine, Cambridge - A screenwriter’s character manifests time, with each typewritten letter advancing the clock one minute closer to an encircling deadline.
Finding Shelter, 15m, Drama, Mehrtash Mohit, Toronto (Filmed in Hamilton) - FINDING SHELTER follows Hanna, a 10-year old girl, who is about to be smuggled out of her war-torn country with her father on a boat.
Sugar, 8min, Olivia Ellis, Hamilton. This short film won the Pitch competition at last year's Hamilton Film Festival!
A part of the 2026 Hamilton Film Festival.
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