Nickel Independent Film Festival 2026

Wednesday June 24 — 5:30-6:30pm: Nickel In Conversation: Taking your time and making your work. LSPU Hall Cox and Palmer Second Space. Free. @officialmarywalsh Mary Walsh is a Newfoundland actor, writer, comedian, activist and mother who hardly needs an introduction. Among her many awards and doctorates, Mary is also the recipient of The Order of Canada and the Governor General’s Lifetime Achievement Award in the Performing Arts. @santig1 Santiago Guzmán is a an award-winning writer, performer, director, dramaturge and producer for theatre and film originally from Metepec, Mexico, now calling St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador home. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of TODOS Productions & the Artistic Director for Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre. Santiago’s work aims to put local, under-represented narratives and characters on the frontlines, whilst inviting audiences to appreciate the vibrancy of Newfoundland and Labrador from a diverse perspective. @ruthlesslawless Ruth Lawrence is a filmmaker based in St. John’s, NL. Ruth’s feature films include Little Orphans (Borsos Award for Best Canadian Feature, Whistler Film Festival 2020), Hopeless Romantic (2018), and the award-winning comedy feature, Party Pirate, sold out its opening Gala overnight at the St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival in October 2023.

𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲'𝘀 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆: Review of the upcoming short film program happening Saturday, June 27, 2026 at 2:30pm, at LSPU Hall! Program films: If They're Not Dead, They're Still Alive (NL) The Lines She Carries (Canada) No Matter The Weather (Canada) Free Fish (Palestine) Motel Grand-Pré (Canada) Lorraine (NL) Visit @nickelfestival website for the full schedule, more info, and tickets! Made as part of the Cartoonists-In-Residence program with the Nickel Independent Film Festival 🖍Images made by hand with gouache, pencil crayon, onion bags + hot glue 😅

Wow. What a blow to lose two such powerful forces in our arts and culture scene in the span of a week — first Wendi Smallwood, now Dana Warren. The Nickel knew Dana both as a longtime supporter and creator. She produced the local feature The Bingo Robbers, which showed back at the very first Nickel in 2001, and later she served on our board of directors. Dana was the person you went to when you needed to make something happen. Much love to all who were close to her, and we know there were so many. She will be deeply missed. ❤️ @danawarren2017

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MY PLASTIC MOTHER (19 min) plays Thursday, June 25 at 7pm at Nickel as part of Love, Almost. Director Amar Haikal follows a boy named Eki as he searches a landfill — threatened by rain and heavy machinery — for something to connect him to his dead mother. A powerful Indonesian drama about grief, memory, and the determination of a child clinging to what remains. Grand Jury Prize winner at Flickerfest. See nickelfestival.com for tickets and more info.

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JULIAN AND THE WIND (15 min) plays Thursday, June 25 at 7pm at Nickel as part of Love, Almost. Actor-turned-director Connor Jessup follows two roommates at a boys' boarding school as a night of sleepwalking and gale-force wind draws them into a more intimate reckoning with fear, shame, and desire. A delicate queer drama that finds romance in vulnerability. Premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. See nickelfestival.com for tickets and more info.

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Mark your calendars for June 24th!📆 "A Little Tenderness" is a night of 7 amazing short films that all felt a little "too real" if I'm being honest. Based on the film's titles I sort of thought they were all going to be sad, but I was happily mistaken! I see it more as a celebration of the flaws that make us all human. We're all looking for connection in our lives, but despite this common goal, we often stumble when it comes to relationships. I enjoyed this program from cover to cover, and I wholeheartedly recommend checking it out! 💙 Tickets are on sale now for the @nickelfestival! This show is on June 24th so grab em' while you can! 🎫 . .