Firecracker Film Fest

In March 2025, the Firecracker Vancouver Chapter launched our very first Firecracker Film Fest in partnership with Gender Equity in Media Society (GEMS)— and it was everything we hoped for and more.

Curated by West Coast Firecracker Liesl Lafferty, this inaugural event lit up the room with talent, connection, and major creative energy. We love to celebrate the incredible creative work made by our community members, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of UBCP/ACTRA.

Missed the fun? Don’t worry, we’re already planning the next one. More cities? Don’t tempt us. 😉

2025 Screening Selections

THE BIG DAY

Stacee Copeland Kerr and Lindsay Hitchcock
Vancouver
An overworked mom arrives home in the middle of the night after a double shift, then realizes she's forgotten to prepare for Jimmy's 10th birthday tomorrow! She's never let her family down before. In a race against time and fatigue, Beth scrambles to put up the decorations, can she make it in time before everyone wakes up? (7 min)
BLOODY RHONDA

Alyssa Kostello
Vancouver
Rhonda must navigate how to handle her out of control period while on a date. (5min)
BOIFRIEND

Rebecca Marquardt and Lane Michael Stanley
Los Angeles
A gay cis woman's father is surprisingly happy when she brings her transmasc boyfriend home, but she soon realizes he's only happy because she's in a straight-passing relationship. (10min)
CHICKEN

Lucy McNulty and Emma Pollard Vancouver
When a breakup sends Sam back to her childhood home, her well-meaning neurodivergent brother's attempts to lift her spirits backfire - until a moment at a baseball game reminds them both what family really means. (14min)
A DAY IN THE [AFTER] LIFE OF DIANE STAPLES

Katrina Reynolds
Vancouver
When a ghost who's been haunting her office since she died there in 1984 is found by a documentary crew she learns of a decision she'll have to make that will change the course of her (After) Life forever. (6min)
INVISIBLE

Dale Willman
Halifax
Feeling invisible to society, a recently retired, soft-spoken woman is surprised to learn others consider this an asset, when new opportunities are offered. (8min)
LOVE STUCK

Susan Serrao
Calgary
When Kayley finds out her celebrity obsession, Josh Maple, has tickets to the show playing at her theatre that night, she follows the sacred skin care regime that he endorses as part of her "pulling out all the..." stops to ready herself for their first encounter. When Kayley finds out the truth about Josh Maple her world is rocked and she's left with an embarrassing reality. (6min)
SLAM DUNK, SEHAJ!

Asis Seth
Toronto
When former basketball star Sehaj gets a shot at returning to the game, her dream clashes with her traditional husband’s opposition, forcing her to choose between reclaiming her passion or sacrificing her dreams to preserve her marriage and family life. (9min)
SQUEEZE LEFT

Darlene Spencer and Producer Anita McFarlane
Kelowna
A triptych road trip which explores the twists, turns and hilarity of the mother/daughter relationship. We get an intimate rear view glimpse of several stages of this complex relationship as both women grow up, apart, and together again. (6min)

Firecracker Department is a hit podcast and a vibrant international community of women and nonbinary artists empowering each other to take creative action by building platforms for our voices and stories. Working together to go further and change the world.

About us
Gender Equity in Media Society Vancouver (GEMS) is a member-based organization committed to furthering gender equity in film and television. By addressing systemic barriers, GEMS works towards supporting more inclusive, representative media.

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UBCP/ACTRA’s more than 8,500 members are an integral part of the approximately 28,000 performers who have come together to build ACTRA, the strongest Union of cultural workers in Canada. UBCP/ACTRA has some of the most robust collective agreements for performers globally, ensuring performers are paid a fair wage and are protected on set.

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