Annual Awards 2026 | Program 8 — Under Pressure: Stories of Survival & Resistance

4:20 – 6:00 PM · Cinema 9 · 🟡 13+

Sweet Molly

J.C. McNaughton (USA)

At 16, Molly, raised in the FLDS cult, uncovers a chilling truth through her ability to astral project, triggering a life-altering revelation.

25:01

La Bala

Brie Zepeda (USA)

A Mexican family in Arizona faces imminent deportation and decides to flee on their own terms. As they journey back toward their homeland, they encounter dangers far more brutal than they ever imagined. Based on true events.

22:43

Fireside

Xiaopei Wang (China)

In the winter of 1998, a teenage boy returns to his hometown to help run his family’s mutton restaurant. As tensions surface between his father and an old friend, and his own desires awaken, a quiet evening around the table reveals the fractures beneath their seemingly peaceful lives.

27:04

Postman

Faizan Anees Bazmee (India)
California Premiere

A postman in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, shaped by political unrest and personal hardship, receives a mysterious letter addressed to himself, setting in motion a life-changing journey he never imagined.

24:31