The 2025 Sundar Prize Film Festival is presenting 31 British Columbia-made films, making up 57% of the festival’s 54 films lineup. These films showcase the incredible talent, diversity, and storytelling depth within B.C.’s motion picture industry. From deeply personal narratives to social justice-driven documentaries, this year’s B.C. films exemplify cinematic excellence and artistic vision. Building on its inaugural year, the 2nd Annual Sundar Prize Film Festival continues its commitment to diverse, socially impactful storytelling.
Catch the festival from April 9 to 13, 2025, at the VIFF Centre, SFU Surrey, and Landmark Cinemas Surrey, Gilford. This year’s theme, “Life in Motion: Journeys of Growth and Discovery,” highlights transformative storytelling that inspires change and reflects diverse perspectives from around the world.
BTS image from MAREYA SHOT, KEETHA GOAL. Image credit: Alister Eagle.
Here are only a few of the B.C. films that will be showcased at the festival:
Features and Documentaries
MAREYA SHOT, KEETHA GOAL (MAKE THE SHOT) (dir. Baljit Sangra and Nilesh Patel)
This warm and inspiring documentary shines a light on South Asian hockey hopefuls, profiling a handful of West Coast athletes, each of them hoping to make it to the NHL, as well as a former coach whose decades in the game have done nothing to wear down his enthusiasm. From these human sources, we get a portrait of resilience and grit. MAREYA SHOT, KEETHA GOAL is a true crowd-pleaser, and not just for sports fans: come for the hockey, stay for the humanity.
TEA CREEK (dir. Ryan David Lee Dickie)
Against the backdrop of colonization and the climate crisis, passionate Indigenous entrepreneur Jacob Beaton sets out to turn his family farm into a centre for food sovereignty, resilience and healing for his remote northern community and beyond.
THE STAND (dir. Christopher Auchter)
A moving retelling of the Haida Nation’s historic 1985 blockade to protect their sacred lands, changing the future of Indigenous environmental activism in Canada.
Still from TERESA’S CHOICE
Highlighted Short Films
STAND IN (dir. Hiromu Yamawaki)
Kenji, an aspiring Japanese actor by day and an Uber driver by night, frequently finds himself standing in for his more successful rival, Chris, an established Asian actor. One evening, Kenji unknowingly picks up Chris as a passenger, and their ride takes an unexpected turn.
LIFERS (dir. Ranjit Samra)
A sudden rise in drug overdoses leads to an overcrowded hospital, where a rookie cop sits guard over a career criminal. They share a room with Robert, an Indigenous man who learns he is dying. The two quickly bond and Robert’s fate forces the young cop to confront his conscience. Based on a true event.
MY ROOMMATE AHRIMAN (dir. Nessa Aref)
A young Iranian-Canadian man comes to terms with his sexuality, and contends with the disconnection from his culture, while inadvertently cohabitating with an ancient Persian Spirit of Chaos.
BODY VARIAL (dir. Audrey Kerridge)
After recently undergoing top surgery, a transmasculine skateboarder attempts to reintegrate themselves back into their daily life. Throughout their recovery, they discover newfound struggles both physically and mentally in life post-operation.
TERESA’S CHOICE (dir. Marlene Castaños Ortega)
When the world pandemic strikes, forty-something Teresa must overcome her fear of dying and decide if she wants to have a child conceived as a single mother through artificial insemination.
Discover the full programme on the Sundar Film Prize website. Tickets are available now through Elevent.
