Programmers' Picks: Megan Garbayo-López on SIFF 2025

Drowned Land

Choctaw director and 4th World Media Lab Alum Colleen Thurston's directorial debut deftly weaves a narrative about the Kiamichi River to reckon with the past, present, and future of life in southeastern Oklahoma, from the Trail of Tears to today.

Dancing Queen in Hollywood

If you were a fan of SIFF 2023's Golden Space Needle Best Picture winner Dancing Queen, you will love this sequel that brings our heroine Mina and her dance troupe to the bright lights of Hollywood for more teenage angst and shenanigans.

Into the Wonderwoods

More than just kids fare, this love letter to the history of animation has something for viewers of all ages to enjoy. Recommended ages 7+ for scary moments and one swear word.

The Family Picture Show

This family-friendly shorts block features the latest from the studio that brought you The Secret of Kells, a stop motion musical featuring a drag queen fox voiced by Sir Ian McKellen, and more fun to be had by kids of all ages.

FutureWave: Teenage Hearts

As I say every year, I believe the children are our future. Let them blow your mind with their cinematic musings on love in all its forms, including romantic, familial, self, and dare I say...delusional?

Summer's Camera

I was immediately charmed by this queer teen coming-of-age romance from South Korea and ultimately moved by the tenderness of the filmmaking from writer/director Divine Sung. Come for the queer romance, stay for the gorgeous cinematography.

Billy

The archival footage in this documentary feature from Québécoise filmmaker Lawrence Côté-Collins will haunt you in this fearless profile of a young man struggling to make sense of his schizophrenia diagnosis after committing murder. Her close relationship to the subject prior to his crimes makes the film all the more poignant.