Sleepless Nights
What are Sleepless Nights?
Our Sleepless Nights are a series of events that are the life-blood of our organisation.
At Sleepless Cinema we refuse to gatekeep;
we are here to present and elevate incredible short films created by exceptional Canadian talent.
We aim to help navigate complex topics through our panel discussions while also appreciating the Canadian-ish Film Classics you know and love.
Happening Next
Spend the night with us
September 2nd at the Palmerston Public Library Theatre
For one night we'll be screening Les Diaboliques! In Henri-Georges 1955 film Christina suffers greatly at the hands of her husband. She and her huband's former lover decide to bring her struggling to an end. This feature film divides into the topics of moral decay, complicity, and their weaponization against women.
*This is not a Toronto Public Library event*
Stay Tuned!
The Next Sleepless Nights is Coming Soon!
Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds
Sleepless Nights of the Past
Night of the living Dead
The Short Film
In Sid Santiago Zanforlin's Black Empanadas main characters, Lucia and Fernando, move to a small Ontario town with the dream of opening a thriving empanada bakery, only to find the locals less than welcoming.
With the help of a ghostly ancestor, they craft a new, supernatural recipe that could win over the town—or curse them forever.
Sid Santiago Zanforlin is a Chilean/Canadian director and writer originally hailing from Montreal, now in the GTHA. Drawing heavily from his Chilean and Québécois heritage, he is committed to fostering diversity in the television industry.
As a graduate of the Canadian Film Centre, Sid has an extensive background as an IATSE cameraman, theatre director, and writer/director of award winning shorts, music videos, two indie features, and over 90 episodes of both factual and scripted TV. Sid was recently shortlisted for a TV Directing CSA nomination. In a previous chapter of his life, he was a punk drummer and garnered a Juno nomination for his musical work.
The Feature Film
In George A. Romero Night of the Living Dead (1968) a mysterious crisis causes the dead to rise and attack the living.
A group of strangers seeks shelter in a rural farmhouse, barricading themselves inside. As the night unfolds, they face mounting threats from both the undead outside and conflicts within.
Fear, mistrust, and desperation drive them to make life-or-death decisions. Survival becomes uncertain as chaos takes over.
The Panel Discussion
Our April 13th panel discussion dived into examining xenophobia through the lens of horror.
The Panelists
TRAVIS WALLACE
BOBBY MARKOV
MITCHELL WILSON
Mitchell is a Masters student at the University of Guelph currently researching the influence of ancient theatre on modern horror, primarily regarding themes of fate and cyclical violence.