Stephen Payette

A young man struggles to explain the cultural nuance of saying "I love you" in Spanish to his English-speaking lovers.

A high-strung reporter, hot on the tail of a rampaging murderer, returns home to find his partner hosting some old friends. He’s already started to unravel, leaning on alcohol to calm himself, as the gathering gets bigger and louder.

Diminished by grief, 18-year-old Tess (Kelly Van Der Burg) is moving through her life like a ghost. The one thing that comforts her is listening to the music of Danny Sharpe (Joel Thomas Hynes), a local legend who left home almost 20 years ago. Tess is stunned when she wakes up one day to find him in her kitchen, igniting a spark of life in her that grows out of control.

Two young women find themselves in an impossible situation. With no one to turn to and against all odds, the pair take the road trip of their lives. Based on the story Melody by Lisa Moore, from her 2002 collection of short stories, Open.