NEXTFEST READINGS 3: The Pagans; Sukkar; From Prague to the Prairies

The Pagans by Daisy Brazil (20 minutes)
The leader of one of the most powerful witch covens is left a scorned lover after a paramour attempts to usurp her power. When her ex-lover returns years later, they are both forced to reckon with the secrets they keep from the world, themselves, and what it really means to wield power. 18+ event, audience is advised to check content warnings 

Sukkar by Jasmine Hopfe (20 minutes)
After avoiding her for some time, Huda reconnects with her mother Ruya over flour and spices and sweets. Ruya begins revealing her roots in a way Huda has never seen, opening Huda’s eyes to a whole different side of her mom, herself, and all those who have come before her. Sukkar (“sugar” in Arabic) explores the isolation, heartache, and forced forgetting woven into the diaspora, the feeling of coming home when one remembers where they come from, and how food can live at the centre of it all. IMAGE ATTACHED

From Prague to the Prairies by Gabrielle Elizabeth (20 minutes)
featuring Elizabeth Janzen, Kristin Unruh, Daniel Medema, Arden Phillips, and Miracle Mopera  

Following the defense of her nightmare thesis and amid a devastating breakup in Prague, a young woman returns to Alberta where she reconnects with an unlikely friend and confronts a few fears.