Celebrating community stories in the Ottawa-Gatineau region, Absolutely Ottawa showcases award-winning short films and documentary programs created by in-house and independent local producers, as well as student filmmakers from Carleton University, Algonquin College and Cégep de l'Outaouais.



From a stand-up comedian to a Gananoque photographer to a police officer and mentor in the Kitigan Zibi community, the 2018 Ottawa Docs and Reel Shorts compilations include compelling profiles about community members, artists and more. Each story brings something special to the series. You'll want to look out for Indigenous Stories: Silla and Mamandagokwe, a documentary by two Indigenous filmmakers that brings together Indigenous women reconnecting with their cultural roots. Project Cold Days is also a must-see production, as it explores the lives of people surviving Ottawa's winter streets. Encore presentations of Reel Shorts 2017 and In Their Words: The Power of Poetry are also on the schedule.

Carleton University students, on-location of the film "Marc Walter: Land Artist" shown in Reel Shorts 2017. (Photo credit: Brea Elford)

In the locally-produced independent short film titled From Sarajevo, a young refugee flees war torn Bosnia with dreams of becoming a dancer here in Ottawa. (Photo credit: Jane Hamilton)

Gabrielle Butler, a broadcast television student at Algonquin College, speaks about making her film, Keep Up, which will be featured in Ottawa Docs 2018. (Photo credit: Michel Aspirot)

Filmmaker Howard Adler, left, and singer Charlotte Qamaniq, right, snap a behind-the-scenes photo during the production of Indigenous Stories: Silla. (Photo submitted by Howard Adler)

Project Cold Days is an independent documentary film that explores the lives of people surviving Ottawa's streets in the cold. (Photo Credit: Lex Film Inc.)

Take a look at the 2018 line up:Air date: Saturday, July 28 at 7 p.m.A compilation of short films by local filmmakers that utilize different storytelling mediums, including stop-motion animation and music created in nature. Plus, two student films from Carleton University that profile local artists in our community.Short films include: Emergency Broadcast, Found Sound, Marc Walter: Land Artist, The Printmaker, The Music in MeAir date: Saturday, August 4 at 7 p.m.A compilation of thought-provoking short films and documentary profiles by independent and student filmmakers, including The Haircut, which premiered at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, and From Sarajevo, an award-winning film at Digi60 Ottawa's Digital Filmmakers' Festival. From the tale of a young girl who dreams of becoming a dancer to a historical portrait of Gananoque photographer Lorne Prosser, this episode brings together interesting stories from the Ottawa region and beyond.Short films include: The Haircut, From Sarajevo, It is Good, Prosser: Portrait of a Small TownAir date: Saturday, August 11 at 7 p.m.A compilation of short documentaries by emerging independent filmmakers, including inspiring stories about challenging stereotypes and pursuing your passion. This episode includes Keep Up, an award-winning film at Digi60 Ottawa's Digital Filmmakers' Festival, and Before the Gloves, a student film from Cégep de l'Outaouais that was recognized in the documentary category at the de l'âme à l'écran festival (DAÉ).Short documentaries include: Keep Up, Before the Gloves, Shelina Stand Up!, Believe, RE- part of the Stories North project at Carleton UniversityAir date: Saturday, August 18 at 7 p.m.A one-hour independent documentary that explores how poetry and performance help local spoken word poets express themselves. As we follow their powerful stories, they share their hopes, fears, struggles and dreams for the future. Jamaal Jackson Rogers, one of the featured poets in the film, was honoured in 2017 as one of Ottawa's two new poets laureate.Featured poets: JustJamaal ThePoet, CauseMo, DMP, King Kimbit, Apollo the ChildAir date:Saturday, August 25 at 7 p.m.Indigenous Stories is a one-hour program that includes two locally produced, independent documentaries by Howard Adler and Gabrielle Fayant. Silla is a short documentary that features Ottawa-based Inuit artists and musicians, Charlotte Qamaniq and Cynthia Pitsiulak. As a traditional throat singing duo, they are known for performing under the name Silla, but also perform as a trio under the name "Silla and Rise" when paired up with DJ Rise Ashen. Mamandagokwe is the second part, a short documentary film showcasing Dara Wawatay-Chabot's life and the historical context of her community and the Algonquin Nation, including a focus on her story through beadwork and how Indigenous youth find beauty in the struggle. These two independent documentaries were produced with the support of the Filmmaker Assistance Program (FAP) at the National Film Board of Canada.Air date:Saturday,September 1 at 7 p.m.Project Cold Days is an independent documentary film that explores the lives of people surviving Ottawa's streets in the cold. Shot over a period of four years during the freezing Ottawa winters, the film focuses on the mental health and addiction struggles that those living on the street endure in their daily lives.