Nickel Film Festival: STRIKING OUT THE BOYS

A feature documentary about Jaida Lee, the first female to compete in men’s baseball at the Canada SummerGames. Me and The Spaceman Dir: Eric William Elliott · 14 min · NL A grievi

A feature documentary about Jaida Lee, the first female to compete in men’s baseball at the Canada SummerGames. Me and The Spaceman Dir: Eric William Elliott · 14 min · NL A grieving mother follows a mysterious spaceman on a search for a missing rocket ship — a journey that slowly becomes a way of facing the loss of her young son. This Newfoundland sci-fi drama blends family warmth with cosmic imagery to tell a story about letting go. Le Tour de Canada Dir: John Hollands · 6 min · Canada Two rival cyclists face off in a gruelling, surreal cross-Canada race in this hand-crafted animated short that plays like a mock-epic sporting broadcast. Bright colours, rapid-fire sight gags, and faux-heroic narration make this one pure fun. Striking Out The Boys (World Premiere) Dir: Kelly Meadus · 60 min · NL Striking Out The Boys follows Newfoundlander, Jaida Lee, over a four-year period where she helps elevate female baseball in a male-dominated sport. At 16 years old, Jaida's 2022 Canada Games accomplishment of playing on the all-male baseball team historically marked her as the first female to play baseball at the Canada Games. This triumph set in motion a wave of admiration, and encouraged more girls to play baseball. The documentary explores the shocking barriers and pushback faced by elite female athletes, the persistent gender divide in sports, and Jaida's astonishing, trail-blazing success in realizing her baseball dream to be one of the top female baseball players in the world. Feature-film directorial debut for local filmmaker Kelly Meadus.