Dramatic Short Film HARD FALLS
Written & Directed by Alina Vita Kulesh
Premieres on CBC TV Canadian Reflections
February 22, 2024
and starts streaming on CBC Gem

Hard Falls, a poignant short film written and directed by award-winning filmmaker Alina Vita Kulesh, is set to premiere on CBC TV Canadian Reflections on February 22, followed by streaming availability on CBC Gem.

In Hard Falls, three best friends navigate the complexities of their lives, facing hardships at home as they part ways for the evening. Anchored in themes of immigration, family dynamics, girlhood, and mental health, the film offers a deeply resonant exploration of the nuanced loneliness of growing up.

While the stories are fictional, Kulesh drew from her emotional experience as a child immigrant; she infuses the narrative with nuance and emotional depth, weaving a compelling story of resilience and connection. As the characters find solace and safety in the freeing world of jump rope and in each other, audiences are invited on a transformative journey of friendship and self-discovery.

“I aimed to give the teenage girls in the film a voice,” says Director Alina Kulesh. “Not just with what’s scripted but also by empowering the diverse actors to bring their authentic voices to the characters and help shape them. This added a beautiful layer of truth to the film.”

“To create even more authenticity, we filmed the short in Scarborough, in the exact neighbourhood and apartment building where I grew up,” adds Kulesh. “This was personally humbling and rewarding for me.” 

Alina Vita Kulesh is a Ukrainian-Canadian, award-winning Director & Creative Director who creates empathetic work with aesthetic sensitivity. Her first short film, Baby Blue, played in Los Angeles, Portland, Toronto and won “Best Romance Short” and “Best Director” awards. In February 2020, Alina was selected to participate in the “Director Lab” at Pendance Film Festival. Alina directed the visual poem “many tried but failed to catch me” by Rupi Kaur. In March 2020, Alina was featured as a female filmmaker to-watch as part of adam&eveDDB #SheTakesOver campaign. Her second short film, Little Soul, premiered in January 2021 on CBC TV in Canada and is available to stream on CBC Gem. In October 2021, Alina participated in the Talent Lab at the Reykjavík International Film Festival where Little Soul was part of the “Golden Egg” competition. Little Soul also received in-flight entertainment distribution with Air Canada from August 2022-February 2023. Alina’s recent short film, Hard Falls, will have its broadcast premiere on CBC February 22, 2024, and be available to stream on CBC Gem. Alina was recently selected as a Juror for the 2024 Canadian Screen Awards hosted by the Academy of Canadian Film & Television.

Alina is also a commercial director who has crafted work for SickKids, DoorDash, Knix, and Rupi Kaur/Aspeth. As a Creative Director and Director, Alina’s work has been nominated and won awards at the nextMedia Awards, Advertising Design Club of Canada (ADCC), Canadian Marketing Awards, Media Innovation Awards, and the Academy of Canadian Film & Television.