North Star (2022)

"North Star" is a multiple-award-winning dramatic short film that is a deceptively simple dissection of loss and love, as it follows a rancher, James, fighting to care for his ailing husband, Craig, even as his sister-in-law, Erin, argues to take her brother to live his last days with her family, without James. Subtle intrusions from the outside world permeate the story, giving "North Star" a whisper-voiced commentary on current events while remaining subtle and true to its characters. "North Star" holds a careful grasp on what makes stories important: The human component. It manages to comment on current events such as constitutional rights, religious zealotry and the end-of-life care in ways that are at once unobtrusive and complementary to the films tone while packing intensely emotional punches that linger long after the final fade out.