Shiva Baby

Shiva Baby

Shiva Baby is a sharp, claustrophobic comedy of manners that turns a single afternoon into a masterclass of tension, wit, and social satire. Written and directed by Emma Seligman, the film follows Danielle (Rachel Sennott), a directionless college student who attends a family shiva only to run into her sugar daddy, her ex-girlfriend, and a room full of nosy relatives.

Winner of the John Cassavetes Award at the 2022 Independent Spirit Awards, the film captures the chaos of expectation, identity, and self-worth through biting humor and uncomfortable realism. Seligman’s debut is both a hilarious farce and an acute psychological portrait of millennial anxiety, exploring the pressures young women face to appear successful, desirable, and composed—all while quietly unraveling.

Set almost entirely within the crowded home of the shiva, Shiva Baby uses its confined space and escalating dialogue to amplify both comedy and dread. The film’s quick pace, clever writing, and striking performances—especially Sennott’s—make it an instant indie classic. Beneath its absurdity lies a poignant reflection on control, independence, and the messy intersections of sex, power, and family.

Screening With:

Into Water

Canadian Shorts Showcase

Into Water is an experimental short film honoring ceremony and medicines connected to water. In the film, June, a water spirit, is preparing, through ceremony to return to those very waters. Into Water is my way of honoring the waters of my home territory of Nipissing First Nation, and the women I grew up with – my mom, grandma, great-grandmother, and great-great grandmother.

5 mins 30s
Canada, 2019
Dir. Cole Forrest Stevens
Language: English

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