E2. Thematic Resonance (Nominee)
What Once Was
From Paige Alexandra
What Once Was follows Abigail in her pursuit to come out to her rural kiwi parents. Bringing her girlfriend Maia for support, the two travel to her childhood farmhouse where they join them for a family dinner. However, when Evelyn and Rich’s initial perception of Maia seems judgemental, the thought of coming out becomes increasingly difficult to Abigail. Being back in her childhood home, she is overcome by the nostalgia of every sweet memory helping her father on the farm. She doesn’t want to lose her dad, but his outdated opinions about Maia makes her tentative to express her true identity to him, putting their entire relationship in jeopardy.