April 23, 2025

Only Need to Win Once (Gambling Addiction Short Film)

Teenager Brady Thornhill takes out a loan from an online PayDay Loan site in order to fuel his gambling addiction. However, he loses all his money again and Bailiff Liam is sent to collect on the debt. This causes Brady to spiral into a cycle of short term loans and online casinos, until his depression and entrapment takes its final toll.
April 23, 2025

Pieces of a Dream: A Story of Gambling

When Phillip Wong died by suicide, his family thought that silence would end their pain. But his sister, filmmaker Michelle Wong, needed to make sense of her brother’s death. What drove him to end his life at age 36? Weaving together intimate conversations with those closest to Phillip, as well as her own candid reflections, Wong embarks on a personal journey. Gently peeling away layers of silence, she uncovers her brother’s story of gambling addiction and his lonely spiral into desperation, isolation and depression. Filmed against the backdrop of the noisy casinos of Las Vegas and the quiet town of St. Paul, Alberta, the documentary lays bare the grief of family and friends. Sifting through feelings of guilt, sadness and shame, the once-fragmented family begins to discover a new closeness. This heart-wrenching film is a sister’s uncompromising search for the truth and healing–for herself, her family, and others struggling with addiction.