Stars on the Ceiling (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

Stars on the Ceiling is a 22-minute Canadian drama about Vika, a Ukrainian woman in Toronto who faces a difficult choice on the anniversary of the war. Torn between her fiancé’s family and her war-displaced niece, she must decide where her support belongs.

Stars on the Ceiling is a 2026 Canadian drama centered on family loyalty, displacement and the personal weight of war. Set in Toronto, the short film follows a Ukrainian woman facing a difficult decision on the conflict’s anniversary.

Written and directed by Sofiia Brook, the film has a reported runtime of 22 minutes. Its story brings together a fiancé’s family and a niece displaced by the war, placing one intimate family choice at the center of the narrative.

Stars on the Ceiling movie details

Story without spoilers

The film follows Vika, a Ukrainian woman living in Toronto, as the anniversary of the war brings painful questions into focus. She must choose between supporting her fiancé’s family and standing by her niece, who has been displaced by the conflict.

That premise places the drama within a Ukrainian diaspora context while keeping its focus on a personal family dilemma. The supplied synopsis does not reveal how Vika makes her decision or what follows from it.

What to expect

Viewers can expect a compact family drama built around a moral and emotional conflict rather than a broad action story. With a 22-minute runtime, Stars on the Ceiling presents its central situation in short-form storytelling, connecting the anniversary of the war with questions of belonging, responsibility and family support.

The film’s Ukrainian diaspora setting is reflected in its characters and language information. It is listed as a drama and family film, with English, Russian and Ukrainian among its spoken languages.

Cast and creative team

Mariya Khomutova plays Vika, the Ukrainian woman at the center of the story. John De Toro appears as Ian, and Polina Kyrylenko plays Polina.

Sofiia Brook is credited as both director and writer. The film is associated with Humber Polytechnic, which is listed as its production company.

• Mariya Khomutova as Vika
• John De Toro as Ian
• Polina Kyrylenko as Polina

Release and production context

Stars on the Ceiling is listed as a Canadian production with a release date of October 18, 2026. Its reported runtime is 22 minutes, and its spoken languages are English, Russian and Ukrainian. The film is categorized as Drama and Family.

Production companies: Humber Polytechnic

Reported production figures:
Budget $4,854

Stars on the Ceiling official trailer

Watch the official trailer on YouTube

Movies Dock view

Stars on the Ceiling frames the effects of war through a focused family decision in the Ukrainian community of Toronto. Its short runtime and clearly defined central conflict make it a concise drama about displacement, loyalty and the pressure placed on personal relationships by events beyond the home.

Film data:
TMDB · IMDb