Short Fuse

Where do filmmakers find their stories? This shorts program of Canadian and International shorts was specially selected for our Ignite High School series, where we invite thousands of students to come to VIFF each year to learn from inspiring new films and ideas. We are pleased to also offer a second festival screening of Short Fuse for all audiences to experience this special series of eye-opening stories on screen. Each short was selected for the ways they inspire new approaches for storytelling or animation. Charming, funny, and at times a bit scary, these filmmakers explore stories from the everyday, from ancient history and science; from Indigenous futurism, the imaginary, and more. Together they offer a memorable collection for the next generation of filmmakers.

Q&A with director Amanda Strong

This short film program includes the following films:

Dokra Keu Bojhey Na
Sneha Das & Monjima Mullick, India, Bengali/English/Hindi (8 min)

An innovative animated documentary about the ancient bronze craft of Dokra sculptures in India told through the voices of Dokra artisans and sellers. They share some of the challenges they face as they endeavor to keep this art tradition alive.

Judy’s Garden
Evie Metz, USA, No Dialogue (7 min)

In this enchanting animated short, a woman is confronted by death and taken on a journey through her past in a cosmic, and microcosmic, garden of life, death, and renewal.

The Everlasting Pea
Su Rynard, Canada, English (17 min)

Through the eyes of a scientist questioning plant consciousness, a pea plant dreaming of its past in Rome’s Colosseum, and a botanist unravelling a mystery, The Everlasting Pea invites a profound reimagining of our relationship with the vegetal world.

Beeps
Kirk Johnson, USA, English/Spanish (15 min)

Sam can’t sleep. His bedroom is surrounded on all sides by chirping smoke alarms, the sign of a low battery. So he sets out on an odyssey to find the annoying beeps and in the process, learns about himself, his neighbors, and his place in the world.

Inkwo: For When the Starving Return
Amanda Strong, Canada, English/Dene (19 min)

Set two lifetimes in the future. Dove, a gender-shifting warrior, uses their Indigenous medicine (Inkwo) to protect their community from an unburied swarm of terrifying creatures.

Soap Box
Jimmy G. Pettigrew, Canada, French (17 min)

Hubert, 10, wants to win the annual soapbox race down the mountain to impress Anouk–who is also competing. Soap Box is a thrilling, wildly fun sports comedy, and a tribute to children’s incredible imaginations.