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 special screening of Short Fuse for all audiences to experience this special series of eye-opening stories on screen. Each short was selected for their visual style and heartfelt storytelling, often exploring memories, experiences, and relationships between friends, family, and across generations. From garages to arcades, to powwows in North America, to the rivers of Ethiopia and beyond, memorable stories can be found everywhere. Stories of loss, connection, beauty, and resilience, these shorts offer unique approaches to storytelling on screen, showcasing compelling collection for the next generation.

This short film program includes the following films:

Wednesdays with Gramps
Chris Copeland & Justin Copeland, USA, No Dialogue (9 min)

When a teenage boy visits his grandfather at a seemingly mundane assisted living facility, he comes to find that they have much more in common than he thought. Wednesdays with Gramps is a story about connection, communication, and commonality, without saying a word.

Pow!
Joseph Clift, USA, English (9 min)

Pow! is a heartfelt tribute to the director’s Tulalip community through the comedic journey of young Jake, trying to charge his video game console at a bustling community powwow.

Content considerations: brief, subtle reference to residential schools mentioned by the child’s grandmother.

Ball Lightning
Trina Baker, USA, English (12 min)

Ball Lightning follows the story of Gusta, a refugee who fled Soviet run East Germany after the end of WWII and immigrated to the United States in the 1960s. The story is told through the eyes of the surrogate daughter that she raised after she was forced to give away her own infant daughter as the iron curtain rose. Gusta serves as an example of survival, kindness and the fortitude of human resilience. The film is dedicated to her lost daughter, Esther, a reminder that the children separated from families because of war are never forgotten by those who love them.

Yves et Ses Bonsaïs
Ophelia Spinosa, French (14 min)

At 87-years-old, Yves maintains his joie de vivre by surrounding himself with his 70+ bonsai trees. Traversing from a tree’s roots to its crown, we reflect on the beauty and complexities of life imitating art, death, and age, wrapped in the warmth and humour that Yves brings to each tree.

Tiger
Loren Waters, USA, English (13 min)

Dana Tiger was just five years old when her father, legendary Muscogee Creek artist Jerome Tiger, passed away. In memory of Jerome’s art, and to support their family, Dana’s mother and uncle started a booming t-shirt printing business in the 1980s. Then, tragedy struck their family once more with another sudden death. For nearly 30 years, Dana and her children have been working to revitalize the iconic Tiger t-shirt company, forging ahead through grief and health challenges to continue their family’s legacy. Now, everybody wants their hands on a Tiger T-shirt.

The River
Herrana Addisu, USA, Amharic (17 min)

The River is a poetic and beautiful short film that pays homage to culture and the experiences of girls and women as they relate to education, marriage, and the life-giving properties of water. Exploring these themes in the context of Ethiopia, this artfully crafted film draws inspiration from the director’s childhood home, Kebena.

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