What kind of alchemy occurs to transform hardship into fortune? Here, the extraordinary burn brightly.
Q&A Oct 1 & Oct 3
This short film program includes the following films:
Municipal Relaxation Module
Matthew Rankin, QC (6 min)
Ken has a perfect spot for a city bench, and is calling the city to share his idea.
The Runner
Amar Chebib, BC (17 min)
Darius Sam, a young man from the Lower Nicola First Nation, attempts to run a 100-mile ultramarathon in subzero temperatures to raise awareness for addiction and mental health in his community.
Coin Slot
Scott Jones, NS (17 min)
Nearing the anniversary of a traumatic attack, a paraplegic writer navigates the many shades of trauma and healing.
Nanitic
Carol Nguyen, QC (15 min)
Using the metaphor of nanitic—a descriptor of the first worker ants produced by the queen using only the reserved nutrition of her body—this story follows a day in the life of two young girls Mai and Trang, their Aunt Útty, and Trang’s ailing grandmother.
Mariposa
John Greyson, Bongani Ndodana-Breen, ON (6 min)
An operatic cine-poem weaving together the stories of African-Canadian singer Portia White, South African chef Phelokazi Ndlwana, and the Free Gender activist group—a Black lesbian organization based in Khayelitsha, a township on the outskirts of Cape Town.
From Chile to Canada: Media Herstories
Sarah Shamash, Sonia Medel, BC (17 min)
Through feminist solidarities on unceded Coast Salish land, the contributions of Latinx women reveal an intergenerational network of media art genealogies.
I Thought the World of You
Kurt Walker, BC (17 min)
An enigmatic mosaic built on the lore existing around Canadian musician Lewis and his 1983 album, L’Amour.
Rumination
Ashleigh Vaillancourt, BC (4 min)
At night, a woman’s mind wanders as she chops firewood.
Mother’s Skin
Leah Johnston, NS (20 min)
Six-year-old Molly copes with her father’s alcoholic rage and mother’s worsening depression. One day, Molly and her mother discover a secret hidden underneath the floor grate.
Supported by
Community Broadcast Partner
Community Partner
Various
Canada
2021-2022
Various with English subtitles
Sexual Violence, Domestic Violence
Open to youth!
Book Tickets
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Agent of Happiness
In the Kingdom of Bhutan, the government makes a point of asking citizens about their level of contentment. This droll, poetical doc follows census-taker Amber as he takes villagers through the 148-question survey and contemplates his own life too.
Bird
In Andrea Arnold's latest, 12-year-old Bailey (Nykiya Adams) lives in a squat near the English seaside. Neglected by her chaotic father (Barry Keoghan), she pursues an adventure with a magnetic stranger named Bird (Franz Rogowski).
Arthur Erickson: Beauty Between the Lines
This new documentary offers the most complete account so far of the life and work of Canada's greatest architect, the man responsible for several of the finest buildings in Vancouver -- including the Museum of Anthropology and the SFU Campus.
Feven Kidane Quartet: Music Inspired by the Film Soundtrack to a Coup D'Etat + Film Screening
Trumpeter Feven Kidane, with Quincy Mayes on keys, Bernie Arai on drums, and Milo Johnson on bass, present a special set of original music inspired by Johan Grimonprez's brilliant essay film on the assassination of Patrice Lumumba, Jazz, and the Cold War.
Ghost Cat Anzu
When fifth grader Karin is deposited with her grandfather for the summer she takes out her unhappiness on his giant talking cat, Anzu -- who looks out for her even so. This wildly original anime riffs on Spirited Away with pleasing irreverence. Rated: PG.