VIFF Short Forum: Program 1

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